WO2020005836A1

WO2020005836A1 - Vehicle pet support

Info

Publication number: WO2020005836A1
Application number: PCT/US2019/038738
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Patrick PRIMIANO; Nicholas Peter PRIMIANO
Original assignee: Pet Pedestal, Incorporated
Priority date: 2018-06-28
Filing date: 2019-06-24
Publication date: 2020-01-02

Abstract

A pet support (100) includes a platform (02, 102) configured to rest in a vehicle's footwell (210) between a passenger seat (204) and the dashboard (206) or seatback situated forwardly of the passenger seat (204), with the upper platform surface (104) resting at the same height as the passenger seat's upper surface (208), and being situated closely between the passenger seat (204) and the dashboard/seatback. The pet support (100) therefore serves to effectively extend the seating surface for a dog or other pet (300). A line (108) extends from the pet support (100) for connection to the pet's harness (302) or collar, with the line (108) preferably extending from a retractable line reel (112). The line reel (112) preferably provides a braking feature whereby sudden force on the line (as from sudden vehicle (200) deceleration) halts further extension of the line (108), deterring the pet (300) from hurtling forward in the event of deceleration/collision.

Description

VEHICLE PET SUPPORT

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/763,720 filed June 28, 2018 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/918,545 filed February 4, 2019. The entireties of these applications are incorporated by reference herein.

Field of the Invention

This document concerns an invention relating generally to pet safety devices, and more specifically to pet safety devices for use in vehicles.

Background of the Invention

Pet owners, in particular dog owners, often travel with their pets, with the owner’s pet laying or sitting in one of the front or rear passenger seats of a car or similar vehicle. Problems can arise during vehicle deceleration, as the pet may hurtle into the dashboard or seatback, and/or into the footwell, situated forwardly of the seat upon which the pet rested. These problems may more easily arise where the pet extends over the front edge of the seat, as where a large laying dog cannot entirely fit on the seat.

Restraint systems exist wherein a short leash can be affixed to a seat belt buckle or seat belt, whereby a pet’s collar or harness can effectively be leashed to the seat upon which the pet rests. However, unless the leash is long - m which case it does little to remedy the aforementioned problems - the pet’s movement can be restrained (for example, preventing the pet from turning or otherwise shifting position).

Summary of the Invention

The invention, which is defined by the claims set forth at the end of tins document, is directed to a vehicle pet support which at least partially alleviates the aforementioned problems. A basic understanding of some of the features of exemplary versions of the invention can be attained from a review of the following brief summary of the invention, with more details being provided elsewhere in this document. To assist in the reader’s understanding, the following review makes reference to the accompanying drawings (which are briefly reviewed in the "Brief Description of the Drawings" section following this Summary section of this document).

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary pet support 100 situated on the ground next to a vehicle 200 with which the pet support 100 will be used. The pet support 100 includes a platform 102 having an upper platform surface 104 with a pedestal 106 beneath, whereby the pedestal 106 supports the upper platform surface 104 upon, and spaces the upper platform surface 104 from, the ground or other surface beneath the pedestal 106. As seen in FIG. 2, the platform 102 is configured to rest on the interior floor 202 of the vehicle 200 between a passenger seat 204 and an opposing passenger dashboard 206, with the upper platform surface 104 being situated at a height at least substantially equal to the upper seat surface 208 such that the upper platform surface 104 effectively enlarges/extends the seat surface 208. Thus, as seen m FIG. 3, the platform 102 provides greater area for a pet 300 resting on the passenger seat 204. A user can therefore use the pet support 100 as a stepping stool (if needed) for pets entering the vehicle 200, and once the pet 300 rests on the passenger seat 204, the user can then install the pet support 100 within the vehicle 200 for use by the pet 300.

