When a pet is to be secured, via tethering a restraint, such as a lead or leash, to a stationary object such as a street post, a number of problems can be experienced during the tethering process.
One form of tethering includes a person wrapping a portion of the restraint around the stationary object and tying off a loose end of the restraint using a knot to form a closed loop which encircles the stationary object. However, if an unsecure knot is applied by the person, the knot may loosen, thus freeing the pet from the stationary object. Furthermore, there may be difficulties for the person to untie a secure knot, which may also weaken the strength of the restraint.
Additionally, unless careful tethering is applied, the wrapped restraint around the stationary object may fall to the ground, causing the restraint to possibly become wet or dirty. If careful tethering is applied such that the wrapped restraint portion is tightly bound around the circumference of the stationary object, two hands are generally required during the process of tying the knot which can be unsatisfactory when generally one of the user's hands is required to grasp a portion of the restraint close to the pet in order to control the pet's movement.
Although restraints are known which include a loop at a free end thereof, these restraints also have disadvantages. Unless the loop is able to fit over the circumference of a stationary object, the fixed end of the restraint may need to be uncoupled from the pet, wherein the uncoupled end of the restraint is wrapped around the stationary object and fed through the loop, thereby forming a closed loop encircling the stationary object. The uncoupled end of the restraint can then be re-coupled with the pet. However, this process has serious disadvantages as the pet is unrestrained whilst the restraint is uncoupled from the pet. Furthermore, unless the encircling portion of the restraint is tightly bound around the circumference of the stationary object, the loop may fall to the ground, as described above.
In circumstances where the loop at a free end of a restraint can easily fit over the circumference of a stationary object, the loop is generally non-adjustable or unable to be adjusted to form a fixed tight loop which encircles the circumference of the stationary, thereby leading to the restraint falling to the ground.
The above problems also apply to other applications where securing an object via a restraint has analogous problems.
Therefore, there exists a need for a securing device which overcomes or at least ameliorates one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages.
The term “restraint” as used herein, refers to a flexible elongate restraint such as rope, leather, chain, such as steel linked chain, weaved fibre or the like which can be used to secure an object.
The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds