HK1060685B - Urine collection device with a detachable head part - Google Patents

Description

Urine collector with detachable upper end part

Technical Field

The invention relates to a harness for horses with a urine collector, which harness has an upper part that can be detached from a urine collection bag. The harness according to the invention with a urine collector is intended in particular for obtaining a natural mixture of conjugated estrogens from the urine of pregnant mares.

Background

Estrogens are used in medicine for hormone replacement therapy. The estrogen mixture is especially used for treating and preventing climacteric diseases of women after natural or artificial menopause. It has been shown here that natural mixtures of Conjugated Estrogens (CE) such as those present in Pregnant Mare's Urine (PMU) are particularly effective and are well digested and absorbed.

The collection of urine is therefore an important step in hormone acquisition and requires a suitable device capable of collecting urine in a practical and animal acceptable manner. In particular, the device is intended to be easily portable and to be adapted to the normal behaviours and the requirements of action and rest of the horse. Furthermore, the device is to be able to collect urine flexibly (easy to place and remove or replace), as cleanly as possible (without faeces) and without damage to hormones.

The harness is to be able to easily fit horses of various sizes and to be sufficient to secure the urinal in the desired position on the horse. After the urine collector has been fixed, it should be possible to carry out as little or as few as accidental readjustments and ensure as free a loss of urine as possible with as great a freedom of movement of the horse as possible. One such harness with a urine collector has been described in international patent application PCT/EP 00/04872. Furthermore, the urinal itself is to be able to be handled comfortably and held in a hygienic and clean manner.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a replaceable horse urinal which can be flexibly fixed to a special harness and which meets the high requirements of practical applicability in the industry standards and of carrying comfort for the horse, wherein in particular the urinal itself can be comfortably handled and easily fixed hygienically and cleanly.

This object is achieved in particular by the urine collector (mare urinal) given in the claims and further by the combination of a mare urinal with a special fixing harness for placing the mare urinal on the horse and the special construction of the upper end part of this urinal. The harness and the urinal according to the invention correspond broadly in their characteristics to those of the harness with the urinal according to international patent application PCT/EP 00/04872, but the invention differs in that the upper end parts of the collecting bag and the urinal are detachably connected to each other.

The invention therefore proposes a harness with a urine collector for horses, in particular for mares, which harness is characterized by the following components:

A) a set of basic harnesses constituted by a leash, comprising:

-a cinch (1) extending from the back to the lower chest on both sides to tighten the horse, on which cinch at least two usual, length-adjustable fixing elements (1a) are arranged at a distance from each other in the upper lateral half;

-a chest strap (2) extending substantially horizontally around the forebreast (shoulder) on both sides of the horse to the belly strap, respectively;

-a lower chest strap (3) extending from the shoulder, between the front legs, through to the cinch;

-a shoulder strap (4) extending from either side of the horse's shoulder strap to the chest strap;

-a tail strap (5) of adjustable length extending from the acromion strap along the spine over the back, waist and hips of the horse up to the tail, the tail strap having a tail ring (5a) surrounding the tail;

-on each side of the horse a side band (6) extending substantially horizontally from the shoulder-hump to the belly-band substantially at the level of the shoulder;

wherein the individual straps of the basic harness are provided with the usual elements for adjusting the strap length and are connected to each other in a manner customary for horse harnesses, if necessary completely or partially releasable; and

B) a coarse mesh (7) which substantially covers the waist and hip region and which is laterally lowered at most to the lower torso line, is fastened by means of a length-adjustable fastening element (1a) located above the belly band and is further fastened to the coarse mesh

C) Detachably but positionally fixedly suspending a urinal, wherein the urinal itself comprises:

-a longitudinally extending collecting bag (8) which is suspendable in a substantially horizontal position on the lower part of the horse belly;

-a funnel-shaped, tapering middle part (9) which is connected to the collecting bag in the area of the horse's hind legs, which middle part passes between the hind legs and transitions towards the horse's buttocks into a generally vertically arranged, hose-like nipple (9a), wherein the collecting bag (8), the middle part (9) and the nipple (9a) together constitute a so-called receiving part (8-9 a);

-an upper part (10) having a urine-receiving ear cap (10b) adapted to the pubic region of the horse to rest as tightly as possible on the pubic region, wherein the hose-like neck (10a) of the upper part (10) is connected to the nipple (9a) by means of a detachable connecting assembly (15) (nipple); and

at least several connecting plates (11a) and (11b) provided with one or more cord holes for fixing the urinal to a harness, wherein

a) The connecting plate (11a) is arranged on both sides in the lateral upper region of the collecting bag (8),

b) the connecting plate (11b) is arranged on both sides in the upper region of the upper end part (10) on the side facing away from the urine-receiving ear cap (10 b).

