DE102022204084A1 - Animal leash, especially remote-controlled electronic animal leash - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an animal leash 100, in particular a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash, which can preferably be used as a dog leash, comprising: a housing 1, an electric drive 3, which is set up to hold a traction rope 5 via a rope drive provided in the housing 1. or unrolling, with a distal end 6 of the pull rope 5 protruding from the housing 1, a remote control 7, which is designed separately from the housing 1 and is set up to control the electric drive 3 for rolling up or unrolling the pull rope 5, and a fastening device 9 for fastening the housing 1 of the animal leash 100 to a counterholder of the animal handler, in particular to a belt or a belt buckle on the animal handler's hip. The present invention further relates to a computer-implemented method for automatically rolling up or unrolling an animal leash, a control and a computer program.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to an animal leash, in particular a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash, which is preferably used as a dog leash. The present invention further relates to a method for automatically rolling up or unrolling an animal leash.

State of the art

Conventional animal leashes, in particular animal leashes that can be rolled up or unrolled, have a housing in which a cord forming the leash can be automatically rolled up via a spring mechanism. Usually the housing has a handle for holding and a hand-operated braking mechanism with which the output length of the line can be controlled. A corresponding animal leash that can be rolled up or unrolled is available from the EP 0 616 764 A1 known.

At the in the EP 0 616 764 A1 described roll-up or unrollable leash for leading animals, especially dogs, the leash is arranged in a housing that can be carried and guided by hand and which has a brake that can be operated by the same hand to stop the leash section located outside the housing in a desired manner Length includes, the line in the area of the brake is assigned a permanent stop switch for locking the line in the position currently determined by the brake and the permanent stop switch comprises operating means arranged separately from an actuating device of the brake, the operating means being on at least two in the accessibility area The areas of the housing lying on the hand guiding the housing are arranged, the desired function of the permanent stop switch being achieved by selectively actuating one of the operating means.

With such conventional animal leashes, the animal owner must constantly hold the animal leash, in particular the handle of the housing, in his hand in order to be able to hold and guide the animal on the one hand and, on the other hand, to be able to operate the animal leash, in particular to adjust the length of the unrolled leash. Especially with larger animals, the effort required on the arm holding the leash is high and the hand is not free for other activities.

Presentation of the invention

Against the background of the problems described above with conventional animal leashes, in particular retractable or unrollable animal leashes, an object of the present invention is to provide a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash in which the animal handler can pull in and unroll the leash without any manual effort Additionally, both hands are free for other activities.

The stated task is solved by an animal leash, in particular a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash according to claim 1 and a method for automatically rolling up or unwinding an animal leash according to claim 13.

Preferred developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims, wherein the objects of the remote-controlled, electronic animal leash can be used as part of the method for automatically rolling up or unwinding an animal leash and vice versa.

One of the basic ideas of the present invention is that an animal leash, in particular a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash, is equipped with a pull rope that can be rolled up in a housing with an electric drive and a remote control, so that the electric drive can be controlled by means of the remote control in such a way that a distal End of the pull rope, which protrudes from the housing, can be rolled up or unrolled by means of the electric drive and thereby a length of the pull rope can be adjusted. It is further preferred that the animal leash can be attached to a counterholder of the animal handler by means of a fastening device.

In this way, an animal leash, in particular a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash, can be provided, which enables the animal handler to control the pulling in and unrolling of the traction rope or leash by means of a remote control, the pulling force required for this, in particular when pulling in the traction rope, is provided by an electric drive, which makes it easier to retrieve the animal using the traction rope and protects the arms, shoulders and upper body. Furthermore, by attaching the animal leash to a counter-holder such as a belt or a belt buckle provided on a pair of pants of the animal handler using the fastening device, it can be ensured that, on the one hand, both of the animal handler's hands are free and, on the other hand, the animal handler's arms are further protected. At the same time, it can be ensured that even if the animal on a leash is pulled more spontaneously, the animal does not get free because, on the one hand, the point of force application is in a lower part of the body and, on the other hand, the leash cannot slip from the hand.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an animal leash, in particular a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash, which can preferably be used as a dog leash, has: a housing, an electric drive which is designed to roll up or unroll a traction rope via a rope drive provided in the housing , wherein a distal end of the pull rope protrudes from the housing, a remote control, which is preferably designed separately from the housing and is set up to control the electric drive for rolling up or unwinding the pull rope, and a fastening device for fastening the housing of the animal leash on a counter support of the animal handler, especially on a belt on the hip of the animal handler.

It is advantageous here if the housing of the animal leash is attached by means of a belt loop to the hip belt of the animal handler, in particular the dog handler, or to a belt loop of the animal handler's trousers.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if a hook for attaching the traction rope to a collar or a harness of the animal to be led is provided at the distal end of the traction ropes, which protrudes from the housing.

Furthermore, it is preferred if the cable drive has a cable drive wheel, which can be driven in rotation by the electric drive via a drive shaft, the electric drive preferably being supplied with power or being able to be supplied with power by a battery integrated into the housing, in particular an accumulator.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a pressure roller block with at least one pressure roller, preferably two pressure rollers, more preferably several pressure rollers, is provided, the at least one pressure roller being operated via a delivery device, which can preferably be operated via a lever, in particular an eccentric lever Cable drive wheel can be delivered or removed from it, whereby the pull cable arranged between the at least one pressure roller and the cable drive wheel can be pressed against the cable drive wheel.

It can also be advantageous here that a pretensioning device, in particular compression springs, are provided, which are pretensioned and which presses at least one pressure roller against the cable drive wheel and thereby presses the traction cable against the cable drive wheel.

