US20110127309A1

US20110127309A1 - Pet carrier

Info

Publication number: US20110127309A1
Application number: US13/056,311
Authority: US
Inventors: Poh Huay Chua
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-07-31
Filing date: 2009-07-30
Publication date: 2011-06-02
Also published as: AU2009277232A1; WO2010013996A1; AU2009277232B2

Abstract

A pet carrier (100) comprises a cloth sling body (110) having an inner surface (101), an outer surface (102), a top edge (103), a bottom edge (104), and lateral edges (105 and 106); a length adjustable waist strap (120) located along the bottom edge (104); a length adjustable bearing strap (130) having a loop (131) at one end and forking to form a plurality of mounting arms (132) at another end to be secured onto the cloth sling body (110) substantially adjacent to the top edge (103); wherein the mounting arms (132) wrap around shoulder or neck area of a user to hung the cloth sling body (110) at front torso of the user with the inner surface (101) facing the user and the waist strap (120) is fastened around waist of the user crossing through the loop (131) to secure the bearing strap (130) upon using of the pet carrier (100).

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sling type carrier for pet that is conveniently to be used yet possesses excellent rigidity to secure the carried pet in place freeing from the risk of falling. In more specific, the sling possesses length adjustable straps to fit user with varied body size and the straps are intersected one another to reinforce rigidity of the carrier.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pet keeping is a social behavior which an owner keeps an animal to have a companionship. Pets kept can have different types and size ranging from as common as a dog to small animals like hamsters. For four leg animals such as dogs and cats are normally brought along by their owners to participate daily activities of the owner such as dining, shopping and the like. To express intimacy with the pet, owners normally embrace the pet to their abdomen area with both hands. However, such practice may sometimes causes inconveniency to the pet keeper when they need their hands to perform some task. Therefore, carrier for pets may be used by the pet owner to hold the animals instead of using their hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,902 claims a pet carrier comprising a sling of flexible sheet material having a body portion with holes for receiving the pet's legs and straps extending from the sides of the body which are drawn over the pet's body and secured together to form a lope thus can be slung over a user shoulder for carrying.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,304 discloses an animal treating and handling device comprising a flexible enclosure for placing the animal, hook-and-loop type fastening strips located on either side of the front opening to provide quick closure which only allowing head of the animal to extend out, and a slit found on top of the enclosure for introducing medication.
Cole has claimed a hammock for animal in U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,478. In his application, the claimed hammock said to have a rectangular body folded at a transverse midline to form halves with a diagonal gussets stitched at the corners extending from the open sides to the fold axis to form a pocket for resting the animal. A pair of snap rings is threaded through hems to fasten the hammock to a support.
World wide patent application no. 03101186 provides a jacket for domestic animals such as small and medium-sized dogs and cats. The claimed jacket comprises a flexible element which is intended to extend around the body of the animal with a selectively removable handle. Moreover, the handle is associated with the external portion of the flexible element contiguous to the back of the animal allowing the animal to be carried by a person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide a user friendly pet carrier as the pet carrier can be easily assembled for use or dissembled for storing.
Another object of the present invention also aims to disclose a pet carrier which is light in weight yet possesses excellent rigidity to support weight of the carrier pet, preferably small or medium-sized cats and dogs.
Still another object of the present invention is to offer a pet carrier capable of improving intimacy between the pets and its owner by having physical contact when holding the pet near to the abdominal area of the owner.
At least one of the preceding objects is met, in whole or in part, by the present invention, in which one of the embodiment of the present invention is pet carrier comprising a cloth sling body having an inner surface, an outer surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, and lateral edges; a length adjustable waist strap located along the bottom edge; a length adjustable bearing strap having a loop at one end and forking to form a plurality of mounting arms at another end to be secured onto the cloth sling body substantially adjacent to the top edge; wherein the mounting arms wrap around shoulder or neck area of a user to hang the cloth sling body at front torso of the user with the inner surface facing the user and the waist strap is fastened around waist of the user crossing through the loop to secure the bearing strap upon using of the pet carrier.
Further embodiment of the pet carrier may include a changeable sponge material enclosed within the cloth sling body to comfort the pet placed and seated within the cloth sling body abutting the abdominal area of the user.
In another preferred embodiment, the bearing strap is detachably secured onto the cloth sling body. Moreover, the disclosed pet carrier may further comprise a plurality of receiving means to accept the mounting arms respectively allowing the mounting arms to be detachably fixed onto the receiving means.
One or more pocket may be located at the outer surface of the cloth sling body for storing purpose.
Still, another embodiment of the present invention that the cloth sling body is trapezoid which the top edge is shorter than the bottom edge. Larger bottom edge provides a more spacious room for resting the pet, and shorter top edge offer greater freedom for hands of the users as unnecessary fabric of the cloth sling body may sometimes interrupt their action.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective back view of the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the assembled embodiment as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another embodiment of the present invention which is mounted onto body of an user; and

