Animal husbandry – Confining or housing – Often portable – small capacity – roofed housing structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-09
2001-07-03
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Confining or housing
Often portable, small capacity, roofed housing structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253711
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to egress and ingress portals for small pets, especially cats. More specifically, the present invention relates to a window mounted system that will permit a cat to independently exit and enter a dwelling, apartment, mobile home, recreational vehicle or the like, that also provides internal partitions or curtains for minimizing heat loss and preventing odors from entering the dwelling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes a number of window mounted pet enclosures which provide access for a cat, for example, from the interior of the dwelling into the enclosure. Such enclosures provide the pet with an opportunity to experience the out of doors while remaining safely within the confines of the enclosure and the dwelling. These enclosures may have windows or may be ventilated to the outside, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,337,697 and 5,167,202. Some may contain a litter box within the enclosure as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,438, or provide facilities for food and water, U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,291. In each instance, however, these enclosures are intended to prevent the pet from actually entering the outside world. If the pet owner desired to put the pet outside, such enclosures would be of no use and the pet owner would be required to open the door in the conventional manner. Other devices such as the “doggy door” permit access to the outside, but do not provide a suitable means to minimize heat loss or prevent odors from entering the dwelling. Moreover, a doggy door is a permanent installation.
Therefore, it is the object of the invention to provide a window mounted portal for a pet between the indoors and the out of doors. It is a further object of this invention to provided a system for minimizing heat loss and the entry of odors back into the house.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention comprises a box like structure which is mounted in a window having at least one opening to the interior of the dwelling and at least one opening to the out of doors. The structure, has a floor or bottom wall, a ceiling or top wall, and side and end walls between the top and bottom walls. The openings are typically located in the side walls of the structure facing indoors and outdoors, respectively. At least one floor to ceiling partial divider runs along the interior of the box, creating a U-shaped interior passageway through which the pet must travel to access the inside of the dwelling or the out of doors. Located in the passageway is at least two, and preferably several, flexible flaps or doors through which the pet travels to reach its destination. The flexible flaps or doors, which may be made of vinyl or rubber, for example, fit snugly to the sides of the passageway and between them form one or more airlocks to minimize the loss of heat from the dwelling and to also prevent outside odors from entering. Yet they are sufficiently flexible to enable the cat to easily push them aside while walking through the structure.
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Hayes Soloway Hennessey Grossman & Hage PC
Jordan Charles T.
Shaw Elizabeth
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