AU2022100146B4

AU2022100146B4 - Animal enclosure

Info

Publication number: AU2022100146B4
Application number: AU2022100146A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gabriel Harfouche; Kelsie Harfouche
Original assignee: Copia Corp Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Copia Corp Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-08-14
Filing date: 2022-10-18
Publication date: 2023-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2029-06-10
Also published as: AU2022100146A4; AU2021203878A1; AU2021203878B2

Abstract

An animal enclosure comprises a cage having an opening in a side of the cage and a base disposed underneath the cage, wherein one or more openings are provided in a side of the base for receiving lifting equipment. A container is disposed inside of the cage, the container comprising an internal cavity and an aperture provided in a side of the container, wherein the aperture is aligned with the opening of the cage to provide an entryway into the internal cavity.

Description

ANIMAL ENCLOSURE

Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an animal enclosure and, more particularly, to a portable animal enclosure that is adapted for easy transport and storage.

Background

[0002] Kennels are commonly used to provide shelter for domestic animals such as dogs and cats. A kennel may comprise a wooden or plastic structure or a wire cage. Kennels of this configuration provide a safe and habitable enclosure for an animal but are not easily transportable. In particular, lifting the kennel is impractical and can often result in damage to its structural components. Lifting a kennel when the animal is inside can also result in injury to the animal. For example, when a wire dog cage is lifted and moved a paw of the dog may get injured if the paw is poking out between the wire members of the cage. Zoo animals are also commonly housed and transported in large metal cages. A caged animal can similarly be injured when the cage is being moved, particularly when mechanical lifting equipment such as pallet jacks or forklifts are used.

[0003]Domestic and captive animals also occasionally need to be loaded onto vehicles and transported over long distances. An animal kennel or cage will typically be loaded onto a vehicle or trailer along with several other objects, which may include additional animal enclosures. This presents a risk of injury to the animal during transport because the animal's limbs can get caught on or damaged by objects next to the animal's enclosure. The risk is increased if the nearby objects are not securely tied down to the vehicle thus allowing them to move around during transport.

[0004]To optimise the use of storage space on a vehicle that is transporting an animal enclosure, the enclosure may also need to be stacked on top of other objects or may have one or more objects stacked on top of the enclosure. The animal enclosure may, therefore, need to be placed inside a robust storage crate to enable it to be stacked. This can cause distress to the animal as the storage crate may reduce the light and air that is available to the animal.

[0005 It is to be understood that, if any prior art is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the prior art forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Summary

[0006]According to the present invention there is provided a portable animal enclosure, wherein the portable animal enclosure comprises: a cage having an opening in a side of the cage; a base disposed underneath the cage, wherein one or more openings are provided in a side of the base for receiving lifting equipment; and a container disposed inside of the cage, wherein the container comprises an internal cavity and an aperture provided in a side of the container, the aperture being aligned with the opening of the cage to provide an entryway into the internal cavity.

[0007]The portable animal enclosure may comprise a door for covering the entryway, wherein the door is hingedly connected to the cage.

[0008]The door may be hingedly connected to a vertically-extending frame member of the cage at a side of the entryway.

[0009]The door may comprise a locking mechanism for locking the door shut.

[0010]The portable animal enclosure may comprise a protective guard member that extends around a perimeter of the aperture of the container.

[0011] The protective guard member may be elastically deformable. The protective guard member may comprise a convex surface inwardly facing into the aperture of the container.

[0012]The container may comprise at least a floor section and wall sections that provide a barrier between the internal cavity and the cage.

[0013]The cage may comprise a support disposed above the container to support objects stacked on top of the animal enclosure.

[0014]The support may be adapted to support a lowermost section of a second animal enclosure, wherein the lowermost section is substantially identical in shape to the base of the animal enclosure.

[0015]The support may comprise an elongate bar extending around a perimeter of an uppermost end of the cage.

[0016]The uppermost end of the cage may be open to allow for removal of the container from the cage.

[0017]A pair of openings may be provided in the base to receive a pair of lifting arms of a pallet jack or forklift.

[0018] The container may comprise a roof section.

[0019] The roof section may comprise an aperture provided with a removable cap.

[0020]The removable cap may be a screw cap.

[0021] The base may comprise a trough disposed proximal to the entryway.

[0022]The container may comprise a floor section that has an aperture arranged above the trough to provide access thereto.

[0023]The container may be made of plastic.

[0024] The container may be made of polyethylene.

[0025]The cage may comprise a plurality of vertically oriented cage members and a plurality of horizontally oriented cage members.

