Abstract:
A leash assembly for restraining two or more animals includes a supplemental leash line that retains an attachment member and an animal attachment fastener. One feature is that the attachment member attaches to a main leash line so that the attachment member is freely moveable with respect to the main leash line from a handle at which a first end of the main leash line terminates to a main animal attachment fastener at which a second end of the main leash line terminates. Another feature is that an adjustment member is repositionable with respect to the supplemental leash line to selectively adjust a maximum distance between the attachment member and the animal attachment fastener.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/741,669 filed Dec. 2, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to a pet leash and, more particularly, to a pet leash arranged to simultaneously walk or restrain multiple pets. The leash is well suited for use with dogs, although the leash may be used with other animals as well, and can be used for walking or restraining.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     As dogs and other pets provide companionship to people, the pets, in turn require care from their owners. Food, water and shelter are generally considered necessities. In addition, to maintain good physical and mental health, pets should be afforded a reasonable amount of exercise. The confined space in houses is usually not adequate to provide enough exercise and stimulation for dogs. In addition, most dogs are taken outside for bladder and bowel relief. Therefore, one responsibility of pet ownership may be walking the pets outside. Pet walking may occur multiple times each day. In urban areas, there are often laws that mandate that dogs be leashed when beyond property lines.  
         [0004]     Many dog owners have more than one dog. This being the case, an owner must be able to control multiple dogs simultaneously while walking them. This can be done by using a leash for each pet, but this results in tangling and being pulled in two or different directions.  
         [0005]     Therefore, there is a need in the art for a leash assembly that is easy to use when walking multiple pets and that has limited susceptibility to tangling while maintaining control over the pets.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     According to one aspect of the invention, a leash assembly for restraining two or more animals includes a first leash line having a first end terminating at a handle and a second end terminating at a first animal attachment fastener; and a second leash line assembly having a second leash line that retains an attachment member and a second animal attachment fastener, wherein the first leash line extends through the attachment member so that the attachment member is freely moveable with respect to the first leash line from the handle to the first animal attachment fastener.  
         [0007]     According to another aspect of the invention, a supplemental leash assembly is configured for attachment to a main leash assembly, the main leash assembly is configured to restrain a first animal and has a main leash line, and the supplemental leash assembly is configured to restrain a second animal with respect to the main leash line. The supplemental leash assembly includes a supplemental leash line; an attachment member retained by the supplemental leash line; an animal attachment fastener retained by the supplemental leash line; and an adjustment member that is repositionable with respect to the supplemental leash line to selectively adjust a maximum distance between the attachment member and the animal attachment fastener.  
         [0008]     These and further features of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following description and attached drawings. In the description and drawings, particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail as being indicative of some of the ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed, but it is understood that the invention is not limited correspondingly in scope. Rather, the invention includes all changes, modifications and equivalents coming within the spirit and terms of the claims appended hereto.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     These and further features of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following description and drawings, wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary leash assembly according to the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a portion of the leash assembly if  FIG. 1  where a secondary leash line joins a primary leash line;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a trigger snap for use in connecting a secondary leash line to a primary leash line in one embodiment of a leash assembly according to the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a secondary leash line adjustment member shown in isolation; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side view of another exemplary secondary leash line assembly with the adjustment member of  FIG. 4  shown broken away. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     In the description that follows, like components have been given the same reference numerals, regardless of whether they are shown in different embodiments. To illustrate an embodiment(s) of the present invention in a clear and concise manner, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form. Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and/or in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.  
         [0016]     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , disclosed herein is a leash assembly  10  for controlling two or more animals, such as while walking two or more dogs. The animals will be referred to herein as dogs, but it will be appreciated that other animals may be restrained using the apparatus described herein, such as cats, pigs, monkeys and so forth. It will be appreciated, that the animals restrained by the leash assembly  10  need not be considered pets.  
         [0017]     In the illustrated embodiment, the leash assembly  10  includes a retractable main line  12  (also referred to as a first leash line, a main leash and a primary leash line) that can be controlled at a first end  14  of the main line  12  by a user, such as a person walking the dogs. A second end  16  of the main line  12  can be attached to a swivable (e.g., rotatable) first animal attachment fastener  18 , such as a spring biased clip that secures to a collar or harness worn by a first dog. Attachment to the fastener  18  can be made by looping the main line  12  through a receiving aperture of the fastener  18  and securing the main line  12  to itself, using, for example, stitches, adhesive and/or interweaving of the main line  12  material.  
