JP7733356B2 - animal trunk - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to animal harnesses.

In recent years, with the increase in pet populations and their longer lifespans, animal healthcare, which monitors pets' daily health conditions and the amount of exercise they get, has been attracting attention. For example, there are sensors that can be attached to an animal's collar or harness to measure their health condition and amount of exercise.

Patent Document 1 discloses a harness to be worn by an animal. The harness comprises a collar portion to be worn around the animal's neck, and a first belt portion and a second belt portion, one end of which is connected to the collar portion. The other ends of the first and second belt portions are provided with connecting portions for connecting the other ends of the first and second belt portions to each other. Patent Document 2 discloses a pet harness comprising a collar portion, a harness portion, a connecting strap connecting the two at the back, and a connecting portion connecting the two at the ventral side. The pet harness is formed wide and continuous to roughly fit the pet's body, and the connecting strap connecting the collar portion and harness portion at the ventral side is provided with a back side that is adjustable in length. The pet harness also has a loop-shaped connecting strap connecting the collar portion and harness portion at the back. The pet harness is installed by inserting the back side of the harness part into the loop of the connecting belt so as to be movable in the front-rear and left-right directions, and also by inserting a ring for connecting a lead or the tip of the lead into the loop so as to be movable in the front-rear direction.

International Publication No. 2019/031265 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-204629

The present disclosure provides an animal harness to which sensors can be attached that measure values representing the animal's movement state.

The animal harness of the present disclosure is an animal harness worn by an animal and includes a first belt provided with a lead attachment portion to which a lead can be attached, a second belt provided with a sensor attachment portion to which a sensor can be attached, and a connecting portion connecting the first belt and the second belt. The first belt has a set of absorbent portions that absorb loads generated in the first belt, or is connected to a set of absorbent portions. The first belt, either alone or together with other connected members, forms a loop, and the lead attachment portion is located between the set of absorbent portions along the first belt and distal to the connecting portion. The second belt, either alone or together with other connected members, forms a loop, and the sensor attachment portion is located along the second belt and distal to the connecting portion.

By using the animal harness disclosed herein, values that represent the stable health status of an animal can be measured.

The animal harness disclosed herein allows stable measurement of values representing the animal's health status when a sensor is attached.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an animal harness. 2 shows an example of a dog wearing the animal harness of FIG. 1 and pulling on the lead. An example of the measurement results obtained when the dog in Figure 2 was stopped is shown. 1 shows an example of a dog pulling on a lead when wearing an animal harness of the comparative example. An example of the measurement results obtained when the dog in FIG. 4 was stopped is shown. An example of the measurement results obtained when the dog in FIG. 2 was walking is shown. FIG. 4 shows an example of the measurement results obtained when the dog was walking. 1 shows an example of a dog wearing an animal harness according to variant example 1. An example of a dog wearing an animal harness according to the second modification is shown. An example of a dog wearing the animal harness of variant example 3 is shown. An example of a dog wearing the animal harness of variant example 4 is shown.

The animal harness according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Here, the animal is a non-human animal, more specifically, a four-legged animal that can be kept by humans. The animal harness according to the embodiment can be fitted with a sensor that can measure values that represent the health status of the animal wearing the harness. In the following description, identical components will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

In the following, the animal is a dog, and the animal harness of the present disclosure will be described as a "harness" that is primarily worn around the dog's waist while walking the dog. The animal harness is configured so that a lead can be attached. Here, a "leash" is a string used to connect a human and an animal when walking a dog. Typically, when walking a dog, one end of the lead is attached to the harness, and the other end is held by a human, such as the owner. This helps prevent accidents and dangers that may occur when the animal becomes separated from the human.

As shown in Figure 1, the animal harness 1 of this embodiment includes a first belt 10, a second belt 11, and a connecting portion 12. The first belt 10, the second belt 11, and the connecting portion 12 are outlined below.

The first belt 10 has a lead attachment portion 103 and a pair of absorbing members 13A and 13B. A person such as an owner can attach a lead to the lead attachment portion 103. The pair of absorbing members 13A and 13B absorbs unnecessary loads generated on the first belt 10 due to movement of the lead.
The second belt 11 includes a sensor mounting portion 113 and a pair of connecting members 14A and 14B.
The connecting portion 12 connects the first belt 10 and the second belt 11 together.