[0026]The cage may be made of galvanized tubular steel or iron.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0027] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an animal enclosure according to an example embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the animal enclosure; Figure 3 is a plan view of the animal enclosure; Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the animal enclosure; Figure 5 is a front elevation of an animal enclosure according to a further example embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is an underside view of the animal enclosure of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a front elevation view of an animal enclosure according to a further example embodiment of the invention.

Description of Embodiments

[0028]Referring to Figures 1 to 4, an example embodiment of the present invention provides an animal enclosure 10. The animal enclosure 10 comprises a cage 12 having an opening 14 in a side of the cage 12 and a base 16 disposed underneath the cage 12, wherein one or more openings 18 are provided in a side of the base 16 for receiving lifting equipment. The animal enclosure 10 also comprises a container 20 disposed inside of the cage 12, wherein the container comprises an internal cavity 22 and an aperture 24 provided in a side of the container 20, the aperture 24 being aligned with the opening 14 of the cage 12 to provide an entryway into the internal cavity 22.

[0029] More particularly, in the example depicted the container 20 is substantially cuboidal and comprises a floor section 26 surrounded by four wall sections 28. The container 20 may also comprise a square roof section 30 that provides a cover over the internal cavity 22. The floor, wall and roof sections of the container 20 provide a physical barrier between the internal cavity 22 and the cage 12. The roof section 30 may comprise a centrally positioned aperture provided with a circular screw cap 32 for removably sealing the aperture. The aperture in the roof section 30 allows animal food and other substances to be deposited into the container 20 and also provides a convenient place in which to insert and attach hoselines for washing out the internal cavity 22. The container 20 may be made of a tough and durable plastic material such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene, polycarbonate or acetal (polyoxymethylene).

[0030]The cage 12 may also comprise a support assembly 34 that is disposed above the container 20. The support assembly 34 provides a resilient platform that is adapted to support objects stacked on top of the enclosure 10. The support assembly 34 may comprise an elongate bar that extends around a perimeter of the uppermost end of the cage 12. The bar 34 forms a square platform that is dimensioned to support objects having a square base. In the example depicted, the platform 34 is dimensioned such that it can receive and support the base 16 of the animal enclosure 10. In this configuration, the platform 34 and base 16 enable a plurality of the animal enclosures 10 to be stacked on top of one another in a modular fashion.

[0031]The cage 12 may comprise a plurality of horizontally oriented cage members that are spaced apart from one another and extend laterally around the perimeter of the cage 12. The cage 12 may also comprise a plurality of vertically oriented cage members that intersect the horizontally oriented cage members and extend longitudinally between the base 16 and the support assembly 34. Each of the cage members may be elongated and may be made of galvanized tubular steel or iron. Referring to Figure 3, an uppermost end 36 of the cage 12 may be open which allows the container 20 to be lifted out of the cage 12 with ease.

[0032]The base 16 may comprise a rectangular box-shaped platform that has at least a pair of openings 18 provided in a frontmost end of the base 16. The openings 18 may be substantially rectangular and may be dimensioned to receive a pair of lifting arms of a lifting device, such as the lifting arms commonly provided on pallet jacks and forklifts. The rearmost end and the sides of the base 16 may also each comprise openings to receive lifting equipment.

[0033]The entryway of the animal enclosure 10 may comprise a door 38. In the example depicted, the door 38 is hingedly connected to the cage 12 and comprises a plurality of vertically oriented and horizontally oriented elongate bars arranged in a rectangular grid. The door 38 may also comprise a handle 39 that is operatively connected to a locking mechanism for locking the animal safely inside the enclosure 10. The door 38 may be locked, for example, when the animal needs to be transported inside the enclosure 10.

[0034 In use, the animal enclosure 10 may be used as a kennel for domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, or to provide a temporary home for zoo animals. The animal enclosure 10 also provides a safe and secure storage device for transporting animals. To move the animal enclosure 10, a pair of lifting arms of a pallet jack and forklift may be inserted into the pair of openings 18 provided in the base 16. The animal enclosure 10 may then be lifted from the ground and moved to a new location or placed into a vehicle for transportation. The container 20 provides a barrier that protects the animal from the cage 12 and any lifting equipment or objects that may come into contact with the animal enclosure 10 during the lifting and moving process. Similarly, the cage 12 provides a resilient protective structure that shields the container 20 from any impacts with objects during lifting and moving. If the enclosure 10 is loaded onto a vehicle or trailer, the platform 34 and base 16 enable a plurality of the enclosures 10 to be stacked on top of one another in a modular fashion to optimise use of space.