In this way, it is possible to increase the friction between the pull rope and the rope drive wheel by pressing the pull rope against the rope drive wheel so that no slippage can occur between the rope drive wheel and the pull rope and the pull rope can therefore be rolled up or unrolled reliably. On the other hand, by actuating the lever against the pretensioning force of the pretensioning device, in particular the compression springs, the at least one pressure roller can be released, whereby the at least one pressure roller is lifted off the cable drive wheel. As a result, the pull rope that is otherwise clamped or pressed between the rope drive wheel and the at least one pressure roller is released and can also be rolled up or unrolled without being driven by the electric drive.

Furthermore, it is preferred that a gear, in particular a reduction gear, is provided between the electric drive and the cable drive wheel, which is set up to drive the cable drive wheel at a speed as required. It is advantageous here if the pull rope speed and the pull rope force can be variably adjusted so that both can be adapted to the animal size and thus to the animal weight and the strength of the animal.

According to a further embodiment, in addition to or as an alternative to the transmission, a brake, in particular an electromechanical brake, is provided, which is designed to open when the electric drive starts up. The electromechanical brake can be used to prevent the pulling rope from being unintentionally pulled out of the housing when the guided animal pulls strongly on the traction rope. Here, the brake can be designed, for example, as an eddy current brake.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the animal leash has a control device, preferably integrated into the housing, which is set up to control the electric drive based on commands received from the remote control for rolling up or unrolling the traction rope. The commands can also be sent to the integrated control device from other or additional external devices, selected from the group: mobile device, smartphone or the like.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a cable guide hose with a predetermined length is provided at an opening on the housing through which the pull cable is guided to the outside, through which the pull cable is passed, the cable guide hose preferably being curved and elastic.

In this way, when rolling up the traction rope, it can be prevented that, on the one hand, dirt that adheres to the traction rope splashes onto the animal handler's clothing when the traction rope is drawn into the housing through the opening in the housing. In addition, this can also prevent dirt from getting into the interior of the housing. For this purpose, the opening in the housing can also be provided with a sealing lip or a scraper.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the animal leash is equipped with a traction cable tension detection device, which is preferably designed as a strain gauge, which is preferably attached to the cable guide hose, wherein the control device is set up to control the electric drive based on a traction cable tension detected by the traction cable tension detection device control that a predetermined pull rope tension is maintained within a predetermined tolerance range.

In other words, if the animal being led suddenly stops, the distance between the animal and the animal handler decreases, which would cause the traction rope to begin to sag, i.e. the traction rope tension decreases. By decreasing the tension in the pull rope, the pull rope tension detected, for example, by the strain gauge, changes, in particular by changing the curvature of the rope guide hose. In order to prevent the pull rope tension from falling further, the control device now controls the electric drive in such a way that the pull rope is rolled up by a corresponding length, whereby the pull rope tension is kept in the desired tolerance range around the desired pull rope tension.

According to a further embodiment, a pull cable guide integrated into the housing is provided, which has at least one cable guide tube and/or a cable guide roller arranged in front of or behind the cable drive wheel in an axial direction (guide direction) of the pull cable, wherein preferably the cable drive wheel and/or the at least one pressure roller the running surface (contact surface with the pull rope) is/are concave in order to guide the pull rope better or more centrally.

Furthermore, it is preferred that a cable spring tensioner is provided, which is preferably integrated into the housing. It is advantageous here if the cable spring tensioner has a cable pulley on which the pull cable can be rolled up, and a spiral spring, the spiral spring being connected or fastened on the one hand to the cable pulley and on the other hand to a rotation axis, the cable pulley being rotatably mounted on this rotation axis and the spiral spring is pretensioned such that it exerts a rolling force for rolling up the traction cable on the traction cable.

In this way, particularly in the case that the pull rope is released by lifting the at least one pressure roller, the pull rope can be rolled up or rolled up by the force of the spiral spring.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the animal leash has a sensor which is set up to detect ferromagnetic balls integrated into the pull rope in the longitudinal direction of the pull rope at a predetermined distance from one another, the control device preferably being set up to do so based on the detected ferromagnetic balls to determine and/or control and/or control the length of the unrolled or rolled-up traction rope. Furthermore, the control device can determine a winding or unwinding speed of the pull rope based on the detected ferromagnetic balls and can accordingly control the electric drive in order not to exceed a maximum winding or unwinding speed. For this purpose, the electric drive can also be set to a predetermined or maximum rotational speed. The end of the rope is adjusted using the end stop of the rope. Here the electric drive stops automatically when the respective end of the rope is reached.

Furthermore, it is preferred if the animal leash has a transmission sensor which is set up to detect the shaft revolutions of the drive shaft and to forward the detected number of shaft revolutions to the control device. By providing a gear sensor, the ferromagnetic balls in the pull rope can be dispensed with, meaning that a conventional and therefore inexpensive pull rope can be used. Furthermore, the transmission sensor in the housing is protected from contamination, in particular dirt particles that adhere to the pull cable.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the remote control has two control buttons for controlling the winding and unwinding of the pull rope, the remote control preferably also having an automatic control button by means of which the control device can be set into an automatic mode by controlling the electric drive fully automatically The remote control preferably has a cord and a cord clamp, by means of which the remote control can be optimally attached to a wrist of the animal handler. A further cord clamp can be provided at the end of the cord facing away from the remote control, with which the remote control can be optimally adjusted to hand and thus always falls automatically into the palm area.

Furthermore, it is advantageous for the animal leash to have a communication device that is set up to operate from an external device selects from the group: remote control, mobile device, smartphone or the like to receive commands or signals via a cable connection or wireless connection, such as digital mobile communications, wireless local area network (W-LAN, in English “Wireless Local Area Network”) and Bluetooth and forward this to the control device.

