Abstract:
Products performing combined or alternative functions of bandages and boots are detailed. Versions of the products may include a main body with split extensions, each of which may be wrapped independently of the other. The main body is designed to cover the lower leg (or other portion) of a horse (or other animal), with the extensions applied as required to achieve optimal fit. The products may be substantially shorter than conventional lengths of bandages yet nevertheless may cover the same amount of leg as do conventional bandages.

Description:
REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is based on, claims priority to, and hereby refers to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/094,089, filed Sep. 4, 2008, entitled “Bandage Boot,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to bandages, and substitutes therefor, for animals and more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to equine bandages and boots. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Confirming the adage “no leg, no horse,” legs of horses are among the most important and vulnerable parts of their anatomies. Consequently, horse legs frequently are bandaged for protection when they exercise, are ridden by humans (for pleasure, competition, and otherwise), and are transported, for example. Bandaging of horse legs also may occur to prevent or reduce swelling when horses must stand for extended periods and to treat various injuries horses may have suffered. Bandaging further may occur when applying medication or heat or cold therapies to the legs. 
         [0004]    Equestrian bandaging is, however, fraught with danger—both to the horse and to the bandager. Horses can be difficult to tie-up and keep completely still, particularly when a single person is attempting to interact with a horse. Accordingly, the mere act of attempting to apply a bandage to an oft-moving leg is challenging. Moreover, working in close proximity to a moving horse may result in injury to the bandager from being kicked, trodden on, or otherwise contacted by the horse. 
         [0005]    Traditional bandages are, furthermore, quite long (typically six to nine feet) and, when wound, difficult for small-handed persons such as women and children to hold. Bandages also are subject to undesired unraveling during the bandaging process, sometimes requiring multiple restarts of the process. Additionally, a partly-unraveled bandage on a skittish horse may itself be dangerous, in that its loose portion could become entangled with the horse (or with the person performing the bandaging), resulting in injury. Bandaging with non-uniform pressure also could result in injuring a horse by restricting circulation through, or movement of, tendons or other sensitive portions of the leg. 
         [0006]    Elongated bandages are difficult to wash because of likelihood of entanglement with other bandages or clothing. If containing an integral closure mechanism, such as hook and loop fasteners (Velcro), the bandages additionally may be applied incorrectly (i.e. inside-out), which application may not be immediately noticeable during the bandaging process. Because such an incorrect applicable is unsatisfactory, the bandage must be removed and reapplied. 
         [0007]    Alternatives to these elongated bandages exist. Several equine “leg wraps” are commercially available, for example. Typically simply rectangular in shape, these wraps may be covered by conventional bandages or retained in place via Velcro closures or tape. Some wraps purport to contain chemicals that may stimulate healing of injured horses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,827 to Boyd, whose contents are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference, discloses various other substitutes for conventional bandages. 
         [0008]    Equine boots also readily exist as possible substitutes (in at least certain circumstances) for the bandages. These boots do not wrap multiply around legs of horses usually but are instead fitted thereon, often being shaped to fit the horses&#39; legs. Boots are used by some to protect legs of horses during exercise, transport, and therapy. However, boots generally are not used to bandage (i.e. wrap around) injured legs of horses. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Provided by the present invention are products performing combined functions of bandages and boots while simplifying the bandaging process. The present products thus may substitute for either or both conventional objects concurrently while resolving many of the issues mentioned above. Presently-preferred versions of the invention comprise a single-piece main body with at least two split extensions, each of which may be wrapped independently of the other. The main body is designed to cover the lower leg of a horse, with the extensions applied as required to achieve optimal fit. Preferred structures are substantially shorter than conventional lengths of bandages, thus reducing the risk of entanglement, the application time, and the likelihood those with small hands will have difficulty grasping the product. They nevertheless may cover the same amount of leg as do conventional bandages. 
         [0010]    Extensions, further, may be retained in default positions until needed. For example, while the main body of the innovative product is being wrapped about a horse&#39;s leg, the extensions may be retained in default, unextended positions by hook-and-loop or other fasteners. Hence, even should a horse move significantly during application of the product, such movement is unlikely to unravel any extension. Further, if one or more extensions need not be wrapped around a leg immediately, it may simply remain retained in its unextended position until needed. 
