GB2637391A

GB2637391A - Improvements relating to animal enclosures

Info

Publication number: GB2637391A
Application number: GB2418327.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mighall Jack; Krishna Tarun; Rose Finn; Ward-Thomas Daniel; Small Jenson; Watson Charles; Davies Josh; Worthington Alex
Original assignee: Hebe Studio Ltd
Current assignee: Hebe Studio Ltd
Priority date: 2023-12-13
Filing date: 2024-12-13
Publication date: 2025-07-23
Also published as: GB2637390A; GB202418325D0; GB202418323D0; GB202418327D0; GB202319026D0

Abstract

An animal enclosure for chickens comprises a plurality of walls that co-operate to define internal roosting 61 and laying chambers 63 divided by an internal wall 59, the laying chamber 63 having a floor that is formed by a tray 66, said tray being removable from the enclosure via a slot 49 in one of said plurality of walls of the enclosure for easy cleaning. The roosting chamber may also have trays 65, 67 The enclosure is formed from panels that maybe conveniently online ordered and the roof panels may have a water management channels at their joints mounted on the inside. The enclosure rear walls comprise internally latched left and right panels with an externally latched middle panel the latches are raccoon proof and a light may be door operated. A cage run may be attached via D plates. An entry ladder may have a solid step adjacent the door and the ladder rungs may be additionally connected between the sides of the ladder. The ladder may be grey to a level 3-6 on a 1-10 white to black scale to be visible but not intimidating to chickens.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO ANIMAL ENCLOSURES

Field

This document discloses a number of improvements to animal enclosures, particularly but not exclusively to enclosures for domestic animals, such as chickens and the like. Several different improvements are disclosed hereafter, and whilst many of these improvements are described with reference to animal enclosures for chickens, it will be appreciated that the particular applications described herein are merely illustrative and that the improvements concerned may be applied to enclosures for other types of animal, or indeed more generally.

Background

Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings depict various views of our previously proposed animal enclosure, known colloquially as the Eglu Cube. Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the enclosure 1 (which is also referred to herein as a coop, on account of the enclosure being particularly well suited for chickens and other fowl). Figs. 2 and 3 are front and rear perspective views, respectively, of the enclosure of Fig. 1 in combination with a small run; and Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the enclosure of Fig. 1 in combination with a larger run.

The enclosure is formed from interconnected panels that are coupled together to form an internal roosting chamber that is accessible via a door 3 (shown in an open position in Fig. 1). An internal wall, with a door that can be opened and closed, separates the roosting chamber from an internal laying chamber -access to which from outside of the enclosure can be had via a door 5 in a sidewall of the enclosure. The enclosure is mounted on a frame 7 to lift the roosting and laying chambers off the ground, and a ladder 9 is provided to enable chickens, for example, to climb into and out of the enclosure.

The enclosure 1 can, as shown in Fig. 2, be used with a predator-resistant run 11 to provide a secure area in which chickens can freely move about. The run is formed from mesh panels that are clipped together, and additional panels can be added -as shown in Fig. 4 -to extend the run (in principle, ad infinitum) and provide more outside space for the chickens.

As shown in Fig. 3, a rear wall 13 of the enclosure is configured so that it can be unlocked and opened to give access to the entirety of the inside of the enclosure. In general terms, about roughly one third of the interior of the enclosure (towards the left-hand side of the enclosure, as shown in Fig. 3) is given over to the aforementioned laying chamber, and the remaining two-thirds of the enclosure (towards the right hand side of the enclosure, as shown in Fig. 3) is given over to the aforementioned roosting chamber. The roosting chamber floor is configured so that excreta from the chickens and other detritus can fall through the floor into a waste tray 15 that can be slid out of the enclosure and emptied.

Whilst the Eglu Cube is a great improvement over traditional wooden chicken enclosures, and as a consequence has proven to be very popular, there are aspects of the enclosure that can further be improved. This disclosure is concerned with those improvements.

Summary

One implementation of the teachings of this disclosure provides an animal enclosure for chickens, the enclosure comprising a plurality of walls that co-operate to define an internal laying chamber, said internal laying chamber having a floor that is formed by a tray, said tray being removable from the enclosure via a slot in one of said plurality of walls of the enclosure.

The slot may be provided in a rear wall of the enclosure.

In one implementation a front wall of the enclosure may comprise a door for permitting animals to enter and exit the enclosure, said front wall of the enclosure being configured to be capable of being coupled to a plurality of run fixings for coupling the enclosure to a run, said front wall being configured so that the run fixings can be undone and done up without requiring the enclosure to be disassembled.