FIG. 5 is the back perspective view of the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiment describes herein is not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention.
The present invention, as in FIG. 1, is a pet carrier (100) comprising a cloth sling body (110) having an inner surface (101), an outer surface (102), a top edge (103), a bottom edge (104), and lateral edges (105 and 106); a length adjustable waist strap (120) located along the bottom edge (104); a length adjustable bearing strap (130) having a loop (131) at one end and forking to form a plurality of mounting arms (132) at another end to be secured onto the cloth sling body (110) substantially adjacent to the top edge (103); wherein the mounting arms (132) wrap around shoulder or neck area of a user to hang the cloth sling body (110) at front torso of the user with the inner surface (101) facing the user and the waist strap (120) is fastened around waist of the user crossing through the loop (131) to secure the bearing strap (130) upon using of the pet carrier (100).
It is important to be noted that the cloth sling body (110) in the present invention can be made of both woven or non-woven fabric either elastic or non-elastic as long as the cloth sling body possesses good rigidity to support weight of the held animal. Moreover, the cloth sling body may be porous to increase air ventilation into the cloth sling body to avoid stuffy environment that might annoy the seated animal with think fur or hair. Preferably, the cloth sling body (110) is trapezoid which the area around top edge is substantially shorter than the area around bottom edge. With larger area around the bottom edge, the present invention provides more spacious seating for placing the animal. Considering that unnecessary large area around the top edge may hinder complete free action of the upper limbs, the area around top edge is substantially smaller relative to the area around the bottom edge.
In further embodiment, a changeable sponge material is enclosed within the cloth sling body (110) to offer a more comfortable seating for the animal. In order to change the sponge material, a slit equipped with zip or other types of fasteners may be found on the cloth sling body (110) which the sponge material is inserted or removed thereto.
According to the preferred embodiment, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, the length adjustable waist strap (120) includes a strap body (125) equipped with a male side release buckle (121) at one end and a female side release buckle (122) at another end. Preferably, at the male side release buckle (121), the length of the waist strap (120) is adjustable by pulling the tip of the waist strap body (125) through the buckle to collect the lengthen portion while shorten the portion of the waist strap body (125) attached onto cloth sling body (110) or vice versa. The length adjustable waist strap (120) can simply be tied around the waist of a user by coupling the male (121) and female side release buckle (122). However, the length adjustable property of the present invention can be achieved through other device or mechanism such as cord lock besides using the side release buckle (121, 122). Additionally, a first buckle (123) is incorporated onto the length adjustable waist strap (120) to further secure the length of the waist strap after adjustment and keep the collected lengthen portion tidily attached to the rest of the waist strap body (125) to improve aesthetic appearance of the carrier (100).
In one of the embodiments, the length adjustable waist strap (120) may be stitched for attaching the waist strap (120) along the bottom edge (104) to fasten the waist strap around the waist of the user. In more preferred embodiment, a hem (107) is formed at the bottom edge having two different openings at its end for the length adjustable waist strap (120) to thread through.
In more specific, the length adjustable bearing strap (130) of the preferred embodiment comprises a strap member (135) forked at one end to form a plurality of mounting arms (132) and another end folded to be locked by a second buckle (136) forming a loop (131) thereto. Thus, the length of the bearing strap (130) can be adjusted via the second buckle (136), preferably a ladder lock buckle as can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3. Anyway, reinforcing buckle such as D-ring may be used to avoid sliding of the strap through the second buckle (136) when the weight of the held animal is great.
Attention shall now drawn to the fact that the length adjustable bearing strap (130) of the present invention can be detachably secured onto the cloth sling body (110) as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In one of the embodiment, a plurality of receiving means (190) is positioned on the outer surface (102) of the cloth sling body (110) for attachment of the mounting arms (132). The receiving means can be directly fixed on the cloth sling body (110) or attached onto the protruding strap (195) extended from the cloth sling body (110). Preferably, the receiving means (190), but not limited to, is snap hook, buckle and the like. For example, the mounting arms may possess a loop-like structure if a snap hook was used while no such requirement if the receiving means was buckle. It is important that the coupling of the receiving means (190) and the mounting arms (132) shall render a rigid and secure physical structure for the disclosed pet carrier not only to support the animal's weight but also comfort the held animal.
Still another embodiment of the present invention that one or more pocket (180) is located at the outer surface of the cloth sling body (110) for storing purpose.
Both FIGS. 4 and 5 show the front view and back view of one embodiment of the disclosed invention used by a pet keeper. Preferably, the user needs to firstly put on the length adjustable bearing strap (130) around their neck or shoulder area with the cloth sling body (110) hanging at the front torso. Then, user shall tie the length adjustable waist strap (120) around the waist while adjusting the length through the side release buckle (121 and 122) and/or first buckle (123) crossing through the loop (131) of the bearing strap (130). Finally, user may further adjust the length of both bearing strap (130) and waist strap (120) through the respective buckles.
It is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms and is not limited to the sole embodiment described above. However modification and equivalents of the disclosed concepts such as those which readily occur to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the claims which are appended thereto.

Claims

1. A pet carrier comprises

a cloth sling body having an inner surface, an outer surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, and lateral edges;

a length adjustable waist strap located along the bottom edge;

a length adjustable bearing strap having a loop at one end and forking to form a plurality of mounting arms at another end to be secured onto the cloth sling body substantially adjacent to the top edge; wherein the mounting arms wrap around shoulder or neck area of a user to hang the cloth sling body at front torso of the user with the inner surface facing the user and the waist strap is fastened around waist of the user crossing through the loop to secure the bearing strap upon using of the pet carrier.

2. A pet carrier according to claim 1 further comprising a changeable sponge material enclosed within the cloth sling body.

3. A pet carrier according to claim 1, wherein the bearing strap is detachably secured onto the cloth sling body.

4. A pet carrier according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of receiving means to accept the mounting arms respectively.

5. A pet carrier according to claim 1 further comprising one or more pocket located at the outer surface of the cloth sling body.

6. A pet carrier according to claim 1, wherein the cloth sling body is trapezoid which the top edge is shorter than the bottom edge.