GB2570702A

GB2570702A - Connector

Info

Publication number: GB2570702A
Application number: GB1801810.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tuthill James; Paul Johannes; Nichols Simon; Windham William
Original assignee: Hebe Studio Ltd
Current assignee: Hebe Studio Ltd
Priority date: 2018-02-05
Filing date: 2018-02-05
Publication date: 2019-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 2038-02-05
Also published as: GB201801810D0; GB2608959B; GB2570702B; GB202215509D0; GB2608959A

Abstract

An animal tunnel connector 35 for coupling a first length of an animal tunnel (31 figure 5) to a second length of animal tunnel (33 figure 5), the connector comprising: a collar having a first segment 45 that is movably coupled to a second segment 47 so that the collar can be opened and closed, the first and second segments 45,47 of said collar including first and second portions (59,61 figure 10) that are configured so as to enable the collar to be closed around and retain respective first ends of said first and second lengths of animal tunnel. And enclosure coupling / door assembly, animal tunnel and kit of parts are also claimed

Description

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FIG. 9

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FIG. 12

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FIG. 16

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FIG. 20

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FIG. 23

CONNECTOR

Field

One aspect of the present invention relates to a connector for an animal tunnel. Another aspect of the present invention relates to an animal enclosure coupling that can be used with an animal tunnel connector of the type described herein. Other aspects of the present invention respectively relate to a door assembly, a hub, and an animal tunnel kit.

Background

It is popular for pet owners, for example owners of rabbits, guinea pigs and the like, to create runs for their pets so that the animals can exercise and enjoy a semblance of freedom whilst being prevented from escaping, and being kept safe from potential predators.

One previously proposed run system is manufactured by Runaround Limited, 2 Sinderland Green Cottage Sinderland Lane, Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 5SS, United Kingdom (see: www.runaround.co.uk), and comprises a series of plastic tubes that can be connected to cages or to other tubes (inter alia) to enable rabbits and guinea pigs (for example) to move from one enclosure to another.

One connector for the Runaround system, sold as a pipe joiner, is depicted in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The pipe joiner 1 is designed to connect one length of tubing 3 to a second length of tubing 5, where each length of tubing has a castellated outer surface consisting of a plurality of relatively raised 3(i) and lowered 3(ii) portions. The pipe joiner comprises four generally C-shaped pieces of acrylic (only three 7, 9 & 11 of which can be seen in Fig. 1 (two pieces 7, 9 for an end of the one length of tubing 3, and two 11 for an end of the second length of tubing 5), two spacer blocks (one 13 of which is visible in Fig. 1) and four connecting bolts 15.

To use the connector 1 to couple the one length of tubing 3 to the second 5, a first 7 of the four c-shaped acrylic pieces is inserted into the first lowered portion 3(ii) nearest to the end of the tubing 3 that is to be coupled to the second length of tubing 5 so that the c-shaped piece 7 lies generally on top of the first length of tubing 3. A bolt 15 is then passed through the C-shaped acrylic piece 7, the spacer block 13, and a second 11 of the C-shaped acrylic pieces that has been similarly arranged in the first lowered portion at the end of the second length of tubing 5. This process is repeated for the other spacer block (not visible) to the left of the image in Fig. 1, before being repeated for the third 9 and fourth (not visible) acrylic C-shaped pieces that lie below the first and second lengths of tubing. Once completely assembled with the four bolts tightened, the four C-shaped acrylic pieces are coupled to one another by virtue of the two spacers, and the one piece of tubing 3 is coupled to the second 5.

Whilst this arrangement functions adequately, it has a number of disadvantages. In the first instance, assembly of the connector is a relatively complex process requiring a number of tools. It is also the case that as the assembly process is quite lengthy, the connector is not well suited for quickly and temporarily connecting lengths of tubing together, and is better suited for more permanent installations. In addition, as two of the bolts will likely be close to the ground when the connector is in use, it can be difficult to properly tighten the bolts. Lastly, in circumstances where one or other of the lengths of tubing need to be cut down, it is possible for gaps to occur between the two lengths of tubing, or indeed for sharp fragments of tubing to protrude inside the joint where they could potentially injure an animal passing therethrough.

