Patent Abstract:
An animal restraining harness includes first and second straps connected at opposed ends to connectors. A center chest strap extends between the first and second straps. A flexible restraining strap is looped between the connectors and is attachable to a leash. The restraining strap enables the first and second connectors to be pulled together reducing the diameter of the second strap as a result of a pulling movement of an animal wearing the harness which applies pressure on the rib cage of the animal.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/494,626, filed Aug. 12, 2003, now abandoned, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND 
   The present invention relates to a restraining harnesses for animals. Harnesses have been used as a functional device for animals since the time that animals have been domesticated and integrated into the human culture. With increased domestication and integration into the family life the desire to utilize humane control devices for pets has also increased. Restraining pets in a manner which minimizes and/or eliminates undesirable behaviors such as tugging and pulling while walking on a leash is especially desirable. 
   Prior art harnesses that discourage the tugging/pulling behavior include devices, such as choke collars and prong collars, that create a tightening effect when the animal pulls against the leash. 
   Prior art harnesses with restraining properties include designs that place pressure underneath the front legs of the animal. These devices may be effective in reducing tugging and pulling, however, the pressure placed on the soft tissue between the legs and chest cavity is often painful for the animal. Although some slight discomfort can be expected in controlling devices, these devices exhibit a high amount of pain and in some cases damage to muscle/tissue. 
   Prior art designs due to the complex, design and attachment schemes make the harness difficult to place and adjust on the animal. The complex nature of these designs make them difficult to quickly place on an animal. Due to the highly active nature of animals, particularly canine puppies and young adults, the complex installation of such devices becomes even more trying. 
   The prior art also discloses a restraining harness that tightens around the girth of the animal. The complex nature of this design exhibits properties that make the harness complex to manufacture and assemble. 
   Thus, it would be desirable to improve upon prior art harnesses by providing a harness which discourages tugging/pulling in a manner than is more comfortable for the animal; that is easily placed on, removed, and secured to the animal, and is easily manufactured and assembled. 
   SUMMARY 
   The present invention is an animal restraining harness which minimizes undesirable tugging and pulling of an animal in a manner in which creates only a slight discomfort to the animal. 
   In one aspect, the inventive harness includes a first front chest portion having first and second ends. A second rear chest portion has first and second ends. The first ends of the first front chest portion and the first end of the rear chest portion are connected to a first connector, and the second end of the front chest portion and the second end of the rear chest portion are connected to a second connector. 
   A connecting chest portion has first and second ends coupled to the first and second front chest portions and rear chest portions, respectively. A restraining means is flexibly coupled to the first and second connectors for pulling the first and second connectors together to reduce the diameter or girth of the first and second rear chest portion about an animal upon a pulling force exerted by the animal on a leash attached to the restraining means by leash attachment means coupled to the restraining means. 
   The first and second front and rear chest portions are formed of flexible straps. Length adjustment means may be provided in one or both of the first and second straps. At least one or two openable buckles are formed on the second strap for separating the second strap into separable portions for placement and removal of the harness on and from the animal. 
   The second strap has at least one cushioned exterior surface facing the animal when the second strap is mounted about the girth of the animal. 
   The animal restraining harness of the present invention effectively minimizes undesirable tugging and pulling of an animal wearing the harness by creating a slight discomfort to the animal rather than pain or potential to damage to internal organs, muscle, or tissue. The harness is easily applied to and removed from an animal. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The various features, advantages, and other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the animal restraining harness of the present invention mounted on an animal; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the inventive animal restraining harness; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial, top perspective front view of the restraining means of the inventive harness depicted in a normal, non-force applied position on an animal; and 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the restraining means shown in  FIG. 3 , but depicted in a girth reducing, restraining force applied position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1–4 , an animal restraining harness  10  constructed in accordance of the teachings of the present invention is depicted. Although the animal restraining harness  10 , hereafter referred to simply as the “harness  10 ”, is depicted in  FIG. 1  as being mounted over the front body portion of a canine, it will be apparent that the harness  10  can be easily used on all kinds of domesticated and undomesticated animals. Thus, the following description of one use of the inventive harness  10  on a canine or dog would be understood to be by example only. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the harness  10  is designed for use in conjunction with a handling device, such a leash  12  having a snap-like connector  14  mounted on one end of a lead  16 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1–4 , the harness  10  includes a first, front chest portion  20 , a second, rear chest portion  22 , a connecting chest strap portion  24 , connector means  26  and  28 , and a restraining means  30 . 
