Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a safety device
for retaining animals, in particular dogs, by which the
animals can be safely retained in place in a motor vehicle.
When small animals, in particular dogs, are to be
transported in a motor vehicle, numerous problems arise for
the vehicle driver. As the ~irst of such problems, it
should be mentioned that the animal can easily be irritated
or frightened by sudden movements of the vehicle driver, so
that as an instinctive reaction it springs at the vehicle
driver and sometimes even bites the driver. Such
instinctive reactions by otherwise well trained animals can,
consequently, cause severe traffic accidents, whereby under
some circumstances not only the vehicle driver, but also
other travellers, can come to harm. Furthermore, there is a
possibility that, in the case of a perhaps not otherwise so
severe accident, the animal, in its instinctive panic
reaction and in an effort to leave a vehicle involved in an
accident, might additionally injure the more or less injured
occupants of the vehicle. Finally, it appears suitable,
even from considerations of kindness to animals, also to
protect the animal in the case of a possible accident from
harm, such as the animal can suffer when it is thrown
through the vehicle during an abrupt breaking of the vehicle.
There has not been a lack of attempts to overcome
these problems and to provide devices by which the animals
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carried in vehicles can be securely held in place. Thus,
for example, a safety belt for animals is known, which
comprise one or more belts vertically stretched over the
seat backs of the vehicle, which belts in turn have rings
strung thereon so as to be slideable to and fro, in which
rings a breast harness can be suspended through an
intermediate member means of a snap hook. This safety
device has not until now been successful, possibly since the
breast harness and also the fixing device remaining in the
vehicle are provided only for this single predetermined
purpose and also, furthermore, the belt provided on the back
of the vehicle seat, with the rings provided on the belt,
inconveniences use of the seat by persons.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide a simple and inexpensive way to overcome the
above-described problems and to provide a device which is
secure in operation.
According to the present invention, this is
achieved by providing a safety device which includes means
releasably attachable to the ani~al and to a buckle
component of a vehicle safety belt.
Such means may comprise, for example, a buckle
tang engageable in a buckle socket or clasp secured to the
vehicle.
More particularly, according to one embodiment of
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the present invention there is provided a device for
retaining a small animal in a motor vehicle, comprising
means for attachment to the animal, and means for releasably
securing the attachment means to a motor vehicle safety belt
buckle socket connected to the vehicle, the releasable
securing means comprising a motor vehicle safety belt buckle
tang engageable with the socket.
According to another aspect of the present
invention there is provided a safety device for retaining an
animal in a vehicle having a seat belt buckle component
secured to the vehicle, the safety device comprising an
animal lead, means for attaching the lead to the animal,
means releasably engageable in the bucket component and
means connecting the releasably engageable means to the lead.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a
safety or retaining belt for small animals, in particular
for dogs, in motor vehicles comprises a collar or a harness
which can be releasably secured by an intermediate member to
a holding device fixed to the motor vehicle and in which a
tang member, engageable in a conventional buckle of a motor
vehicle safety belt, is secured to the intermediate member,
which preferrably comprises a lead.
In order to be able to securely fix the safety or
retaining belt in the motor vehicle, it is only necessary
for the rear seats to be provided with a conventional seat
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belt, which is in any case desirable. When this is the
case, the animal which is to be transported can be securely
fastened to the rear sea~ by simply engaging the tang member
in the buckle socket of the safety belt. In order to use an
embodiment of the present invention for small or large
animals, it is suitable to provide the leash over its length
with a plurality of eyes, holes or the like to which the
intermediate member can be releasably secured. To be able
to facilitate this, there is provided on the buckle tang a
releasable intermediate member, such as a snap hook or the
like, which can be hooked in the corresponding eyes, holes
or the like. It is thereby possible to use the same lead
both for small animals and also for large animals. For this
purpose, leads which are formed as chains are particularly
suitable; in this case, the tang member can be secured by
the snap hook at practically any position on the lead.
To avoid any possible attack by the animal against
the vehicle driver or other vehicle occupants it is
sufficient for the animal to be provided with a conventional
collar, to which the lease is attached. If, however, the
animal i8 also to be protected from possible accidents, it
is suitable to use a so-called harness instead of a collar,
which harness extends above or beneath the front legs around
the breast cage, the lead being secured to the dorsal part
of the harness. With such harness, mechanical loads, to
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which the animal is exposed due to accidents can be easily
absorbed, without injuries or, in extreme cases,
strangulation of the animal occurring.
The invention will be more readily understood from
the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof
given, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawing, which diagramatically illustrates a broken-away
view of a safety device for an animal, with an associated
seat belt component.
In the drawing, reference numeral 1 indicates a
conventional harness, to which a snap hook 3 of a lead or
leash 4 is fastened by means of an eye or the like,
indicated by reference numeral 2. Lead 4 terminates in a
hand loop 5. Over the length of the lead, various holes,
eyes or the like 6 are arranged, to which a lock member or
buckle tang 8 can be fastened by means of a snap hook 7.
This buckle tang 8 fits a conventional seat belt socket or
clasp 9, which can be secured by a belt ox the like,
indicated by reference numeral 10, in the conventional
manner to a seat or another suitable part of the motor
vehicle. As can be readily seen from the drawing, the
animal can be easily and securely fastened to the desired
position in the motor vehicle by the safety device embodying
the present invention.