Another product for the Runaround system, sold as a Den Pipe Door, is depicted schematically in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. This product is designed to couple tubing to a cage, which may either be of wood or of mesh. The Den Pipe Door is similar to the tubing connector of Fig. 1 in that it consists of a plurality of acrylic pieces that are configured to be fitted together so that the wall of the cage is sandwiched between the constituent parts of the product. In this instance, however, the product includes a generally U-shaped spacer 17 that is configured so that a door 19 can be slid into the spacer to obstruct access to the tunnel. An outer part of one of the acrylic pieces includes an aperture 21 that aligns with a similar aperture in the door, so that a peg can be inserted into the door to lock the door in the closed position.

This product suffers from many of the disadvantages associated with the connector of Fig. 1 (e.g. assembly time, assembly complexity etc.). In addition, as the Den Pipe Door is configured to be installed in a vertical wall of the cage, the tubing leading from the cage will tend to need to be bent in order to fit it to the door assembly. Another issue associated with this product is that the locking peg can relatively easily be removed (for example by a predator or a child) to unlock the door. Similarly, since there is no way to lock the door in the open position, it is easy for a child, for example, to remove the door completely or close the door and potentially trap an animal in the tunnel.

Aspects of the present invention have been devised with the foregoing problems in mind.

Summary

In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an animal tunnel connector for coupling a first length of an animal tunnel to a second length of an animal tunnel, the connector comprising: a collar having a first segment that is moveably coupled to a second segment so that the collar can be opened and closed, the first and second segments of said collar including first and second portions that are configured so as to enable the collar to be closed around and retain respective first ends of said first and second lengths of animal tunnel.

The first segment may be hinged to said second segment. The connector may further comprise a locking mechanism for locking the collar in the closed position. Preferably the locking mechanism is releasable.

The locking mechanism may include a tongue extending from an end portion of one of said first and second segments, said tongue being receivable in a keep carried by an end portion of the other of said first and second segments as the collar is closed.

The tongue may be configured to engage with a releasable lock in the keep as the collar is closed. The connector may comprise two releasable locks that must both be opened in order to remove the tongue from the keep. Preferably said tongue comprises a ratchet and said lock comprises a pawl biased to engage with the ratchet. The keep may be configured to enable a fixing to be engaged with said tongue when the collar is closed.

The first and second segments may include a web extending between the first and second portions so that the connector is configured as a tube having first and second peripheral edges. The first and second edges may lie in respective planes that are substantially parallel or are at an angle to one another.

The first and second portions are preferably shaped to enable the first and second portions to be fitted over complementary shaped ends of the first and second animal tunnels respectively.

The connector may be used to couple a first length of animal tunnel to a tunnel hub. The connector may be used to couple a first length of animal tunnel to an animal enclosure coupling.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to an animal enclosure coupling for use with the connector of any preceding claim, the animal enclosure coupling comprising a housing that is fittable into a wall of an animal enclosure and defines an aperture through which an animal can pass, a front face of the housing including a shaped portion configured to engage with one of the first or second portions of the connector.

The front face of the housing may be at an angle to a rear face of the housing so that the connector engages with the coupling at an angle.

The coupling may comprise a door slidably moveable between a closed position and an open position, the door being retained within the housing. The coupling may comprise a primary lock that is releasable to enable the door to be moved from the closed to the open position. The coupling may comprise a secondary lock that can be released to enable the door to be moved from the open position to the closed position. The second lock may be released to enable the door to be removed from the housing.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a door assembly for an animal enclosure, the door assembly comprising: a housing having an aperture to enable an animal to pass through the door; a door retained in said housing, the door being slidable between a closed position where the aperture is occluded and an open position where the aperture is not occluded; wherein a first face of the frame includes a coupling formation configured for engagement with an animal tunnel connector.

Another aspect of the invention provides a hub assembly defining a passageway between a plurality of openings, each opening including a being configured for coupling to a connector of the type described herein.

Another aspect of the invention provides an animal tunnel kit comprising a first animal enclosure coupling of the type described herein for connection to a first enclosure, a second animal enclosure coupling of the type described herein for connection to a second enclosure, a length of animal tunnel, a first connector of the type described herein for connecting a first end of said tunnel to said first animal enclosure coupling and a second connector of the type described herein for connecting a second end of said tunnel to said second animal enclosure coupling.

A further aspect of the invention provides an animal tunnel kit comprising a first animal enclosure coupling of the type described herein for connection to a first enclosure, a second animal enclosure coupling of the type described herein for connection to a second enclosure, a first length of animal tunnel, a first connector of the type described herein for connecting a first end of said first tunnel to said first animal enclosure coupling, a second connector of the type described herein for connecting a second end of said first tunnel to a hub assembly of the type described herein, a third connector of the type described herein for connecting said hub assembly to a first end of a second animal tunnel, and a fourth connector of the type described herein for connecting a second end of said second animal tunnel to said second animal enclosure coupling.

A last aspect of the present invention provides an animal tunnel for use with the connector described herein, the tunnel comprising a length of tubing (for example, of a plastics material) with a peripheral wall that has a castellated outer surface comprised of a plurality of relatively raised and lowered portions, the tunnel further comprising a plurality of ventilation/drainage slots provided in the raised portions of the peripheral wall.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various aspects of the teachings of the present invention, and arrangements embodying those teachings, will hereafter be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a previously proposed pipe joiner for the Runaround system;

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a previously proposed Den Pipe Door for the Runaround system;

Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, schematic perspective and plan representations of a tunnel assembly configured for joining two cages together;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a length of animal tunnel;

Fig. 6 is a top isometric view of an in-line tunnel connector;

Fig. 7 is a bottom isometric view of the in-line tunnel connector shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of part of the in-line tunnel connector shown in Figs. 6 and 7;

Fig 9 is a plan view of another part of the in-line tunnel connector shown in Figs. 6 to 8;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view through the in-line tunnel connector along the line A—A of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is an isometric view of the in-line tunnel connector in an open configuration;

Fig. 12 is cross-sectional view of the in-line tunnel connector along the line B—B of Fig. 8;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of the region of Fig. 12 that is encircled by the dashed oval marked “C”;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of animal tubing coupled to an inclined cage wall by means of an angled connector;

Fig. 15 is a front elevation of a closed animal enclosure coupling;

Fig. 16 is a top plan view of the coupling depicted in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a right side elevation of the coupling depicted in Figs. 15 and 16;

Fig. 18 is a rear elevation of the coupling depicted in Figs. 15 to 17 mounted on a cage wall;

Figs. 19 and 20 are, respectively, front and side elevations of an open animal enclosure coupling;

Fig. 21 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coupling depicted in Figs. 15 to along the line D—D in Fig. 15;

Fig. 22 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coupling depicted in Figs. 15 to 18 along the line E—E in Fig. 19; and

Fig. 23 is a front elevation of another animal enclosure coupling.

Detailed Description

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, various aspects of the present invention will now be described in detail in the context of a tunnel assembly 23 for connecting a first cage 25 to a second cage 27 via a hub 29 that connects a first tunnel 31 to a second tunnel 33. In this particular example, the hub 29 is configured for interconnecting three tunnels or two tunnels and a cage (as depicted). It will be appreciated that the hub could be configured to interconnect a larger number of tunnels if so desired, and that only one wall of each cage has been depicted in the drawings. Furthermore, whilst the cages are each shown as comprising a mesh, this is not essential and the walls of the cages could instead comprise solid panels, for example of wood.

The first tunnel 31 is connected to the first cage 25 by means of an in-line tunnel connector 35 that couples the first tunnel 31 to an animal enclosure coupling 37 that has been fitted into the mesh wall of the first cage 25. In this particular example, the animal enclosure coupling 37 is configured (as will later be described in detail) as a door that can be selectively opened and closed to allow or prevent access to the tunnel 31 from the cage (or indeed to the cage from the tunnel).

