GB2329569A

GB2329569A - Animal habitat arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2329569A
Application number: GB9822365A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shek Yuen Patrick Kan
Original assignee: ALLIANCE PET SUPPLY Co LI; Alliance Pet Supply Co Ltd
Current assignee: ALLIANCE PET SUPPLY Co LI; Alliance Pet Supply Co Ltd
Priority date: 1996-11-26
Filing date: 1996-11-26
Publication date: 1999-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-26
Also published as: GB2319456A; JPH10243753A; GB2319456B; GB9624535D0; CN1183210A; GB2329569B; GB9822365D0

Abstract

A hamster cage is disclosed as comprising a base member 12 and four walls 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d releasably engageable therewith. The habitat arrangement is in the form of a house (Fig. 2) having a treadmill 48 with a speedometer 60, 62, windows 38 replaceable with tunnel adaptors 40, and a pivotable roof 22a, 22b having a chimney 33 suitable for a water bottle 31. Internal corners may be protected form gnawing by metal edges.

Description

An Animal Habitat Arrangement This invention relates to an animal habitat arrangement and, in particular, a habitat for such small animals as hamsters.

Existing animal habitat arrangements usually include protrusions which extend into the cavity in which the animal lives. The problem with such an arrangement is that the animal living therein may gnaw these protrusions, thus causing damage to the structure and aesthetic appearance of the habitat. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an animal habitat in which the above shortcomings are mitigated, or at least to provide a useful alternative to the public.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein the upper structure comprises a plurality of releasably engageable wall members, and wherein a top member is releasably engageable with the wall members.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein the upper structure comprises a plurality of releasably engageable wall members, and wherein at least one wheel member is releasably engageable with one of the wall members.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein edges of all openings of an interior cavity defined by the base member and the upper structure are protected by metal.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein the upper structure comprises a plurality of releasably engageable wall members, wherein at least one wall member includes coupling means selectively releasably engageable with either a cover means or a tunnel member.

The present invention will now be described in more details, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an animal habitat according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the animal habitat shown in Fig. 1 to which no tunnel is connected; and Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the animal habitat shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to which a tunnel is connected.

Figs. 1 to 3 show an animal habitat in the form of a hamster house generally designated as 10. As can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the hamster house 10 is generally in the form of a mill. The hamster house 10 includes a base 12 to which four walls 14a 14b, 14e and 14d may be releasably secured. A wire mesh 16 is placed in the base 12 for easing the cleaning process. Each of walls 14b and 14d includes fingers 18 which may be received within holes 20 of the adjacent walls 14a and 14c, so that all four walls 14a to 14d may be connected to each other. The walls 14a 14b 14e and 14d, being collapsible, are easy to assemble, dissemble and transport. They can also be removed from the base 12 as a unit, thus facilitating cleaning of the hamster house 10. On upper part of the walls 14a and 14e are fingers 18a which may be received within holes 20a of roof member 22a, so as to secure the roof member 22a to the walls 14a and 14c. Roof member 22b includes two pins 24 which may be received within apertures 26 of the walls 14a and 14c so that the roof member 22b is swivellably movable relative the roof member 22a. The roof member 22b may therefore be closed or opened selectively. The roof member 22b also includes a recess 28 which may be snap fitted with a tongue 30 of the wall 14d so as to allow the roof member 22b to be releasably secured to the wall 14d. Again, the walls 14a 14b 14c and 14d and the roof members 22a and 22b may be removed from the base 12 as a unit.

A water bottle 31 is coupled via a coupling member 32 to the roof member 22a. The water bottle 31 includes an outlet 33 which, when the water bottle 31 is coupled to the roof member 22a via the coupling member 32, extends downward beyond the roof member 22a thus allowing the animal inside the hamster house 10 to drink water from the bottle 31. The water bottle 31, when coupled to the hamster house 10, appears like a chimney of a mill.

Edges 34 of the walls 14b and 14d which carry the fingers 18, are receivable within recessed areas 36 of the wall 14a and flush with wall surface 35. Such an arrangement ensures that, when assembled, the regions where walls 14b and 14d are joined to the wall 14a do not contain any protrusions for the animal to gnaw. The same arrangement is adopted in edges 34a and the wall member 14c (corresponding recessed areas and wall surface not shown).

