U.S. patent application number 12/981711 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-14 for retractable lead.
Invention is credited to Atsuo NAKAGAWA, Masatomo OKUMURA.
Application Number | 20110168829 12/981711 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44248418 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110168829 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
OKUMURA; Masatomo ; et
al. |
July 14, 2011 |
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.
Inventors: |
OKUMURA; Masatomo; (Osaka,
JP) ; NAKAGAWA; Atsuo; (Osaka, JP) |
Family ID: |
44248418 |
Appl. No.: |
12/981711 |
Filed: |
December 30, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/384.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K 27/004
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
242/384.7 |
International
Class: |
B65H 75/30 20060101
B65H075/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 8, 2010 |
JP |
2010-003396 |
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.
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.
* * * * *