In a similar fashion, the second tunnel 33 is connected to the second cage 27 by means of another in-line tunnel connector 35 that couples the second tunnel 33 to another animal enclosure coupling 37 that has been fitted into the mesh wall of the second cage 27 and is also configured as a door that can be selectively opened and closed.

The first tunnel 31 is coupled to the hub 29 by means of a further in-line tunnel connector 35, and the second tunnel 33 is coupled to the hub by an angled tunnel connector 39 that also embodies the teachings of the present invention.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings, there is depicted a longitudinal crosssectional view of a length of animal tunnel 31, 33 that is generally circular in lateral crosssection. As shown, the tunnels 31, 33 comprise a length of tubing (for example, of a plastics material) that has a castellated outer surface comprised of a plurality of relatively raised 41 (i) and lowered 41 (ii) portions. The tunnels 31, 33 further comprise a plurality of ventilation/drainage slots 43 cut into the raised portions 41 (i) of the peripheral wall every 90 degrees or so around the periphery of the tube (other slot distributions are also envisaged). Advantageously, by cutting the ventilation/drainage slots 43 into the raised portions 41 (i) of the tunnel, the likelihood of an animal's claw being caught in the slot as it moves through the tunnel is greatly reduced.

Figs. 6 to 10 are various views of an in-line tunnel connector 35 that embodies the teachings of the present invention. The in-line tunnel connector 35 is generally circular and, in this particular embodiment, is formed as a collar that comprises a first generally Cshaped portion or segment 45 that is moveably coupled to a second generally C-shaped portion or segment 47. In the preferred arrangement respective first end portions of the first and second C-shaped portions 45, 47 are coupled to one another by means of a sprung hinge 49 that allows the circular in-line connector to be opened (as shown in Fig. 11). The provision of a sprung hinge is advantageous in that the spring bias will tend to urge the first and second C-shaped portions together, thereby facilitating the construction of a tunnel assembly. That said, whilst the provision of a sprung hinge is desirable, it will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art that the hinge need not be sprung, or indeed that other types of hinge may be provided (for example, a so-called living hinge).

Respective second end portions of the first and second C-shaped portions carry respective parts of a two-part locking mechanism 51- a first part of the mechanism 53 being carried by the second end portion of the first c-shaped portion 45 and a second part of the mechanism 55 being carried by the second end portion of the second c-shaped portion 47. The details of the locking mechanism are described below.

Referring now to Fig. 10, which is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line A—A of Fig. 7, the first and second c-shaped portions 45, 47 of the tunnel connector 35 each comprise a web 57 that interconnects first and second tunnel engaging formations 59, 61 that each define a recess 63, 65. As shown in Fig. 7, for example, the web 57 also includes a plurality of openings 67 that enhance drainage and ventilation.

The recesses 63, 65 are configured, in the preferred arrangement, to have a shape that is (at least approximately) complementary to that of one of the raised portions 41(1) of the tunnel 31, 33 - specifically, the raised portion 41 (i) closest to an end of the tunnels - so that the tunnel engaging formations can be fitted over (preferably closely fitted over) the raised portions adjacent the ends of two tunnels that are to be coupled together.

In another envisaged arrangement that is not depicted in the drawings, the web could be configured to interconnect first and second tunnel engaging formations that each comprise a projection that is configured to fit within a lowered portion of each tunnel. In another envisaged configuration, one of the tunnel engaging formations could define a recess that is configured to fit over a raised portion of one tunnel, and the other tunnel engaging formation could define a projection that is configured to first within a lowered portion of the other tunnel.

Referring now to Figs. 11 to 13, in particular to Fig. 11, the second part 55 of the locking mechanism 51 comprises a tongue 67 that is coupled to the web 57 of the second end portion of the second C-shaped portion 47 so that the tongue projects beyond the end of the second C-shaped portion. In the preferred arrangement, the tongue 67 is slightly narrower than the web 57. A portion of the tongue 67 distal from the end of the second C-shaped portion 47 includes a slot or hole 69, and the underside of the tongue 67 (i.e. that side of the tongue that faces generally towards the sprung hinge 49) comprises a ratchet 71 having a plurality of teeth 73.