   The first front chest  20  is in the form of a first strap  34  having a first end  36  and a second end  38 . The first strap  34  is formed of a suitable flexible strap material, such as nylon webbing, although leather or other materials can also be used. 
   The first and second ends  36  and  38  of the first strap  34  are looped over themselves and joined in an overlapping manner to the strap  34  by stitching  40 , heat or sonic welding, etc. This forms a loop at the first and second ends  36  and  38  which can be inserted through and around an opening in the connector means  26  and  28 , respectively, as described in greater detail hereafter. 
   The first strap  34  may also include an optical length adjusting means  42  in the form of a slide three bar having two open loops formed by a spaced center leg and two outer legs. The loop at the second end  38  of the strap  34  is mounted around the center leg of the slide  42 . The remaining portion of the second end  38  of the strap  34  is looped through the connector  28 , and back through the slide  42  before continuing on to the first end  36 . 
   Alternately, the first strap  34  may be provided in a fixed length for certain sized animals and different lengths for other sized animals, such as small, medium, large, dogs, etc. 
   The second rear chest portion  22  is also formed of a flexible, second strap  44 , made of a suitable material, such as nylon webbing, leather, etc. The strap  44  has a first end portion  46  and a second end portion  48 . 
   The second strap  44  may be provided with an optional length adjustment means  50  in the form of a three bar slide element which receives looped over portions  52  at an end of the second strap  46 , in the same manner as the slide  42  and the second end  38  of the first strap  34 . The optional length adjustment means allows the length of the second strap  44  to be easily adjusted to accommodate different size dogs. 
   Alternately, the second strap  44  can be provided in different sizes, in conjunction with different sizes of the first strap  34  to accommodate different size ranges as animals, such as small, medium, and large dogs. 
   To simplify attachment of the harness  10  on an animal, such as a canine, one or two releasable buckles  54  and  56  are employed. The buckles  54  and  56  may be a conventional tongue and socket type buckle, such as one sold under the trade name Wienerlock by National Moulding. One portion, such as the spring finger, tongue portion of the buckle  54  receives a looped end portion  60  of the second strap  44 . The similar spring arm tongue portion of the buckle  56  receives the looped end portion  52  at the other end of the second strap  44 . 
   A short length connector strap  62  has looped ends, joined by stitching, heat welding, etc., between one leg of the connector  26  and a socket portion of the buckle  46 . Similarly, another connector strap  64  is looped between the one leg of the second connector  28  and the socket portion of the buckle  56 . 
   The use of two buckles  54  and  56  ensures that the lower chest connector portion strap between the first front chest portion of strap  34  and the connector strap  24  remains centered on the animal. In addition, one or both of the buckles  54  or  56  can be opened to enable the second strap  44  and the first strap  34  to be urged over the head of the animal with the first front chest portion  20 , which includes the strap  34 , extending in front of the animal&#39;s legs. The open buckle  54  or  56  is then snapped together to securely mount the rear chest portion  22 , formed of the strap  34 , about the chest or girth of the animal, behind the front legs of the animal as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   The connecting chest strap  24  is also formed of a strap  70  constructed of a suitable strap material, such as nylon webbing, leather, etc. The strap  70  has a first end  72  and an opposed second end  74 . Although the strap  70  could be securely and immovably fixed to the straps  34  and  44  at the ends  72  and  74 , respectively, in one aspect of the present invention, the entire strap  70  is slidably mounted on the straps  34  and  44 . This is achieved by forming the first and second end  72  and  74  of the strap  70  with loops in which the free ends of the strap  70  are looped over the strap  70  and fixedly secured to the strap  70  by stitching  76 , heat welding, etc. 