• Empfangen eines Auf- oder Abrollsignals eines Zugseils an einem externen Gerät ausgewählt aus der Gruppe:
  • Fernsteuerung, mobiles Endgerät, Smartphone oder dergleichen über eine Kabelverbindung oder drahtlose Verbindung, wie beispielsweise digitalen Mobilfunk, drahtloses lokales Netzwerk (W-LAN, im Englischen „Wireless Local Area Network“),
• Weiterleiten des empfangenen Signals an eine Steuereinrichtung, und
• Ansteuern eines elektrischen Antriebs der Tierleine, insbesondere mittels einer Steuereinrichtung, um das Zugseil entsprechend dem empfangenen Signal auf- oder abzurollen.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for automatically rolling up or unwinding an animal leash, in particular the animal leash described above, comprising (the steps):

• Receiving a winding or unwinding signal of a pull rope on an external device selected from the group:
  • Remote control, mobile device, smartphone or the like via a cable connection or wireless connection, such as digital mobile communications, wireless local area network (W-LAN, in English “Wireless Local Area Network”),
• Forwarding the received signal to a control device, and
• Controlling an electric drive of the animal leash, in particular by means of a control device, in order to roll up or unroll the traction rope in accordance with the received signal.

With the standard application, which is controlled and/or regulated via an integrated control of the animal leash and/or via a mobile device such as a smartphone, the implementation using a smartphone and the like being an application (app), a simple one becomes Handling is carried out using just two control buttons (rolling out and rolling in), which means that little electronics is required and therefore a cost-effective animal leash can be offered.

However, further user-friendly functions can be provided, particularly when combined with a mobile device such as a smartphone, a tablet, a smartwatch and the like. On the one hand, the mobile device can be used to enter the setting parameters and data described in more detail below, and on the other hand, the mobile device can be used to evaluate existing data to display error messages or create statistics.

• Erfassen einer (vorliegenden) Zugseilspannung in dem Zugseil, bevorzugt mittels eines Dehnungsmessstreifen, und
• automatisches Steuern und/oder Regeln einer ausgerollten oder eingerollten Länge des Zugseils, um die erfasste Zugseilspannung in einem voreingestellten Betriebsbereich zu halten.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the computer-implemented method also has an automatic mode, comprising the steps:

• Detecting a (existing) pull rope tension in the pull rope, preferably by means of a strain gauge, and
• automatically controlling and/or regulating an unrolled or rolled-up length of the pull rope in order to maintain the detected pull rope tension in a preset operating range.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, when a pull rope tension of the pull rope is determined or detected, which is below a preset lower limit value, the electric drive is activated to roll up the pull rope, and / or when a pull rope tension is determined or detected, which is above a preset upper limit value, the electric drive is activated to unroll the pull rope.

• Einstellung einer maximalen Zugseileinroll- und/oder Ausrollgeschwindigkeit, und/oder
• unterschiedliche maximale Geschwindigkeiten beim Ein- oder Ausrollen, und/oder
• Einstellung einer maximalen Zugseilzugkraft, wobei bei Erreichen der voreingestellten maximalen Zugseilzugkraft der elektrische Antrieb bevorzugt automatisch abgeschaltet wird.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the computer-implemented method has:

• Setting a maximum pull rope roll-in and/or roll-out speed, and/or
• different maximum speeds when rolling in or out, and/or
• Setting a maximum pull cable pulling force, with the electric drive preferably being switched off automatically when the preset maximum pulling cable pulling force is reached.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if preset or desired setting parameters or data are selected from the group: maximum pull rope roll-in speed, maximum pull rope roll-out speed, maximum pull rope traction force, maximum pull rope unrolling length, minimum pull rope unrolling length, animal size, animal age, animal species, saved profiles, saved dog handlers and the like via an external device selected from the group: remote control, mobile device, smartphone or the like can be set and/or displayed.

This offers the advantage, for example, that different users (animal handlers) can easily use the same animal leash with different setting parameters by managing the individual setting parameters via respective profiles (animal handler profiles). The same applies to different animals; a profile with optimized setting parameters can be stored for a specific dog. Furthermore, the software (computer program) can be regularly updated via the mobile device.

• an dem Sensor vorbeilaufende, in das Zugseil in Längsrichtung mit vorbestimmtem Abstand integrierte, ferromagnetische Kugeln zu erfassen, und/oder
• eine Wellendrehung der Antriebswelle zu erfassen (Getriebesensor).

It is also advantageous if the computer-implemented method also has: Erfas Sensing the winding or unwinding length of the pull rope by means of a sensor, the sensor being set up to:

• to detect ferromagnetic balls running past the sensor and integrated into the pull rope in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined distance, and / or
• to detect shaft rotation of the drive shaft (gear sensor).

• • Bedienungsanleitung, Bedienungsfilme und Garantiehinweise in mehreren Sprachen,
• • Zeitangaben für die weitere Benutzungszeit auf Basis der Akkumulator-Restladung und der Nutzungsstatistik,
• • Fehlermeldungen und Störungen, verbunden mit akustischen Signalen,
• • Statistiken, wie:
  • ◯ Batteriestand, Akkumulator Status,
  • ◯ Batterieverbrauch pro Nutzung,
  • ◯ Betriebsstundenanzeige,
• • Servicehinweise, Fehlerbehebungsanweisungen,
• • Serviceaufforderungen und Informationen für das Gerät.

