Patent ID: 12193411

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the figures. The figures represent an illustration of some of the embodiments of the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. Some of the figures may not show all of the features and components of the invention for ease of illustration, but it is to be understood that where possible, features and components from one figure may be an included in the other figures. Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Also, use of “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein and are illustrated in the accompanying figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications, combinations and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such alternate embodiments, combinations, modifications, improvements are within the scope of the present invention.

Referring now toFIGS.1to3, a leash-pole system10includes a leash-pole40with a flexible extension47between a user end44and an extended end46. An attachment accessory480, such as an end plug48is configured at the extended end46and may be a bulb or spherical shaped end plug. A light60is configured with, such as in or on the end plug48at the extended end46of the leash-pole40. A battery600may be configured with the attachment accessory480or be coupled to the leash pole, such as battery600′ configured in the handle. A leash attachment portion42, such as a leash attachment protrusion422is proximal to the user end44. A handle41is configured between the user end44and the extended end46. A strap attachment77such as a loop extending from the leash pole44may be configured proximal to the user end44of the handle. As shown, the strap attachment77is configured between the handle41proximal to the user end44and the extended handle411more proximal to the extended end46of the leash pole40. A rear support74, such as an enlarged portion of the handle41may be configured on the user end of the handle41and a rear support74′ may be configured on a user end, end most proximal to the user end44of the leash pole40, of the extended handle411. The rear supports74,74′ may extend out radially from the handle41,411respectively to prevent a person hand from sliding back off the end of the handle. A strap76may be detachably attached to the strap attachment77and may comprise a strap loop78configured to extend over a user's hand or wrist, as shown.

A flexible extension47extends along the handle41between the user end44and the extended end46of the leash-pole40. The flexible extension47may extend from the handle41or extended handle411to the extended end46. The flexible extension may be tapered towards the extended end46to enable more flexing of the flexible extension toward the extended end.

As shown inFIG.1, a hand70of user/owner grips the extended handle411of the leash-pole40and may also simultaneously grip a portion of the leash30to provide some resistance to the leash being drawn out from the leash retractor32. The leash extends along the flexible extension47, through the latch leash guide52, and to the collar22of the pet20.

With reference toFIGS.4and5, an eyelet43is configured along the flexible extension47and may be coupled to the leash pole40by a pole leash guide59including an eyelet latch swivel58that is coupled to a pole swivel55. The eyelet latch swivel58may be configured to rotate or swivel and the pole swivel55may be configured to rotate about the leash pole40; as indicated by the bold curved arrows. These two orthogonal rotational directions of the eyelet latch swivel58and the pole swivel55enable the leash to move about the leash pole as the pet or dog moves from side to side. This may prevent high jerking forces on the leash pole. As best shown inFIG.4, the leash30is guided by an eyelet latch50, that may be detachably attachable to the eyelet43of the pole leash guide59. The eyelet latch has an eyelet retainer53that extends around the eyelet43and is retained thereon by the eyelet latch arm54, configured to open and close to enable the eyelet latch50to be detached from the eyelet43. The eyelet latch also has an eyelet retainer53′ forming a latch leash guide52to guide and retain the leash30therethrough. The eyelet retainer53′ has an eyelet latch arm54′ that is configured to open and close to enable the leach30to be removed from the eyelet latch50. The eyelet latch arm54opens by pivoting about the eyelet latch hinge56and the eyelet latch arm54′ opens by pivoting about the eyelet latch hinge56′.

Referring back now toFIGS.1to3, and as best shown inFIG.2, leash retractor32is detachably attachable to the leash pole40by a leash attachment80, such as a flexible band82that extends around the leash pole40and is secured by the leash attachment portion42of the leash pole40, such as a leash attachment protrusion422. The flexible band82may be wrapped around the leash pole40and retained by looping the flexible band over the leash attachment protrusion. The leash retractor may have a leash release lock34to prevent the leash retractor from retracting the leash30into the leash retractor32. The owner end36of the leash30is configured with the leash retractor32and the pet end37of the leash is coupled to a pet collar22on a pet20, such as a dog, as shown inFIG.1. A leash retractor32is removably attached to the leash attachment portion42of the leash-pole40by the leash attachment80, which is shown as a flexible band82inFIG.1. The leash attachment80forms a first loop84and a second loop86around the leash attachment portion42of the leash-pole40and the leash attachment extends through the aperture38of the leash retractor32. Note that the leash attachment may extend around a portion of the leash retractor to couple the leash retractor to the leash-pole40. The leash30extends from the leash retractor32, with an owner end36of the leash30being connected to the leash retractor32to the pet end37of the leash30, coupled with a collar22of a pet20.

As shown inFIG.3, the handle41has a length400and the flexible extension47has a length45. The length400of the handle41and/or the extended handle411may be about 100 cm or more, about 150 cm or more, about 200 cm or more, about 250 cm or more and any range between and including the length values provided. The length of the handle41and/or the extended handle411may be long enough to enable a person's hand to fit comfortably about the handle. The flexible extension may have a length45of about 0.5 m or more, about 0.6 m or more, about 0.75 m or more, about 1.0 m or more, or may be about 1.5 m or less or even 1.0 m or less and any range between and including the length values provided. The flexible extension or length of the leash pole from the extended handle or handle to the extended end46may be long enough to enable guiding the pet but not so long that it is cumbersome. The length14of the entire leash-pole system10from the user end44of the leash pole40to the extended end46of the leash pole46may be about 0.5 m or more, about 1.0 m or more, about 1.5 m or more and may be about 2.0 m or less or even 1.5 m or less. The ratio of the length45of the flexible extension47to the length14of the entire leash-pole system may be about 0.5 or more, about 0.75 or more, about 0.85 or more and any range between and including the values provided.

The pole leash guide59may be configured more proximal to the extended end46than the user end44of the leash pole40to allow force from the leash to flex the leash pole40. The pole leash guide59may be configured about 65% of the length of the leash pole toward the extended end, or about 75% or even 90% of the length of the leash pole toward the extended end46. The pole leash guide59may be configured on the extended end46. The pole leash guide59may be configured away from the extended end as the extended end may have an accessory attachment as shown inFIG.6and the pole leash guide may interfere with the accessory if configured too close to the extended end. Also, the flexible extension may flex too much with the pole leash guide configured on or just proximal to the extended end.

As shown inFIG.6, an attachment accessory480may be configured on the extended end46of the leash pole40and may be detachably attachable by an end attachment feature64, such as threads66. The attachment accessory480may have a threaded feature configured to thread onto the end attachment feature64of the leash pole40. The attachment accessory may be a ball, or toy for the pet to play with and may include a light60to help illuminate a path as a person walks their pet in low light conditions, such as at night. An attachment accessory480′ may be a pooper-scooper481having an attachment feature482, such as threads483to detachably attach the pooper-scooper to the end attachment feature64, such as threads66or to the handle attachment740, such as threads766. The pooper-scooper may enable a pet owner to conveniently pick up feces and place it in trash can. The attachment accessory480′ may also include a receptacle484for poop-bags485and this receptacle may be configured with or separately from the pooper-scooper481, thereby providing options for the pet owner for picking up and disposing of pet feces.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Specific embodiments, features and elements described herein may be modified, and/or combined in any suitable manner. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications, combinations and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.