Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Carrier attached to special purpose vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-24
2001-06-26
Castellano, Stephen (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Carrier attached to special purpose vehicle
C224S433000, C224S435000, C119S453000, C119S482000, C119S496000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250529
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for attaching and mounting an animal container on the rear utility rack of an all terrain vehicle and more particularly pertains to providing storage for all types of animals carried while on an all terrain vehicle.
2. Description of Prior Act
The use of animal kernels is well known in the prior art. Moreover, heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of live animals and the like are known to prior art and consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. There are, however, no kennels or animal carrying containers in prior art adapted for use on all terrain vehicles.
Edwards et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,239 discloses an all terrain vehicle backrest arranged for mounting to an all terrain vehicle in space adjacent to the vehicle's seat is provided. U.S. Pat No. 5,236,062 to Laney discloses an all terrain vehicle support rack apparatus. The frame assembly includes a rectilinear framework to include fully projecting legs to receive projecting legs of the second frame assembly in an adjustable relationship. Sams U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,986 discloses a combined pickup bumper and tool box. Pru U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,152 discloses a storage box bumper assembly for vehicles. Dent U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,136 discloses a combined bumper and tool box. Sams, Pru and Dent disclose tool boxes attached to the vehicle chassis.
Spencer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,162 disclosed a U-shaped utility box for tools designed for mounting only on the front rack of an all terrain vehicle U.S. Pat. No. 2,897,781 to Olson discloses an animal container attached to the trunk door of all automobile by means of adjustable straps with “hook-like members” secured around the edges of the trunk door. U.S. Pat. No. 1,550,829 to McBride discloses an animal “crate” attached to the “running board” of an automobile by means of a clamp with thumb screws. European Patent No. 0538, 542-A1 to Logothetitis discloses a case for carrying an animal on a motorcycle attached by means of slide device mounted on a rack attached to a motorcycle.
The attachment described in McBride further consists of a clamp with thumb screws to fit on a “running board.” The attachment described in Olson has a strap with “hook-like member” to fit around the edges of a trunk door. The attachment in Logothetitis discloses a “slide” device mounted to a “support” device which is in turn attached to the motorcycle by means of bolts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,573 to Hart discloses a dog carrier device without any means for attachment to any type of vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,417 to Swinney discloses an animal container for holding animals without means for attachment to any vehicle.
The animal container for mounting on the rear rack of an ATV according to the present invention departs from the conventional concepts as shown in the tool box patents such as Sams, Pru, Dent, and Spencer as they do not show either an animal container or secure means of attaching a container for animals while carried on the outside of any vehicle. The animal container in the Hart patent and the Swinney patent disclose devices for holding dogs but without any means for attaching the device to a vehicle.
While these patents fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe either a container suitable to transport animals in a container mounted on an ATV or with adequate means to attach the container to the ATV. In particular none of these references disclose a mleans for transporting animals on an ATV.
Animal kennels available commercially are made for transportation inside of vehicle such as automobile, plane or train and are not designed to fit on and attach to the rear utility rack of an all terrain vehicle for off road use. While the commercial animal kennels fulfill their respective particular objective and requirements, those kennels are not suitable by construction or design for mounting on the rear utility rack of an all terrain vehicle and providing transportation for animals.
In this respect, the animal container for an all terrain vehicle according to the present invention departs substantially from the conventional concepts and designs of prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus developed for the purpose of providing storage and transportation for animals carried in a container which is mounted on the rear utility of an all terrain vehicle. In particular the animal container in the present invention has a method for attachment to securing the container to the ATV sufficient strength to handle the torque and stress of an ATV traversing off road conditions while carrying an animal.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved animal container which is mounted on the rear utility rack of an all terrain vehicle. In this regard, the present inventor's invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known type of storage boxes and kennels now present in the prior art, the present invention, which will be described in greater detail, is to provide a new method for mounting on an ATV vehicle which has all the advantages of prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a rectangular-shaped container having a closed bottom, a back wall, a top, two side walls, and an open front wall with a hinged rectangular door with a wire mesh panel in the center of the door. The door has two hinges secured to the front wall and a latch to secure the door. The device contains four securement positions. The four securement positions are on the side walls for attaching the animal container to the ATV rear rack. The securement attachments include the following attachment devices: (i) an adjustable strap with hook portion and tightener; (ii) a turnbuckle with hook portion; (iii) a unbolt; or (iv) an elastic strap with a hook portion pivotally secured thereto.
The adjustable strap device has an upper and lower end and upper ends with the lower end of the adjustable strap having a book portions pivotally secured thereto. The upper end of the adjustable strap is secured to the side wall of the animal container. The adjustable strap may be adjusted by a buckle. The turnbuckle device has an upper hook, a double threaded barrel, and a lower hook, each turnbuckle is attached to its respective securement portion by said upper hook which extends through the aperture of the securement portion, the upper hook is threaded at its lower end and the lower hook is threaded at its upper end to attach to the double threaded barrel, the threads on the upper portion of the barrel are reversed from the threads on the lower portion of the barrel so that the length of the entire turnbuckle may be adjusted by turning only the barrel, the lower hook is adapted to engage a portion of a rear utility rack. The U-shaped bolt device is inserted through the bottom wall for attaching the container to an ATV rear rack bar. The U-shaped bolt device is attached to the bottom by means of threading a nut with lock washer on to each end of the U-bolt. The nuts and waters are positioned in four slotted recesses in the bottom wall, thereby securing the animal container to the ATV rear rack. The elastic strap device has an upper end and a lower end. The upper and lower ends have hook portions pivotally secured thereto. The upper ends are secured to the sidewalls of the animal container and the lower ends are secured to the ATV rear rack bar.
There has been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional
Babbitt Gary D.
Dowen Larry
Witt Randy
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