In one implementation at least part of a wall of the enclosure comprises a double-skinned hollow structure that is sufficiently translucent to permit light to pass into the enclosure without enabling animals inside the enclosure to see through the translucent structure.

In one implementation the animal enclosure may comprise a light fitting for illuminating the animal enclosure's interior, the light fitting comprising a switch in an electrical circuit that includes a source of electrical energy and at least one light, the switch being configured to be operated to make or break the electrical circuit and hence turn on or turn off the lights by a locking arm of a lock for the animal enclosure. The lock may comprise a door lock for locking a door of the enclosure in a closed position.

In one implementation the enclosure may be elevated above ground and a ladder may be provided to enable animals to enter and exit the enclosure, said ladder comprising a solid first step immediately adjacent a door of the enclosure so that animals exiting the enclosure step out onto a step rather than having to step over a gap in order to reach a first rung of a ladder.

In one implementation rungs of said ladder may be additionally interconnected between sides of the ladder. Each rung of the ladder may be connected to neighbouring rungs by legs that run parallel to the sides of the ladder. Each rung may have several transverse ribs so that the ladder can more easily be used by chickens with different feet sizes of feet. Each rung may include two ribs. In one implementation -on a grey scale where 1 is white and 10 is black -said ladder may be at least a 3 on the grey scale and at most a 6 on the grey scale, thereby ensuring that the ladder is sufficiently dark to enable it to be seen but not so dark that it is intimidating to animals that might want to use the ladder.

In one implementation the animal enclosure may comprise a door panel that can be opened to provide access to the interior of the enclosure, said door panel including a handle for operating a retaining mechanism that is operable to keep the panel closed when the handle is in a first position and operable to permit the panel to be opened when the handle is in a second position.

The animal enclosure may comprise a handle lock that can be fitted to the door panel of the animal enclosure, the handle lock comprising a main housing that is configured to fit adjacent a shaft of the handle, and an actuator moveable between a first position where the actuator interferes with a graspable portion of the handle to resist pivotal movement of the handle and a second position where the actuator no longer interferes with the graspable portion of the handle.

The handle lock may be retrofittable to existing animal enclosure door locks. The actuator may be configured to move towards the housing from said first position to said second position.

In one implementation the enclosure may comprise an internal wall that subdivides the interior of the enclosure into a plurality of regions.

The animal enclosure may comprise a door associated with said internal wall, said door being moveable to open or close a passageway through said wall from one said region to another.

In one implementation said door can be moved to open the passageway in the internal wall by lifting the door away from a floor of the enclosure until the door is clear of a door stop and able to pivot relative to the internal wall to open the passageway.

The animal enclosure may comprise a retainer associated with said internal wall. The door may carry a door locking member that is engageable with said retainer as the door is moved towards said open position to retain the door in said open position.

The door locking member may be moveable against a spring bias to disengage the locking member from the retainer to permit the door to be moved towards the closed position. The door may be moveable to a closed position to isolate a laying chamber from a remainder of the interior of the enclosure.

