The invention pertains to an animal leash assembly for a leash that can be wound up and unwound, wherein the leash assembly features a housing and a roll that is rotatably supported in the housing, and wherein the leash can be unwound from this roll against the force of a spring and wound up on said roll with the aid of this spring force. The invention specifically pertains to a retractable dog leash, and although the following description primarily refers to a leash assembly for dogs, the invention is not limited to this particular application.
A dog leash of this type is known, for example, from EP 0 941 657 B1. The housing of this leash accommodates the leash and the roll and features a handle for carrying the leash assembly. A braking device is provided in order to stop the leash at the desired length. The braking device is also provided with a locking mechanism for holding the braking device in the stopped state. The desired length of the leash then remains in the extended state.
Such a dog leash enables the dog to move about freely for the most part. The range of motion can be restricted and the dog can be restrained by actuating the braking device. The leash frequently is completely unwound, particularly in open terrain. However, it would be desirable to restrict the range of motion of the dog to a certain maximum length beforehand, for example, when walking the dog in the city or in buildings. In the known dog leash, the person walking the dog must lock the leash at the desired length. In this case, the leash sags if the dog does not utilize its full length.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds