Patent Publication Number: US-2018049409-A1

Title: Pet Identification Collar

Description:
The present invention relates to pet collars having identification media incorporated into the collar buckle. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The concept of using a pet collar to carry identification of the pet with contact information for the owner if the pet becomes lost or misplaced from the owner has been in the prior art for some time. U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,778 to Glussich discloses a dual collar arrangement where one of the collars carries a separate openable container having therein an identification card. U.S. Pat. No. 7,230,539 to Klein discloses an identification tag with a cavity for insertion of the RF transponder capsule for wireless identification of the pet. 
     While serving their intended purpose, these and other prior art identification systems for pet collars are cumbersome, expensive and complicated for the one attempting to find the pet&#39;s owner. 
     It is therefore the primary object of the present invention is to provide an identification system for pet collars that is simple and easy to implement and is equally easy and simple to use for the one finding the lost pet and wishing to notify the owner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The identification system of the present invention is incorporated into the body of a slide release buckle that fastens the ends of the collar together. Disposed on the front surface of the female buckle member is an enclosed transparent container having an insertable slidable tray with a recessed portion in which identification media is carried. Information written on the media can be read without having to open the container. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of the side release collar buckle of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the side release collar buckle of the present invention in a closed position. 
         FIG. 3  is a top exploded view of the collar buckle of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the collar buckle of the present invention in a closed position. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation of the collar buckle with a partial section. 
         FIG. 6  is a full longitudinal cross-section through the middle of the buckle taken along lines  6 - 6  in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a dog wearing the ID collar of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-7 , the identification collar  40  of the present invention includes a side release buckle  2  having a male member (plug)  4  comprising springable attachment legs  6  and  8  and a female member (socket)  10  into which the legs of the plug are inserted for engagement. On the top surface  14  of the socket  10  there is disposed a rectangular container  20  having side walls  22 , a rear wall  23  and a transparent top  24 . The bottom, or floor, of the container and be a separate element but preferably the floor of the container is common with, or synonymous with the top surface  14  of the socket  10 . The front end of the container, opposite the rear wall  23 , is open to allow insertion into the container of a slidable flat tray  25 . In the preferred embodiment the bottom  27  of the tray is adapted to slide on the top surface  14  of the socket  10 . 
     Upstanding from the side and rear edges of the rectangular tray  25  are ridges  33 ,  34  and  35  which are sized and dimensioned to contact the interior side of the top  24  of the container  20 . Attached to the front end of the tray is a cover plate  37  having a gasket  39  around its inside edges above and below the bottom  27  of the tray. In addition to sealing the end of the container, the cover plate functions as a finger grip to slide the tray in and out of the container. When the tray is fully inserted into the container the gasket  39  contacts the front edges of the container and the exposed edge of the socket in order to complete a water tight enclosure of the container. 
     The side release buckle  2  serves to interconnect the ends of a conventional pet collar  40  which is worn around the neck of the pet, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     In operation, the shallow recess in the tray formed by the cover plate  37  and the edge ridges  33 ,  34  and  35  is adapted to receive data carrying media, such as a light paper card  45 , containing printed information about the animal wearing the ID collar  40 . One finding the lost pet has merely to look at the information printed on the paper card  45  to learn of the identification of the animal and its contact information. It is unnecessary to open the container.