Animal husbandry – Confining or housing – Often portable – small capacity – roofed housing structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-22
2001-10-16
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Confining or housing
Often portable, small capacity, roofed housing structure
CD30S109000, C119S482000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302061
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Containers for transporting animals, and particularly smaller pets like cats and dogs, are wellknown and are commonly used. The most common “pet carrier” is usually an enclosure with appropriate vent holes which is suitable for housing the pet. In most cases, such a carrier is small and restrictive. It fails to allow the animal much space. Of course when transporting a pet, a larger container may not be practical. First, it may be difficult to carry a large container. Second, buses, trains, airplanes, or similar common carriers may require that the size of pet containers be limited. Thus, even if a larger spaced pet container is available for moving the container manually or transporting it in a private car while enroute to, for example, a train station or an airport, the requirements of the common carrier may not permit such a container.
Attempts have been made to employ pet carriers which are capable of expanding. Examples are such carriers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,426 and 5,671,697. However, these and similar carriers do not provide that much additional space for the pet. Most significantly, it is a time consuming and cumbersome process to change the configuration of these carriers. In addition, none of the carriers contemplate allowing a change in their respective configurations while the pet remains in the carrier. Consequently, when there is an immediate need to collapse a carrier which contains a pet, for example at an airport or train station, or to place the carrier under a seat, the pet must first be removed and then secured in a controlled situation. The carrier must then be manually adjusted to change its size. Only after this is done can the pet be returned to the carrier. It can be appreciated that removing an active pet from its carrier in a public area, for any amount of time, will present problems. This situation becomes even more difficult if only one person is involved in removing the pet, controlling the pet, configuring the carrier, and then returning the pet. The present invention provides a solution to these problems.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a pet carrier which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of prior devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pet carrier which can simply and instantaneously be expanded and collapsed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pet carrier which affords to the pet an extra measure of space while it is in the carrier, but permits the user to simply and instantaneously collapse the carrier when such is required.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pet carrier which permits the user to simply and instantaneously collapse or expand the carrier while the pet is in the carrier.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pet carrier which permits a single user to simply and instantaneously collapse or expand the carrier while the pet is in the carrier.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pet carrier which allows for ease of transporting a carrier in a variety of environments which require that the carrier size be changed periodically.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pet carrier which can be collapsed for ease of storage when not in use.
A these and other objects are accomplished by the present pet carrier invention which comprises two compartments. The first compartment, in which the pet is placed, consists only of side walls and a bottom. The second compartment consists only of side walls and a top. The second compartment is configured to be placed, in telescopic fashion, directly over the first compartment. In this manner, the second compartment moves up and down in a vertical plane from a lowered position in which it substantially covers the first compartment, representing the smaller or collapsed configuration of the carrier, to a raised position over the first compartment, representing the carrier'larger or expanded configuration. The two compartments are locked in the raised and lowered positions by manually operated spring snap locks. Releasing the snap locks simply and instantaneously allows the carrier to be collapsed or expanded.
The novel features which are considered as being characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The pet carrier itself, however, both as to its design, construction, and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon a review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4073021 (1978-02-01), Carlisle
patent: 4484540 (1984-11-01), Yamamoto
patent: 4784382 (1988-11-01), Myers
patent: 5054426 (1991-10-01), Panarelli
patent: 5558041 (1996-09-01), Fairall, Jr. et al.
patent: 5671697 (1997-09-01), Rutman
patent: 5960744 (1999-10-01), Rutman
patent: 6076485 (2000-06-01), Peeples et al.
Hinds Mabel
Weatherby John
Goldstein Stuart M.
Jordan Charles T.
Smith Kimberly
Weatherby John
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