Patent Publication Number: US-2007113798-A1

Title: Animal assistance sling and related methods for assisting animals

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
      The present application claims priority to U. S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/739,851, filed Nov. 23, 2005, and entitled “ANIMAL ASSISTANCE SLING AND RELATED METHODS FOR ASSISTING ANIMALS”, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates generally to devices for assisting animals suffering from maladies effecting their ability to walk and/or support themselves. More particularly, the invention relates to an animal assistance sling for quick and convenient attachment to a pet therefore allowing a pet owner to comfortably support the weight of their pet.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Recent advances in medical technologies and procedures have not only benefited human beings but have allowed pet owners to seek treatment for their pets that was not available in the past. For instance, treatment regimens now exist for the treatment of dogs suffering from maladies such as, for example, arthritis and hip dysplasia. In addition, many dogs can suffer from the common effects of old age where muscles and joints can become painful leading to a loss of mobility.  
      A number of patents describe devices for assisting in lifting animals for treatment and transport. Representative patents included U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,489,677; 4,537,154; 4,550,686; 4,559,906; 4,644,902; and 4,831,976, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. In addition to the aforementioned patents, a number of patents refer to devices specifically targeted to the assistance of walking and/or transporting animals that either lack the strength or stamina to support themselves. For instance, dog assist harnesses for dogs with crippled hindquarters or following surgery are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,216,636 and 6,694,921, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.  
      While the need for supporting and assisting animals as part of treatment recovery or due to age or illness has been recognized, there remains a need to further improve the convenience and ease of use of such support devices.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention addresses the aforementioned needs of improving the convenience and ease of use associated with assisting and supporting animals by providing an animal support assembly for assisting in the transport and/or walking of animals during recovery from surgery or due to old age or other maladies. The animal support assembly generally comprises a support sling and a strap assembly wherein the support sling wraps about a lower portion of the animal and the strap assembly provides a grip arrangement for a user to lift the support sling, thereby supporting the animal. In some representative embodiments, the support sling can comprise a support material and a removable sling diaper. The removable sling diaper serves to maintain the cleanliness of the support material. The removable sling diaper can comprise laundry-suitable materials or can comprise a disposable diaper. The support sling can be retainably attached around the animal&#39;s body such that a user not be required to lift or manipulate an animal each time the support assembly is used. The strap assembly can be removably attached to the support sling so as not to bother the animal when the support sling is retained around the animal and the support assembly is not being used by the owner. The support sling can comprise pockets for convenient retention of material such as, for example, veterinary records and the like.  
      In one aspect, a representative embodiment of a support assembly of the present invention comprises a sling assembly and a strap assembly. The sling assembly generally wraps about a lower portion of the animal while the strap assembly provides a grip arrangement to a user for lifting the support sling. The sling assembly preferably comprises a removable diaper that is in contact with the animal to absorb any waste products so as to maintain the cleanliness of both the animal and the sling assembly. The support sling can comprise external features including aesthetic features and pockets for convenient retention of material such as, for example, veterinary records and the like.  
      In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of supporting an animal during transportation or walking. First, a sling assembly can be positioned around the animal&#39;s belly at a location proximate the animal&#39;s hind legs. Next, a retaining assembly such as, for example, as strap or sheet can be wrapped over the top of the animal such that the sling assembly fully surrounds four sides of the animal. A strap assembly can then be attached to the sling assembly by attaching strap connectors to corresponding adapters on the sling assembly. A user can then lift up on the strap assembly to provide support and assistance to the animal by reducing the load on the animal&#39;s hind legs. The method can further comprise attaching a clean diaper to the sling assembly so as to accommodate the animal&#39;s waste products. In addition, the sling assembly and strap assembly can be attached to a collar assembly so as provide additional control of the animal.  
      In another aspect, the present invention relates to an animal support and collar assembly. The animal support and collar assembly can include a support assembly operably connected to a collar assembly. With the animal support and collar assembly, a user can simultaneously support and control movement of the animal through a single strap assembly.  