         [0018]     For an additional dog, there is a secondary line  20  (also referred to as a second leash line and a secondary leash). The secondary line  20  can be shorter in overall length than the main line  12 . The secondary line  20  is attached to the main line  12  using an attachment member  22  disposed at a first end  24  of the secondary line  20 . In particular, the attachment member  22  includes a through opening  25 , through which the main line  12  extends. The attachment member  22  can be a ring, jump ring, clip, hook, snap hook, hoop or other suitable device or fastener. Another example includes a threaded ring, such as a “C” shaped member with at least one threaded end for threadably receiving an opening closure nut that is slidably connected to the other end. Attachment of the secondary line  20  to the member  22  can be made by looping the secondary line  20  through a receiving aperture of the member  22  and securing the secondary line  20  to itself, using, for example, stitches, adhesive and/or interweaving of the secondary line  20  material.  
         [0019]     In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment member  22  is an annular coil resembling a key ring. In this embodiment, to attach the secondary line  20  to the main leash line  12 , the main leash line  12  can be inserted between turns of the coil and the coil can be rotated until the main leash line  12  becomes entrapped in the coil. To remove the attachment member  22 , the process can be reversed.  
         [0020]     The attachment member  22  can be of multi-piece construction so that the secondary line  20  can rotate axially with respect to the main line  12 .  
         [0021]     A second end  26  of the second leash line  20  can be attached to a swivable (e.g., rotatable) second animal attachment fastener  28 , such as a spring biased clip that secures to a collar or harness worn by a second dog. Attachment to the fastener  28  can be made by looping the secondary line  20  through a receiving aperture of the fastener  28  and securing the secondary line  20  to itself, using, for example, stitches, adhesive and/or interweaving of the secondary line  20  material.  
         [0022]     In one embodiment, the secondary line  20  can be about 6 inches long to about 36 inches long, although the length can be varied to accommodate various sizes of dogs and needs of the user. In another embodiment, the secondary line  20  is about 18 inches long to about 36 inches long. The overall length of the main line  12  can be about 5 feet long to about 25 feet long, although the length can be varied to accommodate various sizes of dogs and needs of the user. In one embodiment, the main line  12  can be retracted so that the distance from the first end  14  (as defined by the point at which the main line  12  enters or engages a handle  30 ) to the second end  16  is shorter than the overall length of the main line  12 . For example, a non-deployed portion of the main line  12  may be wound around a spool or held by hand, and that non-deployed portion of the main line  12  is not considered with determining the length of the main line  12  from the handle  30  to the fastener  18 .  
         [0023]     The lines  12  and  20  can be made of the same or different materials. Materials for the lines  12  and  20  include for example, a strap of natural or synthetic (e.g., nylon) material, leather, cord, rope, wire and so forth. The lines  12  and  20  are generally flexible in nature. The term line, as used herein, should not be considered limiting to shape (e.g., flat or round), material or construction.  
         [0024]     The second leash line  20  can move freely along the length of the main leash line  12  from the first end  14  to the second end  16  without interruption by stops or other interference device. The attachment member  22  is configured to freely slide over the main leash line  12 . In other words, the secondary leash  20  is free to float along the entire length of the main line  12  without restriction. For example, the attachment member  22  does not include a pulley or wheel that could become jammed with the main line  12 . Rather, the attachment member  22  and the rest of the connected secondary line  20  is free to move along the entire length of the main line  12 , without stops or blocks, thus providing a range of movement between the dogs while minimizing tangling of the lines  12  and  20 . The member  22  is configured to minimize folding and/or binding of the main line  12 .  
         [0025]     The arrangement of the leash assembly  10  allows the dogs to wander in opposite directions with respect to the longitudinal axis of the main leash line  12 , up to the maximum length of the main leash line  12  between the ends  14  and  16 . In effect, the fastener  28  moves independently along the length of the main line  12  with respect to fastener  18 . In addition, the user can maintain control of both dogs by manipulation of just the main leash line  12  as the second leash line  20  is laterally constricted relative to the main leash line  12 .  
         [0026]     The first end  14  can be defined by the relationship of the main line  12  to a handle  30 . In one embodiment, the handle  30  is established by looping the main line  12  upon itself, in which case the distance between the first end  14  and the second end  16  is fixed.  
