Abstract:
A system and device for restraining an animal. A bracket and crossbar provide a means by which the system can be disposed on or over a door or window jamb. The crossbar provides a counter-force to a mount disposed on top of the door or window header, the crossbar having been disposed through the door or window and providing counter-pressure on the frame of the door or window. The system includes a suspension mechanism by which an animal can be suspended from the bracket. The suspension mechanism includes a means for adjusting the length, allowing the animal to be lifted off the ground or floor.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/182,263, filed Jun. 19, 2015 (our ref LUIE-1-1001-1). The foregoing application is incorporated in its entirety as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Routine treatments that a person may perform include brushing teeth, cleaning ears, being groomed, trimming nails, receiving injections, and anything else an animal owner may deem necessary to keep their pets healthy. However, many animals see these treatments as frightening or painful experiences and refuse to have these treatments performed. They will fight the pet owner and make it difficult to perform these task. Therefore, restraint is sometimes necessary in order to provide care for an animal. Even professionals (i.e. animal groomers/veterinarians) often require two or more people to restrain an animal. This invention allows a single user the ability to care for their animal. It also causes the animal to stay in one place and prevents the animal from running away from this necessary care. By providing a way to hold an animal in place, an animal owner can much easily administer these treatments when necessary in the comfort of the animal&#39;s own home. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention relates generally to restraints, and, more specifically, to systems and methods for restraining an animal. 
         [0004]    Disclosed is an animal restraint system that suspends an animal in the air, immobilizing it. This allows a person to be able to perform at-home treatments for their animal. The apparatus disclosed herein consists essentially of an L-Shaped bracket device, an animal harness, and two adjustable suspension straps. The device fits into any standard door frame, and may be adjustable to accommodate non-standard widths. An animal is placed into the harness, and then elevated to immobilize and restrain the animal. 
         [0005]    The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, embodiments, features and advantages of the device and/or processes and/or other subject matter described herein will become apparent in the teachings set forth herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Certain embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of one embodiment of the animal lift; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a detailed isometric view of one embodiment of the animal lift; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an exploded isometric view of one embodiment of the animal lift; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4 a    is a front isometric environmental view of one embodiment of the animal lift in use; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4 b    is a front isometric environmental view of one embodiment of the animal lift in use; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4 c    is a rear isometric environmental view of one embodiment of the animal lift in use; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side cross-sectional view of the one embodiment of the animal lift in use. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    This invention relates generally to restraints, and, more specifically, to systems and methods for restraining an animal. Specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and the figures to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments. The present invention may have additional embodiments, may be practiced without one or more of the details described for any particular described embodiment, or may have any detail described for one particular embodiment practiced with any other detail described for another embodiment. 
         [0015]    The invention disclosed herein is an animal restraint and lifting system. It consists essentially of a mount, a bracket, and a crossbar. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of one embodiment of the animal lift  100 , depicted as it would be prepared for use when coupled with harness system  200 . Mount  101  is, in preferred embodiments, a rectangular piece configured to sit atop a standard door frame, header, or casing, using the strength of the structure of the door to support the weight of the device and the animal suspended therein. In some embodiments, the mounting piece may be substantially the same length as the door header; in other embodiments, the mounting piece may be shorter than the header. In some embodiments, the mounting piece may be aluminum to maximize strength while minimizing weight and cost. In other embodiments, the mounting piece may be any rigid material, such as other metals, plastics, wood, etc., depending on the material properties needed for the particular application. 
         [0017]    The mount  101  is coupled with bracket  102 . In some embodiments, bracket  102  may be metallic, such as steel, or other materials depending on the strength and flexibility requirements of the particular use. For example, an animal lift configured and sized for immobilizing rodents may be constructed of a plastic, whereas animal lifts configured and sized for immobilizing a canine may be constructed of metals. Some embodiments of the animal lift may include a plurality of materials in order to maximize strength and minimize weight. It should be understood that a primary material property concern is rigidity and strength, such that the lift does not distort under the weight of an animal, even if the animal is wiggling or squirming. Mount  101  may be coupled with bracket  102  by many methods, including but not limited to fasteners (as depicted in  FIG. 1 ), weld, adhesive, or by virtue of having been machined from a single piece of material. In some embodiments, bracket  102  may include a mounting sheet to which mount  101  is coupled. In other embodiments, mount  101  may be coupled directly with the vertical leg of bracket  102 . 
         [0018]    Bracket  102  is substantially L-shaped, comprising a first vertical member and a second horizontal member. This is discussed in more detail in  FIG. 2 . In preferred embodiments, bracket  102  is coupled with crossbar  105 . Crossbar  105  is typically longer than mount  101 , configured to reach across a standard door frame. As such, particular embodiments may include a crossbar  105  that is a fixed length, such as 33 or 35 inches in the United States, which allows some overlap onto the frame of a standard 32 inch door. However, some embodiments may include a crossbar  105  that is telescoping, allowing it to reach varying widths and therefore accommodate doors of different widths, including wide doors in homes with handicap access, or narrow doors such as closet doors. In telescoping embodiments, crossbar  105  may be comprised of a fixed bar  106  and one or more movable bars  107  (see  FIG. 3 ). Crossbar  105  may also include one or more locking means, such as a cotter pin, a hitch pin, a flip lock, a twist lock, a push-button lock, etc., and one or more holes configured to receive the locking means, such that the crossbar may be fixed at a particular desired length. One purpose the crossbar  105  is to provide counter pressure on the door frame to hold the apparatus in place, so any length of bar that spans the user&#39;s door width should meet this requirement. In some embodiments, the bar may be hollow, while in other embodiments, the bar may be solid. In some embodiments, the bar may be round. In other embodiments, the bar may be rectangular, square, triangular, or any other shape that permits the telescoping function of the bar. 
