Retractable Lead

Abstract

A retractable lead of the present invention includes a brake trigger provided in the vicinity of the front surface of a body casing that contains a reel below a draw-out port. The brake trigger is attached in a state of being able to be pushed in the body casing in the direction opposite to the direction in which the lead is drawn out (backward) and being biased in the direction in which the brake trigger is pushed back. If the brake trigger is pushed in, an engaging claw portion protruding from the brake trigger engages with an engaging tooth portion formed on a flange of the reel, thereby restricting rotation of the reel in the draw-out direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(a) on Patent Application No. 2010-003396 filed in Japan on Jan. 8, 2010, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates mainly to a portable retractable lead (leash winding apparatus) configured to wind a lead (leash) used for walking a house dog on a reel and allow the lead to be drawn out to a desired length.

[0003] A portable retractable lead for a walk is known that is configured to allow a lead wound on a reel to be drawn out according to the force of the pulling of the dog, fix the lead to a certain length according to the situation, and automatically wind the loose lead by a rotational biasing force in the winding direction.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 10, with, for example, a retractable lead 9 disclosed in JP H3-23166U, a reel 92 for winding a lead is contained in a body casing 91, and the lead is pulled out from a draw-out port 93 formed in the body casing 91. A handle 94 is provided on a substantially opposite side to the draw-out port 93 in the body casing 91. The retractable lead 9 is provided with an operation portion 95 at a position where the thumb touches it when the handle 94 is held, and is configured to be capable of locking the drawing out of the lead and canceling the lock by pushing in this operation portion 95 with the thumb.

[0005] All the retractable leads disclosed in JP H10-59630A, JP 3114872U, and the like also have the same configuration as that described above, although the size of the handle and the angle thereof are slightly different. This is the configuration of a conventional general retractable lead.

[0006] With the conventional retractable lead, when a user grips the handle with four fingers put between the body casing and the handle as if holding a bag and the draw-out port facing forward in the movement direction, the operation portion is positioned on the upper surface near the rear portion of the body casing. The drawing out of the lead is locked by the operation of pushing in the operation portion diagonally downward to the front with the thumb, and the lock is canceled if the operation portion is pushed in again. That is, with the conventional retractable lead, the operation portion needs to be pushed in almost the same direction as the direction in which the lead is drawn out when the drawing out of the lead is desired to be stopped.

[0007] However, the above operation is slightly unnatural sensorily as the operation for stopping the drawing out of the lead. For example, it may happen that a dog being walked suddenly begins to run toward another person or dog, and in the case where a lead is suddenly drawn out so that the drawing out of the lead is desired to be stopped in haste, rather than moving the hand and fingers in the same direction as the direction in which the lead is drawn out, it is more natural, as a reflective sense, to move the hand and fingers in the opposite direction, that is, the direction in which the lead is to be pulled back, which would avoid a wrong action even in a case that calls for instant reaction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention has been conceived focusing on such a sense of operation, and provides a retractable lead that can be operated quickly and reliably with a more natural sense than that of a conventional retractable lead by an operation in the direction opposite to that of the conventional retractable lead when the drawing out of a lead is desired to be stopped.

[0009] A retractable lead of the present invention is based on a basic assumption that a reel for winding a lead is contained in a body casing in a state where the reel is rotatable and a rotating force in a winding direction is applied to the reel, the lead wound by the reel being drawn out forward from a draw-out port formed in a front portion of the body casing. Note that in this specification, the side to which the lead is drawn out in the body casing of the retractable lead is referred to as "front", and the side opposite thereto, that is, the side to which the lead is wound is referred to as "rear", to facilitate description.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the retractable lead of the present invention adopts a configuration in which a brake trigger is provided in the vicinity of a front surface of the body casing below the draw-out port, and the brake trigger is attached to the body casing in a state of being able to be pushed in the body casing in a direction opposite to a direction in which the lead is drawn out (backward) and being biased in a direction in which the brake trigger is pushed back, and if the brake trigger is pushed in, the brake trigger engages with the reel, and rotation of the reel in the draw-out direction is restricted.