It is also advantageous if the mobile device is set up to display one of the following pieces of information:

• • Operating instructions, operating films and warranty information in several languages,
• • Time information for further usage time based on the remaining battery charge and usage statistics,
• • Error messages and malfunctions, combined with acoustic signals,
• • Statistics such as:
  • ◯ Battery level, accumulator status,
  • ◯ Battery consumption per use,
  • ◯ Operating hours display,
• • Service instructions, troubleshooting instructions,
• • Service requests and information for the device.

Furthermore, it is preferred if information about the setting parameters or other data, such as error profiles, is regularly and automatically passed on to the product manufacturer via radio interfaces.

Furthermore, product user communities can be built and maintained on the World Wide Web. The goal is a global information exchange platform that comprehensively supports the user and the manufacturer about this product.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a control for controlling and/or regulating an animal leash, in particular the animal leash described above, for automatically rolling up or unwinding a traction rope, comprising a control unit and means for carrying out the steps of the computer-implemented method described above.

The present invention also relates to a computer program, in particular an application software (app), having commands which, when executed by a computer, in particular an animal handler's computer selected from the group: remote control, mobile terminal, smartphone or the like, cause the computer to do so to carry out the computer-implemented method described above for automatically rolling up or unwinding an animal leash, in particular by means of the animal leash described above.

The control described above for controlling and/or regulating an animal leash, in particular a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash, can be integrated into the animal leash described above, in particular a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash, or be part of a remote control of the animal leash as described above, although it is also possible individual functions of the control described must be divided into a control device integrated into the animal leash and the remote control described. It is also possible to integrate individual functions of the control described into the computer program described. Furthermore, the animal leash described can be used in the method described above for automatically rolling up or unwinding an animal leash, therefore the features that were described in connection with the animal leash can be applied to the method. The same applies vice versa to the computer-implemented process, the control and the computer program.

Short description of the characters

• 1 schematisch eine bekannte Hunderolleine mit auf- bzw. abrollbarem Zugseil,
• 2 schematisch eine erfindungsgemäße Hundeleine die an der Hüfte eines Hundeführers befestigt ist und über eine Fernsteuerung bedienbar ist,
• 3 schematisch eine erste Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen ferngesteuerten, elektronischen Tierleine in der Vorderansicht, Seitenansicht sowie Draufsicht, ferner ist eine erfindungsgemäße Fernsteuerung gezeigt,
• 4 schematisch den Innenaufbau einer Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen ferngesteuerten, elektronischen Hundeleine,
• 5 schematisch eine alternative Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen ferngesteuerten, elektronischen Tierleine mit Zugseilfreilauf-Umschaltung,
• 6 schematisch den Innenaufbau der alternativen Ausführungsform mit Zugseilfreilauf-Umschaltung,
• 7 schematisch eine weitere alternative Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen ferngesteuerten, elektronischen Tierleine mit Zugseilspannungserfassungseinrichtung,
• 8 schematisch eine Detailansicht des elektrischen Antriebs einer erfindungsgemäßen ferngesteuerten, elektronischen Tierleine,
• 9 schematisch den Aufbau eines Seilfederzugs einer erfindungsgemäßen ferngesteuerten elektronischen Tierleine, und
• 10 schematisch ein erfindungsgemäßes Zugseil mit integrierten, ferromagnetischen Kugeln.

Further features and advantages of a device, a use and/or a method result from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Of these figures shows:

• 1 schematically a well-known dog reel leash with a pull rope that can be rolled up or unrolled,
• 2 schematically a dog leash according to the invention which is attached to the hip of a dog handler and can be operated via a remote control,
• 3 schematically a first embodiment of a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash according to the invention in the front view, side view and top view, furthermore a remote control according to the invention is shown,
• 4 schematically shows the internal structure of an embodiment of the remote-controlled, electronic dog leash according to the invention,
• 5 schematically an alternative embodiment of a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash according to the invention with pull rope freewheel switching,
• 6 schematically the internal structure of the alternative embodiment with pull cable freewheel switching,
• 7 schematically a further alternative embodiment of a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash according to the invention with a pull rope tension detection device,
• 8th schematically a detailed view of the electric drive of a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash according to the invention,
• 9 schematically the structure of a cable spring tensioner of a remote-controlled electronic animal leash according to the invention, and
• 10 schematically a pull rope according to the invention with integrated, ferromagnetic balls.

Description of embodiments

The same reference numbers listed in different figures designate identical, corresponding, or functionally similar elements.

1 shows schematically a conventional retractable dog leash 200 as known in the prior art, with the left showing how a dog handler holds the retractable dog leash 200 in his hand. On the right the dog retractable leash is shown in more detail, like this 1 can be removed, the conventional dog retractable leash has a rope box 201 in which a rope 202, driven by the dynamic force of an internal spiral spring, is rolled up. The rope box 201 usually has a handle 203 on which the dog handler can hold and operate the dog retractable leash 200. Depending on the function of the retractable dog leash 200, the rope 202 can be fixed using a button 204 or left to the mechanical pulling force of the internal spiral spring itself. A hook 205 is attached to the distal end of the rope 202, which protrudes from the rope box 201, and is used to attach the rope 202 to a dog's collar or harness. In order to be able to hold the dog, the dog handler must constantly hold the rope box (201) in his hand in order to be able to hold the dog on the one hand and to be able to operate the rope box (201) on the other hand. The effort required on the holding arm is therefore high and the hand is also blocked from other activities such as holding an umbrella or a shopping bag, which can lead to undesirable problems, including injuries such as strains on the holding arm or in the shoulder area or more serious injuries in the event of a possible fall.

Furthermore shows 2 schematically a dog leash 100 according to the invention which is attached to the hip of a dog handler and can be operated via a remote control. Again 2 can be removed, the remote-controlled, electronic animal leash according to the invention, in particular dog leash, consists of a housing, in particular cable drive housing, in which all mechanical, electrical and / or electronic components of the animal leash are provided and in which the traction rope or the leash can be rolled up, as well as a remote control 7.

