Animal husbandry – Confining or housing – Often portable – small capacity – roofed housing structure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-11
2001-03-06
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Confining or housing
Often portable, small capacity, roofed housing structure
C119S497000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196161
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to pet carriers in general and, more particularly, to pet carriers having a rotating semi-cylindrical or convex lid to allow complete access to the entire interior compartment of the pet carrier thereby facilitating easy placement of a pet into and removal of the pet from the pet carrier.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pet carriers, per se, are commercially available today in many shapes, sizes and forms. One of their important uses is to transport pets in a manner which is safe for the pet as well as to a pet handler. In general, pet carriers have a bottom wall, one or more rigid or flexible side walls and a top wall. An opening of some sort or a hinged door is usually provided in a side wall to allow the pet to enter into the interior of the pet carrier.
Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 294,985 to Blieden, U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,761 to Gregory, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,744 to Tominaga each disclose a pet carrier having a hinged door in the top surface thereof. However, all of these prior art pet carriers have associated shortcomings.
Pets often resist being placed into and removed from pet carriers, especially when unfamiliar with a pet handler such as a veterinarian. In the pet's efforts not to cooperate, the pet may grab onto or push away from the hinged door, a door frame, a latch or fastener, a hinge, a groove, or the like. Additionally, newborn pets pose additional problems, i.e. the pet handler may inadvertently strike the newborn against carrier structure surrounding the side door opening thereby causing injury to the young or newborn pet. Furthermore, pet carriers having a top hinged door that swings closed over the entire carrier provides a struggling pet with a wider opening in which to escape from, thereby making the pet more difficult for a handler to control. As such, a pet handler using these types of carriers with a struggling pet may result in injury to either or both the pet and the pet handler.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Wherefore, the present invention is directed towards a pet carrying container which overcomes the afore-mentioned problems and drawbacks associated with the prior art designs.
A further object of the invention is to provide a light weight and durable pet carrier which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and relatively easy to utilize.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pet carrier which facilitates complete access to the entire interior compartment or cavity of the pet carrier from the top to facilitate readily placing a pet into and removing a pet from the pet carrier.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pet carrier with a door that allows better control over a pet's placement and removal from the pet carrier.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a pet carrier which ensures that the pet will not inadvertently fall out of or be dropped from the pet carrier during use.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a handle mechanism which facilitates safe transport of a pet, within the pet carrier, while also acting as a second locking device for the door of a pet carrier.
Accordingly, the present invention includes a base having a rectangular bottom surface, four side walls that extend from the bottom surface to form a container defining a hollow interior compartment, and a fixed, semi-cylindrical or convex top secured to the base so that the fixed semi-cylindrical or convex top partially covers the hollow interior compartment and defines a shaped opening which is sized to allow a pet to pass readily through the shaped opening into and out of the hollow interior compartment. A semi-cylindrical lid, sized to completely cover the shaped opening, is rotatably connected to the semi-cylindrical top or base thus, allowing the lid to rotate to either an open or closed position. Preferably, the lid is releasably securable to both side surfaces of the semi-cylindrical top by a pair of securing mechanisms, which additionally serves to secure the top to the base. In this manner, the pet carrier can be easily broken down for storage or for stacking lids, tops, and bodies for more cost effective shipping.
According to one embodiment of the invention a handle is rotatably secured to the semi-cylindrical top to facilitate securing the lid in the closed position and to transport the pet carrier. Additionally, the handle is recessible in a recess provide in the top to allow the lid of the pet carrier to rotate to the open position. Additionally, the lid may be secured in the closed position by a latch mechanism provided adjacent an edge of the side wall.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pet carrier for facilitating transport of a pet, the pet carrier comprising: a container base supporting a stationary convex portion, and the container base and the stationary convex portion both defining an access opening to an internal compartment of the pet carrier to provide access thereto; a handle being connected to the pet carrier to facilitate transport of the pet carrier in a stable upright manner; a convex lid being rotatably connected to the pet carrier, the rotatable convex lid being sized to cover the access opening, when the rotatable convex lid is rotated to a closed position, and to allow access to the internal compartment via the access opening, when the rotatable convex lid is in an open position, thereby facilitating placing of a pet within the pet carrier and removing of a pet therefrom.
The present invention also relates to a method of facilitating transport of a pet in a pet carrier, comprising the steps of: supporting a stationary convex portion by a container base, and defining an access opening to an internal compartment of the pet carrier, by both the container base and the stationary convex portion, to provide access thereto; connecting a handle to the pet carrier to facilitate transport of the pet carrier in a stable upright manner; rotatably connecting a convex lid to the pet carrier, and sizing the rotatable convex lid to cover the access opening, when the rotatable convex lid rotated to a closed position, and to allow access to the internal compartment via the access opening, when the rotatable convex lid is in an open position, thereby facilitating placing of a pet within the pet carrier and removing of a pet therefrom; placing a pet in the pet carrier; and transporting the pet to a desired location.
Other objects of the invention will be further understood with reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings. Additionally, it is to be appreciated that the particular pet carrier embodying the present invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in varied and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
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Davis and Bujold
Poon Peter M.
Shaw Elizabeth
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