         [0027]     In the illustrated embodiment, however, the main leash line  12  is secured to a handle  30  with a retraction mechanism to deploy a selected length of main leash line  12 . The retraction mechanism is not shown in the illustrated embodiment and would be enclosed by the handle  30 . The handle  30  can include an aperture, through which the main line  12  travels. Retractability of the main leash line  12  provides greater control options to the user. For example, the distance between the first end  14  and the second end  16  can be adjusted, thereby allowing changes in the distance between at least the dog secured by first animal attachment fastener  18  and the user. The second dog can move up and down the length of the main line  12  without restriction, depending on how much of the main line  12  the user lets out of the handle.  
         [0028]     Examples of the retractable operation of an animal leash are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,693,596, 3,937,418 and 4,562,792, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. The handle  30  can house a retracting mechanism that includes a spring and spool that rotate in a manner to coil the main line  12 . The specific arrangement of the retracting mechanism can vary and can include any appropriate clutch, lock, brake, release and so forth, which can be controlled by buttons  32 .  
         [0029]     In an example operational configuration, the main leash line  12  is clipped to the collar of the first dog with fastener  18  and the secondary leash line  20  is clipped to the collar of the second dog with fastener  28 . As the user walks the dogs, the user can release as much of the main leash line  12  as desired up to the overall length of the main leash line  12 , thereby increasing or decreasing the range of movement for the dogs. When more control is desired, the user can reel the dogs in, and when space is available, the user can release the main leash line  12  to the fullest extent to allow the dogs to roam more freely.  
         [0030]     The main line  12  can be controlled by the user to maintain a slight tension and elevate the lines  12  and  20  off the ground. It is contemplated that such tension and/or elevation may reduce the likelihood that the lines  12  and  20  will become tangled.  
         [0031]     The secondary leash  20  can be removed from the main leash line  12  if just one dog is to be walked. Alternatively, the second animal attachment fastener  28  can be clipped to the first animal attachment fastener  18  or the handle  30  to be stowed when not in use.  
         [0032]     Plural secondary leashes  20 , with accompanying attachment members  22  and fasteners  28  can be connected to the main line  12  so that three or more dogs can be simultaneously walked and controlled with the main line  12 .  
         [0033]     As will be appreciated, the disclosed leash assembly  10  has a relatively simple construction that is easier and less expensive to manufacture than conventional multiple dog leashes. In addition, the leash assembly can be efficiently used. For example, the leash assembly  10  allows for a high degree of freedom of movement for the dogs and a high degree of control over the dogs by the user. The user need only control the main leash line  12  to control both dogs and, compared to using separate leashes for both dogs, the leash assembly  10  can reduce tangling, confusion and the stress of trying to negotiate a separate leash for each dog. Retractability of the main line  12  gives the user control over the dogs by allowing the user to pull the dogs in close with relative ease. It is contemplated that the dogs appreciate the ability to wander apart along the length of the main leash line  12 .  
         [0034]     The leash assembly  10  can be adapted to accommodate dogs of various sizes. For smaller dogs, the leash lines  12  and  20  lengths can be made shorter and with finer cord or straps. For larger dogs, the leash lines  12  and  20  lengths can be made longer, with larger cord or straps to increase tensile strength.  
         [0035]     With additional reference to  FIGS. 3 through 5 , another exemplary embodiment of a secondary leash line assembly  34  will be described. In this embodiment, the effective length of a secondary leash line  20  is made to be variable (or adjustable) in length. Similar to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the secondary line  20  may be removably secured to the first leash line  12  with an attachment member  22  located at a first end of the secondary line  20 .  
         [0036]     In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment member  22  is a device commonly referred to in the hardware industry as a trigger snap  36 . The illustrated trigger snap  36  has a ring  38  through which a first end  24  of the secondary line  20  is passed before the secondary line  20  is secured to itself in any suitable manner, such as by stitching. Swivably (e.g., rotatably) attached to the ring  38  is a clasp component  40 . The clasp component  40  may include two members  42   a  and  42   b  that are joined by an axel  44 , which may be implemented with a pin, rivet or threaded assembly. A spring is coiled around the axel  44  and biases the members  42  into a closed position as shown. The spring may be located in interior recesses of the members  42  and, therefore, is not visible in the illustrated views. The members  42  are curved to form a through opening  25  when in the closed position. Also, the members are  42  are tapered at ends opposite the axel  44  to overlap one another. Force may be applied to a lever  46  that is attached to one of the members  42   a  to counteract the biasing force of the spring and to pivot the member  42   a  with respect to the member  42   b . The resulting movement spaces the overlapping ends of the members  42  apart so that the trigger snap  36  may be attached to the first line  12  or removed from the first line  12  by passing the first line  12  through the space between the members  42 .  