In the following explanation, the origin will be the dog's shoulder blades when the dog is standing on all fours. The direction from this origin toward the dog's head (horizontal to the ground) will be the Y-axis (+Y direction), the direction to the right from this origin (horizontal to the ground) will be the X-axis (+X direction), and the direction from this origin toward the sky (perpendicular to the ground) will be the Z-axis (+Z direction).

First, the first belt 10 will be described in detail.
1, the first belt 10 has an upper member 101 and a lower member 102. The upper member 101 and the lower member 102 are connected via absorbent members 13A and 13B to form a loop. In other words, the first belt 10, either alone or together with the absorbent members 13A and 13B, forms a loop through which the dog's body passes.

When viewed from the absorbent members 13A and 13B, the upper member 101 is located on the +Z direction side, and the lower member 102 is located on the -Z direction side. When the animal harness 1 is attached to a dog, the upper member 101 is located on the dog's back, and the lower member 102 is located on the abdomen. The absorbent members 13A and 13B are located near the dog's left and right flanks, respectively. The lead attachment portion 103 is located on the dog's back or near the spine.

The lead attachment portion 103 described above is ring-shaped, with the upper member 101 passing through it. Meanwhile, the connecting portion 12 is connected to the lower member 102. This positions the lead attachment portion 103 at a distance from the connecting portion 12. In other words, the lead attachment portion 103 is located along the first belt 10, distal to the connecting portion 12, between a pair of absorbent members 13A and 13B, in the loop of the first belt 10. As shown in FIG. 2, a lead 20 may be pre-attached to the lead attachment portion 103. Note that in this embodiment, the lead attachment portion 103 is configured as a ring-shaped member, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, the lead 20 may be configured to be attached directly to the belt 10 at the position where the lead attachment portion 103 is attached, without going through another member such as the lead attachment portion 103.

Next, referring again to FIG. 1, the second belt 11 will be described in detail.
The second belt 11 has an upper member 111 and a lower member 112. The upper member 111 and the lower member 112 are connected via connecting members 14A and 14B to form a loop. That is, the second belt 11 forms a loop either alone or together with connecting members 14A and 14B. The loop formed by the second belt 11 goes around the dog's neck. The "neck" here is not strictly defined, but refers to a loop-shaped portion that passes through both a position between below the face and above the front legs and the spine, such as the neck. When viewed from connecting members 14A and 14B, the upper member 111 is located on the +Z direction side, and the lower member 112 is located approximately on the -Y direction side. When the animal harness 1 is worn on a dog, the upper member 111 is located on the dog's back, and the lower member 112 is located below the neck. The connecting members 14A and 14B are located near the dog's left and right flanks, respectively.

The upper member 111 is provided with a sensor mounting portion 113. Meanwhile, the connecting portion 12 is connected to the lower member 112. As a result, the sensor mounting portion 113 is positioned away from the connecting portion 12. In other words, the sensor mounting portion 113 is located along the loop of the second belt 11, distal to the connecting portion 12. In the example shown in Figure 1, the animal harness 1 includes connecting portions 12A and 12B in addition to the connecting portion 12 on the dog's abdomen. Connecting portion 12A connects the absorbent member 13A and the connecting member 14A. Connecting portion 12B connects the absorbent member 13B and the connecting member 14B.

It is not necessary for the sensor mounting portion 113 to be formed on the second belt 11 on which the loop is formed. For example, the upper member 111 may be composed of two parts, and the sensor mounting portion 113 may be attached between these two parts, so that the sensor mounting portion 113 and the second belt 11 as a whole form a loop. Similarly, the sensor mounting portion 113 and the sensor itself may be attached between the upper member 111 composed of two parts, so that the second belt 11 as a whole forms a loop.

The sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113 is primarily used to measure the dog's walking and health status. The force, rotation, and orientation applied to the dog are important when measuring the dog's walking status, with acceleration and angular velocity being particularly important. Furthermore, when measuring a dog's walking status, any movement other than walking that is applied to the sensor attached to the dog will result in errors in the measurement results. Specifically, in addition to XYZ axis data linked to the dog's movement, pulling on the leash and movement of the harness slipping can also be detected on each axis. Therefore, the sensor may be attached in close contact with the dog and in a position that is less susceptible to influences other than those caused by the dog's walking. A position along the dog's spine can measure the symmetry of the dog's left and right movements. Therefore, by locating the sensor attachment portion 113 along the dog's spine when wearing the animal harness 1, the dog's walking status can be measured accurately.

For example, sensors attached to the sensor attachment portion 113 include an acceleration sensor that measures walking acceleration, an angular velocity sensor that measures body rotation, a geomagnetic sensor that measures orientation, and a temperature sensor that measures body temperature. Acceleration sensors and angular velocity sensors are particularly important for measuring body movement. Furthermore, the measurement results of acceleration sensors are easily affected by movements other than walking. Therefore, it is important to measure acceleration without being affected by movements other than walking. In the example described below, a sensor module including an acceleration sensor and a communication device capable of sending and receiving data via wireless communication is attached to the sensor attachment portion 113. For example, by using a low-power communication standard such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) for wireless communication, the burden on the human user and the dog to which the sensor is attached can be reduced.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the connecting portion 12 is a strip-shaped member that connects the first belt 10, which is formed in a circular shape, and the second belt 11, which is also formed in a circular shape. In the example shown in Figure 1, one end of the connecting portion 12 is connected to the center of the lower member 102 of the first belt 10, and the other end is connected to the center of the lower member 112 of the second belt 11. This connects the first belt 10 and the second belt 11 at the abdomen of the animal when worn.

1, absorbent member 13A and connecting member 14A are connected via connecting portion 12A, which is a belt-shaped member, and absorbent member 13B and connecting member 14B are also connected via connecting portion 12B, which is also a belt-shaped member. As a result, when wearing the animal harness 1, the animal's left leg passes through the loop formed by the first belt 10, connecting portion 12, second belt 11, and connecting portion 12A. The animal's right leg passes through the loop formed by the first belt 10, connecting portion 12, second belt 11, and connecting portion 12B. In this way, connecting portions 12A and 12B are also connected via absorbent members 13A and 13B and connecting members 14A and 14B. Therefore, unnecessary loads on the first belt 10 caused by lead movement can be absorbed by absorbent members 13A and 13B and connecting members 14A and 14B. This prevents movement of the first belt 10 from being transmitted to the second belt 11. This makes it possible to make the sensor installed on the second belt 11 less susceptible to the influence of the lead.

In Figure 1, the upper member 101 and the lower member 102 are each shown as being made up of a single part, and the upper member 111 and the lower member 112 are also shown as being made up of a single part, but this is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 1, rather than each of the members 101, 102, 111, and 112 being made up of a single part, at least one of the members 101, 102, 111, and 112 may be made up of multiple parts. This makes it easier to put on and take off the animal harness 1 by making at least one of the loops of the first belt 10 or the second belt 11 openable and closable, like a belt that uses an openable buckle.

Furthermore, the first belt 10 and the second belt 11 may be formed so that the loop size can be freely changed, for example, by using an openable buckle. The chest (torso) size and neck size of dogs vary from dog to dog. On the other hand, by fitting the animal harness 1 to the dog, it can be used safely without falling off during walks, and stable measurements can be achieved with the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113. Therefore, the loop size may be freely changed to suit the dog's body shape.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, each absorbent member 13A, 13B is formed in a ring shape. For example, one end of the upper member 101 and the lower member 102 is folded back and sewn or joined, thereby passing the absorbent member 13A through each loop formed at each end. The other ends of the upper member 101 and the lower member 102 are also folded back and sewn or joined, thereby passing the absorbent member 13B through each loop formed at each end. In this way, the first belt 10 forms a ring by connecting one end of the upper member 101 to the first absorbent member 13A, the first absorbent member 13A to one end of the lower member 102, the other end of the lower member 102 to the second absorbent member 13B, and the other end of the second absorbent member 13B to the upper member 101.