[0011] This configuration is suitable for a comparatively small retractable lead. If such a retractable lead is gripped in a hand with the body casing being held vertically and the draw-out port facing forward, the index finger touches properly the brake trigger provided in the vicinity of the front surface below the draw-out port, and the thumb is put on the upper surface of the body casing. During a walk, while the body casing is gripped in that state, the drawing out of the lead is adjusted by operating the brake trigger with the index finger. According to this configuration, in the case where a dog suddenly begins to run or the like so that the lead is pulled, it is possible to stop the lead being drawn out by pushing in the brake trigger by an operation of flexing the index finger toward the user (backward of the body casing). Accordingly, the retractable lead can be operated without confusion but rather with a natural sense even in a case that calls for instant reaction.

[0012] It is preferable that the brake trigger is axially attached so as to be swingable backward and forward at a position in the vicinity of the draw-out port in the body casing via a support shaft provided parallel to a rotation axis of the reel. According to this configuration, the brake trigger is held at a proper swing angle for operation with the index finger, and thus preferred operativity can be obtained.

[0013] Further, as an engaging mechanism of the brake trigger and the reel in the above configuration, a configuration is possible in which the brake trigger includes an engaging claw portion protruding toward the reel from a rear edge portion of the brake trigger that faces the reel, an engaging tooth portion is formed on an external surface of a flange projecting from either edge of the reel, and rotation of the reel is constrained by the engaging claw portion engaging with the engaging tooth portion of the reel by an operation of pushing in the brake trigger. With such an engaging mechanism, the mechanism itself is simple and rational, and the brake trigger and the reel are reliably engaged with a preferred feeling, which would less likely to cause failure or wrong operation.

[0014] Note that with this retractable lead, the drawing out of the lead is restricted if the brake trigger is pushed in by the flexion of the index finger, and the reel again becomes rotatable if the index finger is relaxed so as to allow the brake trigger to be pushed back, thereby enabling the lead to be freely drawn out. Accordingly, for walking while keeping the length of the lead fixed, it is desirable that the brake trigger can be locked in a state where it is pushed in. As a locking mechanism for the brake trigger, for example, a mechanism to alternately switch between a lock state and a lock cancelled state by pushing in the brake trigger again is also conceivable. However, such a mechanism requires a higher cost since the internal component configuration is complicated, and moreover is likely to cause a misoperation in a case that calls for instant reaction.

[0015] In view of this, with the retractable lead of the present invention, a mechanism for locking operation of the brake trigger is provided separately from the brake trigger. Specifically, as a locking mechanism for the brake trigger, a configuration is adopted in which a lock lever is provided on an upper surface of the body casing at a rear position relative to the draw-out port, and the lock lever is attached so as to be slidable backward and forward along the upper surface of the body casing, and if the lock lever is caused to slide forward in a state where the brake trigger is pushed in the body casing, the lock lever engages with the brake trigger, and the brake trigger is locked in a state where rotation of the reel is restricted.

[0016] The lock lever according to this configuration is provided at a position where the thumb touches it properly in the state where the body casing is gripped in a hand. The operation of flexing the index finger toward the user and the operation of pushing the thumb forward can be naturally performed in coordination with each other since a force is applied thereto in the same manner, and thus favorable operativity can be obtained.

[0017] As an engaging mechanism for the lock lever and the brake trigger in this configuration, it is rational that the lock lever includes an engaging hook portion protruding toward the brake trigger, a hook receiving portion corresponding to the engaging hook portion is formed at a rear edge portion of the brake trigger, and the brake trigger is constrained in a pushed-in state by the engaging hook portion engaging with the hook receiving portion of the brake trigger by an operation of advancing the lock lever. With such an engaging mechanism, the mechanism itself is simple and rational, and the lock lever and the brake trigger are reliably engaged with a preferred feeling, which would less likely to cause failure or wrong operation.

[0018] Further, as another configuration of a retractable lead of the present invention, a configuration is adopted in which a handle is provided on a side of the body casing opposite to the draw-out port, a brake trigger is provided at an upper portion of a front surface of the handle with a finger inserting space being formed between the body casing and the handle, and the brake trigger is attached to the handle in a state of being able to be pushed in the handle in a direction opposite to a direction in which the lead is drawn out and being biased in a direction in which the brake trigger is pushed back, and if the brake trigger is pushed in, a brake arm that extends from the brake trigger toward the reel engages with the reel, and rotation of the reel in a draw-out direction is restricted.