         [0011]    Application of the present invention may occur substantially more quickly than application of conventional products. Typically less than one-half the application time of existing bandages is required to apply the present invention to the leg of a horse, reducing the danger to both the applier and to the horse. Application need not always occur at an angle (as is generally necessary for conventional bandages), and the product—or a mirror-image version thereof—may be fitted about either a left or right leg (of the front or back legs) satisfactorily. Products of the present invention may include pouches or other areas in or on which therapy pads or medications may be placed, and having two or more extensions allows non-uniform tensioning about different portions of a leg in situations where desired. 
         [0012]    Multiple extensions, when present, need not be of the same length. Indeed, presently preferred for some versions is that they be of different lengths, as differing parts of a horse&#39;s leg have different thicknesses. Both the extensions and the main body may be made of any appropriate material; as long as the material is sufficiently flexible to be wrapped around a body part, it may suffice for present purposes. Softer materials are, however, likely advantageous, as they are less likely to irritate any skin which they may contact. Additionally preferred (although certainly not necessary) are materials that are machine washable, and loosely-woven materials may be used when greater conformance to leg shape is desired. 
         [0013]    It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide wrapping products for use principally with animals such as, but not necessarily limited to, horses. 
         [0014]    It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide products that may substitute for (or be used in addition to) conventional bandages or boots. 
         [0015]    It is an additional optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide products including a main body with split extensions, allowing independent wrapping of different portions of legs. 
         [0016]    It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide products in which any extensions may be retained in default positions until needed. 
         [0017]    It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide products having extensions of different lengths to accommodate different thicknesses of portions of legs of, for example, horses. 
         [0018]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant fields with reference to the remaining text and the drawings of this application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of the exterior surface of a bandage of the present invention intended for use on a left leg of an animal. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the interior surface of the bandage of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the exterior surface of the bandage of  FIG. 1  with extensions retained in a default (rolled) position prior to use. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]    Depicted in  FIGS. 1-3  is exemplary bandage  10  of the present invention. Bandage  10  may have exterior surface  14  ( FIG. 1 ) and interior surface  18  ( FIG. 2 ) and comprise main body  22  and extensions  26  and  30 . Extensions  26  and  30  preferably are integral with main body  22  but otherwise separate from each other, so each extension  26  or  30  may be moved independently. 
         [0023]    In at least certain versions of bandage  10 , extension  30  is longer than and positioned below extension  26 . Longer, lower extension  30  is intended to be wrapped around the fetlock of a horse, whereas shorter, upper extension  26  is intended to wrapped around the horse&#39;s foreleg (which is above and of lesser diameter than the fetlock). Persons skilled in the relevant art will recognize that extensions  26  and  30  may have different lengths as appropriate for the animal or limb about which bandage  10  is to be fitted and indeed conceivably could be sized identically in certain circumstances. Similarly, although two extensions  26  and  30  are depicted in  FIGS. 1-3 , fewer or greater numbers of extensions may be employed instead. Likewise, although extensions  26  and  30  (when present) preferably are integral with main body  22 , other means of connecting or attaching the extensions to the main body may be used. 
         [0024]    Extensions  26  and  30  preferably (although not necessarily) are generally rectangular in shape, each terminating in a respective end  34  or  38  which may, but need not necessarily, be triangular. Ends  34  and  38  may be reinforced with thread  42 , although such reinforcement is not always required. Extending from end  34  is tongue  46 , while extending from end  38  is tongue  50 . 