As described above, the ring-shaped absorbent members 13A and 13B are threaded through the loops formed at the ends of the upper and lower members 101 and 102. The loops formed by the upper and lower members 101 and 102 can move along the ring-shaped absorbent members 13A and 13B. The movement of the upper and lower members 101 and 102 is generally rotational around the center of the absorbent members 13A and 13B. Therefore, for example, even if the lead attachment portion 103 on the first belt 10 moves due to the lead 20 being pulled, the upper member 101 can rotate along the rings of the absorbent members 13A and 13B. In some cases, the lower member 102 can also rotate along the rings of the absorbent members 13A and 13B. This reduces the impact on parts of the animal harness 1 other than the upper member 101, even if the lead 20 causes an impact on the upper member 101. Furthermore, the rotational movement is the movement of the upper member 101 and the lead attachment portion 103 attached to the upper member 101, but can be considered the same as sliding movement. Therefore, even if a force in the y-axis direction is applied to the first belt 10 because the walking speeds of the dog and the human do not match, the first belt 10 will slide in the y-axis direction along the ring-shaped absorbing members 13A and 13B as shown in Fig. 2. As a result, even if the lead is pulled backward by the dog, for example, as shown in Fig. 2, the force applied to the first belt 10 will be absorbed by the sliding movement of the absorbing members 13A and 13B.

1 shows an example of an O-ring shape of the absorbent members 13A and 13B formed from a material such as metal or resin, but the shape of the absorbent members 13A and 13B is not limited to an O-shape. For example, the absorbent members 13A and 13B may be D-shaped or polygonal, such as a triangle or a square, as long as they can absorb the force applied to the first belt 10 by the upper member 101 moving along the absorbent members 13A and 13B. Furthermore, for example, the absorbent members 13A and 13B may be made of an elastic material such as rubber. The absorbent members 13A and 13B may be sewn or bonded to each end of the upper member 101 and the lower member 102, respectively, made of an elastic material. In this case, too, the force applied to the first belt 10 when the lead is pulled in the y-axis direction is absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the absorbent members 13A and 13B made of an elastic material.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, each connecting member 14A, 14B, like the absorbing members 13A, 13B, is an O-ring shape made of a material such as metal or resin. Similarly, a loop is formed by passing connecting members 14A and 14B through loops formed at each end of the upper member 111 and the lower member 112. The shape of connecting members 14A, 14B is not limited to a ring shape and may be, for example, a D-shape or a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a square. As a result, even if there remains force generated in the y-axis or z-axis direction that is not absorbed by absorbing members 13A, 13B, connecting members 14A, 14B can act as an absorber and absorb this force.

Furthermore, the first belt 10 and the second belt 11 of the animal harness 1 are not connected to each other at the animal's back when worn. Specifically, the first belt 10 and the second belt 11 are not connected to each other in areas not interposed by the absorbent members 13A and 13B. For example, when walking a dog, the dog's walking speed may not match the owner's, causing the lead to be pulled strongly, as shown in Figure 2. If the first belt 10 is connected near the lead attachment portion 103 to the second belt 11, the lead attached to the lead attachment portion 103 will be pulled. When the first belt 10 moves, the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113 of the second belt 11 moves in conjunction with the first belt 10. This causes the sensor to detect movements other than the dog's walking state, resulting in poor detection accuracy. As described above, the first belt 10 forms a loop, and the lead attachment portion 103 is attached to the first belt 10. The second belt 11 also forms a loop, and the sensor attachment portion 113 is attached to the second belt 11. The connecting portion 12 connects the first belt 10 and the second belt 11 at a position distal to the lead attachment portion 103 and the sensor attachment portion 113. This makes it difficult for movements occurring at the lead attachment portion 103 due to reasons other than the dog's walking, specifically movements occurring at the lead attachment portion 103 of the animal harness 1 due to pulling on the lead, to be transmitted to the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113. Therefore, the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113 of the animal harness 1 can improve the accuracy of detecting the dog's walking state. In other words, the first belt 10 and the second belt 11 do not need to be connected proximal to the lead attachment portion 103 and the sensor attachment portion 113.

