DETANGLING LEAD ASSEMBLY

• US 20150090196A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PB&JM, LLC
• Original Assignee: PB&JM, LLC
• Inventors: Fleming, Jan, Kleintjes, Bianca, Kleintjes, P. Chris
• Granted Patent: US 9,363,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/795
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 27/003 Leads, leashes
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/7415 Friction drives, e.g. pulleys, having a cable winding angle of less than 360 degrees

Abstract

A detangling lead assembly comprising an elongated flexible lead having a first lead end and a second lead end, a body subassembly comprising a pulley, the lead retained in a lead path from a distal end of the body assembly, around the pulley and extending from the distal end of the body subassembly whereby the first lead end and the second lead end extend generally in a distal direction from the handle subassembly and the lead is generally movable back and forth around the pulley. In some embodiments, the lead assembly further comprises a handle subassembly rotatably coupled to a proximal end of the body subassembly. In some embodiments, the housing further comprises exit points for the lead ends defining a moment arm for a moment to force the body subassembly to rotate and uncross a crossing of the lead ends.

Claims

1. A detangling lead assembly comprising:

a handle subassembly rotatably coupled to a proximal end of a body subassembly;

an elongated flexible lead having a first lead end and a second lead end;

the body subassembly comprising a pulley; and

the lead following a lead path from a distal end of the body assembly, around the pulley and extending from the distal end of the body subassembly whereby the first lead end and the second lead end extend generally in a distal direction from the handle subassembly and the lead is generally movable back and forth around the pulley.

2. The detangling lead assembly of claim 1 wherein the lead is removably retained in the lead path whereby the lead can be removed and replaced with a replacement lead.

3. The detangling lead assembly of claim 1 wherein the lead path through the body subassembly causes an overlap of the lead over itself in an overlap location distal to the pulley.

4. The detangling lead assembly of claim 3 wherein the overlap of the lead over itself is configured to provide a frictional engagement of an outside surface of the lead creating a resistance force opposite a pulling force on the lead.

5. The detangling lead assembly of claim 1 wherein the handle coupler is configured to provide a coupling that restricts movement of the handle subassembly in directions other than rotation about the longitudinal axis of the assembly.

6. The detangling lead assembly of claim 1 wherein the body subassembly further comprises a housing.

7. The detangling lead assembly of claim 6 wherein the housing has a distal end having a first and a second lead eyelet defining a first and second exit point respectively for the lead from the housing.

8. The detangling lead assembly of claim 7 wherein the first and second lead eyelets are separated by an eyelet offset distance between an inside edge of the first and second eyelet and the eyelet offset distance is greater than an inside groove diameter of the pulley.

9. The detangling lead assembly of claim 7 wherein:

the housing comprises two shell halves sharing a same shell half design;

the two shell halves are removably coupled; and

the lead is removably retained in the lead path whereby the lead can be removed and replaced with a replacement lead.

10. The detangling lead assembly of claim 7 wherein:

the lead path through the body subassembly causes an overlap of the lead over itself in an overlap location distal to the pulley;

the overlap of the lead over itself is configured to provide a frictional engagement of an outside surface of the lead creating a resistance force opposite a pulling force on the lead; and

the housing further comprises a lead channel defining the lead path through the body subassembly whereby the lead in the housing is less susceptible to tangling in the housing.

11. The detangling lead assembly of claim 10 wherein the overlap of the lead is aligned with an overlap throat of the lead channel whereby an inside diameter of the overlap throat frictionally engages the outside surface of the lead and increases the resistance force opposite the pulling force on the lead.

12. The detangling lead of claim 10 further comprising an accessory connector coupled to the housing.

13. The detangling lead assembly of claim 10 wherein:

the detangling lead assembly is configured to attach to multiple pets;

the lead is removably retained in the lead path whereby the lead can be removed and replaced with a replacement lead;

the first and second eyelets are separated by an eyelet offset distance between an inside edge of the first and second eyelet and the eyelet offset distance is greater than an inside groove diameter of the pulley;

the housing comprises two shell halves sharing a same shell half design;

the two shell halves are removably coupled and the lead is removably retained in the lead path whereby the lead can be removed and replaced with a replacement lead;

the first lead end and the second lead end further comprise a lead swivel clip whereby the lead can be rotatably coupled to a pet collar and reduce a twisting of the lead;

the first lead end and the second lead end further comprise a first and second stopper respectively configured with a stopper profile sized larger than the first and second eyelet whereby the first and second lead stoppers restrict the lead at a stop point from being movable back and forth around the pulley; and

the handle subassembly comprising a flexible loop strap.

14. A lead assembly comprising:

a body subassembly;

a single lead received in the body subassembly;

the single lead having a first lead end and a second lead end;

the first lead end extending from the body subassembly at a first lead end length and the second lead end extending from the body subassembly at a second end length;

a means to adjust the first lead end length and the second lead end length; and

a means to rotatably anchor the body subassembly whereby the body subassembly rotates in reaction to one or more moments to avoid the first lead end wrapping around the second lead end.

15. The lead assembly of claim 14 wherein:

the means to adjust the first lead end length and the second lead end length comprises a pulley wheel rotatable coupled to the body subassembly;

the single lead received in the body subassembly within a lead path;

the lead path comprising a channel from a distal end of the body subassembly, around the pulley and extending to the distal end of the body subassembly whereby the first lead end and the second lead end extend from the body subassembly; and

the lead path causes an overlap of the lead over itself in an overlap location distal to the pulley.

16. The lead assembly of claim 15 wherein the means to rotatably anchor the body subassembly comprises a handle coupler rotatably coupling the handle subassembly to the body subassembly.

17. The lead assembly of claim 16 wherein:

the body subassembly further comprises a first and second eyelet defining a first and second exit of the lead path from a distal end of the body subassembly;

the first and second lead eyelets are separated by an eyelet offset distance between an inside edge of the first and second eyelet; and

the eyelet offset distance is greater than an inside groove diameter of the pulley.

18. The lead assembly of claim 17 wherein:

the body subassembly comprises a housing having two shell halves;

the shell halves having a same shell half design;

the two shell halves are removably coupled; and

the lead is removably retained in the lead path whereby the lead can be removed and replaced with a replacement lead when the shell halves are removed.

19. The lead assembly of claim 18 wherein:

the overlap of the lead over itself is configured to provide a frictional engagement of an outside surface of the lead creating a resistance force opposite a pulling force on the lead; and

the housing further comprises a lead channel defining the lead path through the body subassembly whereby the lead in the housing is less susceptible to tangling in the housing.

20. The lead assembly of claim 19 wherein:

the lead assembly is configured to attach to multiple pets;

the handle coupler is configured to provide a coupling that restricts movement of the handle subassembly in directions other than rotation about the longitudinal axis of the assembly; and

the means to adjust the first lead end length and the second lead end length further comprises the first lead end and the second lead end having a first and second stopper respectively configured with a stopper profile sized larger than the first and second eyelet whereby the first and second lead stoppers restrict the lead at a first and second stop point further restricting the lead from being movable back and forth around the pulley.