         [0025]    Also illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  are darts  54  in a portion of main body  22  adjacent extension  30 . Darts  54  may assist in fitting extension  30  snugly about a fetlock. They need not necessarily be present in bandage  10 , however, or if present may be located or appear differently than as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . Additionally, other aspects of bandage  10  may be modified to facilitate its proper fitting about a particular limb or other region of an animal. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  further details fastening regions  58 ,  62 , and  66  present on exterior surface  14 . Each region  58 ,  62 , and  66  preferably includes loops  70  of hook-and-loop (Velcro-type) fasteners, with region  58  sewn onto (or otherwise attached to) extension  26  and regions  62  and  66  sewn onto (or otherwise attached to) extension  30 . Regions  58  and  66  preferably are elongated relative to region  62  to accommodate different diameters of limbs, although other relative sizes may be utilized. Although loops  70  are depicted in  FIG. 1 , in appropriate circumstances any or all of regions  58 ,  62 , and  66  may contain hooks (or even other fasteners) instead. 
         [0027]    Assuming loops  70  are present on regions  58 ,  62 , and  66 , fastening regions  74  and  78  attached to interior surface  18  may include hooks  82 . Tongues  46  and  50 , shown in  FIG. 2  also as connected to interior surface  18 , likewise may include hooks  82 . Regions  74  and  78  preferably (although again not necessarily) are approximately the size of region  62  and smaller than regions  58  and  66 . Additionally, persons skilled in the appropriate art will understand that any fastening region or tongue illustrated as having hooks  82  may instead have loops  70 , in which event complementary fastening regions or tongues will have loops  70  instead of hooks  82 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  illustrates bandage  10  with extensions  26  and  30  in their default, pre-use positions. In these positions extensions  26  and  30  are rolled (from right to left in the figures so as to project out of the plane of the paper toward the viewer). Consequently, undersides  86  and  90  of respective extensions  26  and  30  are visible on exterior surface  14 . 
         [0029]    When extension  26  is fully rolled, hooks  82  of region  74  engage loops  70  of region  58  to fasten extension  26  into its default position. (Earlier in the rolling process, hooks  82  of tongue  46  may engage loops  70  of region  58 , allowing extension  26  also to be retained in a partially-rolled position. This intermediate retention is not mandatory, however.) 
         [0030]    Similarly, when extension  30  is fully rolled, hooks  82  of region  78  may engage loops  70  of region  62 . This engagement retains extension  30  in its default position. (Also possible during the rolling process is that hooks  82  of tongue  50  may engage loops  70  of region  66 , although this engagement is not required.) 
         [0031]    In use, bandage  10  typically initially is as shown in  FIG. 3 . Interior surface  18  of main body  22  may be placed in contact with the foreleg of a horse (or in contact with a pre-wrap already around the foreleg), for example, and extension  26  unrolled so as to wrap around the foreleg at least once—and preferably multiple times. Once extension  26  is unrolled, hooks  82  of tongue  46  may engage loops  70  of region  58  to retain extension  26  about the foreleg of the horse. Extension  30  thereafter may be unrolled about the fetlock, with hooks  82  of tongue  50  engaging loops  70  of region  66  to retain extension  30  around the fetlock. Alternatively, extension  30  may be unrolled prior to unrolling of extension  26 , or one of the extensions  26  or  30  may remain in its default (rolled) position. Yet alternatively, extensions  26  and  30  may be unrolled so that they slant and overlap to some extent, although no such slant or overlap is necessary with the present invention—unlike conventional use of bandages. These options are possible because of the independence of extensions  26  and  30  as noted above. 
         [0032]    Bandage  10  may comprise any suitable materials. Preferably, however, bandage  10  is washable, soft, and flexible. Single- and multi-ply materials are both permissible, as are natural materials and synthetics. 
         [0033]    At least one version of bandage  10  for use with horses has a height H of approximately 11.5 inches. In this version the length L 1  of main body  22  is approximately thirteen inches, while respective lengths L 2  and L 3  of extensions  26  and  30  are 11.5 and eighteen inches. These dimensions are provided only as examples, however, as bandage  10  may have any dimensions appropriate for the task to be accomplished. In any event, clear is that bandage  10  may have length significantly shorter than the six to nine feet typically required for conventional bandages. Testing by the applicant has, further, established that bandage  10  may be applied to a horse in approximately twenty seconds, less than one-half the time typically required to apply a conventional bandage. 
         [0034]    The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.