Other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the detailed description provided below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The teachings of this disclosure, 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 front perspective view of a previously proposed animal enclosure known as the "Eglu Cube"; Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the enclosure depicted in Fig. 1 in combination with a small run; Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the enclosure and run shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the enclosure depicted in Fig. 1 in combination with a larger run; Fig. 5 is a front perspective view of an animal enclosure that embodies the teachings of this disclosure; Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of the enclosure depicted in Fig. 5 in combination with a small run: Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the enclosure shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is an exploded view of a front wall of the enclosure; Fig. 9 is a view of the front wall being assembled; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the front wall being fixed to a frame; Fig. 11 is a rear elevation of the enclosure shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 12 is a rear view of a partly assembled enclosure; Fig. 13 is a rear isometric view of a partly assembled enclosure; Fig. 14 is a rear elevation of the enclosure; Fig. 15 is an exploded view of an enclosure roof; Fig. 16 is an exploded view of a water management system; Fig. 17 is a perspective view of an end cap; Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a water diverter; Fig. 19 is another perspective view of the water diverter; Fig. 20 is an end elevation of the water management system; Fig. 21 is an elevation of a front wall of an enclosure; Fig. 22 is an isometric view of a front wall of an enclosure; Fig. 23 is a schematic view of a run clip; Fig. 24 depicts the clip of Fig. 23 attached to the front wall of Fig. 22; Figs. 25 and 26 are views of part of a finished enclosure on its' own and with a run; Fig. 27 is a perspective view of a light transmissive panel; Fig. 28 is a perspective view of a lighting system; Figs. 29 and 30 are a perspective view and side elevation, respectively, of a ladder; Figs. 31 and 32 are front and rear elevations of a lockable panel; Fig. 33 is an exploded view of a handle lock; Fig. 34 is a perspective view of the panel with the handle lock attached; Figs. 35 and 36 are cross-sectional views along the line A-A of Fig. 34 showing the panel in a locked and unlocked configuration; Fig. 37 is a perspective view of the interior of a part assembled enclosure; Fig. 38 is a perspective view of an internal wall and cooperating partition walls.; Fig. 39 is a perspective view of a door panel; Figs. 40 and 41 are cross-sectional views along the line B-B of Fig. 37 showing the door panel in an open and closed configuration, respectively; Fig. 42 depicts a gull-wing door for a run in a closed configuration; Fig. 43 depicts a gull-wing door for a run in a partly-open configuration; Fig. 44 depicts a gull-wing door for a run in an open configuration; Figs. 45 and 46 are top and bottom parts, respectively, of a gull-wing door lock; Fig. 47 is an exploded view of the top part of the lock; and Fig. 48 is a perspective view of the underside of part of the top part of the lock shown in Fig. 47.

Detailed Description

Various improvements to animal enclosures will now be described by way of illustrative example. The scope of this disclosure encompasses any combination of features disclosed hereafter.

Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings depicts an animal enclosure 17 that embodies the teachings of this disclosure, and Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of the enclosure 17 of Fig. 5 in combination with a run 19.

Whereas the Eglu Cube shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is ideal for flocks of in the region of 6 to 10 chickens, it is not ideally suited for larger flocks. The enclosure depicted in Figs. and 6 addresses this drawback by providing a larger enclosure with a larger interior space that can accommodate a greater number of animals (typically chickens).

One might think that providing a larger coop is simply a matter of enlarging the dimensions of the existing Eglu Cube, but this is not in fact the case. For example, an advantage of the existing Eglu Cube is that the panels from which the enclosure is constructed are sufficiently small that the Eglu Cube can be ordered online, and easily and relatively inexpensively delivered to customers in kit form for self-assembly. If one were simply to make the Cube larger, to thereby provide room for additional animals, the individual components of the enclosure would be larger, and as a result the packages making up the kit would be larger, and hence more difficult and expensive to deliver.

The enclosure depicted in Figs. 5 and 6 is significantly larger than that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but the individual panels from which the enclosure is constructed -although more numerous -are of a comparable size to those of the enclosure shown in Figs. 1 to 4. This means that the enclosure of Figs. 5 and 6 can still readily be ordered online and delivered to customers for self-assembly even though it is significantly larger than the enclosure of Figs. 1 to 4, and hence able to accommodate a larger number of animals (for example, more than 10 chickens) in it.

As shown in Fig. 7; a front wall 21 of the enclosure 17 is comprised of three panels -a door panel 23 with a closable door 25 (shown closed), a middle front panel 27 and a front laying chamber panel 29. As shown in Fig. 8, the door panel 23, middle front panel 27 and front laying chamber panel 29 are profiled at their respective neighbouring edges so that the door panel and front laying chamber panel partly overlap with the middle front panel when the panels 23, 27 and 29 are brought together. Once brought together as shown in Fig. 9, a plurality of plates 31 are fixed in recesses 33 defined in adjacent portions of neighbouring panels to fix the panels together and form the front wall 21 of the enclosure. As shown in Fig. 10, the front wall 21 is then fixed to a frame 35 that functions as a support for the enclosure, and as a means for enabling the enclosure to be moved from one location to another.

Referring to Figs. 11, a rear wall 37 of the enclosure 17 comprises internally latched left and right rear panels 39, 41; and a middle rear panel 43 with an externally accessible latch 45. The left, right and middle panels are supported on a secondary frame 47 that is shown in more detail in Fig. 12.

As shown the secondary frame 47 comprises a plurality of components that have been assembled together to define left, middle and right letterbox shaped slots 49, 51 and 53. The secondary frame defines a first peg 55 that engages with a complementary notch in the left rear panel 39, and a second peg 57 that engages with a complementary notch in the right rear panel 41.