[Experimental Example 1]
FIG. 3 shows an example of the sensor measurement results in Experimental Example 1. In Experimental Example 1, a dog was fitted with the animal harness 1, with a sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113, and one end of the lead was attached to the lead attachment portion 103. A human held the other end of the lead, and while the dog was stationary and not walking, the sensor value was measured when the lead was pulled in the y-axis direction at any timing. The sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113 was an acceleration sensor. In the graph shown in FIG. 3 , the vertical axis represents acceleration (mG) and the horizontal axis represents time (seconds). Specifically, the vertical axis represents data in the z-axis direction. In the measurement results shown in FIG. 3 , the point in time when the human pulled the lead attached to the lead attachment portion 103 is enclosed by a dashed line. It can be seen from FIG. 3 that even when the lead is pulled, the movement associated with the lead is absorbed by the absorbing members 13A and 13B, resulting in little impact on the second belt 11 on which the sensor is located.

That is, as shown in Figure 2, when a human pulls the lead 20 toward the human, the dog is being pulled diagonally upward by the lead 20, considering the relative positions of the dog and the human. Therefore, when a human pulls the lead 20, movement occurs primarily in the Y and Z components. Figure 3 shows the measurement of movement in the z-axis direction in this case. Specifically, when the dog is pulled backward, only the upper member 111 of the first belt 10 is pulled backward in the y and z directions along with the lead 20. However, because this movement is absorbed by the absorbing members 13A and 13B, the lower member 102 of the first belt 10 and the second belt 11 connected to the lower member 102 via the connecting portion 12 are not moved in conjunction with the movement of the lead 20. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, there is little effect on the sensor measurement results.

The upper and lower members 101, 102, and the upper and lower members 111, 112 of the animal harness 1 used here were made of belt-shaped leather materials approximately 1 mm thick and 1 cm wide. The dog wearing the animal harness 1 in Experimental Example 1 was a so-called small dog. The thickness, width, length, etc. of each member 101, 102, 111, 112 vary depending on the size of the animal wearing the animal harness 1. In other words, as the size of the animal increases, the width and length of each member 101, 102, 111, 112 also increase accordingly.

In contrast, the example shown in Figure 5 shows the sensor measurement results when using the comparative animal harness shown in Figure 4, rather than the animal harness 1 described above using Figure 1. In the animal harness shown in Figure 4, the upper member 101 of the first belt 10 and the upper member 111 of the second belt 11 are connected at the connecting portion 16. In the case of the animal harness shown in Figure 4, when the lead 20 is pulled toward the rear of the dog, pulling the first belt 10 backward, the second belt 11 is also moved backward in conjunction with the movement of the first belt 10. Therefore, the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113 of the animal harness shown in Figure 5 detects the backward pulling movement. In the measurement results in Figure 5, the measurement results at the time when a human pulls on the lead attached to the lead attachment portion 103 are circled by a dashed line. Comparing Figures 3 and 5, it can be seen that in a configuration in which the connection is made by the connecting portion 16 from the vicinity of the lead attachment portion 103 to the vicinity of the sensor attachment portion 113, the lead 20 is affected when it is pulled.

[Experimental Example 2]
FIG. 6 shows an example of the sensor measurement results for Experimental Example 2. In Experimental Example 2, a dog was fitted with animal harness 1, with a sensor attached to sensor attachment portion 113, and one end of a lead was attached to lead attachment portion 103. A human was holding the other end of the lead while walking, and the Z-axis acceleration of the sensor was measured when the lead was pulled toward the human at any given time. The walking speed at this time was approximately 1 to 2 m/s. In the measurement results shown in FIG. 6, the dashed line encircles the point at which the human pulled the lead attached to lead attachment portion 103. As can be seen from FIG. 6, even when the lead was pulled, the sensor detected only the amplitude caused by walking, and did not substantially detect the effect of the lead being pulled, because the absorbing members 13A and 13B absorbed the movement associated with the lead.