   The connectors  26  and  28  may be any suitable plastic or metal connector having multiple strap connector portions. Thus, the connectors  26  and  28  could be in the form of a circular ring which is capable of receiving the looped end of the various straps  34  and  44  and the restraining means  30 , as described hereafter. By way of example only, the connectors  26  and  28  are illustrated as being in the form Halter Square connectors. Such a connector  26  and  28  has a circular portion surrounding a circular aperture  80  and two generally polygonal legs  82  and  84 , each of which has a slot-shaped aperture  86  and  88  formed therein. The slots  86  and  88  provide an opening for receiving a portion of the looped ends  36  and  38  of the first chest portion  20 , and the connector straps  62  and  64  of the second, rear chest portion  22 . A larger circular aperture  80  in each of the connectors  26  and  28  receives a looped end of the restraining means  30 . 
   The restraining means  30  of the present invention is formed of a strap  90  constructed of a suitable material, such as nylon webbing, leather, etc. The strap  90  is formed in a loop wherein opposing ends of the strap  90 , after insertion through the apertures  80  in the connectors  26  and  28  are overlapped and fixedly joined together in at least one or more locations by fixing means, such as stitching  92 , shown by example in  FIG. 2 , or by heat welding, etc. The fixing means or stitching  92  forms a transverse bore which receives a leash attachment means or connector  94 , such as a D-ring. The ring  94  provides an attachment for the snap connector  14  on one end of a leash  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the restraining means  30  is depicted in the form of the strap  90  looped between the connectors  26  and  28 . 
   In  FIG. 3 , the restraining means  30  is depicted in a normal mounting position on an animal. The second strap  44  is adjusted in length so as to snugly, but not compressively, fit around the girth or chest of the animal such that the connectors  26  and  28  are spaced apart a suitable distance so that the strap  90  of the restraining means  30  lies in a substantially fully extended, flat position above or on the withers of the animal. 
   However, when the animal exerts a force against the harness  10  and the attached leash  12  such as by trying to pull away from the person holding the leash  12 , a reactive force will be exerted on the restraining means  30  which will cause upper portion of the strap  90  of the restraining means  30  to extend at the connection point to the ring  94  in the direction of the arrow  96  in  FIG. 4  away from the animal. Due to the flexible nature of the strap  90 , this extension of the upper portion of the strap  90  pulls the connectors  26  and  28  together in the direction of arrows  98  reducing the diameter of the second strap  24  and exerting a compressive force on the rib cage of the animal. This tightening pressure causes the animal to immediately reduce the pulling force on the leash  12 . Since the restraining force is applied across the entire chest or rib cage of the animal, the potential for damage to muscles, tissues or organs is minimized. 
   As soon as the animal reduces the pulling force, the diameter of the second strap  44  will return to its original mounting diameter which will flatten out or return the strap  90  to its maximum loop length as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   In addition to reducing pulling, the harness  10  also minimizes the possibility of escape of the animal from the harness  10 . The same tightening of the rear chest portion or strap  44  about the rib cage of the animal behind the front legs of the animal will prevent the animal from retracting its from legs through the rear chest strap  44  to escape from the harness  10 . 
   The inventive harness  10  effectively minimizes undesirable tugging or pulling of an animal in a manner that creates only a slight discomfort rather than pain or potential damage to internal organs, muscle, or tissue. The tightening of the harness applies an even pressure across the rib cage of the animal. The contraction of the rib cage creates a reaction which is less than comfortable to the animal. Thus, the animal stops pulling to relieve the unwanted pressure. Additionally, the harness  10  is easily applied to and removed from an animal.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0