Detailed Description

The invention is further described below in the details of the invention and is additionally explained by means of fig. 1 to 6.

The invention relates, in its core point of view, to a urine collector for mares (mares urinal) having the following characteristics:

-a longitudinally extending collecting bag (8) which is suspendable in a substantially horizontal position on the lower part of the horse belly;

-a funnel-shaped, tapering middle part (9) which is connected to the collecting bag in the area of the horse's hind legs, which middle part passes between the hind legs and transitions towards the horse's buttocks into a generally vertically arranged, hose-like nipple (9a), wherein the collecting bag (8), the middle part (9) and the nipple (9a) together constitute a so-called receiving part (8-9 a);

-an upper part (10) having a urine-receiving ear cap (10b) adapted to the pubic region of the horse to rest as tightly as possible on the pubic region, wherein the hose-like neck (10a) of the upper part (10) is connected to the nipple (9a) by means of a detachable connecting assembly (15) (nipple); and

at least several connecting plates (11a) and (11b) provided with one or more cord holes for fixing the urinal to a harness, wherein

a) The connecting plate (11a) is arranged on both sides in the lateral upper region of the collecting bag (8),

b) the connecting plate (11b) is arranged on both sides in the upper region of the upper end part (10) on the side facing away from the urine-receiving ear cap (10 b).

The inventive urine collector thus comprises two separate parts which are detachably connected to each other and which consist of a receiving part (8-9a) which is formed jointly by the collecting bag (8), the intermediate part (9) and the nipple (9a) on the one hand, and an upper end part (10) on the other hand. The individual components of the urinal can be made of all materials suitable for horses, which are resistant to urine, such as latex, silicone or the like, and can be shaped in a common processing method for these materials, such as dipping or injection molding. Combinations of different materials with one another may also be used here if desired. If desired, for example, woven materials can be used as a base layer, which is coated with the above-mentioned materials or else with rubber or polyurethane materials, as is the case with umbrella or tent cloths. As the woven fabric, various materials made of natural or artificial fibers, such as cotton fabric, nylon fabric, or the like, can be used. The structural parts of the urinal which are firmly connected to one another can be glued or welded. If desired, the individual parts of the urinal, namely the receiving part (8-9a) and the upper end part (10), can be applied to the desired thickness by an additional protective layer of latex or silicone, after being joined together by the associated processing parts, in one piece (in a conventional process technology, such as an impregnation process or an injection molding process). It has proven advantageous at present as a practical material, in particular latex (of the kind which is common on the market) or rubberized fabric, but for some components also silicone. The latex or silicone is preferably used for processing the upper part (10), for example, while the latex or rubberized fabric is particularly suitable for processing the receiving part, in particular the collecting bag (8), and optionally also the intermediate part (9). The urinal is sufficiently strong for the purpose of use, but also has a certain degree of flexibility to ensure not only durability but also a certain degree of portability. Since the flexible structure of the mare's urinal as a whole is useful for reinforcing those portions which are subjected to special stress in use or require improved shape stability by reinforcing bodies.

According to the invention, the receiving part (8-9a) and the upper end part (10) are connected to each other by means of a detachable connection (15), for example a pipe connection. The detachable connection (15) or the pipe connection structure allows the receiving part (8-9a) to be detached from the upper part after use of the urinal. The detachable connection or connecting element (15) can be formed by a two-part pipe connection, one part (15a) being fixedly or detachably connected to the sleeve (9a) and the other part (15b) being likewise fixedly or detachably connected to the neck (10a) of the upper part (10). The detachable connection between the two separate parts (15a) and (15b) of the connecting assembly (15) is effected here, for example, by a combination of a screw (thread), a plug-in (clip) or a plug-in with a lateral knob and a suitable detent (bayonet fitting). A simple bayonet fitting is preferred, but in principle other joining techniques are also possible, which allow comfortable and quick detachment and reattachment of the parts (15a) and (15b) of the joining assembly to each other. In this case, the part (15b) on the upper end part preferably engages into the part (15a) of the connecting assembly. The individual parts (15a) or (15b) of the connecting assembly are either fixedly or, if necessary, also detachably connected to the nipple (9a) of the receiving part (8-9a) or to the neck (10a) of the upper end part (10). Depending on the material of the connecting assembly (15), the fixed connection of the individual parts (15a) or (15b) to the nipple (9a) or neck (10a) can be glued or welded, for example, in a groove, to the region of the nipple (9a) or neck (10a) which projects beyond the components of the connecting assembly. The detachable connection of the individual parts (15a) or (15b) to the nipple (9a) or neck (10a) can be secured by cables, pipe clips or similar fastening means to the parts of the nipple (9a) or neck (10a) projecting from the parts of the connecting assembly. In the case of a detachable connection of the individual parts of the connecting assembly to the nipple (9a) or the neck (10a), the individual parts (15a) or (15b) preferably have an annular groove for the pull-resistant fastening of the region of the nipple (9a) or the neck (10a) protruding from the individual parts of the connecting assembly, by means of which the region protruding from the nipple (9a) or the neck (10a) in this position can be accommodated in its entirety or in part under compression and fastening means for fastening. Plastics and light metals or metal alloys, such as aluminum or aluminum alloys, are suitable as materials for the production of the connecting assembly (15). If desired, the portion (15b) of the connecting assembly (15) connected to the neck (10a) of the upper end member (10) may also be provided with an easily accessible one-way valve for preventing backflow of urine, which has been collected from the collecting bag (8) to the upper end member (10), for example when the horse is lying down.

