AU2014101190A4

AU2014101190A4 - Animal Transportation Enclosure

Info

Publication number: AU2014101190A4
Application number: AU2014101190A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew Tognolini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-09-30
Filing date: 2014-09-30
Publication date: 2014-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2022-09-30

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transportable animal enclosure of generally box-like form having a base, sides, ends and a roof defining a hollow interior space for accommodating an animal, the enclosure including at least one top door pivotally coupled to enable movement between a closed configuration in which the top door may be securely fastened and an open configuration which permits access to the enclosure interior, the enclosure further including at least one handle for lifting and/or carrying the enclosure and a plurality of wheels for rolling conveyance of the enclosure, wherein the wheels are retractable from an operative configuration to a stowed configuration. In a preferred aspect the at least one top door of the transportable animal enclosure includes the roof of the enclosure substantially from end to end and the pivotal coupling is in the form of a hinged connection at one or both sides of the enclosure. Figure 10

Description

1 ANIMAL TRANSPORTATION ENCLOSURE FIELD OF INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to enclosures for the transportation of animals. [0002] The invention is suitable for, but not limited to, transporting domesticated pet animals such as dogs and cats. BACKGROUND ART [0003] Pets, or companion animals, are popular and widespread in modern societies, providing companionship and comfort to many people. Pet owners are generally very dedicated to the animals and their care and wish to ensure their comfort and safety in various circumstances. Moreover, pet owners sometimes desire to transport their animal from one location to another for varied reasons. For the purposes of transportation of a pet, various forms of portable enclosures are known. A common form of enclosure comprises a shell formed from top and bottom moulded portions attached together to form a box, with a hinged door at one end between the top and bottom portions. The door can be opened to permit the animal to enter the enclosure, and then latched shut with the animal inside. Whilst such pet enclosures have been generally effective for their intended purposes, they have not been without limitation. [0004] Animals may need to be temporarily housed in an enclosure for a number of reasons such as transportation in a vehicle or an aircraft. In such cases the animal in the enclosure may additionally need to be moved from the home to a vehicle and/or from a vehicle to an aircraft. Therefore the enclosure should be suitably strong, stable and safe when loaded for transportation, but also able to be moved from one place to another by a person. [0005] One particular reason that a pet may need to be transported is for the purposes of attending a veterinarian clinic. In these circumstances the animal may be injured, frail, weak or otherwise infirm which can make it difficult for the animal to enter the enclosure through the door. Furthermore the size of the door may also make it difficult for the pet owner to place the animal in the enclosure without causing it pain or distress. Pet enclosures of known design have the capability of disassembling the top 2 portion from the bottom portion to allow better access, but the procedure may require the use of tools and/or precision alignment of the door during reassembly. [0006] Accordingly, there is a need for a transportable animal enclosure that permits convenient access to the interior for placing and/or retrieving an animal therein, which can be moved by hand as well as being capable of vehicular transportation. [0007] In view of the foregoing, it is desired to address or ameliorate one or more disadvantages or limitations associated with the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative. [0008] It is to be appreciated that any discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the present invention. Further, the discussion throughout this specification comes about due to the realisation and/or the identification of certain related art problems by the inventor. Moreover, any discussion of material such as documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention in terms of the inventor's knowledge and experience and, accordingly, any such discussion should not be taken as an admission that any of the material forms part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art in Australia, or elsewhere, on or before the priority date of the disclosure and claims herein. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0009] In accordance with the present invention there is provided a transportable animal enclosure of generally box-like form having a base, sides, ends and a roof defining a hollow interior space for accommodating an animal, the enclosure including at least one top door pivotally coupled to enable movement between a closed configuration in which the top door may be securely fastened and an open configuration which permits access to the enclosure interior, the enclosure further including at least one handle for lifting and/or carrying the enclosure and a plurality of wheels for rolling conveyance of the enclosure, wherein the wheels are retractable from an operative configuration to a stowed configuration.