[0019] This configuration is applied to a retractable lead that is larger than that having the configuration described above. If the handle is gripped with four fingers put between the handle provided at the rear portion of the body casing and the body casing, and the draw-out port facing forward, the index finger touches properly the brake trigger provided at the upper portion of the front surface of the handle. During a walk, while the handle is gripped in such a state, the brake trigger is operated with the index finger, thereby adjusting the drawing out of the lead. With this configuration as well, in the case where a dog suddenly begins to run or the like so that the lead is pulled, it is possible to stop the lead from being drawn out by an operation of flexing the index finger toward the user (toward the handle). Accordingly, the retractable lead can be operated with a natural sense even in a case that calls for instant reaction.

[0020] With the retractable lead of the present invention constituted as described above, the direction in which the brake trigger is operated when the drawing out of the lead is restricted is set to a direction opposite to that of a conventional retractable lead, that is, a direction in which the lead is to be pulled back. Accordingly, since the brake trigger can be operated with a more natural sense than that with the conventional retractable lead, it is possible to quickly and reliably stop the lead from being drawn out without confusion even in a case that calls for instant reaction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the external appearance of a retractable lead according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the retractable lead.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a side view showing the state of the retractable lead being gripped.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a top view of the retractable lead.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the retractable lead taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4.

[0026] FIG. 6 is an exploded side view in which one of two halves that constitute a body casing of the retractable lead has been removed.

[0027] FIG. 7 is an exploded side view showing a state where a brake trigger of the retractable lead shown in FIG. 6 is pushed in.

[0028] FIG. 8 is an exploded side view showing a state where the brake trigger of the retractable lead shown in FIG. 7 is locked at a pushed-in position.

[0029] FIG. 9 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a retractable lead according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a state of the retractable lead being gripped.

[0030] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a general conventional retractable lead and a state of the retractable lead being gripped.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

[0032] A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 8. A retractable lead 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a body casing 2 having a size small enough to be gripped with one hand as shown in FIG. 3. Since the body casing 2 does not have a handle, a wrist strap suspension portion 21 is provided at the bottom rear portion of the body casing 2 in order to avoid the retractable lead being dropped even when a user fails to grip it. Further, the external surface of the body casing 2 is covered with nonslip rubber 22.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the body casing 2 is formed by putting together right and left halves 2A and 2B, and a reel 3 for winding a lead 11 is contained inside thereof. The reel 3 is held so as to be freely rotatable, being fit around a reel attachment shaft portion 23 that is protruding from the half 2A on one side of the body casing 2.

[0034] The reel 3 is provided with a cylindrical drum 31 for winding the lead 11, and a pair of flanges 32 projecting from both the right and left edges thereof. A tubular hole portion 33 is formed in the center portion of the drum 31. A spiral spring 4 is interposed between the inner circumferential surface of the tubular hole portion 33 and the reel attachment shaft portion 23, and the spiral spring 4 applies a rotating force in the winding direction to the reel 3. The member denoted by numeral 34 in FIG. 2 is a lid member fitted in the tubular hole portion 33 of the reel 3 to press the spiral spring 4.

[0035] The body casing 2 has a shape slightly projecting forward, and a front lid member 5 formed separately from the body casing 2 is attached at the front end thereof. A draw-out port 51 is formed through the front lid member 5 in the direction in which the lead 11 wound on the drum 31 is drawn out.

[0036] Engaging tooth portions 35 having a substantially saw blade shape projecting toward the outer peripheral edge of the flanges 32 are formed on the external surfaces of the both flanges 32 by increasing the thickness of the flanges 32. The plurality of engaging tooth portions 35 are disposed at equal angle intervals in a circumferential direction.