Referring to FIG. 2, the pet support 100 also includes an elongated line 108 (shown extended) extending from the platform 102 to a line connector 110 configured to connect to at least one of a pet harness 302 (as in FIG. 3) and a pet collar. Thus, a pet 300 may be restrained to the platform 102 via the line 108 once the pet 300 has entered the vehicle 200 (and when entering/exiting the vehicle 200, if desired). The line 108 is preferably extendable from, and retractable toward, a line reel 1 12 situated below the upper platform surface 104 (with FIG. 4 depicting the underside of the platform 102), whereby the line 108 may be extended between the platform 102 and vehicle passenger seat 204 to a pet 300, and retracted below the platform 102 when not in use. The line reel 1 12 preferably applies tension to the line 108, whereby the line 108 further extends from the line reel 1 12 when a force applied to the line 108 is greater than the applied tension, and the line 108 otherwise retracts toward the line reel 112 when the force applied to the line 108 is less than the applied tension. The applied line tension is preferably low enough that a pet 300 has freedom of movement, with the pet 300 being able to pull the line 108 from the line reel 112 as needed, but w th the line tension being high enough that slack is eliminated from the line 108 between the pet 300 and the line reel 112. The line reel 112 is also preferably configured to halt extension of the line 108 from the line reel 112 when the rate of extension of the line 108 from the line reel 1 12 exceeds a predefined extension rate limit. Thus, if the line 108 begins unspooling at a rate above a predefined threshold - as might occur when the vehicle 200 suddenly decelerates, with the line 108 unspooling as the pet’s momentum hurtles the pet 300 forward— the line reel 1 12 will seize and prevent further unspooling of the line 108. The line reel 112 and line 108 therefore serve similarly to a conventional vehicular safety belt used by human drivers/passengers.

Further potential advantages, features, and objectives of the invention will be apparent from the remainder of this document in conjunction with the associated drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary pet support 100 on the ground next to a vehicle 200.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the exemplary pet support 100 installed within the passenger footwell 210 of the vehicle 200, with a line 108 extending from the pet support 100 and resting atop the vehicle’s passenger seat 204 (and with an exemplary extension of the upper platform surface 104, shown m phantom/dashed lines, extending upwardly to at least partially cushion the vehicle dashboard 206).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a pet 300 resting partially atop the installed exemplary pet support 100, with the pet’s harness being connected to the line 108.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the underside of the exemplary pet support 100, illustrating the line 108 retracted within, and extended from, a line reel 112 on the underside of the pet support 100

Detailed Description of Exemplary V ersions of the Invention

Expanding on the discussion above, the depicted pet support 100 has a platform deck 116 with an upper platform surface 104 (FIGS. 1-3) and a lower platform surface 118 (FIG. 4), with the lower platform surface 1 18 bearing the line reel 112, and having the pedestal 106 descending therefrom. At least a major portion of the upper platform surface 104 is oriented at least substantially horizontally, such that when it rests adjacent the vehicle passenger seat 204 at substantially the same height as the upper surface 208 of the passenger seat 204 (the height of which is typically adjustable to conform to the height of the upper platform surface 104), it forms a nearly continuous pet resting surface in conjunction with the passenger seat upper surface 208. However, the platform deck 116 and its upper platform surface 104 may be differently configured, as by adding a (preferably padded) surface which extends upwardly adjacent the passenger dashboard 206, whereby the pet 300 will encounter a cushion if hurled toward the dashboard 206. The platform deck 1 16 may simply be configured similarly to a unitary slab/board (as shown), or it may have segments which fold, telescope, or otherwise collapse/stow to allow the platform deck 116 to laterally expand in size, either incrementally (as by folding out a flap or installing a leaf) or continuously (as by sliding/telescoping a segment out from a side of the platform deck 116). The platform 102 need not be rigid, and could (for example) be formed of canvas or other fabric, whereby the platform 102 could be changed between collapsed/folded to expanded/taut states, similar to the seat in a folding canvas/fabric chair. Examples of folding legs and/or platforms can be seen m, for example, U.S. Patent 2,757,998; U.S. Patent 2,652,299; U.S. Patent 3,635,520; U.S. Patent 5,483,901; U.S. Patent 5,718,473; and U.S. Patent 8,931,832, as w^rell as in the patents cited in, and in patents citing to, the foregoing patents, and more generally in the“patent search classes” in which the foregoing patents are classified, i.e., in the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC), International Patent Classification (IPC), and/or U.S. Patent Classification (UPC) classes in which these patents are classified.