3 [0010] The at least one top door may include the roof of the enclosure substantially from end to end, wherein the pivotal coupling is in the form of a hinged connection at one or both sides of the enclosure. [0011] The at least one top door may comprise two top doors each hinged at a respective side of the enclosure. The enclosure may further including one or more clips, latches or other fasteners operative to secure the top doors together and/or to the enclosure roof or ends when in the closed configuration. [0012] When in the operative configuration the enclosure may be supported on the wheels for convenient rolling conveyance. When in the stowed configuration the wheels may be retracted within housing formations that in use support the enclosure for stability. The enclosure may further include an extendable handle for manoeuvring the enclosure on its wheels when in the operative configuration. [0013] A front end of the enclosure may include a doorway opening through which an animal may enter and leave the enclosure interior and a hinged and latchable front door for selectively blocking the doorway opening. [0014] Other aspects and preferred forms are disclosed in the specification and/or defined in the appended claims, forming a part of the description of the invention. [0015] Further scope of applicability of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosure herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] The invention and its embodiments may be better understood by those skilled in the relevant art by reference to the following detailed description of preferred and other embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the disclosure herein, and in which: 4 Figure 1 is a perspective view illustration of a transportable animal enclosure constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view illustration of upper and lower shells of the enclosure separated from one another; Figure 3 is a perspective view illustration of upper and lower shells of the enclosure joined together; Figure 4 is a perspective view illustration of the enclosure with front door open; Figure 5 is a perspective view illustration of the enclosure particularly showing carry handles for lifting the enclosure; Figure 6 is an underside perspective view illustration of the enclosure particularly showing wheels extended; Figure 7 is an underside perspective view illustration of the enclosure particularly showing wheels retracted; Figure 8 is a perspective view illustration of the enclosure particularly showing an extendable handle for pushing or pulling the enclosure; Figure 9 is a perspective view illustration of the enclosure particularly showing upper doors unlatched; Figure 10 is a perspective view illustration of the enclosure particularly showing upper doors open; Figure 11 is a perspective view illustration of the enclosure particularly showing both upper doors and front door open; and Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of components of the enclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0017] A transportable animal enclosure is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail hereinbelow. The enclosure is designed to enable it to be conveniently moved by hand, as well as being suitable for vehicular transportation.

5 Additionally, the enclosure permits convenient access to the interior for placing and/or retrieving an animal therein. An embodiment of such a transportable animal enclosure 10 is shown in various views in the drawings. [0018] The overall enclosure 10, as seen in Figure 1, is generally box-shaped with a base, sides, ends, and a top. The features of the enclosure are largely symmetrical, one side as to the other. The enclosure is made predominantly from moulded polymer materials, such as PVC or other suitable plastics. In the example shown in the drawings, the main structure of the enclosure 10 is made up of a lower shell 100 and an upper shell 200. The lower shell and upper shell are shown separated from one another in Figure 2. [0019] The lower shell 100 has a generally flat base 102 and upstanding interconnected back wall 104 and side walls 106, 108 with a flange 110 extending around the top edge of thereof. At the front of the lower shell is a front door frame structure 112. [0020] The upper shell 200 is generally similar in overall form to the lower shell, although inverted so as to have a flange 210 extending around its lower edge. The upper shell has a generally flat roof 202 with a back wall 204 and side walls 206, 208 depending therefrom. At the front of the upper shell is a front door frame structure 212. [0021] The flanges 110, 210 of the upper and lower shells correspond to one another and are provided to enable the upper and lower shells to be affixed together through the use of rivets, bolts or other fasteners, for example. When the upper and lower shells are connected at the flanges (Figure 3) a box-like structure is formed with a hollow interior space for accommodating an animal, in use. At the front of the box-like structure is a door opening 150 defined by the door frames 112, 212. [0022] The door frames are provided with upper and lower door pivot holes (214, 114) at the top and bottom thereof, towards one side. The pivot holes are vertically aligned and designed to hold pivot pins extending from the top and bottom of a front door grate 250. The pivot pins of the door grate may be inserted in the pivot holes when the upper and lower shells are assembled together, and once assembled the door grate is secured to the enclosure structure whilst allowing pivotal movement of the door grate between a closed orientation (as seen in Figure 1) and an open orientation (as seen in Figure 4).