      The above summary of the various representative embodiments of the invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the invention. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the invention. The figures in the detailed description that follows more particularly exemplify these embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of an embodiment of an animal support assembly of the present disclosure;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded plan view of a sling assembly for use with the animal support assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the animal support assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the animal support assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the animal support assembly of  FIG. 1  in use to support an animal;  
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view of the animal support assembly of  FIG. 1  is use to support an animal;  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an embodiment of an animal support assembly of the present disclosure;  
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the animal support assembly of  FIG. 7  in use to support an animal;  
       FIG. 9  is a plan view of an embodiment of an animal support assembly of the present disclosure;  
       FIG. 10  is a plan view of an embodiment of an animal support assembly of the present disclosure;  
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an embodiment of an animal support and collar assembly of the present disclosure being used to support and restrain an animal;  
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the animal support and collar assembly of  FIG. 11  being used to support and restrain an animal;  
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the animal support and collar assembly of  FIG. 11  being used to support and restrain an animal; and  
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the animal support and collar assembly of  FIG. 11  being used to support and restrain an animal. 
    
    
      While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the figures and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      As illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5  and  6 , an embodiment of an animal support assembly  100  for use in supporting an animal  101  can comprise a sling assembly  102  and a strap assembly  104 . Sling assembly  102  can comprise a support sheet  106  and a detachable diaper sheet  108 . Support sheet  106  is generally defined by a pair of first sheet sides  110   a ,  110   b , a pair of second sheet sides  112   a ,  112   b , an animal contact surface  114  and an externally visible surface  116 . Support sheet  108  can further comprise a retaining sheet  118  generally attached proximate the second sheet side  112   a . Retaining sheet  118  can comprise a retainer assembly  120  comprised of a first retainer  120   a  on the retaining sheet  118  and a second retainer  120   b  attached near the second sheet side  112   a . A strap adapter  122  can be attached at each of the four corners of support sheet  108 .  
      Support sheet  106  can comprise materials of construction that are preferably comfortable to the animal, provide sufficient strength to lift the animal are machine washable for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene of the animal support assembly  100 . Representative materials for support sheet  108  can comprise natural fabrics such as, for example, cotton, wool, and leather or alternatively, synthetic fabrics such as rayon and nylon. Support sheet  106  can be fabricated to include an accessible pocket  123  having a closure feature such as, for example, zipper  125  or other similar closure features as illustrated in  FIG. 6 .  
      Detachable diaper sheet  108  generally comprises an attachment surface  124  and an absorbent surface  126 . Preferably, detachable diaper sheet  108  comprises an absorbent interior for absorbing waste products such as urine from the animal  101 . Detachable diaper sheet  108  can comprise similar materials of construction as support sheet  106  or alternatively, detachable diaper sheet can comprise paper and/or plastic materials providing for easy disposal of the detachable diaper sheet  108  upon soiling. A disposable, detachable diaper sheet can be constructed in a similar fashion as adult and children&#39;s diapers sold under the trade names Depends™, Huggies™, Pampers™ and Luvs™. Attachment surface  124  can comprise a diaper attachment member  128  for fixedly attaching the detachable diaper sheet  108  to a diaper support attachment member  130  on the animal contact surface  114  of the support sheet  106 .  
      Strap assembly  104  can comprise a pair of straps  132   a ,  132   b . Straps  132   a ,  132   b  can comprise similar materials of construction as used with sling assembly  102 . Each strap  132   a ,  132   b  comprises a first end  134  and a second end  136  with each end having a strap connector  138 . Strap connector  138  is generally configured for detachable connection to the strap adapters  122  on the sling assembly  102 .  
      In use, animal support assembly  100  can be used to support an animal  101  requiring assistance due to a recent surgery or malady such as, for example, old age. First, the detachable diaper assembly  108  is coupled to the support sheet  108  by attaching diaper attachment member  128  with the diaper support attachment member  130 . Next, sling assembly  102  is positioned below an animal belly  140  proximate an animal&#39;s hind legs  142 . Sling assembly  102  is positioned such that animal contact surface  114 , and correspondingly the absorbent surface  126  of detachable diaper sheet  108 , is in physical contact with animal  101 . Then, the second sheet sides  112   a ,  112   b  are pulled around the animal body  142  such that sling assembly is positioned generally around the bottom and side portions of animal  101 . Finally, retaining sheet  118  is wrapped over the top of animal  101  such that the first retainer  120   a  is connected to the second retainer  120   b  wherein the sling assembly  102  fully surrounds four sides of the animal body  142 .  