The two-part construction of the urine collector, consisting of a receiving part (8-9a) and an upper part (10) which are detachably connected to each other by means of a connecting assembly (15), has a series of additional advantages compared to an integrated urine collector with a fixed connection of the receiving part (8-9a) and the upper part (10). In particular, a better urine quality can be ensured, since the receiving part (8-9a) and the upper end part (10) can be cleaned from the inside not only comfortably and better after use, but also by means of a brush. The connecting element (15) can also be designed in such a way that a thin plastic inner bag can additionally be inserted into the receiving part (8-9 a). This inner bag has the advantage of being more hygienic, since a new, unused inner plastic bag can be added to the receiving part after each emptying of the collecting bag (8). The plastic inner bag opening introduced here is flanged outwards on the connecting part (15a) and then fixed by the mutual insertion of the two parts (15a) and (15 b). With such an inner plastic bag it is easier to keep the receiving part (8-9a) hygienic, since the formation of residual urine amounts in the collecting bag (8), which can always form undesired cells for secondary propagation of bacteria, can be effectively prevented. In summary, by means of the invention, a better quality of the collected urine can be ensured, since by means of a better hygienic method (re-) contamination of the residual cells in the collection bag (8) can be avoided.

The suspension connection plate provided with the string holes for fastening the urinal to the expanded mesh (7) can be designed as desired, provided that the connection plate meets the intended use. Thus, for example, the webs arranged on the sides of the collecting bag can be separate webs each provided with only one string hole or also can be combined side flap webs provided with a plurality of string holes. For example, the individual webs or the modular webs (11a) are expediently provided with 1 to 5, in particular 2 to 3, cable openings. As shown in fig. 5b, instead of the upper connecting plate (11b) of the upper end part (10) of the urinal which is provided with only one rope hole, a small side wing connecting plate provided with 2 to 3 rope holes can be used. The mare urinal may have another connecting plate (11c) as shown in fig. 5a at the middle rear part of the upper end part (10) if desired; however, these webs (11c) are entirely optional and may be omitted as shown in fig. 6 b. The urinal can be fixed to the harness-securing eyelet net by means of a connecting plate in various ways, for example by means of a thick rope, a pull strap, a belt or the like. In practice, it has proven advantageous in particular to fasten the fastening by means of a pull tape. Pull tapes with hooks, which are common on the market, can also be used; however, in order to reduce the risk of injury to the horse, it is advantageous to use a pull strap or a rubber cord with flat abutting snap hooks, for example made of plastic.