6 [0023] The door grate as shown is formed from interconnected vertical and horizontal metal rod members, although other forms and materials may alternatively be used. When in the closed orientation the door grate 250 functions to confine an animal within the enclosure, whilst still providing good airflow and permitting visual access into and out of the enclosure. Towards the other side of the door grate from the pivot pins are provided upper and lower latch pins 252, 254 which are vertically moveable by hand. When the door grate is closed the latch pins align with latch holes 216, 116 in the upper and lower door frame structure. When so aligned the latch pins may be moved by hand to engage the latch holes, thereby securing the door grate in place in the closed orientation. [0024] Pairs of additional holes 220, 120 are provided in the door frame positioned marginally forward and rearward of the door grate when closed. These holes enable cable ties or other flexible fasteners to be threaded therethrough and around a member of the door grate to secure the door in the closed orientation in addition to the latches. Such additional security is desirable for some transportation journeys, such as on commercial aircraft flights. [0025] For the purposes of transportation, the enclosure 10 has a top handle 260 (Figure 5) which permits a person to pick up the enclosure by hand. The top handle comprises two handle sides 261, 262 which are pivotally attached to the enclosure upper shell. The pivotal attachments of the handle sides 261, 262 allow them to lay horizontally within respective recesses in the top of the enclosure when not in use (Figure 1). [0026] The enclosure 10 is also provided with wheels 160 to allow rolling transportation. As best seen in Figure 6, the bottom of the lower shell is provided with four wheel housing formations 170 located toward the corners of the base. Each wheel housing formation has a small hollow interior space, open at the bottom. Wheels are secured within each wheel housing formation. In use the wheels project from the bottom of the wheel housings and support the enclosure for convenient rolling from one place to another. [0027] In the preferred embodiment the wheels are retractable into their respective wheel housings when not in use (Figure 7). When retracted the enclosure 10 is stably supported on the wheel housing formations. The retractable wheel mechanisms may be readily operated by hand or foot between the retracted and extended configurations. A 7 retractable wheel mechanism of this nature, employed for a different purpose, is described in the specification of United States Patent 6,926,289, for example. [0028] To enable the enclosure 10 to be easily moved about on the wheels, an extendable push handle 300 is provided at the rear. The push handle 300 has vertically telescoping sections 302 that are connected to a hand-bar 304. The telescoping sections allow the push handle to be retracted into handle recess structures 306 formed for this purpose on the back of the upper and lower shells. When retracted, as seen in Figure 1, the telescoping sections are contained within the handle recess structures and the hand-bar generally level with the roof of the upper shell. When extended, as seen in Figure 8, the hand-bar is raised to a suitable hand height for convenient manoeuvring of the enclosure on the wheels. [0029] Whilst the lower shell 100 of the enclosure 10 is a unitary structure, the upper shell 200 is constructed from three primary components: an upper frame 280, and two top doors 290, 295. The upper frame component includes the flange 210 that is, in use, connected to the lower shell, as well as the back wall 204 and front door frame 212. Each top door has an angled profile and forms a respective side of the roof structure and most of the upper side wall. [0030] Each top door has a hinged coupling to the upper frame along a respective side near the flange. This coupling enables the top doors to each pivot between a closed configuration and an open configuration. The top doors are illustrated in the closed configuration in Figure 9, for example. When in the closed configuration the top doors meet in the middle of the roof, forming the generally box-like structure of the enclosure 10. [0031] The hinged coupling between the top doors and upper frame is provided by corresponding lug formations 282, 284 on the exterior of the door and upper frame. The lug formations on each side have hinge-pin holes aligned along a horizontal pivot axis to accommodate a hinge pin (not shown). A single elongate hinge pin may be used that passes through all of the lug formations on a side, or individual hinge pins may be used for each set of lug formations. The lug formations and hinge pins form the hinged couplings that enable each of the top doors to pivot outwardly about the respective pivot axes to the open configuration of the enclosure 10, as seen in Figure 10.