The upper platform surface 104 of the platform deck 116 is preferably padded for the comfort of any pet 300 resting thereon, or otherwise resiliently yields under the weight of, and conforms in shape to, a resting pet 300. In the Figures, the upper platform surface 104 is upholstered, with padding resting beneath a flexible cover (the edges of which are shown in FIG. 4 folded over the borders of the platform deck 1 16, and fixed to the lower platform surface 118). However, the padding need not be permanently joined to, or otherwise be an integral part of, the platform deck 1 16, and instead might be formed by (for example) a flexible pad/cushion which engages the platform deck 116 (as by bearing loops on its bottom surface which fit about the corners of the platform deck 116), and which might extend beyond the borders of the platform deck 116, such that the pad’s extending portion(s) might be draped over the passenger dashboard 206 (as exemplified by the phantom/dashed-line extension of the upper platform surface 104 m FIG. 2), and/or over the passenger seat. Such a pad may bear one or more holes/slots through which the line 108 may be extended; for example, m a version where the pad/cushion extends over the passenger seat 204 and upper platform surface 104 in FIG. 2 and/or over the dashboard 206, a slot for the line 108 might be situated above the slot defined between the passenger seat 204 and the upper platform surface 104.

The pedestal 106 is shown as a pair of pedestal legs 120 descending from the lower platform surface 1 18 adjacent the opposite side edges of the platform 102, and extending across at least substantially the entirety of the width of the platform 102 (between the front and rear edges of the platform 102). However, like the platform deck 116, the pedestal 106 may be differently configured; for example, it need not have spaced legs, and it may take the form of a box or other compartment wherein a user may store pet or other items, with the platform deck 116 serving as a removable lid for the box/compartment, and/or with the box/compartment’s interior being accessible via a door, drawer, or other openable structure or opening. Where the pedestal 106 is formed by spaced legs situated at or near opposing sides of the platform deck 1 16, any leg configuration and number of legs may be used, so long as they are suitable to support the platform deck 116 above the vehicle floor 202 (at least when the platform deck 116 is closely fit between the seat 204 and the dashboard 206). The legs may be configured to fold, telescope, or otherwise collapse/stow closely adjacent to the platform deck 1 16. To this end, the pet support 100 might use collapsing/stowing leg arrangements common in collapsible tray tables, collapsible tables, and collapsible chairs/stools.

The line 108, depicted as a belt similar to a conventional safety belt, may be a cord, cable, belt, chain, wire, or any other elongated flexible and windable member. When the line 108 is extended from the line reel 1 12, it preferably has a length sufficient to allow a pet 300 to stand and turn on the vehicle passenger seat 204, but which prevents the pet 300 from wandering further than the passenger seat 204. While the anchored end of the line 108 (the end closest to the platform 102) may be permanently or detachably connected to any location of the platform 102 (whether on the platform deck 1 16 or on the pedestal 106), it is preferably connected to the lower platform surface 118 of the platform deck 116 via a line reel 1 12 from which the line 108 may be unspooled and respooled, either manually or automatically. The line reel 112 preferably incorporates a winding mechanism which applies a retraction force to line 108 unwound from the line reel 1 12 such that the line reel 112 tends to allo w a pet 300 attached to the end of the line 108 (via a harness 302 or collar) to move away from the line reel 112, pulling line 108 from the line reel 1 12 while doing so, while at the same time eliminating slack in the line 108. The line reel 112 might therefore take the form of a retractable pet leash reel, examples of which are found in U. S. Patent 10,231 ,439; U.S. Patent 10,178,855; U.S. Patent 10,051,841 ; U.S. Patent 10,034,460; U.S. Patent 9,848,583; U.S. Patent 9,723,816; U.S. Patent 9,717,218; U.S. Patent 9,560,836; and U.S. Patent 9,066,500, as well as in the patents cited in, and in patents citing to, the foregoing patents, and more generally in the“patent search classes” in which the foregoing patents are classified. In other words, an appropriately-configured retractable pet leash reel might be adopted for use as the line reel 112, with the retractable pet leash reel being permanently affixed to, or removably and replaceably installed on, the platform 102.