In contrast, the example shown in Figure 7 is a measurement result of the Z-axis acceleration of the sensor when using the comparative animal harness shown in Figure 4, rather than the animal harness 1 described above using Figure 1. As shown in Figure 7, the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 113 detects a backward pulling movement. In the measurement results in Figure 7, the point in time when the human pulled the lead attached to the lead attachment portion 103 is surrounded by a dashed line. In the example shown in Figure 7, it can be seen that the movement when the lead is pulled is superimposed on the amplitude caused by walking. Therefore, comparing Figures 6 and 7, it can be seen that a configuration in which the lead attachment portion 103 is connected by the connecting portion 16 from the vicinity of the lead attachment portion 103 to the vicinity of the sensor attachment portion 113 is affected when the lead 20 is pulled.

[Modification 1]
FIG. 8A shows an animal harness 1A according to Modification 1. In the example shown in FIG. 8A , the animal harness 1A includes a connecting portion 200, which is a sheet-like member formed so that the animal's two front legs can be inserted therein. The animal harness 1A also includes a first belt 201 having a lead attachment portion 202 and forming a loop, together with the connecting portion 200, into which the animal's torso can be inserted. The animal harness 1A also includes a second belt 204 having a sensor attachment portion 205 and forming a loop, together with the connecting portion 200, into which the animal's neck can be inserted. Specifically, the first belt 201 is fastened to the connecting portion 200 by a fastener 203, which is an absorbent member, so that the first belt 201 and the connecting portion 200 form a loop. In other words, the first belt 201 is connected to the end of the connecting portion 200 facing the hind legs. The second belt 204 is connected to the end of the connecting portion 200 facing the front legs. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8A , the fastener 203 can rotatably fasten the first belt 201 along the surface of the sheet-like connecting portion 200. As a result, even if the first belt 201 moves due to the lead 20 being pulled, the rotation of the first belt 201 around the fastener 203 absorbs the movement of the first belt 201. Therefore, the movement of the first belt 201 can be prevented from affecting the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 205. Here, by configuring either the first belt 201 or the second belt 204 to be detachable, the animal harness 1A can be easily attached to and detached from the animal. Note that while FIG. 8A shows the left side of a dog wearing the animal harness 1A, the right side is configured similarly.

[Modification 2]
FIG. 8B shows an animal harness 1B according to Modification 2. In the example shown in FIG. 8B , the animal harness 1B includes a connecting portion 300, which is a sheet-like member formed so that the animal's two front legs can be inserted therein. The animal harness 1B also includes a first belt 301 having a lead attachment portion 302 and forming a loop, together with the connecting portion 300, into which the animal's torso can be inserted. The animal harness 1B also includes a second belt 304 having a sensor attachment portion 305 and forming a loop, together with the connecting portion 300, into which the animal's neck can be inserted. Specifically, the connecting portion 300 has an opening 303, which is an absorbent portion, through which an end of the first belt 301 is passed. In other words, the first belt 301 is connected to the end of the connecting portion 300 facing the hind legs. The second belt 304 is connected to the end of the connecting portion 300 facing the front legs. For example, the end of the first belt 301 is connected to the connecting portion 300 by being folded back through the opening 303 and sewn. As a result, even if the first belt 301 moves due to the lead 20 being pulled, the first belt 201 moves along the opening 303, as in the case described above with reference to FIG. 2 . Therefore, the movement of the first belt 301 is absorbed at the opening 303. This prevents the force of the lead 20 from affecting the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 305. By making either the first belt 301 or the second belt 304 detachable, the animal harness 1B can be easily attached to and detached from the animal. While FIG. 8B shows the left side of a dog wearing the animal harness 1B, the right side is configured similarly.