         [0019]    In order to restrain the animal, the animal lift  100  must be coupled with a restraining means  200 . In preferred embodiments, restraining means  200  includes a harness  201  configured to securely wrap the underside of an animal while allowing access to the animals legs and feet. In some embodiments, harness  201  is suspended from the lift  100  via one or more straps,  202 . Straps  202  may be removably coupleable with lift  100  via one or more hooks  109  and one or more buckles  203 . In preferred embodiments, the coupling means are disposed on the horizontal member of bracket  102 . In some embodiments, such as the fixed-width embodiments of crossbar  105 , the coupling means may be disposed on the crossbar instead of the horizontal member of bracket  102 . The particular means of coupling strap  202  with lift  100  may vary, but a hook-and-eyelet bolt system, a carabiner, a pulley-and-rope system, etc., would all be sufficient. In some embodiments, the animal is raised toward the lift  100  by virtue of pulling the strap  202  through the hook  109 , such as when hook  109  is in fact a pulley system. This type of system would likely require a locking means for the rope, such as a tending pulley or a hitch climber. In other embodiments, straps  202  may be comprised of something like ratchet straps, which include a buckle through which excess strap length can be pulled, shortening the length of the strap and raising the animal. In some embodiments, one or more hooks may be disposed substantially in the middle of horizontal member  104  (see  FIG. 3 ), and in other embodiments, the hooks may be disposed such that one hook is in front of crossbar  105  and one is behind, as viewed from the front environmental view depicted in  FIG. 1 . The precise location of hooks  109  may depend on the particular application for which the particular embodiment is contemplated, but it should be understood that the hooks are disposed along the horizontal portion of bracket  102 , such that the animal is slightly in front of the door. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a close-up, detailed isometric view of one embodiment of the animal lift. Here it can be seen that L-bracket  102  is comprised of a vertical member  103  and a horizontal member  104 , and that crossbar  105  is, in preferred embodiments, coupled with horizontal member  104 . In some embodiments, vertical member  103  and horizontal member  104  may be permanently or removably coupled, such as via weld, by virtue of having been machined from a single piece of material, or by permanent or removable fasteners. While removably coupling vertical member  103  and horizontal member  104  may lend to better storage options for the user, by virtue of the user being able to break the lift into smaller constituent parts, it may be the case that the strength of the lift is better preserved by a permanent coupling. Therefore, as before, the particular means by which vertical member  103  is coupled with horizontal member  104  may depend on the particular application for which the lift  100  is contemplated. 
         [0021]    In fixed length embodiments of crossbar  105 , the crossbar may be permanently or removably coupled with horizontal member  104  via fasteners, weld, adhesive, or by virtue of being machined from a single piece of material.  FIG. 3  is a depiction of a telescoping embodiment of crossbar  105 , in which it may be that only the fixed portion  106  of the crossbar is coupled with the horizontal member  104 , while movable members  107  are affixed only to the fixed member  106 , allowing a user to adjust the length of the crossbar to fit their particular needs. Returning now to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that, in some embodiments, crossbar  105  further includes one or more padded areas  108 . Since the lift  100  uses crossbar  105  to provide counter pressure against a door frame, some users may prefer that a padded area  108  be included to minimize damage to the frame paint or material under the paint. As such, padded area  108  may be comprised of a substantially soft or flexible material, such as a soft plastic, a foam, or a rubber material, and it may be comprised of a material designed not to transfer to other surfaces, such as a clear gel or a non-marring rubber. 
         [0022]    In order to provide maximum strength with minimum weight, any one element of the lift  100 , or all elements thereof, may be hollow. In order to prevent infestation of rodents or insects, the lift  100  may include one or more endcaps  120  at each end of a hollow segment of the lift. While the endcaps  120  may be present at varying locations depending on each embodiment, only exemplary endcaps are included in  FIG. 2 , and the actual number and location of the endcaps will depend on the particular embodiment of the lift in question. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is composed of three images,  FIG. 4 a   , which is a front environmental isometric showing the lift  100  and harness system  200  in use while the animal is on the ground;  FIG. 4 b    which is a front environmental isometric showing the lift and harness system in use while the animal is suspended; and  FIG. 4 c   , which is a rear environmental isometric showing the lift and harness system in use while the animal is on the ground. In  FIG. 4 a    it can be seen that the animal, while restrained, can still stand on its own. This type of configuration might be useful for preventing an animal from moving while its fur is being groomed or while it learns particular commands, such as “stay”. In particular,  FIG. 4 a    shows that crossbar  105  is configured to span the entire width of door frame  300 , allowing padded area  108  to rest on the jamb to prevent marking. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4 b    shows the animal suspended, resting its weight in harness  201 , which has been elevated by virtue of the loops formed by straps  202  having been shortened. This type of configuration might be useful for allowing a user to access an animals feet, such that the user can clip nails or claws while preventing the animal from fleeing. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4 c    shows the lift  100  as it is suspended from door frame  300  by virtue of mount  101  resting atop the door header  301 . When crossbar  105  is resting against door jamb  300 , as in  FIG. 4 a   , and the mount  101  sits atop the door header  301  as in  FIG. 4 c   , the lift  100  is removably fixed in place, such that a squirming animal will be unable to dislodge it. Moreover, the rigid construction of the jamb allows the lift  100  and the jamb  300  to support the weight of most domestic animals, allowing a user greater versatility in the use of the lift.  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of the same configuration as depicted in  FIG. 4 c   , showing that mount  101  rests on header  301 , suspending and supporting the remainder of bracket  102 . 
         [0026]    While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this subject matter described herein. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). 
         [0027]    While preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of these preferred and alternate embodiments.