The line reel 112 is preferably a safety reel configured to halt extension of the line 108 from the line reel 1 12 when the line’s rate of extension exceeds a predefined extension rate limit. The safety reel 1 12 may take the form of a common seat belt retractor of the type used in vehicular seat belts, wherein such retractors apply a retraction force to a belt unwound from the retractor such that the retractor tends to place the belt under slight tension when wrapped around a passenger. However, under sudden deceleration, such as sudden vehicle braking, when the belt attempts to rapidly extend from the retractor as the passenger’s inertia throws the passenger forward, the retractor halts extension of the belt from the retractor (typically via a centrifugally- actuated clutch or other force-sensitive brake). Thus, the line reel 112, when attached to a pet harness 302 or collar, will allow' the pet 300 to move away from and toward the line reel 112, thereby allowing the line 108 to extend and retract from the line reel 112. Under sudden vehicle braking or vehicle impact, the line reel 112 will not allow extension, thereby preventing the pet 300 from hurtling forward by any distance greater than the already-extended line 108 (and the pet harness 302 or collar) will allow'. Examples of retractors suitable for use as safety reels / line reels 112 can be found m prior patents describing seat belt retractors, for example, U.S. Patent 4,056,242; U.S. Patent 4,293,106; U.S. Patent 5,687,926; U.S. Patent 6,871,877; U.S. Patent 7,694,908; U.S. Patent 8,376,258; and U.S. Patent 8,473,162. Further suitable retractors can be found in the patents cited in, and in patents citing to, the foregoing patents, and more generally in the“patent search classes” in which the foregoing patents are classified.

The free end of the line 108 opposite the line reel 112 preferably bears a line connector 110, which may be any connector suitable for connection to a component of a pet harness 302 or collar. A preferred line connector 110 is a ring configured for connection to another ring on a pet harness 302 or collar, or for connection about a strap or other component of a pet harness 302 (or about a pet collar). Suitable exemplary rings include spring snap clips (that is, rings wherein a spring-biased pm is movable to open and close the ring, exemplified by the spring snap clip 110 m FIG. 4), gate rings (that is, rings wherein a sector of the ring swings away to open the ring, and back to close the ring), carabiners, coils (wherein loops of the coil may be flexed apart to admit another ring or other member), and flexible loops (e.g., webbing loops). However, the line connector 110 may take forms other than a ring, such as a female socket or a male insert for a latch, buckle, or other male/female connector. The line connector 110 could be omitted, and the free end of the line 108 could simply be connected to a pet harness 302 or collar by tying the free end to the harness / collar.

If desired, a line stop (not shown) may be situated on the line 108 between the line connector 1 10 and the line reel 112, with the stop being sized to halt retraction of the line 108 when the stop encounters the line reel 1 12, whereby the stop maintains the line connector 1 10 spaced along the line 108 from the line reel 1 12. The stop preferably situated along the line 108 at least 30 cm from the line connector 1 10, thereby allowing at least 30 cm of the line 108 to remain unspooled from the line reel 112 Thus, when a pet’s body extends over both the seat 204 and the platform 102, with its harness 302 or collar over the slot between the platform 102 and the vehicle passenger seat 204 from which the line 108 extends, the pet 300 will have a tension-free length of line 108 available for use.

The pet support 100 need not be configured as shown, and could (for example) include a notch/indent on the rear side edge of the platform deck 116 ( the side resting adjacent the passenger seat 204 when the pet support 100 is installed as in FIG. 2) such that the line 108 can more freely extend/retract through the indent without interference from the passenger seat 204. Here the line stop, if included, might effectively be defined by the line connector 110, which is sized such that it cannot retract through the indent. In similar respects, the line 108 could extend from a line reel 112 on the lower platform surface 118 of the platform deck 116 through a slot or hole situated in the platform deck 116 (with any line stop here possibly being defined by the line connector 110, which is sized such that it cannot retract through the slot/hole). The line reel 112 may be pivotally mo unted on the lower platform surface 118 of the platform deck 116 (or elsewhere on the platform deck 116 or pedestal 106) such that it may rotate to relieve tension on the line 108.

The pet support 100, and any /^'all of its various components, can be constructed of any suitable materials (including plastic, wood, metal, ceramic, or combinations thereof), and can be constructed using any suitable processes (including injection or other molding, gluing/screwing, welding, or combinations thereof).

