This application is a National Stage Application of PCT/EP2017/060760, filed 5 May 2017, which claims benefit of Ser. No. 16/169,307.2, filed 12 May 2016 in Europe, and which applications are incorporated herein by reference. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority is made to each of the above-disclosed applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a closure assembly system for attaching a foot protection to a horn capsule of an animal by means of attachment means, which may be secured to a horn capsule wall of the horn capsule, and holding means, which are secured to the foot protection.

Equidae such as, for example, horses or donkeys and even-toed ungulates, so-called cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle or sheep, have hooves or claws formed of horn capsules at the lowermost part of the limbs. Just like claws and fingernails, they are worn out by use and therefore regrow constantly. Since such animals are today usually kept as domestic or farm animals, they are frequently no longer able to act out their natural movement behaviour, whereby growth and abrasion of hooves and claws often no longer match. In order to prevent diseases of the hooves or claws, they must be trimmed at regular intervals, depending on the strain, and, if need be, provided with a foot protection when the horn capsule is heavily stressed.

Especially with equidae, which are increasingly moved on hard ground, for example on tarred roads, the attachment of a foot protection is widely used. For horse, donkey and mule, a metal horseshoe is thereby nailed in most cases, which, however, might entail significant disadvantages for the body of the animal due to the lack of shock absorption and a rigid fixation of the movable tactile organ “hoof”. In addition, a hoof protection secured permanently for eight weeks by nailing has the disadvantage that the hoof horn, which regrows by two to four centimetres in the shoeing period, cannot rub off or be trimmed naturally so that the hoof increasing in circumference will remain fixed in its narrow initial position. This may lead to a faulty foot position and damage to bones, tendons and ligaments associated therewith.

Due to the shock-absorbing properties and the lower risk of injury, plastic shoes have increasingly been used in recent years, especially for horses used in leisure riding. A temporary nailless hoof protection permitting the natural movements of the hoof would be the ideal solution for preserving the animal's health. Solutions in the form of a shoe for hooves which can be strapped or glued on are already commercially available, with the disadvantage that, so far, they have had to be guided as far as over the fetlock joint, resulting in chafing and, due to the inaccurate adaptability, frequently in a loss of the hoof protection at faster gaits. The use of hoof shoes which are guided over the fetlock is not possible either in the sports sector, as they do not allow fast turning of the hooves on the ground at high speed.

A hoof shoe must be removed by the rider after the use of the animal, since the horse's leg sweats and rubs itself sore in the hoof shoe. For this reason, a hoof shoe should be limited exclusively to the attachment to the horn capsule and should be removable at any time on demand. In contrast, the hoof shoe should additionally be allowed to be left on the hoof for several days if necessary without running the risk of being lost or of chafe marks occurring.

Document DE 197 42 274 A1 discloses such a temporary hoof protection made of plastic, which is secured in the form of a hoof shoe to the horn capsule by means of a hook-and-loop fastener. A disadvantage of this hoof protection is the lack of adaptability to the hoof so that clearances between the hoof and the hoof protection occur, which is detrimental to the durability of the hoof protection on the hoof. Even if the hoof shoe is adapted precisely to the hoof shape of an individual animal, which would be very costly and expensive to buy and manufacture, the adaptation for this hoof protection is always only a snapshot, since the hoof grows and is thus in a permanent growth process. The document discloses a further hoof protection which is adaptable to the hoof of a horse to a certain degree. However, this hoof protection has turned out to be unreliable in practice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the object of enabling a temporary foot protection for different hooves and claws, allowing a reliable connection between the foot protection and the horn capsule.

According to the invention, said object is achieved in that the foot protection has a sole plate and at least two adaption elements each having at least one leg and a base plate, wherein each leg is configured to be slidable essentially radially relative to the horn capsule wall by means of the base plate, which is configured to be slidable in a sole plate recess of the sole plate that is open towards the topside, and wherein each leg has one of the holding means, which are configured to be connectable with the attachment means in a sheer-resistant and detachable way.

In this way, the advantage is obtained that the foot protection can be adapted manually to a hoof or a claw quickly and easily as it is applied, whereby a shear-resistant and reliable connection between the foot protection and the horn capsule is formed immediately. Thereby, the connection between the attachment means and the horn capsule wall is configured to be stronger than the connection between the attachment means and the holding means. After use, the foot protection can be removed manually just as quickly and easily, while the attachment means may remain on the horn capsule.