[0037] A trigger operation opening portion 24 is formed in the front surface of the body casing 2 below the draw-out port 51, and a brake trigger 6 is provided in this opening portion 24. A trigger support shaft 25 protrudes from the half 2A on one side of the body casing 2 parallel to the rotation axis of the reel 3 (the reel attachment shaft portion 23). The brake trigger 6 is held so as to be swingable backward and forward by the trigger support shaft 25 being fit in a shaft hole 61 formed in the upper portion of the brake trigger. If the body casing 2 is gripped as shown in FIG. 3, the index finger touches properly the front surface of the brake trigger 6, and the brake trigger 6 can be pushed in the body casing 2 by the flexion of the index finger.

[0038] Engaging claw portions 62 projecting toward the reel 3 are formed at both rear edge portions on the lower side of this the brake trigger 6. As shown in FIG. 7, when the brake trigger 6 is pushed in the body casing 2, the engaging claw portions 62 engage with the engaging tooth portions 35 of the reel 3. Then, the reel 3 cannot further rotate in the draw-out direction, thereby restricting the drawing out of the lead 11.

[0039] A substantially tubular spring housing portion 63 (see FIG. 5) that is open diagonally upward to the rear is formed inside the brake trigger 6, and a coil spring 64 is housed inside thereof. The rear end portion of the coil spring 64 is fixed in an engaged manner in the vicinity of the operation opening portion 24 of the body casing 2, and the coil spring 64 is held in a compressed state. The coil spring 64 biases the brake trigger 6 in the direction in which the brake trigger is pushed back to the front of the body casing 2. Therefore, if the index finger is relaxed from the state in FIG. 7, the brake trigger 6 is pushed back to the front, which cancels engagement with the reel 3. The state thus returns to that in FIG. 6, which enables the reel 3 to again rotate in the draw-out direction.

[0040] A lock lever 7 for locking the brake trigger 6 in the state where the brake trigger is engaged with the reel 3 is provided on the upper surface of the body casing 2 at a rear position relative to the draw-out port 51.

[0041] The lock lever 7 includes an operating plate portion 71 having a finger catch projection formed in the center portion of the upper surface, and a neck portion 72 with a small cross section is formed on the undersurface of the operating plate portion 71. The body casing 2 has an elongated sliding slotted hole 26 formed in the front-rear direction thereof, and the lock lever 7 is held so as to be freely slidable backward and forward by the neck portion 72 engaging with the sliding slotted hole 26. Engagement ridges 27 for stopping respectively at the advanced and retracted positions of the operating plate portion 71 are formed on the side of the sliding slotted hole 26 in the body casing 2.

[0042] Below the neck portion 72 of the lock lever 7, leg portions 73 are provided so as to straddle both the flanges 32 of the reel 3. The leg portions 73 extend downward to the front in the body casing 2, and engaging hook portions 74 having a substantially U shape as viewed from the side are formed at the front edge thereof.

[0043] On the other hand, hook receiving portions 65 having a substantially U shape as viewed from the side corresponding to the engaging hook portions 74 are formed at both rear edge portions on the upper side of the brake trigger 6. As shown in FIG. 8, if the lock lever 7 is caused to slide forward in the state where the brake trigger 6 is pushed in the body casing 2, the engaging hook portions 74 of the lock lever 7 engage with the hook receiving portions 65 of the brake trigger 6, thereby preventing the brake trigger 6 from returning. By locking the brake trigger 6 in the pushed-in state in this way, even if the finger is removed from the brake trigger 6, rotation of the reel 3 remains constrained.

[0044] Note that in the embodiment described as an example, in the state in FIG. 6, the front edge of the engaging hook portions 74 of the lock lever 7 and the rear edge of the hook receiving portions 65 of the brake trigger 6 are designed so as to abut against each other at an appropriate inclination angle, and even if the operation of pushing in the brake trigger 6 is not performed, the brake trigger 6 can be caused to swing to a lock position compulsorily by merely advancing the lock lever 7.

Second Embodiment

[0045] A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 9. A retractable lead 10 according to this embodiment is larger than the retractable lead 1 according to the first embodiment described above, and has a handle 8 at the rear portion of a body casing 20 in which the reel 3 is contained. A brake trigger 60 is provided at the upper portion of the front surface of the handle 8, which is located at a position where an index finger touches the brake trigger properly when four fingers are put in the finger inserting space formed between the body casing 20 and the handle 8 so as to grip the handle 8.