3 shows schematically a first embodiment of a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash 100 according to the invention, in particular a dog leash, in the front view, side view and top view. Furthermore, in the 3 a remote control 7 according to the invention is shown. As already mentioned, the animal leash 100 according to the invention has a housing 1. On or in the housing 1, a drive unit having an electric drive 3 is provided, which serves to roll up or unroll the pull rope 5 or the line of the animal leash 100 via a drive mechanism integrated into the housing 3 and described later.

A distal end of the pull rope 5 always protrudes from the housing 1 and has a hook 6 for attaching the pull rope to a collar of the animal or dog to be led or to a harness of the animal. Furthermore, he can 3 can be seen that the animal leash according to the invention has a cable drive, which can be integrated into the housing 1 or connected to it as shown.

The 3 also shows a remote control 7 according to the invention, having two control buttons provided with arrows, which serve to control the electric drive of the animal leash for rolling up and unrolling the traction rope 5. Furthermore, a further control button is provided, which is marked A and makes it possible to bring the electric drive 3 into an automatic mode. In this mode, the pull rope length can be automatically adjusted to the dynamic distance between the handler and the animal. In other words, the tension of the line must be maintained or kept constant.

Again 3 can also be removed, the embodiment of the remote control shown has a cord 51 and 2 cord clamps 50, by means of which the remote control can be attached to the wrist of an animal handler in such a way that the remote control 7 is repeatedly placed in the palm of the animal handler's hand by adjusting the cord clamps 50 falls and is therefore immediately at hand.

The top view in 3 shows the housing 1 and the electric drive 3 in the middle of the figure. At the top of the figure is the cable spring tensioner 2 and at the bottom of the figure it protrudes Cable guide hose 4 out of the housing 1. The remote-controlled electronic dog leash 100 can be attached to the dog handler's belt on the two fastening devices 9, thereby creating a firm connection between the dog handler and the animal. With the help of the schematically illustrated eccentric device 42, 44, 45, the pressure roller block 8 can be delivered or removed from the cable drive wheel 12. This feature will be described in detail later.

The side view in 3 shows the housing 1 with one of the two fastening devices 9 in the middle area. The electric drive 3 is provided above it and a dirt collecting tray 46 is provided below. The cable guide hose 4 protrudes from the housing 1. At the end of the cable guide hose 4, the pull cable 5 (the line) and a hook 6 can be seen. To the left of the housing 1 is a lever 40 for the delivery device of the pressure roller block 8 as well as the eccentric mechanism 44 that is functionally associated with it, shown schematically. Both will be described in detail later.

The front view shows the housing 1 in the middle, to the left of it the cable spring tensioner 2, to the right of it the cable guide hose 4 with the pull cable 5 and the hook 6. Above the housing 1 is the electric drive 3. Below the removable dirt collecting tray 46. The one in the figure Pressure roller block 8 shown will be explained in detail later in connection with the schematically shown eccentric mechanism 40, 44, 45.

4 shows schematically the internal structure of an embodiment of the remote-controlled, electronic dog leash 100 according to the invention.

Both figures show a cross section of the housing 1 for the cable pull mechanism. The left image shows the top view and the right image shows the side view.

Left image of Figure 4:

The housing 1 contains the mechanism in the middle to retract and extend the pull cable 5. The cable spring tensioner 2 is shown schematically to the left of the housing 1. To the right of the housing 1, the cable guide hose 4 is pushed onto a cable guide tube 18 and fastened. It is also conceivable to use 18 cable guide rollers instead of the cable guide tube. A cable drive wheel 12 is attached to a drive shaft 14 by means of a grub screw 13. The drive shaft 14 is therefore firmly connected to the cable drive wheel 12 and follows the rotational movements of the drive shaft 14.

The double roller block 8 is placed above the cable drive wheel 12. The double roller block 8 consists of several components. These are: the double roller block 8 as a mechanically self-supporting unit, two ball-bearing rollers 16 and two bolts 10, which connect the double roller block housing 8 to the ball-bearing rollers 16. The two ball-bearing rollers can rotate freely on the bolts 10.

The double roller block 8 is floatingly attached to the housing 1 (in the area of the cable guide tubes 18) via screws 17, compression springs 15 and nuts 20 in the housing 1. The double roller block 8 is fitted into a recess in the housing 1 in such a way that the double roller block always remains exactly above the cable drive roller 12.

The compression springs 15 press the double roller block 8 with the ball-bearing rollers 16 onto the pull rope 5 and thus onto the cable drive roller 14. The spring force of the compression springs 15 largely determine the contact force of the pressure rollers 16 on the pull cable 5 on the running surface of the cable drive roller 12.

The pull cable 5 is guided to the preferably concave cable drive roller 12 via the cable guide tubes 18 or cable guide rollers. In the contact area of the pressure rollers 16 and the cable drive roller 12, a friction force is generated on the traction cable 5 by means of appropriately selected friction values of the contact surfaces in order to be able to forcefully pull in or roll out the traction cable 5.

A sensor 11 is mounted on one of the cable guide tubes 12 so that it detects ferromagnetic balls 32, which are provided in the pull cable 5, during operation. The electrical signals from the sensor 11 are forwarded via a cable 37 to an electronics or control system 24 integrated into the housing 1.

Depending on the direction of rotation of the cable drive roller 12, the pull cable 5 is moved from the cable spring tensioner 2 to the cable guide hose 4 and beyond. When the rotation is reversed, the pull rope 5 moves in the opposite direction.