The exemplary construction of mares' urinals is described further below with the aid of dimensions, the dimensions given as dimensional structures being completely variable by the expert and adapted to the individual circumstances and requirements, for example of horse race. The collecting bag (8), comprising the intermediate part (9) and the connecting assembly portion (15a), has a length of 40 to 55cm and a cross-sectional diameter of about 12 to 20cm, in particular about 15 cm. The height of the intermediate element (9) from the lower edge of the collecting bag to the upper edge of the connecting assembly portion (15a) is 30 to 35cm and the cross-sectional diameter at the nipple (9a) is about 6 to 8 cm. The connecting member (15) has a height of about 7 to 10cm and a cross-sectional diameter of about 6 to 8 cm. The upper member (10) attached to the intermediate member (9) has a height (measured perpendicularly from the neck opening to the upper edge) of about 30 to 35cm, including an exposed attachment assembly portion (15 b). Additional details and dimensions of the upper end member are also described separately below. The horizontal length of the side flap connecting plate (11a) for 3 string holes is about 15 to 20cm and for 4 string holes about 20 to 30cm, while the height as a whole is 13 to 15cm, and the height of the string hole portion exposed from the collecting bag (8), i.e., not bonded or welded to the collecting bag (8), is about 6 cm. Each connecting plate on the upper end member (10) typically has an exposed eyelet portion of about 6X 6cm + -1 cm. The width of the small side flap webs provided with, for example, 2 string holes is about 8 to 10cm and the necessary height is about 6cm + -1 cm. The upper end piece (10) shown in fig. 5b is practically provided with a medium-sized wing web (11 b). If the upper end piece (10) is viewed from the rear, it can be seen that this variant of the invention, the side-flap connecting plate (11b), can be said to be a rectangular plate with a horizontal dimension of about 20 to 22cm and a vertical dimension of about 12 to 14cm resting on the upper end piece (10), wherein the cord holes are provided at the four corners of this rectangle. This configuration of the connecting plate (11b) contributes to the stability of the upper end part, in particular to the firmness and the fixing of the position in use. The upper end piece can thus be more stable from behind and the connecting plate does not break rapidly. In addition to the rectangular connecting plate, other shapes of the connecting plate are also conceivable, in particular the geometry of the connecting plate also being able to optimally fix the position of the urine collector. For example, the side flap webs (11a) can also be of a V-shape, for example, the webs have a tapering exposed region toward the central part (9). The wall thickness of the urinal is of the order of millimetres when using, for example, latex or rubberized fabric, but may well be up to about 10 to 15mm when using silicone. In individual cases the wall thickness can be adapted to the desired degree of flexibility or strength, depending on the degree to which the connecting plate is slightly thicker than the rest of the urinal due to the higher load.

The invention also proposes, from another point of view of its construction, an upper end part (10) for a urine collector (mare urinal) having the following features:

a urine-receiving ear cap (10b) which is arranged in the upper region, extends in an S-shape on the inside, viewed in side view, and is adapted to the vulva of the horse and rests as tightly as possible on the vulva, and wherein

-the urine receiving ear cap, seen in an inner side view, is formed by an oval, egg-shaped ring (10d) surrounding the urine inlet (10 c);

-a hose-like neck (10a) in the lower region of the upper end piece having a connecting assembly part (15a) for a connecting assembly part (15b) on the urine collection bag inlet nipple by means of a fitting thereof for detachably connecting the upper end piece (10) to the urine collection bag inlet nipple.

In order to collect urine optimally and as far as possible without loss, the shape of the upper end part (10) of the urine collector is designed in a special way in such a way that the upper end part has a urine receiving ear cap (10b) which is geometrically adapted to the physiological structure of the genitalia of the horse and which is in very close contact therewith. The urine receiving ear cap closes the upper end of the upper end part (10) and extends inside toward the pudendum S-shape in a side view. The urine receiving ear cap is formed in an inner side view by an oval or egg-to drop-shaped ring (10d) surrounding the urine inlet. The urinal is preferably made of the same elastic material as the other components of the urinal, such as latex, silicone or the like. The upper end part is likewise of elastic construction overall, but the rear upper part of the upper end part, i.e. the mounting web (11b) and optionally also the upper and lower part thereof, can also be reinforced for improved dimensional stability in use or for improved durability and can be provided with elastic reinforcing elements. These reinforcing or stiffening elements can be connected to the web (11b) and adapted to the material thickness of the web. Such a reinforcement member (12) has, for example, for the separate web shown in fig. 5a, a width of about 6 to 7cm and a height of about 8cm corresponding to the width of the rear end of the upper end member. The upper end part (10) of the preferred construction provided with the reinforcement part is combined with a side wing web (11b) of two rope holes on both sides, as can be seen for example in fig. 5b and has been described above by way of example dimensions.

The geometric dimensions of the receiving ear cap are generally in the following ranges, wherein the following dimensional specifications can be varied and serve merely as an aid to the exemplary special construction and in the case of practical applications are adapted, for example, to various horse types. The dimensions for a typical horse ("standard") are typically:

a) size of urine inlet (10 c): longitudinal axis (vertical) about 9 to 13 cm; the horizontal axis has a lower region of about 4 to 7cm measured about 2cm above the lower inner edge and an upper region of about 2 to 4cm measured about 2cm below the upper inner edge.

b) Loop (10 d): a longitudinal axis (vertical) of about 12 to 18cm, a transverse axis, a lower region (same as the urine-receiving opening to be measured) of about 7 to 12cm, and an upper region (same as the urine-receiving opening to be measured) of about 5 to 9 cm; the thickness of the ring is about 1.5 to 2.5 cm.