[Modification 3]
FIG. 8C shows an animal harness 1C according to Modification 3. In the example shown in FIG. 8C, the animal harness 1C includes a connecting portion 400, which is a sheet-like member formed so that the animal's two front legs can be inserted therein. The animal harness 1C also includes a first belt 401 having a lead attachment portion 402 and forming a loop, together with the connecting portion 400, into which the animal's torso can be inserted. The animal harness 1C also includes a second belt 404 having a sensor attachment portion 405 and forming a loop, together with the connecting portion 400, into which the animal's neck can be inserted. Specifically, the first belt 401 has a band-shaped absorbent member 403 made of an elastic material such as rubber, which serves as an absorbent member, and is connected to the connecting portion 400 via this absorbent member 403. In other words, the first belt 401 is connected to the end of the connecting portion 400 facing the hind legs. The second belt 404 is connected to the end of the connecting portion 400 facing the front legs. For example, one end of the first belt 401 body is sewn to one end of the absorbent member 403, and the other end of the absorbent member 403 is sewn to the connecting portion 400. As a result, even if the first belt 401 moves due to the lead 20 being pulled, the movement caused by the first belt 201 is absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the absorbent member 403. This prevents the force of the lead 20 from affecting the sensor attached to the sensor attachment portion 405. Here, by making either the first belt 401 or the second belt 404 detachable, the harness can be easily attached to and detached from the animal. Note that while Figure 8C shows the left side of a dog wearing the animal harness 1C, the right side is configured in the same way.

[Modification 4]
FIG. 8D shows an animal harness 1D according to Modification 4. In the example shown in FIG. 8D , the animal harness 1D includes a first belt 501 having a lead attachment portion 502 and forming a loop into which the animal's torso can be inserted. The animal harness 1D also includes a second belt 504 having a sensor attachment portion 505 and forming a loop into which the animal's neck can be inserted. The animal harness 1D also includes a connecting portion 500 connecting the first belt 501 and the second belt 504. Specifically, the first belt 501 includes a belt-shaped upper member 501A and a belt-shaped lower member 501B. The end of the upper member 501A is wider than the center portion and has an opening 503 that serves as an absorbent portion. The end of the lower member 501B passes through this opening 503, is folded back, and sewn together, thereby connecting the upper member 501A and the lower member 501B. The second belt 504 includes an upper member 504A provided with a sensor mounting portion 505, and a lower member 504B. The upper member 504A and the lower member 504B are connected via a ring-shaped connecting member 506. In this case, too, for example, an end of the upper member 504A and an end of the lower member 504B are folded back through the connecting member 506 and sewn together, thereby connecting the upper member 504A and the lower member 504B. The opening 503, which serves as the absorber, and the ring-shaped connecting member 506 are connected by a strip-shaped connecting portion 500A. In this case, one end of the connecting portion 500A is folded back through the opening 503 and sewn together, and the other end is folded back through the connecting member 506 and sewn together, thereby connecting the first belt 501 and the second belt 504. Furthermore, the lower member 501B of the first belt 501 and the lower member 504B of the second belt 504 are connected by stitching their respective ends of the belt-shaped connecting portion 500B near the abdomen of the animal when worn. As a result, even if the first belt 501 moves due to pulling on the lead 20, the lower member 501B and the connecting portion 500A, which are connected to the opening 503, which is the absorbent portion of the upper member 501A of the first belt 501, slide through the opening 503. Therefore, they are not affected by the movement of the upper member 501A, and therefore the force of the lead 20 can be prevented from affecting the sensor attached to the sensor mounting portion 405. By making either the first belt 501 or the second belt 404 detachable, the animal harness 1D can be easily attached to and detached from the animal. While FIG. 8D shows the left side of a dog wearing the animal harness 1D, the right side is configured similarly.

<1> An animal harness to be worn by an animal,
a first belt provided with a lead attachment portion to which a lead can be attached;
a second belt provided with a sensor attachment portion to which a sensor can be attached;
a connecting portion that connects the first belt and the second belt;
Equipped with
the first belt has a set of absorption portions that absorb a load generated in the first belt, or is connected to a set of absorption portions;
The first belt forms a loop either alone or together with other members to which it is connected;
the lead attachment portion is located between the pair of absorbent portions along the first belt at a position distal to the connecting portion;
The second belt forms a loop either alone or together with another member to which it is connected;
The sensor mounting portion is located at a position distal to the connecting portion along the second belt.

<2> The animal harness described in <1>, wherein the connecting portion is a belt-like member that connects a first belt formed in a circular shape and a second belt formed in a circular shape.

