Animal husbandry – Confining or housing – Animal display or open work enclosure
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-01
2004-01-27
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Confining or housing
Animal display or open work enclosure
C119S481000, C119S461000, C119S462000, C119S480000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06681720
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to animal cages. More particularly, this invention relates to a collapsible cage for containing a pet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Oftentimes pet owners desire to place their pets inside a temporary housing to separate a pet from its normal environment. In response, various cage designs have been created, many of which are bulky and consume a large area of space while being stored. In order to overcome this problem, collapsible cages have been devised to allow pet owners to easily transport and store the cage in a compact fashion. However, many of these collapsible wire cage designs are burdensome to use as they are difficult to erect for use or to fold after use. Further, these wire cage designs have sharp corners that can rip clothing and scrape legs of pet owners and hook or catch onto cage walls during assembly. Most importantly, because many of the components must be detachable in order for the cage to fully collapse, the structural integrity and strength of the cage is severely compromised. This can result in pets escaping from the cage interior. Additionally, many cage designs are constructed in such a way that when persons desire to feed or provide water for their pet, the user must open the large access doors to the cage to deliver the food or Water. This configuration provides a substantial risk that a pet may unexpectedly escape while the pet owner is feeding the pet. Finally, many locking mechanisms on current cage designs can be accidentally unlocked by pets that are inside the cage or are simply difficult for pet owners to operate.
A need exists for an improved collapsible cage that addresses these deficiencies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a collapsible wire cage for a household pet. The wire cage can be positioned between an expanded position, to form an enclosure to house the pet, and a folded position, where the wire cage is compact for ease of transport and storage. While in the expanded position, a front wall, a rear wall, a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a top wall are interconnected above a base wall so as to prevent a pet escaping from the cage interior. The front and rear walls contain rounded sides to avoid sharp corners that can often rip clothing, scrape the legs of pet owners, etc. Further, rounded sides simplify assembly/disassembly of the cage because the sides are able to slide against and not interfere with the sidewalls when transitioning the front and rear walls between the folded and expanded positions.
The present invention contains multiple wire lock devices mounted on the top wall to connect and secure the front and rear walls to the top wall in an upright position. The wire locks provide additional stability to the cage while configured in the expanded position as they prevent the pet from collapsing the cage walls inward. This reduces the likelihood of the pet escaping or injury to the pet.
The top wall contains a top door to allow the pet owner to access the cage through the top surface. The top door is hinged along the top surface edge so as the door is fully opened the door can rest flush with the side of the kennel. While in this position, the cage can be placed adjacent a room wall and used as a puppy pen.
The wire cage front wall contains an entranceway door to allow the pet to enter and exit the cage interior. The entrance door is locked by at least one locking mechanism so as to prevent the pet from escaping the cage interior. The locking mechanism contains a latch bolt that is offset with a latch handle so that the latch handle only has to be rotated perpendicular to the cage door in order to unlock the latch. Because the handle is perpendicular to the face of the cage door, the handle provides the pet owner with additional leverage to open and/or close the cage door. In current cage designs, the latch must be rolled up to 180 degrees which oftentimes results in fingers and knuckles being pinched and/or scraped. Further, the handle cannot be used to open and close the door.
A second door, or a pass through door, is mounted on the entrance door to allow access inside the cage interior without opening the entrance door. The pass through door is pivotably hinged onto the entrance door and contains a locking mechanism to lock the door in the closed position. The pass through door is sufficiently sized in order to allow the pet owner access to the cage interior to insert a water or food bowl without allowing the pet to escape while the pass through door is open. In order to open the pass through door, the entrance door must be closed and the locking mechanism on the entrance door must be locked. Thus, when the pet owner attempts to feed the pet, it is difficult for the pet to escape and the pet owner is always assured that the entrance door is locked and closed.
When transporting or storing the wire cage, the cage can be placed in a folded position. In the folded position, the front and rear walls are disconnected from the top wall and collapse inside the cage interior. The rounded sides on the front and rear walls are sized to slide against the sidewalls without interfering or hooking onto the sidewalls. The top wall and sidewalls are then folded and stacked above the collapsed front and rear walls.
The base wall can be configured to receive a removable pan to support the pet while inside the cage interior. The removable pan contains a moat to allow drainage of urine. The base wall is defined by a bottom surface having multiple protrusions to support the removable pan. The protrusions are taller in the middle portion of the bottom surface and shorter towards the bottom surface edges. Thus, when the removable pan is placed inside the base portion, the raised center portion causes the pan to slope downward thereby causing the edge portions of the pan to be lower than the middle portion of the pan. As a result, any urine excreted by the pet while inside the cage drains toward the edge and is collected by the moat. This provides a dry containment area for the pet.
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Foster Michael A.
Harper Mike
Skurdalsvold Scott A.
Spears, II Donald E.
Van Skiver Ralph
Doskocil Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Jordan Charles T.
Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP
Zerr John W.
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