For heavy horses ("heavy duty"), the urine inlet is typically larger than the standard. The urine inlet is thus about 13 to 20cm in size on the longitudinal axis (vertical) for the heavy duty type, with the remaining sizes being equal to those given for the standard type in a) and b).

The side of the outer circular arc of the S-shaped upper part extends vertically at the level of the lower end of the urine-receiving ear cap (10b), i.e. approximately 10 to 15cm substantially at the level of the attachment plate (11c) in fig. 2, in a side view of the upper part (see, e.g., fig. 2); the corresponding side of the inner circular arc, which is located opposite the S-shaped upper end piece, extends vertically to about 7 to 12 cm.

The urine-receiving ear cap can, if desired, also have a marking (perineal marking) in the region of the upper ring, which marks the perineum between the vulva and the anus as if a tab were lying on the perineum and advantageously supports the alignment and fixing of the urine-receiving ear cap in the central position on the vulva. Thus, when the urine receiving ear cover may deviate from its original position due to the mare accidentally falling down, the urine receiving ear cover is easily returned to the correct position again in time by the movement of the animal when standing up.

Furthermore, a thin, very elastic baffle (13), for example made of latex or silicone, can be provided on the upper end piece (10) on the side of the horse on the urine-receiving ear cap as a faeces barrier and serves to prevent liquids which may escape again in small quantities after defecation, which is particularly advantageous for "standard" horses. However, the baffle (13) is purely optional and no such baffle can already be used to ensure the function of the upper end part (10) according to the invention in every respect. Thus, no baffles are generally necessary for both standard and heavy duty types and no baffles are generally available at all for a Haflinger type horse. But baffles may be advantageous for some strong horses, Typen or especially mares that are frequently fogged. A slight adaptation to the size of the animal of approximately 4 x 4 to 6 x 6cm is sufficient once the upper end part is provided with a baffle (13) in the desired situation; about 2 to 3cm is glued or welded to the upper end piece and the remaining at most 2 to 3cm (or 1 to 2cm after fitting) serves as a separate baffle for projecting over the side of the urine-receiving ear cap. The maximum dimension of this baffle for fitting to the animal is at most 8 x 8 to 10 x 10cm, of which about 4 to 5cm are glued or welded to the upper end piece and the remaining 4 to 5cm serve as the baffle itself for projecting to the side of the urine-receiving ear cap. In the production of the upper end part provided with the baffle, it is expedient to provide that the baffle is first of all extended by a few centimeters (for example about 2 to 5cm) in order to adapt the baffle length to the animals in each case comfortably by simple shearing or, if appropriate, by rounding off sharp corners. By means of such a baffle as a faeces barrier it is also possible in the above-mentioned case for this baffle, which may optionally be mounted, to effectively prevent unwanted faeces from contaminating the urine and to ensure a good quality and cleanliness of the collected urine.

In order to fasten the urinal according to the invention to a horse, a harness is particularly suitable, which harness is described in the international patent application PCT/EP 00/04872 and has the following features:

A) a set of basic harnesses constituted by a leash, comprising:

-a cinch (1) extending from the back to the lower chest on both sides to tighten the horse, on which cinch at least two usual, length-adjustable fixing elements (1a) are arranged at a distance from each other in the upper lateral half;

-a chest strap (2) extending substantially horizontally around the forebreast (shoulder) on both sides of the horse to the belly strap, respectively;

-a lower chest strap (3) extending from the shoulder, between the front legs, through to the cinch;

-a shoulder strap (4) extending from either side of the horse's shoulder strap to the chest strap;

-a tail strap (5) of adjustable length extending from the acromion strap along the spine over the back, waist and hips of the horse up to the tail, the tail strap having a tail ring (5a) surrounding the tail;

-on each side of the horse a side band (6) extending substantially horizontally from the shoulder-hump to the belly-band substantially at the level of the shoulder;

wherein the individual straps of the basic harness are provided with the usual elements for adjusting the strap length and are connected to each other in a manner customary for horse harnesses, if necessary completely or partially releasable; and

B) a coarse mesh (7) which substantially covers the waist and hip region and which is at most laterally lowered to the lower torso line, is fastened by means of a length-adjustable fastening element on the upper part of the belly band and is also used for hanging the urinal in a positionally fixed manner, but also detachably on the lower part of the horse belly.