Right illustration of Figure 4:

Especially in this illustration it is clearly visible that the cable drive roller 12 has a concave contact surface or running surface. The double roller block 8 is shown again with the recess in the housing 1. The screws 17, with the springs 15 and the nuts 20, press the pull rope 5 over the double roller block 8 onto the concave cable drive roller 12. The cable guide tubes 18 give the pull cable 5 the exact direction of travel to the cable drive roller 12.

The drive shaft 14 is secured on the one hand by a ball bearing 19 and on the other hand by a ball bearing 25 (see electric drive 8th ) fixed against the pressure of the double roller block 8. The ball bearing 19 is mounted in a ball bearing holder and both are attached to the housing 1 with screws 36. The electric drive is attached to the housing 1 with the screws 36.

The dirt collecting trough 46 serves to collect the water drops and dirt particles transported by the pull rope 5 while the pulling rope 5 is being pulled in or rolled out. A housing opening of the dirt collecting trough 46 is attached to the housing 1. In the housing 1 there are openings in the area of the dirt collecting trough 46, which automatically guide the incoming dirt from the pull rope 5 into the dirt collecting trough 46. Mounting connections 47 are attached to the housing 1, which enable the dirt collecting tray 46 to be installed and removed without tools. This means that the dirt collecting tray 46 can be emptied and cleaned at any time. Furthermore, the animal leash can be provided with a type of bag or backpack or integrated into a bag or backpack, which on the one hand can serve to protect the animal handler's hands in bad weather such as rain and cold and on the other hand has compartments for keys, cell phones, smartphones, dog treats and so on may have the like.

Furthermore, the shows 5 schematically an alternative embodiment of a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash 100 according to the invention with pull rope freewheel switching.

Left illustration of Figure 5 (side view)

Here the pull rope 5 is pressed onto the rope drive roller 12 by the double roller block 8. The eccentric mechanism 43 and 44, shown schematically, is located above the double roller block 8 and can be activated or deactivated with the lever 40.

Right illustration of Figure 5 (side view)

In this illustration, the lever 40 has been turned 180° compared to the illustration on the left. The entire double roller block 8 is pulled out a small piece from the recess in the housing 1 via the eccentric mechanism 42, 43 and 44 shown schematically. The pull rope 5 thus loses the pressure between the ball-bearing roller 16 and the cable drive roller 12. The pull rope 5 can now move freely. The tensile force of the traction cable 5 is now only determined by the spring force of the spiral spring 26 of the cable spring tensioner.

The pull rope 5 can now always be kept at a slight tension depending on the distance between the dog handler and the animal on leash.

6 shows schematically the internal structure of the alternative embodiment with pull cable freewheel switching.

Left illustration of Figure 6 (top view)

Here the lever 40 is on the back of the picture and is therefore hidden. The pressure roller block 8 guided over the eccentric mechanism 41 - 45 is pressed onto the pull rope 5 by the springs 15. The pull rope 5 is in turn pressed onto the rope drive roller 12. This creates a high frictional force on the pull rope 5, which is clamped between the double roller block 8 and the cable drive roller 12. Depending on the direction of rotation of the cable drive roller 12, the pull cable 5 moves accordingly.

Right illustration of Figure 6 (top view)

Here the lever 40 is turned over by the eccentric mechanism. The lever 40 is clearly visible in the drawing. The eccentric mechanism 41 - 44 has lifted the pressure roller block 8 a small distance out of the housing recess in the housing 1. The pressure rollers 16 no longer press on the pull cable 5. The pull cable 5 can pull unhindered over the cable drive rollers 12.

Furthermore, it shows 7 schematically a further alternative embodiment of a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash 100 according to the invention with a pull rope tension detection device.

In this figure, the focus is on the cable guide hose 4. A strain gauge 39 is integrated on the underside of the cable guide hose 4. If the cable guide hose 4 (picture on the left) hangs downwards due to the gravity of the pull rope 5 (the distance between the dog handler and the animal has reduced significantly), the strain gauge 39 has a different resistance value than if the cable guide hose 4 is stretched (picture on the right). The resistance value of the strain gauge 39 is forwarded to the controller 24 via a cable 38. The controller 24 processes the resistance value in such a way that when the cable guide hose 4 sags significantly, a motor 22 of the electric drive 3 is activated to pull in the pull cable 5. In contrast, if the cable guide hose 4 is very stretched (due to a strong pulling animal), the control 24 controls the motor 22 to unroll the traction cable 5. Due to the dynamic movement of the animal handler on the one hand and the irregular movements of the animal on the other hand, the control 24 brings the pull rope tension to a comfortable level at all times Level of tension between handler and animal. This can prevent the pull rope 5 from sagging significantly or dragging on the ground. The advantage of the remote-controlled electronic animal leash 100 over the conventional dog leash 200 is that additional parameters (for example traction rope length limitation) can be set via the control 24. More information on this in the following section.

8th shows schematically a detailed view of the electric drive 3 of a remote-controlled, electronic animal leash 100 according to the invention.

The electric drive 3 is placed above the housing 1. Several core components are combined in the electric drive 3. The motor 22, a gear 21 with an electromechanical brake, a gear sensor 35, the ball bearing 25, as well as a battery 23 and the control 24. The motor 22 drives the gear 21 and thus generates the defined speed of the drive shaft 14 a gear reduction generates the necessary torque on the drive shaft 14. The electromechanical brake is located in the gearbox 21. As soon as the motor is supplied with electrical energy by the controller 24, the electromechanical brake is released and the motor 22 starts. If the power supply from the controller 24 to the motor 22 is disconnected, the electromechanical brake blocks. This ensures that the pull cable 5 cannot be pulled out of the housing 1 when the motor 22 is at a standstill.

