Bike-attached dog tether
View Patent ↗A tether apparatus for connecting a dog to a bike for running with the bike. The tether comprises a continuously flexible wand with a bow-like curvature in a vertical plane and an S-curvature in a horizontal plane. The wand is attached to a bike frame at front and mid-points, and a tail end is spaced to the rear and side of the bike. The tail end includes a short vertical harness connector hanging freely from the tail end for vertical attachment to a dog's collar or harness from above. A dog is accordingly tethered under the tail end of the wand, spaced to the rear and side of the bike, with the flexible wand absorbing shock and load when the dog's position and speed differ relative to the bike.
1. A tether apparatus for securing a dog to a bike via a collar or harness worn by the dog, the apparatus comprising:
a continuously flexible wand comprising a front end including bike-mounting means for securing the front end to a bike frame, a mid-point spaced from the front end and including bike-mounting means for securing the mid-point to a mid-portion of a bike frame, and a tail portion with a tail end spaced from the mid-point a distance greater than the mid-point is spaced from the front end, and a harness connector comprising a short free-hanging member movably attached to the tail end of the wand with a connection more flexible than the flexibility of the wand; wherein,
the wand is pre-curved with a continuously curved bow curvature in a vertical plane, the bow curvature being upwardly convex with a maximum height at the mid-point; and wherein,
the wand is pre-curved with an S-curvature in a horizontal plane, the S-curvature being convex in a first direction between the front end and mid-point of the wand, and the S-curvature being convex in a second opposite direction between the mid-point and tail end of the wand such that a centerline passing through the front end and mid-point of the wand is intersected by the front end, mid-point, and tail portion of the wand and further such that the tail end is spaced in the horizontal plane to one side of the centerline.
2. The tether apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bow curvature in the vertical plane includes major curvature and opposing minor curvature in at least one of a forward region of the wand between the front end and midpoint and a rear region of the wand between the midpoint and tail end.
3. The tether apparatus of claim 2 , wherein both the forward region and the rear region of the wand include major and minor opposing curvature.
4. The combination of a bike and a tether apparatus for securing a dog to the bike via a collar or harness worn by the dog, the apparatus comprising:
a continuously flexible wand comprising a front end removably secured to a front frame portion of the bike, a mid-point spaced from the front end and removably secured to a mid-frame portion of the bike adjacent a seat of the bike, and a tail portion with a tail end spaced from the mid-point a distance greater than the mid-point is spaced from the front end, and a harness connector comprising a short free-hanging member movably attached to the tail end of the wand with a connection more flexible than the flexibility of the wand; wherein,
the wand has a continuously curved bow curvature in a vertical plane, the bow curvature being upwardly convex with a maximum height at the mid-point; and wherein,
the wand has an S-curvature in a horizontal plane, the S-curvature being convex in a first direction between the front end and mid-point of the wand, and the S-curvature being convex in a second opposite direction between the mid-point and tail end of the wand such that a centerline passing through the front frame and mid-frame portions of the bike is intersected by the front end, mid-point, and tail portion of the wand, and further wherein the tail end is spaced in the horizontal plane to one side of the centerline; and wherein,
the harness connector hangs vertically from the tail end of the wand with a lower end spaced above the ground.
5. The combination of claim 4 , wherein the bow curvature in the vertical plane includes major curvature and opposing minor curvature in at least one of a forward region of the wand between the front end and midpoint and a rear region of the wand between the midpoint and tail end.
6. The combination of claim 5 , wherein both the forward region and the rear region of the wand include major and minor opposing curvature.
7. The combination of claim 4 , wherein the harness connector hangs vertically from the tail end of the wand with a lower end spaced above the ground and vertically attached from above to an upper part of a collar or harness worn by a dog.
8. The combination of claim 4 , wherein the wand has a pre-curvature in at least one of the vertical and horizontal planes and is secured to the bike frame in pre-tension against the pre-curvature.
9. The combination of claim 4 , wherein the tail of the wand is secured to the dog in vertical pre-tension.