         [0037]     As will be appreciated, when the members  42  of the trigger snap  36  surround the first line  12 , the trigger snap  36  is freely moveable along the length of the first leash line  12  from the handle  30  (e.g., retraction mechanism housing, strap loop or other grasping member) to the first animal attachment fastener  18 .  
         [0038]     As indicated, the effective length of the second leash line  20  may be adjustable. To facilitate adjustability, an adjustment member  48  may be employed. The adjustment member  48  may be any suitable device or assembly, examples of which include a tri-slide, a d-ring, a clamp, a slide and/or slide release, a reducer, a buckle, a loop fastener, a locking clip, and so forth. The adjustment member  48  may be made from any suitable material, including metal or plastic.  
         [0039]     The illustrated adjustment member  48  has three openings  50 ,  52  and  54  defined in part by four cross members  56 ,  58 ,  60  and  62 . A second end  26  of the second leash line  20  is passed through the first opening  50  before the secondary line  20  is secured to itself in any suitable manner, such as by stitching. Thus, the first end  24  is secured around a first cross-member  56  of the adjustment member.  
         [0040]     It is noted that in the view of  FIG. 5 , the adjustment member  48  is shown partially broken away.  
         [0041]     Proceeding along the length of the second leash line  20  from the first end  24 , the second leash line  20  passes through an aperture of a second animal attachment fastener  28 . The illustrated fastener used for the second animal attachment fastener  28  (as well as the first and second animal attachment fasteners of  FIG. 1 ) is commonly referred to in the hardware industry as a bolt snap.  
         [0042]     Thereafter, the second leash line  20  passes upwardly through the second opening  52  between the second and third cross-members  58  and  60 . The second leash line  20  passes over the third cross-member  60  and through the third opening between the third and fourth cross-members  60  and  62 . The second leash line  20  then wraps around the fourth cross member and over the portion of the second leash line  20  that crosses over the third cross-member  60  before passing back through the second opening  52 . Thereafter, the second leash line wraps around the second cross-member and passes through the first opening  50 . In this arrangement, the second leash line  20  doubles over itself while passing through the various openings of the adjustment member and around the various cross-members of the adjustment member. In this manner, a loop  64  may be formed in the second leash line  20 . The length of the loop  64  may be determined by the relatively placement of the adjustment member  48  and the second leash line  20 . Little movement of the adjustment member  48  with respect to the second leash line  20  will be experienced when the second leash line  20  undergoes tensioning between the second animal attachment fastener  28  and the attachment member  22 . To adjust the length of the loop  64  and, hence, the overall length between the members  22  and  28 , the second leash line  20  may be loosen with respect to the adjustment member  48  by manual effort of pushing and pulling the leash line  20  through the respective openings of the adjustment member  48 . By loosing the second leash line  20  in this manner, the adjustment member  48  may be moved relative to the leash line  20  and the length of the loop  64  may be changed.  
         [0043]     In one embodiment, the overall length of the second leash line  20  may be about one foot to about six feet. In one embodiment, the overall length of the second leash line  20  is about three feet and, depending on where the user places the adjustment member  48  with respect to the second leash line  20 , the distance between the members  22  and  28  may be about one foot to about two and a half feet. In one embodiment, the second leash line  20  has a length so that a maximum distance between the attachment member  22  and the second animal attachment fastener  28  is about three feet.  
         [0044]     Adjustability of the length of the second leash line  20  may be advantageous when pets of different breeds, ages and/or sizes are walked using the leash line assembly  10 . For instance, when walking two large dogs (e.g., greyhounds), it may be desirable to shorten the loop  64  to increase the distance between the members  22  and  28 . In another example, when waling two small dogs (e.g., Chihuahuas), it may be desirable to lengthen the loop  64  to decrease the distance between the members  22  and  28  so as to minimize the possibility that the second least line  20  drags on the ground.  
         [0045]     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited correspondingly in scope, but includes all changes, modifications and equivalents coming within the spirit and terms of the claims appended hereto.