In a variant of the harness, the shoulder harness (4) is optionally split Y-shaped on both sides of the horse starting approximately at the shoulder attachment level in the direction of the chest strap. This additionally advantageously increases the stability and secures the harness on the horse.

For the horse harness a) can be a set of horse harnesses which are common per se, which are adapted to the intended purpose of use in the context of the invention in a manual or mechanical process. The straps of the harness may be made of any conventional material, such as leather or the like, which is also used to manufacture the bun and horse harness. It is also contemplated that the connection structure may include additional reinforcement members on the belt, such as at locations where material stresses are increased. The material for such reinforcement members may be an elastic plastic band or fabric or a fire hose fabric. The straps of the horse harness a) and other components may be interconnected in a manner common to the horse harness itself. The fixed connection of the belt can be sewn or riveted. But the horse harness a) has a certain elasticity to adapt to those horse sizes, respectively. Thus, the straps themselves are provided at another point with corresponding, conventional means for determining and adjusting the length of the straps, as described above for the strap bells, snap-on straps or other conventional means for changing the length, as long as the straps are not detachably connected to one another at the connection points from the beginning by means of a length-adjustable connecting assembly, such as a conventional strap bell, snap-on strap or other changeable snap-on fastener, but are sewn or riveted, i.e. fixedly connected to one another. In order to be able to place the harness on the horse head in a simple manner by fitting, it is expedient if the harness is open at the belly and is detachably connected to the lower belly strap. Furthermore, the harness a) can be equipped with cushions of different thicknesses depending on the body part in order to protect and love the horse. Cushions are particularly suitable for the belly region, the shoulder and the back, but may also be used additionally in the belly region on both sides of the horse if necessary. The soft cushion can adopt common materials; such as felt mats of different thicknesses.

A special part B) of the harness for suspending or fixing the urinal according to the invention on a horse is a coarse eye net (7). The use of a coarse mesh on the frame of the harness has the advantage that it offers a large number of fastening possibilities for any urinal and thus makes it possible to fasten and adjust this urinal on the horse in a more ideal way and with greater flexibility. This coarse mesh is therefore very advantageous for optimal suspension and fastening of the urine collector according to the invention and in particular for mares, since the mares' urine can be collected as far as possible without loss, with the urine collector always being fastened and adjusted without defects. The collection of urine can be improved considerably by suspending the urinal using a coarse mesh net and thus giving a method of fixing and adjusting such a urinal. In addition, compared with woolen blankets, the horse can be prevented from sweating as much as possible by the coarse mesh. Therefore, when the thick mesh for fixing the urine collector according to the present invention is used, there is no fear that the absorption of estrogen is affected by the loss of hormones due to sweat secretion.

The side ends of the coarse mesh may be suspended at most to the lower torso line; in another embodiment, the lateral ends of the coarse mesh are suspended to the height of the chest strap (2). The ends of the coarse mesh suspension can, if desired, also be additionally secured by one or more locally arranged straps running from side to side under the horse. The coarse mesh can be made of any suitable material for the horse, such as nylon, in particular, or if necessary, plastic fibers, leather or hemp. The thickness of the coarse mesh is designed to be sufficiently strong to be able to withstand permanent loads in practice. The edge of the coarse mesh is advantageously designed to be reinforced, preferably structurally. It is furthermore recommended that the coarse mesh is heat treated at the edges, for example, in order to prevent the risk of unraveling by melting the nylon fibers.

The coarse mesh size given below is only to exemplarily describe the coarse mesh structure. It goes without saying that the person skilled in the art can vary these dimensions completely and adapt them in some places to individual situations, requirements or other conditions of scope for the structure of the invention. The mesh size of the coarse mesh is generally 30 to 60 cm. Especially a mesh of about 45cm has proven advantageous. The cross-sectional diameter (thickness) of the net cord is about 3 to 8mm, especially about 5 mm.

