Animal husbandry – Confining or housing – Often portable – small capacity – roofed housing structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-25
2001-11-20
Price, Thomas (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Confining or housing
Often portable, small capacity, roofed housing structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318294
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to pet shelters. The invention particularly relates to pet structures which provide optimal comfort to pets housed within the pet shelter. The invention also relates to pet shelters which can be stored in a compact disassembled form and which can be easily assembled and subsequently disassembled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most of the families in the United States own at least one (1) pet. The average per family approaches two (2) pets. Many of these families treat their pets almost as members of the families. Many of these families treat their pets almost as another child or children in the families. They lavish love and attention on their pets. They spend a considerable amount of money annually in caring for their pets. Pets are especially important to aging individuals since these individuals often live by themselves. The individuals talk to the pets almost as if the pets were human.
In spite of the love and attention devoted to their pets, the pets in many families sleep in pet shelters outdoors. This presents problems. The pets are not sheltered from the weather i.e., rain, snow, heat and cold. The pets suffer from an inadequate circulation of air inside the enclosure defining the pet shelter. The pet shelters are not comfortable.
The pet shelters now in use are large and bulky. For example, the pet shelters are so large that they cannot fit into automobiles or even into utility vehicles. When the families move from one location to another, the pet shelters cannot be easily dissembled at the first location and re-assembled at the second location. In many instances, the pet shelters cannot even be disassembled. Even when they can be disassembled, they cannot be disassembled for storage in a compact storage space.
The problems discussed in the previous paragraph with respect to pets have been known for some time to exist. Furthermore, the problems have been known by a significant percentage of the population in the outer states. In spite of the opportunity of this large number of people to resolve the problems discussed in the previous paragraphs, the problems still exist.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In preferred embodiments of the invention, a plurality of panels preferably made from a heat insulating material define an enclosure for a pet shelter. One of the panels has an opening for the pet to enter or exit the enclosure. The panels are disposed on a base member. Detents (e.g. hooks) on the panels are removably disposed in detents (e.g. openings) in the base member to position the panels in a particular relationship on the base member. The panels may be integral with one another or may be separate. When separate, the panels may be tilted inwardly to dispose the ends of adjacent pairs of the panels in a contiguous relationship. After being tilted, the panels are joined by locking rails, each engaging the contiguous ends of a different pair of adjacent panels and each removable to disengage the panels. A top cap on the panels defines a roof for the enclosure. When the panels are integral with each other, the top cap may be integral with the panels. When the panels are separate, detents on the top cap are removably coupled to detents on the panels, with the panels tilted, to position the top cap on the panels, thereby providing for easy assembly on, or disassembly from, the panels. The top cap has an opening to receive a vent cap. Whether the flaps are integral or separate, the vent cap is slidable in the opening in the top cap to adjust the size of a passage through which air circulates into and out of the enclosure.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 327143 (1992-06-01), Dickinson
patent: 3129693 (1964-04-01), Vore
patent: 3730139 (1973-05-01), Moore
patent: 5964189 (1999-10-01), Northrop et al.
Richmond Edward A.
Richmond Gregory M.
Amerlin, Inc.
Fulwider Patton et al.
Price Thomas
Roston Ellsworth R.
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