The electronics also offer additional setting options.

The roll-in speed and roll-out speed of the pull rope 5 can be regulated via a controller on the control 24. This takes into account different animal sizes and their associated running speeds.

The maximum tensile force of the pull rope 5 can be set on the control 24 using another controller. The torque of the motor 22 can be controlled. If the tensile load on the pull rope 5 exceeds the specified value (for example due to increased current consumption in the motor 22), the control 24 switches the motor 22 off. This ensures that the tensile force on the traction rope 5 can be adjusted according to the requirements of people and animals. On the one hand, accidents can be avoided and, on the other hand, the material of the remote-controlled electronic animal leash 100 can be protected from damage.

The battery 23 is preferably equipped with a rechargeable battery, which can be installed variably with more or less charging capacity depending on the configuration, depending on the needs. A charging socket 34 is provided for recharging the battery.

A gear sensor 35 is used to control the pull rope 5. With this gear sensor 35, it is also possible, among other things, to control the monitoring of the pull rope 5. This is an alternative to controlling the pull rope 5 (for example: pull rope start detection, pull rope end detection, extended pull rope length detection, pull rope speed detection, pull rope overload detection) with the sensor 11 and the ferromagnetic balls 32.

Furthermore shows 9 schematically shows the structure of a cable spring tensioner 2 of a remote-controlled electronic animal leash 100 according to the invention.

The cable spring tensioner 2 winds the pull cable 5 up or down. Depending on how much pull rope 5 is requested via the control 24 or is rewound, the cable spring tensioner ensures that the pull rope 5 is wound up and unwound in an orderly manner. This means that the pull rope 5 is properly available at all times.

The cable spring tensioner 2 is housed in a housing as shown and is also connected to the housing 1 at the same time. At a designated exit, the pull rope 5 will pass from the rope spring box 2 to the housing 1 and runs via the rope guide tube 18 directly to the rope drive wheel 12 and back again.

The pull rope 5 itself is rolled up on a rope pulley 28 in the rope spring tensioner 2. The pulley 28 is rotatably mounted on a rotation axis 27. The axis of rotation 27 itself is fixed to the housing of the cable spring tensioner 2. The spiral spring 26 is anchored on the one hand on the axis of rotation 27 and on the other hand is attached to the pulley 28. The coil spring 26 is biased to provide the winding torque for the pulley 28. If the pull rope 5 is completely unrolled from the pulley 28, the spiral spring 26 is maximally tensioned. If the pull rope 5 is completely rolled up on the pulley 28, the spiral spring 26 has a small residual tension.

Furthermore, it shows 10 schematically a pull rope 5 according to the invention with integrated, ferromagnetic balls 32.

In the pull rope 5 shown, ferromagnetic balls 32 are integrated in the running direction of the pull rope 5. See cross-sectional drawing 33 in the pull rope 5. The ferromagnetic balls 32 are at a defined distance from one another. The distance 31 from the ferromagnetic balls is guaranteed by a mechanical connection (for example: cord, wire, spacer).

With the help of the integrated ferromagnetic balls 32, the sensor 11 can transmit various parameters during operation (for example: traction rope start detection, traction rope end detection, extended traction rope length detection, traction rope speed detection, traction rope blockage detection, traction rope overload detection) to the control 24 via the cable 37 deliver. Based on the signals delivered from sensor 11 to controller 24, controller 24 can react accordingly.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that individual features described in different embodiments can also be implemented in a single embodiment, provided they are not structurally incompatible. Likewise, various features described within a single embodiment may also be provided in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable subcombination.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 0616764 A1 [0002, 0003]

Claims (23)