8 [0032] Opening the top doors has the effect of making the interior of the enclosure easily accessible from the top by pivoting the top and upper side walls out of the way. This feature enables a user to gently place in, or remove an animal from the enclosure from the top, which is particularly useful when using the enclosure to transport a frail or infirm pet. For example, if the enclosure is used to transport a valued pet that may be injured or in pain, it may be difficult to place the animal in the enclosure, or remove it, through the relatively small front opening. By providing top doors that pivot the roof and upper side walls of the enclosure out of the way, the user is able to conveniently reach into the enclosure from the top. [0033] As described above, the top doors 290, 295 are secured to the upper frame by hinged couplings along the sides near where the flanges attach the upper and lower shells. Additionally, when the top doors are in the closed configuration, fasteners such as clips 296, 298 may be used to fasten the top doors together and to the upper frame. In Figure 4, for example, the clips 296, 298 are shown in a latched configuration wherein they secure the top doors to one another (clips 296) and secure the top doors to the upper frame (clips 298). The clips may be manipulated by hand to an unlatched configuration as shown in Figure 9, which places the top doors in a condition to enable them to open. [0034] The enclosure 10 as shown in the drawings includes four clips, two that fasten the top doors together (296) and another two that fasten the top doors to the upper frame (298). Together with the hinges, this provides a strong coupling between the top doors and the rest of the enclosure when the doors are closed and the clips fastened. As previously described, the top handle comprises two handle sides 261, 262 which are pivotally attached to the enclosure upper shell, each handle side being attached to a respective top door. The handle sides may be formed with interfitting spigots and holes which serve to hold the handle sides together when they are raised up into position for hand-carrying of the enclosure. The top doors may also be provided with holes 301 to enable one or more cable ties or other flexible fasteners to be threaded therethrough for additional security. [0035] Ventilation openings are provided in the portions of the top doors that, when in the closed configuration, form the upper side walls of the enclosure 10. Similarly, 9 ventilation openings are provided in the upper portion of the rear wall. Thus, together with the front door grate, ventilation is permitted from all sides of the enclosure. [0036] A food/drink container 320 may be provided, shown in the Figure 11, for example, clipped to the inside of the door grate. This allows for an animal that may occupy the enclosure 10 for an extended period to be provided with hydration and nutrition. [0037] A removable base tray 350 may also be provided that sits in the bottom of the enclosure in normal use. The base tray may have drainage slots enabling urine or the like to drain through to the bottom of the enclosure. The base tray has small corner located feet that align with recesses 360 in the floor of the lower shell of the enclosure in order to hold the base tray in place. Similarly spaced recesses 370 are formed in the top of the upper shell so that the base tray can be removed from inside the enclosure and placed on top. These features may be best observed in the exploded view of the main enclosure components shown in Figure 12. [0038] The enclosure may be constructed in more than one size to suit a range of different sized animals. It is contemplated that a large sized enclosure may be equipped with one or more removable internal partitions (not shown in the drawings). By dividing the interior of the enclosure into several separate compartments, one section can be used to house the animal, whilst another section may be used for storage of paraphernalia useful for the animal's care. Such a partitioned enclosure may be particularly useful for transportation to and from dog or cat shows, for example. [0039] The features of the enclosure are designed to enable a variety of effective modes of use. The top opening doors are particularly useful when transporting a frail or infirm animal because they allow easy access to the animal in the enclosure from above. The top opening doors are also useful where the enclosure is employed to transport a pet to a show or competition, as mentioned above. The two top doors can be opened without the need for a large space, and the removable base tray can be extracted through the opening and placed on top to support the animal at the destination. [0040] The wheels provide ease of movement of the enclosure on appropriate surfaces, and the extendable handle assists the user in manoeuvring the enclosure when the wheels are deployed. However, both the handle and the wheels are 10 retractable when not required, which allows the enclosure to be used for transportation on aircraft, for example, where wheeled enclosures may not be permitted by regulation. Furthermore, the top handles lay flat for stowage as well, and the various hinge pins and latches are designed so as not to protrude which are also desirable features for aircraft transportation. To permit manual lifting of the enclosure when the wheels and handles are retracted, the flanges at each side of the enclosure may be constructed with one or more lip formations to provide a grip for baggage handlers' fingers. As described above, in addition to latches or clips, the doors (front and top) can be secured with cable ties for further security in aircraft and other transportation. [0041] Whilst a number of embodiments may be described in the present application, they are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not, and are not intended to be, limiting in any sense. The presently disclosed invention(s) are widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as is readily apparent from the disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the disclosed invention(s) may be practiced with various modifications and alterations, such as structural, material, arrangement, configuration and/or other modifications. Although particular features of the disclosed invention(s) may be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments and/or drawings, it should be understood that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or drawings with reference to which they are described, unless expressly specified otherwise. [0042] The present disclosure is not a literal description of all embodiments of the invention(s). Also, the present disclosure is not a listing of features of the invention(s) which must be present in all embodiments. A description of an embodiment with several components or features does not imply that all or even any of such components/features are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present invention(s). Unless otherwise specified explicitly, no component/feature is essential or required. [0043] "Comprises/comprising" and "includes/including" when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. Thus, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words 'comprise', 11 comprising', 'includes', 'including' and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".

Claims

1. A transportable animal enclosure of generally box-like form having a base, sides, ends and a roof defining a hollow interior space for accommodating an animal, the enclosure including at least one top door pivotally coupled to enable movement between a closed configuration in which the top door may be securely fastened and an open configuration which permits access to the enclosure interior, the enclosure further including at least one handle for lifting and/or carrying the enclosure and a plurality of wheels for rolling conveyance of the enclosure, wherein the wheels are retractable from an operative configuration to a stowed configuration.

2. A transportable animal enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one top door includes the roof of the enclosure substantially from end to end and the pivotal coupling is in the form of a hinged connection at one or both sides of the enclosure.

3. A transportable animal enclosure according to claim 2, wherein the at least one top door comprises two top doors each hinged at a respective side of the enclosure.

4. A transportable animal enclosure according to claim 3, the enclosure further including one or more clips, latches or other fasteners operative to secure the top doors together and/or to the enclosure roof or ends when in the closed configuration.

5. A transportable animal enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims, further including an extendable handle for manoeuvring the enclosure on its wheels when in the operative configuration.