Retractable leash assembly with a quick connect coupling assembly

• US 6,955,138 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Swiftipet, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DeBien Products, Inc.
• Inventors: DeBien, Humberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US10/371,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20030145801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 119/718, 119/772, 119/776, 119/859, 119/908
• US Class Current: 119/776
• 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 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,

said at least one locking member further comprising magnetic material disposed such that said at least one locking member is magnetically attracted to an 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,

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.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 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.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 1 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.

4. 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,

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, and

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.

5. An assembly as recited in claim 4 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.

6. 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, and

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.

7. An assembly as recited in claim 6 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.

8. An assembly as recited in claim 7 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.

9. 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,

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, and

an attraction assembly structured to facilitate automatic attachment of said first component and said second component when in said predetermined aligned engagement with one another.