Lead training devices and methods
AssigneeBravo Marketplace LLC
InventorsJoshua Tarbutton, Cody Orlovsky, Jordan Burch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Training devices and methods are disclosed herein for training animals on a lead against excessive pulling by delivery escalating stimuli to the animal. The training devices described herein are coupled to a collar and include a housing with portions that can be moved toward one another against a force provided by a biasing device, such that when the collar is pulled against the neck of the animal, the compression of the training device between the collar and the neck of the animal causes the housing portions to move together. This configuration can be utilized to determine an amount of force imparted to a lead by an animal and/or to expose electrodes of a shock assembly.
Claims20
A training device mountable to a collar for training an animal on a lead coupled to the collar, the training device comprising:
- a housing having first and second portions movable toward one another from an expanded state, the housing configured to be coupled to the collar so that the housing is disposed inwardly of at least a portion of the collar such that tension on the lead causes the first and second portions to move toward one another;
- a biasing device configured to act on the first and second portions to bias the housing to the expanded state;
- an electronic assembly at least partially disposed within the housing, the electronic assembly comprising:
- a controller;
- a power source;
- first and second stimulus generating devices;
- and
- a lead tension measurement assembly comprising a Hall effect sensor coupled to one of the first and second portions and a magnet coupled to the other of the first and second portions, such that the controller is configured to:
- monitor a magnetic field strength measured by the Hall effect sensor to determine an amount of movement of the first and second portions of the housing relative to one another;
- activate the first stimulus generating device to generate a first stimulus in response to determining that the magnetic field strength exceeds a predetermined threshold;
- and
- activate the second stimulus generating device to generate a second stimulus in response to determining that the magnetic field strength is maintained above the predetermined threshold for a predetermined amount of time or the magnetic field strength exceeds a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being higher than the first predetermined threshold.
A training device mountable to a collar for training an animal on a lead coupled to the collar, the training device comprising:
- a housing having first and second portions movable toward one another from an expanded state, the housing configured to be coupled to the collar so that the housing is disposed inwardly of at least a portion of the collar with an interior wall of the housing facing the animal such that tension on the lead causes the first and second portions to move toward one another;
- a biasing device configured to act on the first and second portions to bias the housing to the expanded state;
- an electronic assembly at least partially disposed within the housing, the electronic assembly comprising:
- a tension sensor configured to measure data corresponding to a tension imparted to the collar by the lead;
- a power source;
- a first stimulus generating device;
- a second stimulus generating device comprising a shock assembly including a pair of electrodes each having a distal tip, the distal tips concealed within the housing with the housing in the expanded state and exposed as the first and second portions of the housing are moved towards one another;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the tension sensor, such that the controller is configured to:
- activate the first stimulus generating device to generate a first stimulus in response to determining that the data exceeds a predetermined threshold;
- and
- activate the second stimulus generating device to generate a shock in response to determining that the data is maintained above the predetermined threshold for a predetermined amount of time or the data exceeds a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being higher than the first predetermined threshold.
A method for training an animal on a lead with a training device mounted to a collar, the method comprising:
- biasing first and second portions of a housing to an expanded state, the first and second portions being movable toward one another from the expanded state;
- monitoring a magnetic field strength of a magnet coupled to one of the first and second portions of the housing measured by a Hall effect sensor coupled to the other of the first and second portions of the housing with a controller to determine an amount of movement of the first and second portions of the housing relative to one another;
- activating a first stimulus generating device with the controller to generate a first stimulus in response to determining that the magnetic field strength exceeds a predetermined threshold;
- and
- activating a second stimulus generating device with the controller to generate a second stimulus in response to determining that the magnetic field strength is maintained above the predetermined threshold for a predetermined amount of time or the magnetic field strength exceeds a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being higher than the first predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.