The harness with the coarse mesh (7) can be universally applied and is easy to handle due to its structure. The urine collector can be flexibly and well fixedly suspended on the fixed harness. The harness can be placed or removed quickly after the basic adjustment has been carried out by means of a smooth movement, so that little worry is involved about the horses becoming anxious due to the undesired, busy handling and the resulting danger. The mounting or removal of the harness is thus completed in 2 to 3 minutes, wherein it is generally only necessary to open the cinch inserted between the front legs and the lower chest strap. The harness can be worn not only with a urinal but also for a long period of time without a urinal. In the case of a correspondingly cared and cleaned urine collector, urine can thus be collected for 24 hours, wherein the urine collector can be easily removed from the horse at least twice during the day for emptying or cleaning or changing. In this case, due to the detachable connection of the upper end piece (10) to the receiving part (8-9a), it is only necessary to remove the receiving part (8-9a) from the horse if desired, while the upper end piece (10) can remain on the horse, which is particularly advantageous for the intermediate emptying of the urinal. For hygiene reasons, it is furthermore advantageous that, in particular, a new plastic inner bag can be added to the receiving part (8-9a) each time it is emptied in the middle, and therefore the receiving part (8-9a) does not need to be cleaned in the middle. In addition, the invention makes it easier to adapt the upper part (10) to each horse individually without having to remove the entire urine collector from the horse during the change.

The horse can move freely because the fixed harness is provided with the urine collector. Since a high flexibility and freedom of movement are ensured for the horse, there is no need to fasten the horse's leg when using a harness with or without a urine collector according to the invention. Therefore, the horse can be grazed at any time, and the urine collector can be hung at any time. The foals can certainly suck without any problem at any time when the mares are provided with the suspended urine collector; see, for example, fig. 6 b. The urinal is very strong due to the selected materials and structure, and can be used not only in the tropical zone of the earth but also in the frigid zone. The harness fitted with a urine collector according to the invention can thus be adapted very flexibly to the local characteristics of the horse in which urine is to be collected. For example, the entire harness and urinal can be simply and quickly removed and replaced if desired; alternatively, the harness can be left on the horse for a longer time and only the urine collector removed if necessary, or only the receiving part (8-9a) can be removed, for example temporarily for emptying. For example, the harness may be fitted to or left on the horse without a coarse mesh, especially for daytime grazing, only during night urine collection; however, it is also possible, as described above, for the entire harness with the urine collector to remain on the horse for a substantially longer time with appropriate care and regular emptying, without restricting the freedom of movement of the horse or the grazing method or sucking by the foal.

Drawings

The following figures are used to describe the invention:

fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a harness for placing a urinal on a horse:

a belly band (1); a length-adjustable fixing element (1 a); a chest strap (2); a lower chest band (3); a shoulder girdle (4); a tail band (5) provided with a tail ring (5 a); a side belt (6); a coarse mesh (7).

Fig. 2 is a side view of the urinal with a side view of the upper end member (10):

a urine collection bag (8) with possible locations for a urine drain hose (8 a); an intermediate member (9) having a hose-like nipple (9 a); an upper end member (10) having a neck portion (10 a); a urine receiving ear cap (10 b); a connecting plate (11a) in the form of a side wing connecting plate having 4 string holes (in the preferred embodiment, 3 instead); an independent connection plate (11 b); an optional separate web (11c), said web (11c) being able to move up towards the web (11b) if necessary and to fuse therewith into small-flank webs each having two eyelets; a baffle (13) as a fecal and anal fluid barrier; a detachable connection assembly (15), such as a bayonet fitting.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the urinal with a top view of the inside of the urine receiving ear cap (10 b):

(8) see description of fig. 2 for (10a) and (11a) to 11b) and (15); a urine receiving ear cap (10b) having a urine inlet (10 c); a ring (10d) of a urine receiving ear cap.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged inside plan view of the urine receiving ear cap (10 b):

(10a) see description of FIG. 3 for (10b) and (15); a baffle (13) as a fecal and anal fluid barrier.

Fig. 5a is a rear/side view of the upper end piece (10) of the urinal with an independent connecting plate:

an upper end part neck part (10a) at the position of the urine receiving ear cap (10 b); an independent connection plate (11 b); an optional separate web (11c), said web (11c) being able to move up towards the web (11b) if necessary and to fuse therewith into small-flank webs each having two eyelets; a reinforcement (12) in the upper end region, optionally fused to the web (11 b); a baffle (13) as a fecal and anal fluid barrier; a detachable connection assembly (15), such as a bayonet fitting.

Fig. 5b is a rear view of a preferred upper end piece (10) of a urinal with a side wing connecting plate with two cord holes on both sides:

a neck portion (10a) of the upper end member; a side wing connecting plate (11 b); combined with the reinforcement (12) in the upper end region, i.e. optionally fused with the web (11b) in this case; a detachable connection assembly (15), such as a bayonet fitting.

Fig. 6a is a side view of a urinal fixed to a horse:

a cinch (1) having a length-adjustable fastening element (1a) for a coarse mesh (7); a urine collector with a visible urine collecting bag (8); a draw tape (14).