The first part 53 of the locking mechanism 51 comprises a housing 75 that is coupled to the web 57 of the second end portion of the first C-shaped portion 45. The housing defines a cavity 77 into which the tongue 67 can be advanced as the two Cshaped portions are brought together. The housing 75 carries, in the preferred arrangement, three discrete locks - a first and a second of which are designed to be operated without tools and hence provide a more temporary locking function, and a third of which is designed to be operated with a tool (for example, a screwdriver) and hence provides a more permanent (although still releasable) locking function.

Whilst it is preferred for three locking mechanisms to be provided, this is not an essential feature of the invention. This notwithstanding, the provision of two temporary locking mechanisms is advantageous as a predator (for example a fox) would not be able to simultaneously release the two locking mechanisms and gain access to the animal tunnel.

Referring now to Fig. 13, the first and second more temporary locking mechanisms 79, 81 each comprise a button 83, 85 that is mounted in a depression 87, 89 formed in an outer surface of the housing 75. The buttons 83, 85 are each coupled to a generally stirrup-shaped component 91, 93 that defines an aperture through which the tongue 67 can pass. The stirrup-shaped components 91, 93 each carry a pawl 95, 97 that is biased by a spring 99, 101 into engagement with the teeth 73 of the ratchet 71 on the underside of the tongue 67. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, as the tongue is advanced into the cavity, the pawls will ride over the teeth 73 of the ratchet until the end portions of the first and second C-shaped portions 45, 47 lie next to another. At this point, the pawls will lie between respective teeth of the ratchet, and resist opening of the in-line tunnel connector until the buttons 83, 85 are pushed against the spring bias 99, 101 to urge the pawls 95, 97 out of engagement with the ratchet 71 (thereby allowing the connector to be opened). As aforementioned, providing two buttons that must be depressed to open the connector reduces the likelihood of a predator being able to release the locks and open the in-line connector.

The third more permanent locking mechanism comprises a socket 105 provided towards an end of the housing 75 distal from the end of the C-shaped portion 45. A screw 107 or other fixing can be screwed into the socket when the connector is closed so that an end of the screw remote from the head of the screw projects into the cavity 77 and through the slot or aperture 69 in the tongue 67. As will be appreciated, in this position, releasing the first and second more temporary locking mechanisms 79. 81 will not allow the connector 35 to be opened as the screw 107 will stop the tongue 67 from being withdrawn from the cavity 77 defined by the housing 75.

In the arrangement of Figs. 6 to 13 peripheral edges of the in-line connector 35 (which edges define the entrance to and exit from the aperture through the in-line connector) lie in substantially parallel planes. In another arrangement, mentioned above and shown in Fig. 4, an angled connector 39 is contemplated in which the peripheral edges of the angled connector 39 (which edges again define the entrance to and exit from the aperture through the connector) lie in non-parallel planes.

The angled tunnel connector 39 operates in exactly the same manner as the connector 35 described above, and includes the same locking mechanism. However, in this instance the web of each C-shaped portion of the angled connector 39 narrows from the first end portion towards the second end portion, so that the peripheral edges that define the entrance to and exit from the angled connector 39 lie in different planes, in this particular example in planes that are at an angle of approximately 20 degrees to one another. Bar the narrowing web, the only other structural difference between the angled connector 39 and the in-line connector 35 is that the connector 39 has two sprung hinges, whereas the connector 35 has only a single hinge.

The angled connector 39 can be used, as depicted in fig. 4, to connect a tunnel 33 to a curved tunnel 109, or in another application can be used - as depicted in Fig. 14 - to connect an animal tunnel 31, 33 to an animal enclosure coupling 37 that has been mounted in an inclined cage wall 111.

Referring now to Figs. 15 to 22, there are shown various views (including crosssectional views) of an animal enclosure coupling 37 for use with the inline and angled connectors described in detail above. The animal enclosure coupling, as the name suggests, provides a means for coupling an animal tunnel of the type described above to an animal enclosure so than an animal can move between the tunnel and the enclosure.