The middle rear panel can be unlatched and removed by pivoting the top of the panel (i.e. that part furthest from the frame 35) away from the front wall of the enclosure. Once the middle rear panel has been removed, the left and right rear panels can be removed by undoing the internally accessible latches, and then pivoting the top of the left and right rear panels away from the front panel until they can be lifted off their respective pegs.

Referring now to Figs. 13 and 14, the enclosure includes an internal wall 59 that sub-divides the interior of the enclosure into a roosting area 61 and a laying chamber 63.

As shown in Fig. 13, the floor of the roosting area 61 comprises a grid so that animal excreta and other detritus can fall through the floor and into removable trays 65, 67 that have been slid into the middle and right slots 51, 53.

In addition, and unlike the Eglu Cube depicted in Figs. 1 to 4, a third tray 66 has been slid into the left slot 49. This third tray 66 forms the floor of the laying chamber 63 and may be filled with straw or other suitable material. Advantageously, whereas in the Eglu Cube any material in the laying chamber had to be moved into the roosting area or pulled out through the door 5 in the sidewall, in this arrangement any material -such as straw, for example -in the laying chamber can be removed simply by pulling the tray 66 out of the slot. This is greatly advantageous, as compared with the Eglu Cube, as it makes it much easier to clean the laying chamber and the enclosure as a whole, which means that it is more likely that the enclosure will be properly cleaned on a regular basis. Although in this arrangement the slot is provided in the rear wall of the enclosure, it is anticipated that one could instead provide a slot in the sidewall of the enclosure (for example, below the door in the sidewall that provides access to the laying chamber).

In this implementation of the teachings of this disclosure, there is provided In addition to having front and rear walls that are comprised of three panels joined together, it will be apparent from the figures that the enclosure also comprises a roof that is comprised of three panels, each of which extends from the front wall of the enclosure towards the rear.

In the Eglu Cube the roof panels extend from side to side and partly overlap to provide a seal against water ingress. In the enclosure of this disclosure, the roof panels extend from the front wall towards the back wall to reduce the size of individual panels (as compared to the size they would have if they were to extend from side to side). Management of rainwater is achieved by means of a rainwater management system that is shown schematically in Fig. 15 of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 15, the roof of the enclosure is comprised of three panels -a first roof panel 69 that locates to the left of the enclosure (as viewed from the front) above the door panel 23, a second roof panel 71 that locates in the middle of the enclosure above the middle front panel 27, and a third roof panel 73 that locates above the front laying chamber panel 29 to the right of the enclosure. A first rainwater management system 75 is coupled between the first and second roof panels, and a second rainwater management system 77 is coupled between the second and third roof panels. The rainwater management systems are outside of the scope of this disclosure. Each rainwater management system 75, 77 comprises a profiled channel 79, a seal 81, an end cap 83 and a water diverter 85. As shown in Fig. 16, the profiled channel 79 (a distal part of which that locates near the rear wall of the enclosure is depicted) comprises a base portion 86 with four internal cavities 87. Left and right flanges 89, 91 extend upwardly and outwardly from the base portion to define a recess 90 in the channel in which the seal 81 locates. A notch 93 that is generally T-shaped in cross-section is provided along the length of the recess in the channel, and a complementary generally T-shaped formation 95 extended outwardly from an underside of the seal is configured to be received in the notch to couple the seal to the profiled channel.

First and second primary sealing members 97, 99, typically generally part-circular in cross section, extend upwardly from a top surface of the seal and are configured to deform against the undersides of the roof panels (in the vicinity of their lateral peripheral edges) when the flanges 89, 91 of the profiled channel 79 are fixed to the underside of two neighbouring roof panels by means of suitable fixings (e.g. screws) passed through apertures 101 in the flanges and into the roof panels.

In the preferred arrangement, the seal 81 comprises secondary sealing members 103, 105 provided outside of the primary sealing members (i.e. between the primary sealing members and the flanges of the profiled channel). The secondary sealing members extend from the top surface of the seal upwardly and inwardly towards the primary sealing members and function as an additional barrier to water ingress.

As shown in Fig. 15, the profiled channels 79 extend from the front of the roof (i.e. that part that is adjacent the front wall of the enclosure) to the rear of the roof (i.e. that part that is adjacent the rear wall of the enclosure). The recess in the profiled channel is closed at the end of the channel nearest the front wall of the enclosure by the end cap 83, which in this arrangement comprises a blanking plate 107 press fitted to engage with the channel. As shown in Fig. 17, the blanking plate 107 comprises a generally trapezoidal flat panel 109 with four projecting vaned connectors 111 that can be pushed into the four internal cavities of the base portion of the profiled channel.