Fig. 6b is a view of the urinal and sucking foal fixed to the horse in use with the upper end member of fig. 5 b.

Claims (3)

1. Harness with a urine collector for horses, in particular for mares, characterized in that:

A) a set of basic harnesses constituted by a leash, comprising:

-a cinch (1) extending from the back to the lower chest on both sides to tighten the horse, on which cinch at least two usual, length-adjustable fixing elements (1a) are arranged at a distance from each other in the upper lateral half;

-a chest strap (2) extending substantially horizontally around the forebreast to the girth strap on each side of the horse;

-a lower chest strap (3) extending from the shoulder, between the front legs, through to the cinch;

-a shoulder strap (4) extending from either side of the horse's shoulder strap to the chest strap;

-a tail strap (5) of adjustable length extending from the acromion strap along the spine over the back, waist and hips of the horse up to the tail, the tail strap having a tail ring (5a) surrounding the tail;

-on each side of the horse a side band (6) extending substantially horizontally from the shoulder-hump to the belly-band substantially at the level of the shoulder;

wherein the individual straps of the basic harness are provided with the usual elements for adjusting the strap length and are connected to each other in a manner customary for horse harnesses, if necessary completely or partially releasable; and

B) a coarse mesh (7) which substantially covers the waist and hip region and which is laterally lowered at most to the lower torso line, is fastened by means of a length-adjustable fastening element (1a) located above the belly band and is further fastened to the coarse mesh

C) Detachably but positionally fixedly suspending a urinal, wherein the urinal itself comprises:

-a longitudinally extending collecting bag (8) which is suspendable in a substantially horizontal position on the lower part of the horse belly;

-a funnel-shaped, tapering middle part (9) which is connected to the collecting bag in the area of the horse's hind legs, which middle part passes between the hind legs and transitions towards the horse's buttocks into a generally vertically arranged, hose-like nipple (9a), wherein the collecting bag (8), the middle part (9) and the nipple (9a) together constitute a so-called receiving part (8-9 a);

-an upper part (10) having a urine-receiving ear cap (10b) adapted to the pubic region of the horse to rest as tightly as possible on the pubic region, wherein the hose-like neck (10a) of the upper part (10) is connected to the nipple (9a) by means of a detachable connecting assembly (15); and

at least several connecting plates (11a) and (11b) provided with one or more cord holes for fixing the urinal to a harness, wherein

a) The connecting plate (11a) is arranged on both sides in the lateral upper region of the collecting bag (8),

b) the connecting plate (11b) is arranged on both sides in the upper region of the upper end part (10) on the side facing away from the urine-receiving ear cap (10 b).

2. A urine collector for mares, characterized in that:

-a longitudinally extending collecting bag (8) which is suspendable in a substantially horizontal position on the lower part of the horse belly;

-a funnel-shaped, tapering middle part (9) which is connected to the collecting bag in the area of the horse's hind legs, which middle part passes between the hind legs and transitions towards the horse's buttocks into a generally vertically arranged, hose-like nipple (9a), wherein the collecting bag (8), the middle part (9) and the nipple (9a) together constitute a so-called receiving part (8-9 a);

-an upper part (10) having a urine-receiving ear cap (10b) adapted to the pubic region of the horse to rest as tightly as possible on the pubic region, wherein the hose-like neck (10a) of the upper part (10) is connected to the nipple (9a) by means of a detachable connecting assembly (15); and

at least several connecting plates (11a) and (11b) provided with one or more cord holes for fixing the urinal to a harness, wherein

a) The connecting plate (11a) is arranged on both sides in the lateral upper region of the collecting bag (8),

b) the connecting plate (11b) is arranged on both sides in the upper region of the upper end part (10) on the side facing away from the urine-receiving ear cap (10 b).

3. An upper end member (10) for a urine collector, characterized in that,

a urine-receiving ear cap (10b) which is arranged in the upper region, extends in an S-shape on the inside, viewed in side view, and is adapted to the vulva of the horse and rests as tightly as possible on the vulva, and wherein

-the urine receiving ear cap, seen in an inner side view, is formed by an oval, egg-shaped ring (10d) surrounding the urine inlet (10 c);

-a hose-like neck (10a) in the lower region of the upper end piece having a connecting assembly part (15a) for a connecting assembly part (15b) on the urine collection bag inlet nipple by means of a fitting thereof for detachably connecting the upper end piece (10) to the urine collection bag inlet nipple.