Attachable to the outside of the walls 14a and 14b are windows 38 or tunnel couplings 40. If a window 38 is to be attached onto either of the walls 14a and 14b, a circular shield 42 is attached to the inside of the wall 14a 14b to prevent the animal inside from gnawing the window 38. To allow high versatility, a tunnel 44 may be coupled to the hamster house 10 via the tunnel coupling 40. In this case, spaces 46 are left open, thus allowing the animal inside to enter the tunnel 40. The edges of the circular shields 42 and spaces 46 are all protected by metal, so as to prevent them from being damaged by the animal living inside. To further enhance the versatility of the hamster house 10, the walls 14a and 14b are adapted to be compatible with different tunnel members.

To further enhance the interest of the keeper of the animal, a wheel 48 in the form of a rotor/water wheel is coupled to the wall 14c via a spindle 50, so that the wheel 48 may freely rotate along the longitudinal axis of the spindle 50. It can be seen that, due to the special arrangement of the head 52 of the spindle 50 and the receiving space 54 on the wall 14c the wheel 48 can only be coupled to, or decoupled from, the wall 14c in one position. The animal may therefore enter the wheel 48 via an opening 56 and cause the wheel 48 to rotate by running therein. Again, the opening 56 is protected by metal.

Coupled to the wheel 48 is a speedometer unit 58, comprising a pointer 60 and a cover 62 with a viewing window 64, for indicating the speed of rotation of the wheel 48.

It should be noted that the above only describes an embodiment in which the invention may be carried out, and that further modifications and/or alterations may be made to this embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein the upper structure comprises a plurality of releasably engageable wall members, and wherein a top member is releasably engageable with the wall members.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein the top member comprises two roof members pivotally movable relative to each other.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein, when the top member is engaged with the upper structure, at least one of the roof members is pivotally movable relative to the upper structure to expose an interior cavity defined by the base member, the upper structure and the top member to the outside environment.

4. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein the plurality of wall members and the top member are disengageable from the base member as a unit.

5. An animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein the upper structure comprises a plurality of releasably engageable wall members, and wherein at least one wheel member is releasably engageable with one of the wall members.

6. An arrangement according to Claim 5 wherein the wheel member is rotatably movable relative to the wall member with which it is releasably engaged.

7. An arrangement according to Claim 5 or 6 wherein the wheel member is in the shape of a rotor of a mill.

8. A habitat according to any one of Claims 5 to 7 further comprising a speedometer for measuring the speed of rotation of the wheel member.

9. An animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein edges of all openings of an interior cavity defined by the base member and the upper structure are protected by metal.

10. An animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein the upper structure comprises a plurality of releasably engageable wall members, wherein at least one wall member includes coupling means selectively releasably engageable with either a cover means or a tunnel member.

11. An arrangement according to Claim 10 wherein the coupling means is adapted to be compatible with different tunnel members.

12. An arrangement according to Claim 10 or 11 wherein the coupling means is releasably engageable with a tunnel member via a connection means.

13. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 9 to 12 wherein at least one wall member includes two coupling means.

13. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 10 to 12 wherein at least two wall members include coupling means.

14. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 10 to 13 wherein at least one wall member includes two coupling means.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. An animal habitat arrangement comprising a base member and an upper structure releasably engageable therewith, wherein the upper structure comprises a plurality of releasably engageable wall members, and a top member releasably engageable with the wall members, and wherein the top member comprises two roof members pivotally movable relative to each other.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein, when the top member is engaged with the wall members, at least one of the roof members of the top member is pivotally movable relative to the upper structure to expose an interior cavity defined by the base member and the upper structure to the outside environment.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the plurality of wall members and the top member are disengageable from the base member as a unit.

4. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein at least one wheel member is releasably engageable with one of the wall members.

5. An arrangement according to Claim 4 wherein the wheel member is rotatably movable relative to the wall member with which it is releasably engaged.

6. An arrangement according to Claim 4 or 5 wherein the wheel member is in the shape of a rotor of a mill.

7. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 4 to 6 further comprising a speedometer for measuring the speed of rotation of the wheel member.

8. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein edges of all openings of an interior cavity defined by the base member and the upper structure are protected by metal.

9. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein at least one wall member includes coupling means selectively releasably engageable with either a cover means or a tunnel member.

10. An arrangement according to Claim 9 wherein the coupling means is adapted to be compatible with different tunnel members.

11. An arrangement according to Claim 9 or 10 wherein the coupling means is releasably engageable with a tunnel member via a connection means.

12. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 9 to 11 wherein at least two wall members include coupling means.