The animal enclosure coupling 37 comprises a housing 113 which defines an animal passageway 115 that is closed by a door 117. The door 117 can be moved between a closed position shown in Figs. 15 to 18 and 21, and an open position shown in Figs. 19, 20 and 22. The door 117 is slidably received within an internal channel formed in the housing, which channel is accessible via a slot 119 formed in a wall of the enclosure. In the envisaged mode of use, the enclosure will be installed in a wall of the enclosure so that the slot 119 is uppermost, but the enclosure coupling will operate adequately when different orientated. As shown in Fig. 17, for example, the housing 113 is configured so that a front face 113(i) is inclined relative to a rear face 113(ii), in the preferred arrangement at an angle of approximately 20 degrees (although greater or smaller angles are also envisaged). An advantage of this arrangement is that when the coupling is mounted in a substantially vertical cage wall, the animal passageway 115 will point towards the ground, thereby facilitating the attachment of a tunnel to the housing 113.

The housing 113 also defines a smaller aperture 121 that enables a user to access moveable locking tabs 123 and 125 provided in the door 117. A first 123 of the locking tabs must be operated by a user before the door 117 can be slid from the closed position shown in Figs. 15 to 18 and 21 to the open position shown in Figs. 19, 20 and 22. A second 125 of the locking tabs functions to retain the door in the open position, and must be operated either to remove the door 117 entirely from the housing 113 or to return the door 117 to the closed position.

Referring now to Figs. 15 and 18, to mount the coupling 37 to the wall of a cage 25, 27 an aperture is first cut into the wall of the cage. Next, a set of covers 127 are fitted over the cut edges of the aperture and the coupling is offered up to the cage wall so that the animal passageway 115 is aligned with the aperture in the cage wall. Fixings (in the preferred arrangement, bolts) 129 are passed through passageways 131 in the housing and through the cage wall, whereupon washers 135 are fitted over the projecting fixings. Finally, nuts 133 (for example, wing nuts) are secured to the projecting bolts to sandwich the cage wall between the rear face 113(ii) of the housing 113 and the washers 135.

As shown in Figs. 16 and 17, for example, a cowl 137 projects from the front face 113(i) of the housing and, in the preferred arrangement, surrounds and extends the animal passageway 115 beyond the front face 113(i) of housing 113. A plurality of ears 139 project laterally from the peripheral edge of the cowl 17. The ears 139 are each configured to be of a similar size to the relatively raised 41 (i) portions of the castellated outer surface of the tunnel 31, 33 so that they fit (preferably closely fit) within the recesses 63, 65 of the tunnel engaging formations 59, 61 of the tunnel connector 35. Similarly, the cowl 135 and ears define an animal passageway 115 that is of roughly the same diameter as the tunnel 33, 33 so that a tunnel can be connected to the coupling 37 by offering a free end of the tunnel up to the cowl and then securing a connector 35 to the tunnel and the coupling so that a relatively raised 41 (i) portion of the tunnel lies in one of the tunnel engaging formations 59, 61 and the ears 139 of the coupling 37 lie within the other of the tunnel engaging formations 59, 61.

Whilst in the preferred embodiment, a plurality of discrete ears are provided, it will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art that a continuous collar could instead be provided if desired.

Referring now Figs. 21 and 22, further details of the internal construction of the housing 113 will now be provided. As aforementioned, to slide the door from a closed position to an open position, a user must push a first 123 of the locking tabs towards the rear face 113(ii) of the housing (for example by means of a finger inserted into the smaller aperture 121) until a transverse wall 141 of the tab 123 clears a first internal wall 143 of the smaller aperture 121. Once the transverse wall clears the first internal wall 143 the door can be slid from the position shown in Fig. 21 towards the position shown in Fig. 22. An aperture 145 in the door 117 forms a handle that a user can grab to facilitate extraction of the door 117 from the slot 119.