Due to the reliable connection of the closure assembly system according to the invention, it becomes possible for the first time to attach a temporary foot protection precisely only to the horn capsule wall, preferably merely to a horn capsule side wall, of the hoof and to detach it therefrom. The adaption elements press the foot protection against the horn capsule so that advantageously a shear-resistant and detachable connection is rendered possible. In this connection, it is particularly advantageous that the attachment means for the horn capsule wall are attached to the horn capsule wall without damage. Thus, there is no penetration of a nail or a screw into the horn capsule wall, which would damage the horn capsule wall.

Advantageously, the holding means and/or the attachment means have a form-fit surface structure, preferably a surface structure according to 3M™ Dual Lock™, 3M™ DuoTec™ or VELCRO® Plastic Hooks. A form-fit connection between two such surfaces can be effected in a manually detachable way and, at the same time, has a particularly high shear strength.

Particularly advantageously, the holding means with such a surface structure are configured to be integral directly with a surface of the legs that is opposite to the attachment means. In this way, the manufacture of the adaption elements is simplified and the holding means need not be applied specifically to the legs.

The holding means and/or the attachment means can advantageously also be composed of a tape, preferably a one-sided adhesive tape having the form-fit surface structure. As a result, the holding means and/or the attachment means can be replaced easily and quickly.

Particularly advantageously, the surface structure is configured as a micro-structure. Due to their special surface properties, micro-structures enable novel actions and effects, for example, particularly stable connections or self-cleaning surfaces.

In a further advantageous embodiment of a closure assembly system according to the invention, the holding means and the attachment means are configured as an engagement connection, preferably as a snap-fastener closure or as a pressure cap brace or in the form of a press-lock or closure buckle. Those engagement connections have the advantage that the connection can be prestressed so that even in case of animals with difficult foot-to-ground behaviour (rotation of the hoof) the foot protection remains snugly on the hoof.

In a further advantageous embodiment of a closure assembly system according to the invention, the holding means and the attachment means are configured as a detachable cable tie closure, wherein preferably the attachment means are configured as a cable tie head and the holding means as a cable tie tab. This provides the advantage that the connection can be prestressed so that even in case of animals with difficult foot-to-ground behaviour (rotation of the hoof) the foot protection remains snugly on the hoof.

In a further advantageous embodiment of a closure assembly system according to the invention, the holding means and the attachment means are secured to the leg, wherein the attachment means have a suction cup structure or micro-structure facing the horn capsule wall and configured to form a sheer-resistant and detachable connection with the horn capsule wall, wherein the connection between attachment means and holding means is stronger than the connection between attachment means and horn capsule wall. In this way, the advantage is obtained that no attachment means must remain on the horn capsule. Particularly advantageously, the holding means and the attachment means are configured to be integral with a surface of the legs that is opposite to the horn capsule wall.

Suitably, the base plate of the adjustment members is insertable/displaceable into/in the sole plate in such a way that the position of the legs of the adjustment members is variable with respect to the sole plate. Thus, in connected holding means, a sole plate projection of the sole plate with respect to the leg of the adjustment member(s) is advantageously formed in the area of at least a portion of the following sections of the horn capsule wall: inner horn capsule side wall; outer horn capsule side wall; inner heel wall; outer heel wall. In this way, injuries caused by a possible supination (outward rotation/tilting) or pronation (inward rotation/tilting), i.e., “tilting over or buckling” of a limb of the animal, in particular of the horse, on the horn capsule13, are advantageously prevented, and the foot protection according to the invention is also suitable for orthopaedic use, whereby malpositions can be corrected.

Particularly advantageously, the adjustment members each have a base plate, via which base plate they are connected to the foot protection, wherein the base plate is configured to be detachable from the foot protection. As a result, different adjustment members may, for example, be exchanged with different holding means which are compatible with the respective attachment means in a form-fitting and/or different way, for example, in a non-positive and/or firmly bonded way. Furthermore, adjustment members or holding means, respectively, which are broken or are to be cleaned can be removed and/or replaced easily.

Advantageously, the adjustment members and/or the foot protection are made at least in part from metal, in particular stainless lightweight steel, or aluminium, rubber, plastics, fibre-reinforced plastics or carbon, which provides the foot protection with the necessary stability. For example, the shock-absorbing properties can be improved by a plastic sole, and carbon has a particularly high strength at a relatively low density.

In an advantageous advanced embodiment of a closure assembly system according to the invention, the legs of the adjustment members are bendably connected with the foot protection or the base plate of the adjustment members via a joint or a living hinge. As a result, the adjustment members and the holding means can be adapted to the horn capsule wall.

