Patent ID: 8479688

Claim:
An animal leash assembly having a retractable leash, comprising: a rope pulley on which the leash is retractable, said rope pulley being rotatable in a leash winding direction and an opposite leash unwinding direction and having lateral flanks and a circumferential surface; a brake mechanism having a brake button with an upper part connected to a lower part, said lower part being able to pivot relative to said upper part and said brake button being moveable relative to said rope pulley to an idle position and a functional position; and brush bristles being fixed on said lower part; in said idle position of said brake button, said rope pulley being freely rotatable in the leash winding direction and the opposite leash unwinding direction relative to said brake button; and in said functional position of said brake button, said lower part engaging said rope pulley to prevent rotation of the rope pulley in the leash unwinding direction and said circumferential surface of said rope pulley engaging said brush bristles of said lower part such that said lower part is pivoted relative to said upper part when said rope pulley is rotated in the leash winding direction to thereby permit said rope pulley to rotate in said leash winding direction.