Pet collar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11337407-B2
Application number	US-202016913895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2020
Priority date	Jun 26, 2020
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

A pet collar has an adjustable length strap and a buckle. The buckle has a receiver and a clip releasably coupled to the receiver. The receiver includes a catch portion coupleable to the clip and a tension indicator portion. The tension indicator portion has two side walls defining a shuttle channel. Each side wall has a top surface having a first mark, a second mark, a third mark, and a fourth mark which have color coding. The shuttle channel is configured to slidably receive a reciprocating tensioning shuttle therein. The tensioning shuttle includes two side wall and a compression spring. Each side wall also includes a top flange overlaying the receiver side walls that includes a first viewing window and a second viewing window. The viewing windows alignment with the underlying marks indicated the tension of the collar upon the pet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pet collar comprising:
a flexible strap having a first end and a second end oppositely disposed from said first end, and
a buckle having a clip coupled to said first end of said flexible strap and a receiver coupled to said second end of said strap, said receiver having a catch portion removably coupleable to said clip and a tension indicator portion coupled to said catch portion and said flexible strap second end, said tension indicator portion having at least one side wall with at least one position indicator, a tensioning shuttle coupled for reciprocal movement along said one side wall, said tensioning shuttle having at least one visual indictor alignable with said at least one position indicator, and a spring biasing said tensioning shuttle,
whereby the amount of tension of the flexible strap determines the position of the tensioning shuttle along the side wall.

2. The pet collar of claim 1 wherein said at least one visual indicator comprises a viewing window.

3. The pet collar of claim 1 wherein said at least one position indicator includes a first position indicator, a second position indictor, and a third position indicator, wherein said at least one visual indicator comprises a first visual indicator, wherein the first position indicator is alignable with a first position of said visual indicator to indicate not enough tension of the flexible strap upon a pet, wherein the second position indicator is alignable with a second position of said visual indicator to indicate a correct tension of the flexible strap upon a pet, and wherein the third position indicator alignable with a third position of said visual indicator to indicate to much tension of the flexible strap upon a pet.

4. The pet collar of claim 3 wherein said at least one position indicator includes a fourth position indicator, wherein said at least one visual indicator comprises a second visual indicator, wherein said first visual indicator is alignable with said first position indicator and said second visual indicator is alignable with said third position indicator to indicate not enough tension of the flexible strap upon a pet, wherein said first visual indicator is alignable with said second position indicator to indicate a correct tension of the flexible strap upon a pet, and wherein said first visual indicator is alignable with said third position indicator and said second visual indicator is alignable with said fourth position indicator to indicate too much tension of the flexible strap upon a pet.

5. The pet collar of claim 3 wherein said first position indicator has a first select color and said second position indicator has a second select color different from said first select color.

6. The pet collar of claim 5 wherein said third position indicator is said first select color.

7. The pet collar of claim 4 wherein said first position indicator has a first select color, said second position indicator has a second select color different from said first select color, said third position indicator is said first select color, and said fourth position indicator is said first select color.

8. The pet collar of claim 1 wherein said tension indicator portion has two oppositely disposed side walls wherein each side wall has at least one position indicator, and said tensioning shuttle has two visual indicators wherein each visual indicator is alignable with said position indicator of one said side wall.

9. A pet collar comprising:
a flexible strap having a first end and a second end;
a buckle coupling said first end to said second end, and
a tension indicator coupled to said flexible strap, said tension indicator portion having a base coupled to said flexible strap and a shuttle coupled to said flexible strap and coupled to said base for reciprocal movement relative to said base, said base having a first tension indicator, said shuttle having a second tension indicator selectively alignable with said first tension indicator to indicate the amount of tension upon said flexible strap, and a spring biasing said shuttle relative to said base against the tension force upon the strap.

10. The pet collar of claim 9 wherein said first tension indicator is at least one visible mark upon said base, and wherein said second tension indicator is a first position element cooperating with said at least one visible mark.

11. The pet collar of claim 10 wherein said first position element is a viewing window extending through a portion of said shuttle and selectively alignable with said at least one visible mark.

12. The pet collar of claim 10 wherein said at least one visible mark includes a first position mark, a second position mark, and a third position mark,
whereby the first position mark is aligned with said first position element when the tension upon the flexible strap is too small, the second position mark is aligned with said first position element when the tension upon the flexible strap is correct, and the third position mark is aligned with said first position element when the tension upon the flexible strap is too large.

13. The pet collar of claim 12 wherein said at least one visible mark includes a fourth position mark and said second tension indicator includes a second position element,
wherein said first position element is selectively alignable with said first position mark and said second visual indicator is selectively alignable with said third position mark to indicate the tension upon the flexible strap is too small,
wherein said first position element is selectively alignable with said second position mark to indicate a correct tension of the flexible strap upon a pet, and
wherein said first position element is selectively alignable with said third position mark and said second position element is selectively alignable with said fourth position mark to indicate the tension upon the flexible strap is too large.

14. The pet collar of claim 12 wherein said first position mark has a first select color and said second position mark has a second select color different from said first select color.

15. The pet collar of claim 14 wherein said third position mark has said first select color.

16. The pet collar of claim 13 wherein said first position mark has a first select color, said second position mark has a second select color different from said first select color, said third position mark has said first select color, and said fourth position mark has said first select color.

17. The pet collar of claim 9 wherein said base has two oppositely disposed side walls each having at least one first tension indicator portion, and said shuttle has two oppositely disposed second tension indicator portions, wherein each shuttle second tension indicator portion is selectively alignable with said first tension indicator portion of each base side wall.

18. A pet collar comprising:
a flexible strap having a first end and a second end oppositely disposed from said first end, and
a buckle coupling said strap first end to said strap second end, said buckle having a strap coupling portion and a tension indicator portion;
said tension indicator portion having a base and a sliding member movably mounted to said base for reciprocal, longitudinal movement, said base having a plurality of longitudinally aligned visual position indicators, said sliding member having a tension indicator alignable with said plurality of visual position indicators, said tension indicator portion also have a spring biasing said sliding member in a first longitudinal direction, said base b

Assignees

• Radio Systems Corp

Inventors

• Sayers Kevin Michael
• Tolliver Kevin L
• Zinn Kevin
• Huber Jonathan

Classifications

• G01L5/047

  Specific indicating or recording arrangements, e.g. for remote indication, for indicating overload or underload · CPC title

• A01K27/006

  with light-emitting or ornamental devices · CPC title

• A01K27/001 Primary

  Collars · CPC title

• A01K27/005 Primary

  Quick-couplings, safety-couplings or shock-absorbing devices between leash and collar · CPC title

• A44B11/008

  extensible · CPC title