As the door 117 is extracted from the slot 119, the second locking tab moves towards the smaller aperture 121 until a transverse wall 147 of the second locking tab 125 bears against a ramped internal surface 149 of the housing 113. As the door 117 is further extracted, the ramped internal surface drives the second locking tab towards the rear face 113(ii) of the housing until the second locking tab is clear of the ramped internal wall 149 and can move into the smaller aperture 121. At this point, the second locking tab, by virtue of its inherent resilience, springs towards the front face 113(i) of the housing 113 to lock the door 117 in the open position depicted in Fig. 22 (the door being held in this position by virtue of the abutment of an end wall 151 of the second locking tab 125 against a second internal wall 153 of the smaller aperture 121).

To return the door 117 to the closed position depicted in Fig. 21, a user must push the second locking tab towards the rear face of the housing until the second locking tab is clear of the second internal wall 153. As the door is moved towards the closed position, a ramped surface 155 of the first locking tab 123 will be brought to bear against an edge of the slot 119 whereupon the first locking tab will be driven towards the rear face 113(ii) of the housing, until the first locking tab clears the first internal wall 143 whereupon the first locking tab, by virtue of its inherent resilience, will spring towards the front face 113(i) of the housing and be once again in a position where it resists opening of the door.

Advantageously, a user can - if so desired - remove the door 117 entirely from the housing 113 by pushing the second locking tab 125 towards the rear face 113(ii) of the housing until the transverse wall 147 of the second locking tab clears the first internal wall 143 of the smaller aperture 121. Once the second locking tab clears the first internal wall 143, the door can be removed from the housing 113. To return the door to the housing, a user need only insert the door into the slot 119, and then move the second locking tab 125 until the end wall 151 of the second locking tab 125 clears the edge of the slot 119. Once clear, the door 117 can be slid back into the housing 113.

Fig. 23 is a schematic front view of another animal coupling 157 that is similar in most respect to the coupling of Figs. 15 to 22 except that the coupling 157 does not include a door (and hence cannot be closed or opened) and thus does not include a slot or smaller aperture.

It will be appreciated that whilst various aspects and embodiments of the present invention have heretofore been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular arrangements set out herein and instead extends to encompass all arrangements, and modifications and alterations thereto, which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, whilst in the preferred embodiment the connector has two C-shaped portions that are coupled together, it will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art that the connector could comprise a large number of portions. It will also be apparent that whilst a sprung hinge is preferred, other types of couplings (e.g. living hinge) could instead be provided. Lastly, whilst the angled connector described above permits tunnels to be coupled to one another at an angle of 20 degrees, the connector could be configured to couple tunnels at other angles (or indeed to couple a tunnel to a hub at other angles), and further that it is not essential for the front face 113(i) of the housing 113 to be at an angle to the rear face 113(ii) of the housing.

It should also be noted that whilst the accompanying claims set out particular combinations of features described herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular combinations hereafter claimed, but instead extends to encompass any combination of features herein disclosed.

Finally, it should be noted that any element in a claim that does not explicitly state means for performing a specified function, or steps for performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a means or step clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, par. 6. In particular, the use of step of in the claims appended hereto is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, par. 6.

Claims

1. An animal tunnel connector for coupling a first length of an animal tunnel to a second length of an animal tunnel, the connector comprising: a collar having a first segment that is moveably coupled to a second segment so that the collar can be opened and closed, the first and second segments of said collar including first and second portions that are configured so as to enable the collar to be closed around and retain respective first ends of said first and second lengths of animal tunnel.

2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein said first segment is hinged to said second segment.

3. A connector according to Claim 1 or 2, comprising a locking mechanism for locking the collar in the closed position

4. A connector according to Claim 3, wherein said locking mechanism is releasable

5. A connector according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein said locking mechanism includes a tongue extending from an end portion of one of said first and second segments, said tongue being receivable in a keep carried by an end portion of the other of said first and second segments as the collar is closed.

6. A connector according to Claim 5, wherein said tongue is configured to engage with a releasable lock in the keep as the collar is closed.