[0046] The brake trigger 60 is attached so as to be pushed backward in the handle 8 by the operation of flexing the index finger, and is biased in the direction in which the brake trigger is pushed back by a spring or the like (not shown). A brake arm (not shown) formed in the brake trigger 60 extends toward the reel inside the body casing 20, and engages with the engaging tooth portions formed on the flanges of the reel, thereby restricting rotation of the reel in the draw-out direction. The configurations of the flanges and the engaging tooth portions of the reel are the same as those in the first embodiment described above. With such a configuration as well, it is possible to stop the lead 11 from being drawn out by a fingertip operation in the direction in which the lead 11 is pulled back.

[0047] A lock lever 70 that locks the brake trigger 60 in the pushed-in state is provided at a position in the upper portion of the rear surface of the handle 8 where the thumb touches the lock lever properly, and is held so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. If the lock lever 70 is caused to slide upward in the state where the brake trigger 60 is pushed in the handle 8, the lock lever 70 engages with the brake trigger 60. According to such a configuration, the operation of flexing an index finger toward the user and the operation of pushing the thumb forward are naturally performed in coordination with each other, thereby facilitating operation of the lock lever.

[0048] Note that the shape of the constituent members described in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is of course possible, in the present invention, to change the details of the shape of those members as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0049] The present invention may be embodied in various other forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not limiting. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All variations and modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A retractable lead in which a reel for winding a lead is contained in a body casing in a state where the reel is rotatable and a rotating force in a winding direction is applied to the reel, the lead wound by the reel being drawn out forward from a draw-out port formed in a front portion of the body casing, wherein a brake trigger is provided in the vicinity of a front surface of the body casing below the draw-out port, and the brake trigger is attached to the body casing in a state of being able to be pushed in the body casing in a direction opposite to a direction in which the lead is drawn out and being biased in a direction in which the brake trigger is pushed back, and if the brake trigger is pushed in, the brake trigger engages with the reel, and rotation of the reel in the draw-out direction is restricted.

2. The retractable lead according to claim 1, wherein the brake trigger is axially attached so as to be swingable backward and forward at a position in the vicinity of the draw-out port in the body casing via a support shaft provided parallel to a rotation axis of the reel.

3. The retractable lead according to claim 1, wherein the brake trigger includes an engaging claw portion protruding toward the reel from a rear edge portion of the brake trigger that faces the reel, an engaging tooth portion is formed on an external surface of a flange projecting from either edge of the reel, and rotation of the reel is constrained by the engaging claw portion engaging with the engaging tooth portion of the reel by an operation of pushing in the brake trigger.

4. The retractable lead according to claim 1, wherein a lock lever is provided on an upper surface of the body casing at a rear position relative to the draw-out port, and the lock lever is attached so as to be slidable backward and forward along the upper surface of the body casing, and if the lock lever is caused to slide forward in a state where the brake trigger is pushed in the body casing, the lock lever engages with the brake trigger, and the brake trigger is locked in a state where rotation of the reel is restricted.

5. The retractable lead according to claim 4, wherein the lock lever includes an engaging hook portion protruding toward the brake trigger, a hook receiving portion corresponding to the engaging hook portion is formed at a rear edge portion of the brake trigger, and the brake trigger is constrained in a pushed-in state by the engaging hook portion engaging with the hook receiving portion of the brake trigger by an operation of advancing the lock lever.

6. A retractable lead in which a reel for winding a lead is contained in a body casing in a state where the reel is rotatable and a rotating force in a winding direction is applied to the reel, the lead wound by the reel being drawn out forward from a draw-out port formed in a front portion of the body casing, wherein a handle is provided on a side of the body casing opposite to the draw-out port, a brake trigger is provided at an upper portion of a front surface of the handle with a finger inserting space being formed between the body casing and the handle, and the brake trigger is attached to the handle in a state of being able to be pushed in the handle in a direction opposite to a direction in which the lead is drawn out and being biased in a direction in which the brake trigger is pushed back, and if the brake trigger is pushed in, a brake arm that extends from the brake trigger toward the reel engages with the reel, and rotation of the reel in a draw-out direction is restricted.