Retractable leash assembly with a quick connect coupling assembly

• US 20030145801A1
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swiftipet, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DeBien Products, Inc.
• Inventors: DeBien, Humberto
• Granted Patent: US 6,955,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/772
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 27/004 Retractable leashes
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 27/005 Quick-couplings, safety-couplings or shock-absorbing devices between leash and collar

Abstract

A retractable leash assembly structured to facilitate quick connection of an animal to a lead which is interconnected at a proximal end to an activation assembly and to a quick connect coupling assembly at a distal end. The leash assembly includes a release structure disposed in a communicative relation with the coupling assembly structured to removably connect a collar, harness, or similar attachment assembly to the distal end of the lead. The activation assembly, upon actuation, transmits a signal to the release structure to dispose the components of the coupling assembly into a release orientation such that the components may be easily disconnected from one another. The activation assembly may also include a drive mechanism, a release control mechanism, and/or a lead aligning mechanism to improve a handler'"'"'s control of an animal attached to the retractable leash assembly of the present invention.

Claims

1. A retractable leash assembly designed to allow quick connection and release of at least one animal therefrom, said assembly comprising:

a lead comprising a proximal end and an oppositely disposed distal end,

at least one coupling assembly comprising a first component disposed at said distal end of said lead and a second component connected to an attachment assembly that engages the animal,

an activation assembly comprising a housing, said housing structured to allow at least a portion of said lead to pass therethrough,

said activation assembly further comprising a drive mechanism,

said proximal end of said lead connected to at least a portion of said drive mechanism,

said drive mechanism structured to release said portion of said lead from said housing, and said drive mechanism further disposed to retract said portion of said lead into said housing, and

a lead aligning mechanism structured to maintain said lead in an aligned position relative to said housing as said portion of said lead is retracted into said housing.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said lead aligning mechanism is further structured to maintain said lead in said aligned position relative to said housing as said lead is released from said housing.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein said lead aligning mechanism is movable along at least a portion of said housing about a central axis of said housing.

4. An assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said lead aligning mechanism comprises a moveable grip member.

5. An assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said moveable grip member is structured to freely rotate along said portion of said housing along an internal grip member track.

6. An assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said moveable grip member is structured to freely rotate along said portion of said housing along an external grip member track.

7. An assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said lead aligning mechanism comprises a moveable slide member, said moveable slide member comprising a slide slot and said housing comprising a lead receiving channel, said slide slot and said lead receiving channel cooperatively structured to receive said portion of said lead therethrough.

8. An assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said moveable slide member is structured to freely rotate along said portion of said housing along an internal slide member track.

9. An assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said moveable slide member is structured to freely rotate along said portion of said housing along an external slide member track.

10. An assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein said lead aligning mechanism comprises a guide member, said guide member comprising a guide channel disposed along a guide axis.

11. An assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said guide channel is structured to receive said portion of said lead therethrough.

12. An assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein said lead aligning mechanism further comprises a guide seat connected to a portion of said housing, said guide member being moveably secured in said guide seat.

13. An assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said guide seat is further structured to permit said guide member to freely rotate about said guide axis in any direction over a surface of said guide member extending outwardly from said housing.

14. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said lead comprises a composite proximal portion and a plurality of free distal portions.

15. A retractable leash assembly designed to allow quick connection and release of at least one animal therefrom, said assembly comprising:

a lead comprising a proximal end and an oppositely disposed distal end,

at least one coupling assembly comprising a first component connected to said distal end of said lead and a second component connected to an attachment assembly attached to the animal,

an activation assembly comprising a housing, said housing structured to allow at least a portion of said lead to pass therethrough,

said activation assembly further comprising a drive mechanism wherein said drive mechanism comprises a take-up spool,

said proximal end of said lead connected to said take-up spool,

said drive mechanism structured to release said lead from said housing,

said drive mechanism further disposed to retract said lead into said housing, and

said activation assembly further comprising a release control mechanism structured to regulate said release of said lead from said housing upon detection of a predetermined condition.

16. An assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said release control mechanism is structured to cooperatively associate with said drive mechanism to attenuate said release of said lead from said housing upon detection of said predetermined condition.

17. An assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein said release control mechanism is structured to cooperatively associate with said drive mechanism to stop said release of said lead from said housing upon detection of said predetermined condition.

18. An assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein said predetermined condition is a preselected change in a velocity of release of said lead from said housing.

19. An assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein said predetermined condition is a preselected acceleration of release of said lead from said housing.

20. An assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said drive mechanism further comprises a drive motor.

21. An assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said activation assembly further comprises a voice activated control module.

22. An assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said lead comprises a composite proximal portion and a plurality of free distal portions.

23. A quick release coupling assembly structured to allow quick connection and quick release, said coupling assembly comprising:

a first component and a second component cooperatively structured to assume an attached orientation when disposed in predetermined aligned engagement with one another,

said first component comprising at least one locking member movably mounted thereon and disposable into and out of a retracted orientation, said one locking member further including a leading surface portion and a trailing surface portion,

a release structure interconnected to said first component and structured such that said first component and said second component are easily detached from one another upon disposition of said release structure into a disconnect position, and

a voice activated control module operatively associated with said release structure and structured to position said release structure into said disconnect position upon receipt of a verbal command from a user by said voice activated control module.

24. An assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein said at least one locking member further comprises magnetic material disposed such that said at least one locking member is magnetically attracted to the interior of said second component with sufficient magnetic force to maintain said at least one locking member in a normally biased outwardly extending locking orientation.

25. An assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein said release structure is operatively connected to said at least one locking member and structured to reposition said at least one locking member into said retracted orientation upon receipt of said verbal command from the user by said voice activated control module.

26. An assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein said release structure is further structured such that said first component and said second component are automatically detached from one another upon receipt of said verbal command from the user by said voice activated control module.

27. An assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein said at least one locking member further comprises magnetic material and said release structure comprises an electromagnet structured and disposed to force said at least one locking member into a normally biased outwardly extending locking orientation relative to said second component by applying an opposing magnetic charge on said electromagnet relative to a magnetic charge on said at least one locking member.

28. An assembly as recited in claim 27 wherein said voice activated control module is operatively associated with and configured to selectively dispose said release structure into and out of said disconnect position by alternating said magnetic charge on said electromagnet upon receipt of said verbal command from the user by said voice activated control module.

29. An assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein said first component of said first coupling assembly comprises at least two locking members disposed in spaced relation to one another, each of said locking members movably mounted and positionable between a normally biased outwardly extending locking orientation and a retracted orientation, each of said locking members having a leading surface portion disposable in sliding engagement with said second component when in said predetermined aligned engagement, said locking members being structured and disposed to be positionable into said retracted orientation and to be in said normally biased outwardly extending locking orientation relative to said second component upon release from said retracted orientation.

30. An assembly as recited in claim 29 wherein said locking members further comprise magnetic material and said release structure comprises an electromagnet structured and disposed to force said locking members into said normally biased outwardly extending locking orientation relative to said second component by inducing an opposite magnetic charge on said electromagnet relative to a magnetic charge on said locking members upon receipt of said verbal command from the user by said voice activated control module.

31. An assembly as recited in claim 30 wherein said voice activated control module is configured to selectively dispose said release structure into said disconnect position such that said first component and said second component are automatically detached from one another upon receipt of said verbal command from the user by said voice activated control module.

32. An assembly as recited in claim 23 further comprising an attraction assembly structured to facilitates automatic attachment of said first component and said second component when in said predetermined aligned engagement with one another.