To review the use of the pet support 100, it is preferably constructed with a size and configuration such that it may fit between a conventional automotive passenger seat 204 and the passenger dashboard 206 , in the footwe!l 210 on the auto’s interior floor 202 (as seen in FIG, 2), with the upper platform surface 104 at or substantially equal to the height of the upper surface 208 of the passenger seat 204 (at least after the height of the passenger seat 204 is adjusted), and with the platform deck 116 closely fit between the passenger seat 204 and the passenger dashboard 206 (with forward/rearward adjustment of the passenger seat 204 possibly being necessary' to achieve this fit). The pet support 100 can initially be used as a stepping stool to assist a pet’s entry to an auto 200, as seen in FIG. 1 The pet support 100 may be installed on the auto’s interior floor 202, as seen in FIG. 2, following the pet’s placement on the passenger seat 204 (or beforehand if the pet support 100 is not used as a stepping stool). The line 108 may be connected to the pet’s harness 302 or collar (FIG. 3) after the pet enters the auto 200, or beforehand. The user may then drive the auto with the pet 300 in the passenger seat 204, with the pet 300 resting partially or wholly atop the pet support 100 as desired. In the event of sudden deceleration or collision, the line reel 112 will not permit further extension of the line 108, deterring the pet 300 from hurtling forwardly into the dashboard 206 and/or windshield 212.

A preferred version of the pet support 100 shown in FIGS. 1-4 has a platform deck 116 and pedestal legs 120 individually formed of durable plastic (specifically polyamide nylon), with the pedestal legs 120 being joined to the platform deck 1 16 via fasteners (specifically bolts, with countersinks being defined m the upper surface of the platform deck 116 so that the bolt heads do not protrude). The platform deck 116 has a width of approximately 35 cm (as measured front to rear, that is, as measured forwardly of the passenger seat 204 when within a vehicle 200), a length of approximately 53 cm, and a height/thickness of approximately 2 cm. A sheet of padding (e.g., poly urethane foam) having a thickness of approximately 2.5 cm is situated atop the platform deck 116, and a sheet of flexible vinyl is then wrapped over the padding so that its sheet edges extend below the lower platform surface 118, where the sheet edges are stapled or otherwise secured to the lower platform surface 118. The pedestal legs have a width of approximately 30 cm, a height of approximately 30 cm, and a thickness of approximately 2 cm. While different dimensions could be used, the pet support 100 preferably fits within a cuboid envelope (that is, a rectangular parallelepiped or“box”) having a volume of approximately 0.075 cubic meters. The line reel 112, winch is a seat belt retractor having a centrifugally-actuated clutch, is set to lock when the line 108 (a belt) is subjected to a force of greater than 20 N.

It should be understood that various terms referring to orientation and position are used throughout this document— e.g., "upper" (as in "upper platform surface 104")— are relative terms rather than absolute ones. In other words, it should be understood (for example) that the upper platform surface 104 being referred to may m fact be located at the bottom of the pet support 100 depending on the overall orientation of the pet support 100. Thus, such terms should be regarded as words of convenience, rather than limiting terms.

Throughout this document where a measurement or other value is qualified by the term “substantially,”“approximately,” "about,"“nearly,”“roughly,” or the like— for example, "the upper platform surface 104 being situated at a height at least substantially equal to the upper seat surface 208" this can be regarded as referring to a variation of 10% from the noted value. Thus, as an example, "substantially horizontal" can be understood to mean within 9 degrees (i.e., within 10% of 90 degrees) from horizontal

All prior patents and/or patent applications referred to herein are incorporated by reference to these documents, such that their contents should be regarded as part of this document.

It should be understood that the versions of the invention described above are merely exemplary, and the invention is not intended to be limited to these versions. Rather, the scope of rights to the invention is limited only by the claims set out below, and the invention encompasses all different versions that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A pet support including:

a a platform having:

(1) an upper platform surface, and

(2) a pedestal extending below the upper platform surface, whereby the pedestal:

(a) supports the upper platform surface upon, and

(b) spaces the upper platform surface from,

any surface beneath the pedestal;

b. an elongated line extending from the platform to a line connector configured to connect to at least one of a pet harness and a pet collar.

2. The pet support of claim 1 further including a line reel situated below the upper platform surface, wherein the line is extendable from, and retractable toward, the line reel.

3. The pet support of claim 2 wherein the line reel is configured to apply tension to the line, whereby the line:

a. further extends from the line reel when a force applied to the line defeats the tension, and

b. retracts toward the line reel when the force applied to the line is less than the tension.

4. The pet support of claim 2 wherein the line reel is configured to halt extension of the line from the line reel when the rate of extension of the line from the line reel exceeds a predefined extension rate limit.

5. The pet support of claim 1 wherein the line connector is a ring, the ring being situated outside the line reel.

6. The pet support of claim 1 wherein at least a major portion of the upper platform surface is oriented at least substantially horizontally.

