Patent ID: 7610880

Claim:
An animal control device comprising: a collar having opposite ends; and a retractable leash assembly connected to the opposite ends of the collar, the retractable leash assembly comprising: a housing having a disk-shaped interior case, the disk-shaped interior case being defined by a radius and a height in which the radius exceeds the height such that the housing has a rounded shape and a low profile relative to the collar; two connectors extending laterally from opposite sides of the housing, each connector adapted to connect to one of the opposite ends of the collar; a disk-shaped spool mounted in the disk-shaped interior case, the disk-shaped spool including a spool portion disposed toward a bottom of the disk-shaped interior case and a detent portion stacked on the spool portion, the detent portion being defined by an outer edge having a plurality of detents arranged therein; a retractable leash connected to the spool portion of the disk-shaped spool through an opening in the housing, the retractable leash being wound around the spool portion of the disk-shaped spool in a retracted mode, and being unwound from the spool portion of the disk-shaped spool and extended from the housing in an extended mode; and a leash release mechanism comprising a button that is substantially flush with an outer surface of the housing, the button being connected with a flat, planar locking member that extends over the spool portion of the disk-shaped spool near a top of the disk-shaped interior case, the locking member terminating in a pin that extends downward toward the bottom of the disk-shaped interior case, the pin being insertable into and removable from one of the plurality of detents under control of the button to respectively engage and disengage the disk-shaped spool for locking and releasing the retractable leash in either the retracted mode or the extended mode.