Animal leash (100), in particular remote-controlled electronic animal leash, which can preferably be used as a dog leash, comprising: a housing (1), an electric drive (3), which is set up to roll up or unwind a pull rope (5) via a cable drive provided in the housing (1), a distal end (6) of the pull rope (5) coming out of the housing (1) stands out, a remote control (7), which is designed separately from the housing (1) and is set up to control the electric drive (3) for rolling up or unwinding the pull rope (5), and a fastening device (9) for fastening the housing (1) of the animal leash (100) to a counterholder of the animal handler, in particular to a belt or a belt buckle on the animal handler's hip. Animal leash (100). Claim 1 , in which the cable drive has a cable drive wheel (12), which can be driven in rotation by the electric drive (3) via a drive shaft (14), the electric drive (3) preferably being powered by a battery (23) integrated into the housing (1). ), especially accumulator, is supplied with power. Animal leash (100) according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 , further comprising a pressure roller block (8) with at least one pressure roller (16), the at least one pressure roller (16) being connected to the cable drive wheel (12) via a feed device (40-45), which can preferably be operated via a lever (40). can be delivered or removed from it, whereby the pull cable (5) arranged between the at least one pressure roller (16) and the cable drive wheel (12) can be pressed against the cable drive wheel (12). Animal leash (100). Claim 3 , further comprising a pretensioning device, in particular compression springs (15), which are pretensioned and which presses at least one pressure roller (16) against the cable drive wheel (12) and thereby presses the pull cable (5) against the cable drive wheel (12). Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in which a gear (21), in particular a reduction gear, is provided between the electric drive (3) and the cable drive wheel (12), which is designed to provide the cable drive wheel (12) with a needs-based Speed to drive, preferably additionally a brake, in particular electromechanical brake, is provided, which is set up to open when the electric drive (3) starts. Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a control device (24), preferably integrated into the housing (1), which is set up to open the electric drive (3) based on commands received from the remote control (7). or unrolling the pull rope (5). Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in which a cable guide hose (4) with a predetermined length is provided at an opening on the housing (1) through which the traction rope (5) is guided to the outside, through which the traction rope (5) is guided through, the cable guide hose (4) preferably being curved. Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a pull rope tension detection device, which is preferably designed as a strain gauge (39), which is preferably attached to the rope guide hose (4). Claim 7 is attached, with the control device (24) according to Claim 6 is set up to control the electric drive (3) based on a traction cable tension detected by the traction cable tension detection device in such a way that a predetermined traction cable tension is maintained in a predetermined tolerance range. Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a pull cable guide integrated into the housing (1), having at least one cable guide tube (18) arranged in front of or behind the cable drive wheel (12) and / or a cable guide roller, preferably the cable drive wheel (12 ) and / or the at least one pressure roller (16) is/are concave on the running surface in order to be able to guide the pull rope (5). Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a cable spring tensioner (2), which has a cable pulley (28) on which the traction cable (5) can be rolled up, and a spiral spring (26), the spiral spring (26) is connected on the one hand to the rope pulley (28) and on the other hand to a rotation axis (27), the rope pulley (28) being rotatably mounted on this rotation axis (27) and the spiral spring (26) being pretensioned in such a way that it creates a rolling force for rolling up the Pull rope (5) exerts on the pull rope (5). Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sensor (11) which is designed to detect ferromagnetic balls (32) integrated into the traction rope (5) at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the traction rope (5), wherein the control device (24). Claim 6 is preferably set up for this purpose, based on the detected ferromagnetic balls to determine and/or control and/or control the rolled-out or rolled-up length of the pull rope (5). Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a gear sensor (35) which is set up to detect the shaft revolutions of the drive shaft (14) and to pass these on to the control device (24). Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote control (7) has two control buttons for controlling the winding and unwinding of the pull rope (5), the remote control (7) preferably further having an automatic control button (A), by means of which the control device ( 24) controls the electric drive (3) fully automatically, more preferably the remote control (7) has a cord (51) and a cord clamp (50) for attachment to a wrist of the animal handler. Animal leash (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further a communication device which is adapted to be from an external device selected from the group: remote control, mobile terminal, smartphone or the like via a cable connection or wireless connection, such as digital mobile radio, wireless local Network (W-LAN, in English “Wireless Local Area Network”) and Bluetooth to receive commands or signals and send them to the control device (24). Claim 6 to forward. Computer-implemented method for automatically rolling up or unrolling an animal leash (100), comprising: Receiving a winding or unwinding signal of a pull rope (5) from an external device selected from the group: remote control, mobile terminal, smartphone or the like via a cable connection or wireless connection, such as digital mobile communications, wireless local area network (W-LAN, in English “Wireless Local Area Network”) Forwarding the received signal to a control device (24), and Controlling an electric drive (3) of the animal leash (100) to roll up or unroll the traction rope (5) according to the received signal. Computer-implemented method Claim 15 , further comprising an automatic mode, comprising the steps: detecting an (existing) pull rope tension in the pull rope (5), preferably by means of a strain gauge (39), automatically controlling and / or regulating an unrolled or rolled-up length of the pull rope (5), in order to to keep the detected pull rope tension within a preset operating range. Computer-implemented method Claim 16 , in which: if a pull rope tension is determined that is below a preset lower limit value, the electric drive (3) is activated to roll up the pull rope (5), and if a pull rope tension is determined that is above a preset upper limit value, the electric drive (3) is controlled to unroll the pull rope (5). Computer-implemented method according to one of the preceding Claims 15 until 17 , further comprising: setting a maximum traction cable roll-in and / or unrolling speed, and / or setting a maximum traction cable tensile force, wherein when the preset maximum traction cable tensile force is reached, the electric drive (3) is preferably switched off automatically. Computer-implemented method according to one of the preceding Claims 15 until 18 , in which preset or desired setting parameters or data are selected from the group: maximum pull rope roll-in speed, maximum pull rope roll-out speed, maximum pull rope traction force, maximum pull rope unrolling length, minimum pull rope unrolling length, animal size, animal age, animal species, saved profiles, saved dog handlers and the like selected from the group via an external device : Remote control, mobile device, smartphone or the like can be set and/or displayed. Computer-implemented method according to one of the preceding Claims 15 until 19 , further comprising detecting the roll-up or unwinding length of the pull rope (5) by means of a sensor (11, 35), the sensor (11, 35) being set up to: past the sensor (11) into the pull rope (5) to detect ferromagnetic balls (32) integrated in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined distance, and/or to detect a shaft rotation of the drive shaft (14). Computer-implemented method according to one of the preceding Claims 15 until 20 , further comprising the regular and/or automatic transmission of the setting parameters or data selected from the group: maximum pull rope roll-in speed, maximum pull rope roll-out speed, maximum pull rope tensile force, maximum traction rope unrolling length, minimum traction rope unrolling length, animal size, animal age, animal species, saved profiles, saved dog handlers and the like to a cloud-based server, whereby the setting parameters or data are preferably made accessible to other users and/or the product manufacturer. Control for controlling and/or regulating an animal leash, in particular the animal leash (100) according to one of the Claims 1 until 14 , for automatically rolling up or unrolling a traction rope (5), comprising a control unit and means for carrying out the steps of the computer-implemented method according to one of Claims 15 until 21 . Computer program, in particular application software (app), comprising commands which, when executed by a computer, in particular an animal handler's computer selected from the group: remote control, mobile device, smartphone or the like, cause the handler to use the computer-implemented method for automatic activation or deactivation. Unrolling an animal leash (100) according to one of the Claims 15 until 21 to be carried out, in particular by means of the animal leash (100) according to one of the Claims 1 until 14 .

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