Patent ID: 8528850

Claim:
An assembly for a mechanically retractable and extendable leash for walking animals, comprising: a rope pulley ( 11 ) rotatable in a leash unwinding direction and in an opposite leash wind-up direction; a brake disk ( 17 ) connected to said rope pulley ( 11 ) such that said brake disk ( 17 ) is rotatable relative to the rope pulley ( 11 ) against a damping force in the leash unwinding direction; and a brake button ( 14 ) movable relative to said rope pulley ( 11 ) and brake disk ( 17 ) between a disengaged position, a first functional position, and a second functional position; when said brake button ( 14 ) is in said disengaged position, said rope pulley ( 11 ) and brake disk ( 17 ) are freely rotatable relative to said brake button ( 14 ); when said brake button ( 14 ) is in said second functional position, said brake button ( 14 ) engages said rope pulley ( 11 ) and brake disk ( 17 ) such that said rope pulley ( 11 ) and brake disk ( 17 ) are prevented from rotation in the leash unwinding direction relative to said brake button ( 14 ); and when said brake button ( 14 ) is in said first functional position, said brake button ( 14 ) engages said brake disk ( 17 ) such that said brake disk ( 17 ) is prevented from rotation in the leash unwinding direction relative to said brake button ( 14 ), and said brake button ( 14 ) permits rotation of said rope pulley ( 11 ) relative to said brake button ( 14 ) such that rotation of said rope pulley ( 11 ) in the leash unwinding direction is permitted only when said damping force between relative rotation of said rope pulley ( 11 ) and said brake disk ( 17 ) is overcome; whereby rotation of the rope pulley ( 11 ) in the leash unwinding direction is damped when the brake button is in said first functional position thereby preventing injury to a leashed animal due to avoidance of an otherwise sudden or abrupt stoppage of rotation of said rope pulley ( 11 ).