[0035]Referring to Figure 5, an animal enclosure 40 according to a further example embodiment of the invention is shown. The animal enclosure 40 is materially the same as the example provided in the Figures 1-4 except that a trough 42 is disposed proximal to the entryway 44 of the animal enclosure 40. The enclosure 40 is shown without a door but it will be understood that a door may be included that covers the entryway 44. The trough 42 may be formed integrally with the base 48 of the enclosure 40. More particularly, the base 48 may comprise an uppermost planar surface that has a downwardly extending recess that forms the trough 42. To enable the trough 42 to be accessed by an animal held inside the internal container 52 of the animal enclosure 40, a frontmost floor section 50 of the container 52 may comprise an aperture arranged above the trough 42.

[0036]A protective guard member 56 may also extend around a perimeter of the aperture 58 provided at the front of the container 52 aligned with the entryway 44. The guard member 56 may have a convex surface facing inwardly into the aperture 58. The guard member 56 may also be elastically deformable and protects the animal from the edge of the aperture 58.

[0037]As shown in Figure 6, the base 48 of the animal enclosure 40 may comprise an elongate bar 60 that extends around a perimeter of the base 48. The bar 60 forms a square platform that has the same dimensions as the square support assembly 34 provided at the uppermost end of the enclosure 40. In this configuration, the base 48 may advantageously be mounted directly onto the support assembly 34 of a subjacent animal enclosure when arranged in a staked configuration. Once stacked, the base 48 and support assembly 62 may be secured together using a suitable connection means, such as ratchet straps. The openings 64 of the base 48, which are provided above the bar 60, are adapted to receive the lifting implements of lifting machines, such as pallet jacks and forklifts.

[0038] Referring to Figure 7, there is provided an animal enclosure 70 according to a further example embodiment of the invention. The animal enclosure 70 is materially the same as the enclosure 10 depicted in Figures 1 to 6 except that the enclosure 70 comprises a turbine vent 72 provided on the roof of the enclosure 70 instead of the screw cap 32. The turbine vent 72 removes heat and ventilates the enclosure 70. The enclosure 70 also comprises an awning 74 provided above the door of the enclosure 70.

[0039]Now that example embodiments of the animal enclosure have been described, it will be apparent that it provides a number of advantages over the prior art, including the following:

(i) The internal container of the animal enclosure provides a physical barrier that protects an animal inside the container from the cage, and from any lifting equipment or objects that may come into contact with the animal enclosure, during lifting and moving of the enclosure;

(ii) The internal container provides a barrier that prevents an animal inside of the container from chewing on the cage;

(ii) The cage provides a resilient protective structure that shields the internal container and the animal from any impacts with objects during lifting and moving;

(iv) The animal enclosure may be easily stacked for optimal use of space during shipping and storage;

(v) The animal enclosure may have a standard footprint of 48" x 40" which enables easy shipping, conveying and transport due to it being a common pallet size; and

(vi) The animal enclosure is tough and durable and provides a safe, comfortable and convenient housing for a variety of domestic and zoo animals.

[0040]The skilled addressee will appreciate that certain features shown in the Figures may be illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been shown to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the features may be exaggerated relative to other features to facilitate an understanding of the various example embodiments exemplifying the principles described herein. Also, common but well understood features that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to provide a less obstructed view of these various examples. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein adopt the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

[0041]The location and disposition of the features depicted in the Figures may vary according to the particular arrangements of the embodiment(s) as well as of the particular applications of such embodiment(s). References to positional descriptions in this specification, such as 'lower' and 'upper', and associated forms such as 'uppermost' and 'lowermost', are to be taken in context of the relevant example embodiments shown in the figures and are not to be taken as limiting the scope of the principles described herein to the literal interpretation of the term, but rather as would be understood by the skilled addressee.

[0042]For the purpose of this specification, the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning.

[0043] The above embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A portable animal enclosure, comprising: a cage having an opening in a side of the cage; a base disposed underneath the cage, wherein one or more openings are provided in a side of the base for receiving lifting equipment; a container disposed inside of the cage, wherein the container comprises an internal cavity and an aperture provided in a side of the container, the aperture being aligned with the opening of the cage to provide an entryway into the internal cavity; and a door for covering the entryway, wherein the door is hingedly connected to the cage.

2. The portable animal enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the door is hingedly connected to a vertically-extending frame member of the cage at a side of the entryway.

3. The portable animal enclosure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the door comprises a locking mechanism for locking the door shut.

4. The portable animal enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the portable animal enclosure comprises a protective guard member extending around a perimeter of the aperture of the container.

5. The portable animal enclosure according to claim 4, wherein the protective guard member is elastically deformable.