<3> The first belt includes an upper member on which the lead attachment portion is provided and a lower member connected to the connecting portion,
The animal harness according to <1> or <2>, wherein each end of the upper member and each end of the lower member are connected via a ring-shaped absorbent member as the absorbent portion.

<4> The connecting portion is a sheet-like member formed so that two front legs of an animal can be inserted therein,
the first belt forms a loop and is connected to an end of the connecting portion in the rear leg direction;
The animal harness according to <1>, wherein the second belt forms a loop and is connected to an end of the connecting portion in a front leg direction.

<5> A sensor module including at least one of an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, or a geomagnetic sensor that measures the movement of the animal is attached to the sensor attachment portion.
<1> to <4>, the animal harness described in any one of <1> to <4>.

<6> The animal harness described in <6>, wherein the sensor module is equipped with a communication device capable of transmitting and receiving data via wireless communication.

<7> The animal harness according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein a lead is attached to the lead attachment portion.

<8> An animal harness to be worn by an animal,
a first belt, a second belt, and a connecting portion that connects the first belt and the second belt,
The first belt has a first upper member and a first lower member connected via a pair of absorbent members to form a loop,
a lead attachment portion to which a lead can be attached is provided on the first upper member;
the connecting portion is connected to the first lower member,
The second belt has a second upper member and a second lower member connected via a pair of connecting members to form a loop,
a sensor mounting portion on which a sensor can be mounted is provided on the second upper member;
The connecting portion is connected to the second lower member.
Animal harness.

As mentioned above, examples of the technology disclosed in this application have been presented and the above embodiments have been described. However, the technology disclosed in this disclosure is not limited to these and may also be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate.

The animal harness disclosed herein is useful for highly accurate measurement of an animal's walking status.

1 Animal harness 10 First belt 101 Upper member 102 Lower member 103 Lead attachment portion 11 Second belt 111 Upper member 112 Lower member 113 Sensor attachment portion 12 Connecting portions 13A, 13B Absorbing members 14A, 14B Connecting member

Claims (8)

An animal harness to be worn by an animal,
a first belt provided with a lead attachment portion to which a lead can be attached;
a second belt provided with a sensor attachment portion to which a sensor can be attached;
a connecting portion that connects the first belt and the second belt;
Equipped with
the first belt has a set of absorption portions that absorb a load generated in the first belt, or is connected to a set of absorption portions;
The first belt forms a loop either alone or together with other members to which it is connected;
the lead attachment portion is located between the pair of absorbent portions along the first belt at a position distal to the connecting portion;
The second belt forms a loop either alone or together with another member to which it is connected;
The sensor mounting portion is located at a position distal to the connecting portion along the second belt. The animal harness according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion is a belt-like member that connects the first belt, which is formed in a circular shape, and the second belt, which is also formed in a circular shape. the first belt includes an upper member on which the lead attachment portion is provided and a lower member connected to the connecting portion,
The animal harness according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each end of the upper member and each end of the lower member are connected via a ring-shaped absorbent member as the absorbent portion. the connecting portion is a sheet-like member formed so that two front legs of an animal can be inserted therein,
the first belt is connected to an end of the connecting portion in a rear leg direction,
The animal harness according to claim 1, wherein the second belt is connected to an end of the connecting portion in a front leg direction. A sensor module including at least one of an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor for measuring the movement of the animal is attached to the sensor attachment portion.
The animal harness according to claim 1 . The animal harness according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor module includes a communication device capable of transmitting and receiving data wirelessly. A lead is attached to the lead attachment portion.
The animal harness according to claim 1 . An animal harness to be worn by an animal,
a first belt, a second belt, and a connecting portion that connects the first belt and the second belt,
The first belt has a first upper member and a first lower member connected via a pair of absorbent members to form a loop,
a lead attachment portion to which a lead can be attached is provided on the first upper member;
the connecting portion is connected to the first lower member,
The second belt has a second upper member and a second lower member connected via a pair of connecting members to form a loop,
a sensor mounting portion on which a sensor can be mounted is provided on the second upper member;
The connecting portion is connected to the second lower member.
Animal harness.