Patents Assigned to Tri-Tronics, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5471954
    Abstract: A resistive electrode structure for an electronic stimulus collar includes a base attached to a connecting element of the electronic stimulus collar. An electrode of the resistive electrode structure includes a tip adapted to supply electrical stimulus to the skin of an animal. A resistive material is electrically connected between a conductor for electrical connection to an output of the electronic stimulus collar and the electrode. An insulative housing encloses the resistive material and supports the electrode and the conductor. Various such resistive electrode structures having various resistances can be interchangeably connected to the electronic stimulus collar to vary the level of stimulus applied to the skin of the animal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald J. Gonda, Gregory J. Farkas
  • Patent number: 5193484
    Abstract: An electroshock apparatus mounted on a strap placed around a portion of an animal's body includes first and second electrodes each extending through the strap from remotely controlled electroshock circuitry supported by the strap, and inserted through insulators surrounding shanks of the electrodes. The tips of the electrodes extend sufficiently far beyond the ends of the respective insulators to 1) ensure consistent electrical contact of the first and second electrodes with the animal's skin without overtightening the strap, and 2) avoid substantial shunting of electrical stimulus current between the first and second electrodes through wet fur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald J. Gonda
  • Patent number: 5099797
    Abstract: An electroshock apparatus mounted on a strap placed around a portion of an animal's body includes first and second electrodes each extending through the strap from remotely controlled electroshock circuitry supported by the strap, and inserted through insulators surrounding shanks of the electrodes. The tips of the electrodes extend approximately one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch beyond the ends of the respective insulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald J. Gonda
  • Patent number: 5054428
    Abstract: A technique is disclosed for further training or control of a dog that has been previously trained to conform to a particular desired behavior. If the dog fails to conform to the expected behavior, a first remote control signal is transmitted to a collar-mounted receiver-stimulator to produce a first conditioned cue as a short duration electrical stimulation signal applied to the animal, to get the animal's attention and inform it that continued failure to conform to the expected behavior will result in a higher degree of electrical stimulation. If the animal fails to conform to the expected behavior, a second control signal is generated to produce a second conditioned cue of a higher degree of electrical stimulation than the first to the animal. Such subtle conditioned cues result in effective control or training of the dog with little or no discomfort to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory J. Farkus
  • Patent number: 4947795
    Abstract: A bark trainer which allows a dog by its own barking behavior to control a level of electroshock stimulus. Circuitry in a collar-mounted electrical shock device detects the onset of barking and initially produces only a single low stimulus electrical shock pulse that gets the dog's attention, but does not produce a highly unpleasant level of stimulation. If the dog continues barking, the stimulation level of the electrical shock pulses are increased at the onset of each barking episode in a stepwise fashion until the stimulus becomes so unpleasant that the dog stops barking for at least a predetermined time, e.g., one minute. After that minute elapses, the circuitry resets itself to its lowest initial stimultion level and remains inactive until barking begins again, and then repeats the process, beginning with the lowest level of stimulation and increasing the stimulus level if barking continues. In one embodiment, a certain duration, i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory J. Farkas
  • Patent number: 4802482
    Abstract: A remote animal training apparatus includes a portable transmitter with controls for selecting various degrees of electrical stimulation applied by means of a pair of electrodes protruding from a collar-mounted receiver-stimulator unit to the skin of an animal. The described receiver unit includes three oscillatory circuits for producing a low, medium and high number of pulses per second of the electrical stimulation in response to low, medium, and high frequency selection signals from the remote transmitter. The receiver-stimulator unit includes an output transformer having a secondary winding with terminals connected to the electrodes and primary windings driven by a switching circuit that drives predetermined current pulses through the primary winding at the selected number of pulses per second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald J. Gonda, Gregory J. Farkas
  • Patent number: 4794402
    Abstract: A short, resonant top-loaded helical coil antenna having a flexible lower section is attached to one side of the housing of a receiver unit. The antenna is approximately eight inches in length, and extends outwardly from the receiver unit at an angle of about 30.degree. from vertical, so as to maintain a minimum spacing from the dog's neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald J. Gonda, Gregory J. Farkas
  • Patent number: 4335682
    Abstract: A unit adapted to be worn by a dog or other animal acts under the control of a remote control unit to produce stimuli including an aversive electrical stimulus followed by a characteristic sound or other second stimulus in a relation conditioning the animal to have safety, relief and relaxation responses to that second stimulus. A different sound or other third stimulus is preferably produced just prior to the onset of the aversive electrical stimulation, and becomes a conditioned warning stimulus to the animal. The remote control unit is actuable to cause production of these three different stimuli in sequence, to condition the sounds to the desired responses, and after such conditioning can produce the two sounds independently and without aversive electrical stimulation to control the animal's behavior and facilitate training of the animal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1982
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald J. Gonda, John Vancza, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4202293
    Abstract: In order to train a dog not to bark, a device attached to the dog's collar emits a characteristic sound whenever he barks, which sound may be accompanied on some occasions by a light electrical shock acting to condition the dog to dislike the sound more than he otherwise would.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1980
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald J. Gonda, John Vancza, Jr.
  • Patent number: D298872
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Cassel, John Vancza
  • Patent number: D410206
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Tri-Tronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Slater