      Next, strap assembly  104  is attached to the sling assembly  102  by attaching the each of the strap connectors  138  to one of the strap adapters  122 . Strap connectors  138  can be attached to any of the strap adapters  122  to provide a desired gripping rotation of the strap  132   a ,  132   b  to the user. Once strap assembly  104  is operably attached to the sling assembly  102 , a user can lift up on the straps  132   a ,  132   b  to provide support and assistance to the animal  101  by reducing the load on hind legs  142 .  
      When in use, animal  101  may involuntary soil the detachable diaper sheet  108 . Depending upon its configuration, detachable diaper sheet  108  can be separated from the support sheet  108  for machine washing and reuse or may simply be discarded. In addition, strap assembly  104  can be detached from the sling assembly  102  such that the sling assembly  102 , and more specifically, the detachable diaper sheet  108  remains in physical contact with animal  101  even when animal support assembly  100  is not being used to support animal  101 .  
      As will be understood by one of skill in the art, the animal support assembly can be provided in a variety of alternative configurations intended to increase ease of use and/or aesthetic qualities. For example, another representative embodiment of an animal support assembly  200  can substantially resemble animal support assembly  100  with a quick-connect retaining strap  202  in place of retaining sheet  118  as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Quick-connect restraining strap  202  can include a variety of quick-connect designs providing a locking style closure.  
      Referring to  FIG. 9 , another representative embodiment of an animal support assembly  300  can similarly resemble animal support assemblies  100  and  200  with the further inclusion of a buckle assembly  302  allowing a user the ability to selectively adjust the length of attaching straps  304   a ,  304   b . Depending upon the size of the animal, a user can adjust the holding length of attaching straps  304   a ,  304   b  by positioning the buckle assembly  302  in any of a plurality of spaced apart strap apertures  305 . Animal support assembly  300  can further comprise a pocket  306  having a closure member  307  on the externally visible surface  308  for storing items such as, for example, veterinary records and the like.  
      As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , another representative embodiment of an animal support assembly  500  can comprise an exterior design element  502  on an externally visible surface  504 . Exterior design element  502  can be selected to provide a desired aesthetic appearance and may include designs or text such as, for example, the animals name. In addition, exterior design element  502  can be detachably connected to externally visible surface  504  with suitable connectors such as, for example, a hook and loop fastener or snap style fastener allowing a user to selectively replace the exterior design element  502  with a second design element having an alternative appearance.  
      With reference to the previously discloses embodiments for an animal support assembly, it is to be understood that suitable designs, colors and fabrics can be used to individualize and/or personalize the appearance of the various animal support assemblies. It will be further understood that the strap and support body can be detachably connected using any of a variety of suitable connecting elements including slidable snap connectors  506 , buckle assembly  302 , buttons, hook and loop fasteners, snaps and the like.  
      As illustrated in  FIGS. 11, 12 ,  13  and  14 , the previously disclosed animal support assemblies including animal support assembly  200  can be used in conjunction with a collar harness  602  to form an animal support and collar assembly  600 . Collar harness  602  can comprise a pair of support connecting straps  604   a ,  604   b , a collar connecting strap  606 , a strap receiver  607  and a collar  608 . Collar  608  can comprise a standard dog collar having collar connecting strap  606  permanently attached. Alternatively, connecting strap  606  can comprise a collar attachment member for using the collar harness  602  with any standard, conventional dog collar. Support connecting straps  604   a ,  604   b  each include a support attachment member  610  for detachably joining the support connecting straps  604   a ,  604   b  to the strap adapters  122  on first sheet side  110   a .  
      Animal support and collar assembly  600  is used with animal  101  by attaching animal support assembly  200  in a similar manner as that previously described with respect to animal support assembly  100 . Next, collar  608  is positioned and fastened about the neck of animal  101 . Finally, support connecting straps  604   a ,  604   b  are attached to the animal support assembly  200  by interconnecting the support attachment members  610  to the strap adapters  122  on first side sheet  110 . In this manner, a user can both support animal  101  during movement of the animal as well as control and direct the animal  101  similar to how a conventional leash is utilized.  
      Although the present invention has been described with respect to a representative, presently contemplated embodiment, it will be understood that numerous insubstantial changes in configuration, arrangement or appearance of the elements of the present invention can be made without departing from the intended scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the present invention be determined by the claims as set forth.