7. A connector according to Claim 5 or 6, comprising two releasable locks that must both be opened in order to remove the tongue from the keep.

8. A connector according to Claim 6 or 7 wherein said tongue comprises a ratchet and said lock comprises a pawl biased to engage with the ratchet.

9. A connector according to any of Claims 5 to 8, wherein said keep is configured to enable a fixing to be engaged with said tongue when the collar is closed.

10. A connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second segments include a web extending between the first and second portions so that the connector is configured as a tube having first and second peripheral edges.

11. A connector according to Claim 10, wherein said first and second edges lie in respective planes that are substantially parallel.

12. A connector according to Claim 10, wherein said first and second peripheral edges lie in respective planes that are at an angle to one another.

13. A connector according to any preceding claim, wherein said first and second portions are shaped to enable the first and second portions to be fitted over complementary shaped ends of the first and second animal tunnels respectively.

14. A connector according to any preceding claim, wherein said connector can be used to couple a first length of animal tunnel to a tunnel hub.

15. A connector according to any preceding claim, wherein said connector can be used to couple a first length of animal tunnel to an animal enclosure coupling.

16. An animal enclosure coupling for use with the connector of any preceding claim, the animal enclosure coupling comprising a housing that is fittable into a wall of an animal enclosure and defines an aperture through which an animal can pass, a front face of the housing including a shaped portion configured to engage with one of the first or second portions of the connector.

17. An animal enclosure coupling according to Claim 16, wherein said front face of the housing is at an angle to a rear face of the housing so that the connector engages with the coupling at an angle.

18. An animal enclosure coupling according to Claim 16 or 17, further comprising a door slidably moveable between a closed position and an open position, the door being retained within the housing.

19. An animal enclosure coupling according to Claim 18, further comprising a primary lock that is releasable to enable the door to be moved from the closed to the open position.

20. An animal enclosure coupling according to Claim 19, further comprising a secondary lock that can be released to enable the door to be moved from the open position to the closed position.

21. An animal enclosure coupling according to Claim 20, wherein said second lock can be released to enable the door to be removed from the housing.

22. A door assembly for an animal enclosure, the door assembly comprising:

a housing having an aperture to enable an animal to pass through the door;

a door retained in said housing, the door being slidable between a closed position where the aperture is occluded and an open position where the aperture is not occluded;

wherein a first face of the frame includes a coupling formation configured for engagement with an animal tunnel connector.

23. A hub assembly defining a passage way between a plurality of openings, each opening including a being configured for coupling to a connector according to any of claims 1 to 15.

24. An animal tunnel kit comprising a first animal enclosure coupling according to any of claims 16 to 21 for connection to a first enclosure, a second animal enclosure coupling according to any of claims 16 to 21 for connection to a second enclosure, a length of animal tunnel, a first connector according to any of claims 1 to 15 for connecting a first end of said tunnel to said first animal enclosure coupling and a second connector according to any of claims 1 to 15 for connecting a second end of said tunnel to said second animal enclosure coupling.

25. An animal tunnel kit comprising a first animal enclosure coupling according to any of claims 16 to 21 for connection to a first enclosure, a second animal enclosure coupling according to any of claims 16 to 21 for connection to a second enclosure, a first length of animal tunnel, a first connector according to any of claims 1 to 15 for connecting a first end of said first tunnel to said first animal enclosure coupling, a second connector according to any of Claims 1 to 15 for connecting a second end of said first tunnel to a hub assembly according to Claim 21, a third connector according to any of claims 1 to 15 for connecting said hub assembly to a first end of a second animal tunnel, and a fourth connector according to any of Claims 1 to 15 for connecting a second end of said second animal tunnel to said second animal enclosure coupling.

26. An animal tunnel for use with the connector of any of Claims 1 to 15, the tunnel comprising a length of tubing (for example, of a plastics material) that has a peripheral wall with a castellated outer surface comprised of a plurality of relatively raised and lowered portions, the tunnel further comprise a plurality of ventilation/drainage slots 5 provided in the raised portions of the peripheral wall.