7. The pet support of claim 1 in combination with a vehicle, the vehicle having:

a. a vehicle interior floor,

b. a passenger seat above the vehicle interior floor, the passenger seat having an upper seat surface,

c. a passenger dashboard above the vehicle interior floor and spaced from the passenger seat,

wherein the platform is configured to rest between the passenger seat and the passenger dashboard with:

(1) the pedestal resting atop the vehicle interior floor, and

(2) the upper platform surface situated adjacent the upper seat surface.

8. The pet support of claim 7 wherein a portion of the upper platform surface extends upwardly to extend over at least one quarter of the height of the passenger dashboard.

9. The pet support of claim 1 :

a further including a line reel:

(1) situated below the upper platform surface, wherein the line is extendable from, and retractable toward, the line reel,

(2) configured to apply tension to the line, whereby the line:

b. retracts toward the line reel when the force applied to the line is less than the tension,

(3) configured to halt extension of the line from the line reel when the rate of extension of the line from the line reel exceeds a predefined extension rate limit;

b wherein the line connector is a ring, the ring being situated outside the line reel; c wherein the pet support fully fits within a cuboid envelope having a volume less than approximately 0.075 cubic meters.

10. The pet support of claim 9 in combination with a vehicle, the vehicle having:

a. a vehicle interior floor,

d. a passenger footwell between the passenger seat and passenger dashboard, wherein the platform rests in the passenger footwell with:

(1) the pedestal situated atop the vehicle interior floor, and

(3) the line extending from the line reel between the upper platform surface and the upper seat surface.

11. The pet support of claim 10 wherein:

a. a first portion of the upper platform surface is situated at a height at least substantially equal to the upper seat surface, and

h. a second portion of the upper platform surface extends upwardly from the first portion to rest over the passenger dashboard.

12. A pet support including:

a. a platform having:

(1) an upper platform surface, and

(2) a pedestal extending below the upper platform surface, whereby the pedestal spaces the upper platform surface from any surface beneath the pedestal;

wherein the platform is configured to rest on a vehicle interior floor between a passenger seat and an opposing passenger dashboard,

c. a line reel situated below the upper platform surface, the line reel:

(1) including a line:

(a) extendable from, and retractable toward, the line reel, and

(b) bearing a line connector configured to connect to at least one of a pet harness and a pet collar,

(2) being configured to apply tension to the line, whereby the 3me:

(a) further extends from the line reel when a force applied to the line is greater than the tension, and

(b) retracts toward the line reel when the force applied to the line is less than the tension.

13. The pet support of claim 12 wherein the line reel is configured to apply increased resistance to extension of the line from the line reel when the rate of extension of the line from the line reel exceeds a predefined extension rate limit.

The pet support of claim 12 in combination with a vehicle, the vehicle having:

a. a vehicle interior floor,

(1) the pedestal resting on the vehicle interior floor, and

(2) at least a portion of the upper platform surface situated at a height at least substantially equal to the upper seat surface.

The pet support of claim 14 wherein:

b. a second portion of the upper platform surface extends upwardly from the first portion to rest over the passenger dashboard.

16. A pet support including:

a. a vehicle having:

(1) a vehicle interior floor,

(2) a passenger seat above the vehicle interior floor, the passenger seat having an upper seat surface,

(3) a passenger dashboard spaced from the passenger seat above the vehicle interior floor,

a. a platform situated between the passenger seat and the passenger dashboard, the platform having:

(1) an upper platform surface situated adjacent the upper seat surface, and

(a) supports the upper platform surface upon, and

(b) spaces the upper platform surface from,

the vehicle interior floor beneath the pedestal;

b. an elongated line extending from the platform to one of:

(1) a pet harness, and

(2) a pet collar.

17. The pet support of claim 1 6 further including a line reel connected to the platform, wherein the line is extendable from, and retractable toward, the line reel.

18. The pet support of claim 17 wherein the line reel is configured to apply tension to the line, whereby the line:

a. further extends from the line reel when a force applied to the line is greater than the tension, and

19. The pet support of claim 18 wherein the line reel is configured to halt extension of the line from the line reel when the rate of extension of the line from the line reel exceeds a predefined extension rate limit.

20. The pet support of claim 19 wherein: