AU2007201967A1 - Indoor aviary - Google Patents

Description

3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 6/ 28 Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANT: Denis Louis Elton Griffin ACTUAL INVENTOR: Denis Louis Elton Griffin ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: Peter Maxwell and Associates Level 6 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 INVENTION TITLE: INDOOR AVIARY DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO(S): 2006 902 298 3 May 2006 AU The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:m:\docs\20071015\119631.doc COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM:PETER MAXWELL :612 92479945 7/ 2a eN] 2 SFIELD OF THE INVENTION t' This invention relates to improvements in aviaries for the keeping of pet birds in indoor situations.

Va _BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 0In the past, the conditions in which pet birds have been housed have not obeen ideal with respect to the health of the birds, the opportunity for exercise, N the promotion of a lively community and the ease with which individual birds can be tamed and trained and safely removed in cases of sickness. Ideally, the aviary should simulate the conditions of the natural environment. This may not be entirely achievable, but designs should strive to offer pet birds a close approximation to life in the wild.

These conditions are only achievable in a relatively large aviary, the distribution freight costs of which, unless it can be packed in knock-down or flat-pack form, would be very expensive.

The prison-like appearance of the conventional mesh aviary is unattractive. The wire mesh interferes with view of the birds. Pet birds are kept not only for the enjoyment derived from training them to mimic speech and to fly freely within the home, but for the spectacle of their colour and observation of their behaviour.

Various methods have been adopted to avoid seed husks, shed feathers and droppings being scattered outside the aviary, where they not only pose a health issue for the family but are unsightly. The surrounding area has to be regularly vacuumed, which is a tiresome chore.

It is desirable that the aviary be placed in the sun for a short time each day and, therefore, it must be mobile. However, a danger with the conventional mesh aviary is that wild birds, particularly the currawong and magpie, being 03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 S/ 26 3 Sterritorial, will attack the birds in the aviary through the apertures in the mesh Cc and kill them as they flutter about in panic. Wild birds can also can transmit diseases, such as 'bird flu', to the birds in the aviary.

Aviary birds have been known to die from strangulation in the mesh of O 5 the conventional aviary. They have been poisoned by pecking the paint used oto restore the mesh and the materials widely used in the construction of mesh aviaries which, whether made of wood, wrought iron or powder coated steel, odeteriorate with time.

Aviary designers in the past have recognised the need to keep the interior clean, although this has not always been successful, particularly because shed feathers and droppings tend to adhere to the floor and walls and are very difficult to remove. Also, existing aviaries do not facilitate the easy removal of diseased birds, or the isolation of birds in one area of the aviary whilst other matters are attended to in another area of the aviary.

Indoor aviaries have been relatively small cages with few birds and do not complement the style of the furnishings of a typical contemporary home. In particular, they do not carry decorative features which can be selected to harmonise with the d~cor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to substantially ameliorate at least some of the aforementioned problems associated with prior art aviaries.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an aviary comprising:top and bottom panels; (ii) side panels whose edges are adapted to be aligned adjacent to each other and to the edges of the top and bottom panels by 03/105/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 9/ 28 0 4 framework interconnecting between the adjacent edges to form an enclosed interior of the aviary; wherein at least one side panel has a portion thereof that is able to be pivoted upwardly into the interior of the aviary where, in use, it can be secured in a C, 5 generally horizontal position, the pivoting portion being of such o shape and dimensions as to act as a barrier for birds contained in that part of the interior above the pivoting portion which prevents 0 otheir movement into that part of the interior below the pivoting portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are castors mounted under the bottom panel for facilitating the easy movement of the aviary.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the side panels has a portion adapted to slide horizontally, thereby forming an aperture into the aviary interior.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the side panels has a portion adapted to slide vertically, thereby forming an aperture into the aviary interior.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention, the side panels are made from a transparent, smooth surfaced substance, such as glass or acrylic plastic.

Preferably, the aviary includes perches which are supported by chains stretched between the top and bottom panels, one of which is positioned centrally to allow for a relatively large number of positions for placement of the perches.

In a still further preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided an aviary with relatively large dimensions, said aviary being able to be 03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 10/ 28 0 0 assembled by the consumer in a relatively short amount of time from parts which can be distributed within two flat-packs.

It is preferred that one or more side panels are decorated with a mural that is sandwiched between two transparent, smooth surfaced panels, and so NO 5 cannot be damaged by the birds.

oPreferably, the framework interconnecting between each of the adjacent edges of the panels comprise three extruded angles.

SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS To assist with understanding the invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows in perspective an example of the invention viewed from the front, with the hinged or pivoting portion in its lowered position; Fig. 2 shows in perspective and side section an example of a method of fixing an item of framework to the top or bottom panels according to this invention; Fig. 3 shows a top sectional view of an example of a method of fitting adjacent side panels to any item of framework; Fig. 4 shows in side section an example of the assembly of the horizontally sliding panels; Fig. 5 shows in perspective an example of the pivoting panel; Fig. 6 shows a top sectional view of an example of the vertically sliding panels; Fig. 7 shows in perspective an example of the alignment a side panel with a bottom panel; 03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 11/ 28 6 Fig. 8 shows in perspective a preferred method of attaching a perch Cc supporting chain to a top and lower panel; Fig. 9 shows in perspective an example of an arrangement of preferred components constituting a front panel assembly of the aviary; Va 5 Fig.1O shows in side section an example of a side panel with a mural osandwiched between two transparent panels for use as a rear panel of the aviary; oFig. 11 shows in side section an example of an arrangement for hinging the pivoting panel portion of a front panel assembly to an item of framework; Fig. 12 shows in front elevation the arrangement of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 shows in side section the arrangement of Figs. 11 and 12 with the pivoting panel portion partly pivotally raised; Fig. 14 shows a top sectional view of the arrangement of Fig. 12; Fig. 15 shows in front elevation an example of an arrangement of the pivoting panel portion shown in Figs. 11 to 14 and a centrally positioned perch support located therebehind; Fig. 16 shows in side elevation the arrangement of Fig. Fig. 17 shows in front elevation the arrangement of Figs. 15 and 16 with the pivoting panel portions partly pivotally raised to about 45 degrees; Fig. 18 shows in side elevation the arrangement of Fig. 17; Fig. 19 shows in front elevation the arrangement of Figs. 17 and 18 with the pivoting panel portion fully pivotally raised to 90 degrees; Fig. 20 shows in side elevation the arrangement of Fig. 19.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As will be apparent from the following description, birds can be isolated in a relatively small part of the interior or an upper area of the aviary 100 by 03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL :612 92479945 12/ 28 0 7 pivoting a hinged front panel portion upwards through 90 degrees and securing q it in place by means of a peg positioned through a link in a centrally positioned chain. While the birds are sitting on the topmost perches that are in the now isolated upper area, opening one or more horizontally sliding portions of a front Va 5 or side panel will allow access to the birds.

oReferring to Fig. 1, the aviary shown therein has three small, smooth surface, transparent panels 50,51,52 which are adapted to slide horizontally obetween two extruded channels, below which a relatively large, smooth surface, transparent panel 14 is hinged at its higher edge such that it can be readily pivoted or rotated vertically through 90 degrees to reach a horizontal position, There is a slot 15 to allow the panel 14, when pivotally opened, to clear a centrally positioned chain or perch support 26. Below that panel 14 is a relatively large, smooth surface, transparent panel 20 that can slide vertically or, if desired, may be fixed in position, and below which there is a tinted panel 53.

Presence of the vertically sliding panel 20 allows for ease of cleaning the interior of the aviary. Food and drink containers can be removed and refilled and the litter on the floor of the aviary can be cleaned out and replaced with fresh litter by opening upwards the vertically sliding panel Referring to Fig. 2 and the preferred embodiment of the invention shown therein, the framework in a preferred embodiment of this invention consists of three extruded angles, the vertical length of the innermost extruded angles 1 and 2 being shorter than that of the outermost extruded angle 3 which is fixed to the top and bottom panels with a bolt 55, a nut 56 and a bracket 57. The bolt 55 passes vertically through aligned holes in the top or bottom panel and in the a bracket 57, which is secured to the inside surface of the outermost angles.

The extruded angles are made of a strong rigid material, preferably mill or 03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 13/ 2a 0 0 8 anodised aluminium, and comprise three profiles glued or welded together.

t' The internal angle 2 is not as wide as the two external angles 1 and 3 so that a slot is formed therebetween. The side panels are slipped into the slots and are t thus held in position. Also, the outermost angle 3 is longer than the other two Va 5 so that, when it is fixed to the top and bottom panels, the side panels align with othe edges of the top and bottom panels. The use of this framework of three interconnected extruded angles provides a neater and cleaner appearance, o and permits a neat alignment of the transparent, smooth surfaced walls of the side panels with the edges of the bottom panel so preventing any litter on the floor of the aviary from escaping. The side panels stop short of the top panel for cross ventilation.

The side panels 6, including any side panels containing a mural or other decorative feature for use as a rear panel, are shown in Fig. 3. The edges of the side panels 6 are adapted to be aligned adjacent to each other by being slotted between the two external angles 7 and 8.

In Fig. 4 and the preferred embodiment of the invention shown therein, there is an example of the method whereby two of the three sliding panels 9 and 10 are held within two fixed extruded channels 12 and 13, themselves being fixed to the innermost extruded angle 11.

In Fig. 5 and the preferred embodiment of the invention shown therein, an example of the hinged panel 14 is shown rotated upwardly about degrees. The panel 14 has a slot 15 (see Fig. 1) and two opposed brackets (only one bracket 16 is shown) to which are attached respective hinges 18.

The two opposed hinges 18 are each respectively fixed to an adjacent innermost extruded angle 17 which is itself fixed to an internal extruded angle 19.

03/05107 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 14/ 28 0 9 An example of the vertically sliding panels is shown in Fig. 6, where a q sliding panel 20 is slotted in the space between extruded angles 22 and 23.

The alignment of any one of the side panels 24 with the bottom panel is shown in Fig. 7.

Va INO 5 In Fig. 8, there is shown a preferred method of attaching any one of the operch supporting chains 26 (of which there are preferably five) to the top panel 27 by means of a relatively small dimensioned metal chain 28, a fixing pin 29 opassed through a link in the chain, and a draw-string 60 attached at the end of the metal chain 28 designed to facilitate attachment of the component parts during assembly of the aviary.

In Fig. 9 there is shown a partial cutaway view of a portion of a front panel assembly according to another embodiment of the invention. Extruded angle 30 runs down the length of the front panel assembly. Sliding panel 31 is held within the extruded channels 32 and 33. Hinged panel 34 is attached to bracket 16, which in turn is connected to hinge 18. Continuing down the front panel assembly, there is a vertically sliding panel 36 and a tinted panel 37.

Sliding panel 36 is shown in its location with respect to extruded angle 30, and there is an extruded channel (not shown) fixed to the framework and extending along the bottom of the panel 36 to keep it in place.

In Fig. 10, a mural 38 is shown sandwiched between transparent, smooth surfaced panels 39 and 40 which are held in position between the innermost extruded angle 41 and outermost extruded angle 42.

In Figs. 11 to 14, there is shown a preferred arrangement for hinging the pivoting panel portion 34 of the front panel assembly to an item of framework.

The pivoting panel portion 34 (similar to the hinged panel 14 shown in Fig. 5) is connected to a bracket 16, and to the bracket 16 is connected a first pivotal 03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM;PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 15/ 28 0 arm of a hinge 18. The other arm of the hinge 18 is secured to the innermost extruded angle 17, which is itself fixed to the internal extruded angle 19.

The partial pivotal raising of the front panel portion 34 via the hinge 18 is shown in Fig. 13.

In Figs. 15 to 20, there is shown a preferred arrangement of the pivoting opanel portion 34 shown in Figs. 11 to 14 but with a centrally positioned chain or perch support 26 located therebehind. The three stages shown in Figs. 15 to depict how the pivoting panel portion 34, which has a slot 15 formed as shown, can be raised via opposed hinges 18 to 90 degrees without obstruction by the perch support 26, and then held at that position by a peg 70 engaging through a link of the chain situated below the raised panel portion.

While any transparent, smooth surfaced material, such as sheet or safety glass or polycarbonate, may form the walls or panels of the aviary, the preferred material is acrylic sheet.

While any solid material may be used to form the top and bottom panels, the preferred material is white satin MR M.D.F. edged all round.

While any robust material may be used to form the extruded channels and angles, the preferred material is anodised or mill aluminium.

It should be noted that components of the invention may be formed of materials which provide the invention with desired properties, for example, rigidity and largely unobstructed viewing of the interior. The invention may be substantially formed from any metal, synthetic polymers or other materials or combinations of materials which provide essential rigidity and transparency as required or desired.

Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03

Claims (6)

1. 3- 5-07; 2:33PM:PETER MAXWELL :612 92479945 16/ 28 11 0 0 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: en 1. An aviary comprising:- 0 top and bottom panels; (ii) side panels whose edges are adapted to be aligned adjacent to Va each other and to the edges of the top and bottom panels by o framework interconnecting between the adjacent edges to form an enclosed interior of the aviary; wherein at least one side panel 0has a portion thereof that is able to be pivoted upwardly into the interior of the aviary where, in use, it can be secured in a generally horizontal position, the pivoting portion being of such shape and dimensions as to act as a barrier for birds contained in that part of the interior above the pivoting portion which prevents their movement into that part of the interior below the pivoting portion. 2. The aviary of claim 1 and further including castors mounted under the bottom panel. 3. The aviary of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein at least one of the side panels has a portion adapted to slide horizontally, thereby forming an aperture into the aviary interior.
2. 4. The aviary of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein at least one of the side panels has a portion adapted to slide vertically, thereby forming an aperture into the aviary interior. 03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03 3- 5-07; 2:33PM:PETER MAXWELL ;612 92479945 17/ 28 12 0 0 The aviary of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the side panels are made Sfrom glass or acrylic plastic.
3. 6. The aviary of any one of claims 1 to 5 and further including perches which are supported by chains stretched between the top and bottom panels, Va one of which is positioned centrally.
4. 7. The aviary of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein one or more side panels Sare decorated with a mural that is sandwiched between two transparent, smooth surfaced panels.
5. 8. The aviary of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the framework interconnecting between each of the adjacent edges of the panels comprise three extruded angles.
6. 9. The aviary of claim 6 wherein the or each pivoting panel portion, when pivoted upwardly into a generally horizontal position, is held in that position by a peg engaging through a link of the centrally positioned chain, the link being located below the pivoting panel portion. An aviary substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 3rd day of May 2007 Denis Louis Elton Griffin Patent Attomrneys for the Applicant PETER MAXWELL AND ASSOCIATES 03/05/07 COMS ID No: SBMI-07233500 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:46 Date 2007-05-03