When in place, the flat panel occludes and shuts off the space between the primary sealing members of the seal and the underside of the two roof panels, so as to prevent rainwater from flowing out of the end of the seal.

At the other end of the channel, adjacent to the rear wall of the enclosure, a water diverter 85 of the type depicted in Figs. 18 and 19 is press-fitted to the channel.

The water diverter 85 includes a trapezoidal recess 113 that mirrors the external shape of the base portion of the channel 79. Four sets of vaned connectors 115 extend from the trapezoidal recess 113 and fit into the respective internal cavities 87 of the base portion 86 when the water diverter 85 is push fitted to the channel.

As shown in Fig. 19, a top edge 117 of the trapezoidal recess 113 is lower than adjacent flanges 119, 121 of the water diverter so that water can flow over the top of the top edge when the water diverter has been push fitted to the base portion of the channel. A generally L-shaped peripheral edge extension 123 functions to direct any water that has flown over the top edge of the recess away from the rear wall of the enclosure.

Fig. 20 is an end view of a rainwater management system illustrating the relative position of the channel flanges, the primary and secondary sealing members and the water diverter when the water diverter has been press-fitted to the profiled channel. In this implementation of the teachings of this disclosure, there is provided a rainwater management system for an animal enclosure, the system comprising a shaped channel configured to be secured between peripheral edges of two adjacent enclosure panels, a sealing member provided within the channel and configured to seal against the two adjacent enclosure panels to provide a passageway through which rainwater can flow, and a water diverter fittable to the channel to divert rainwater flowing through the passageway away from an adjacent wall of the animal enclosure, wherein the adjacent wall extends in a direction away from the two enclosure panels that the sealing member seals against.

In a preferred implementation, the profiled channel is of aluminium, and formed by an extrusion process. The seal is preferably of a deformable elastomeric material, for example of rubber.

Another issue with the previously proposed Eglu Cube is that the run is coupled to the enclosure in such a way that part of the mesh walls of the run closest to the enclosure are captured between the roof and front wall of the enclosure. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that a user has to disassemble the enclosure (at least partly) before they can separate the enclosure from the run -as they might want to do if they wanted to move the enclosure inside during harsh weather, for example.

To address this disadvantage we have configured the front wall of the enclosure, as shown in Figs. 21 and 22, so that the three front wall panels co-operate to provide an outer wall 125 against which the roof panels and side panels of the enclosure bear when the enclosure is fully assembled, and an inner shoulder 127 that is recessed relative to the outer wall 125 (and hence spaced from each of the roof and sidewalls when the enclosure is assembled). The inner shoulder 127 further comprises a plurality of fixing recesses 129 into each of which a run fixing 131 (Fig. 23) may be fitted.

Referring now to Figs. 23 and 24, a suitable run fixing 131 comprises a rear plate 133 that is generally D-shaped and configured to be received in the recesses 129 so that the curved portion of the D projects beyond the front face of the front wall of the enclosure. A generally D-shaped top plate 135 can then be fixed to the rear plate 133 with a suitable fixing that is -advantageously -accessible when the roof and sidewall have been fixed to the front wall, as shown in Fig. 25.

Referring now to Fig. 26, by virtue of this arrangement mesh walls that make up the run can be sandwiched between the front and rear plates of the run fixings 131 to securely couple the run to the enclosure. Advantageously, the fixings can be undone without removing the roof or walls of the enclosure, thereby making it much easier for a user to separate the run from the enclosure.

In summary, this aspect of the disclosure provides an enclosure that is configured to be coupled to a plurality of run fixings in such a manner that the fixings can be undone and done up without requiring the enclosure to be disassembled.

One issue with increasing the size of the enclosure, as compared with the size of the Eglu Cube, is that the amount of light within the enclosure can be adversely affected.

To address this, it is proposed to form the middle front panel 27 (Fig. 21) with an aperture 137 in which a light transmissive panel 139 (Fig. 27) can be fitted.

The panel 139 (which can be formed by means of a moulding process, such as blow moulding) is fixed in the aperture of the middle front panel by means of a plurality of fixings provided around the periphery of the panel 139. The light transmissive panel is double walled (i.e. hollow inside) to insulate the interior of the enclosure, and is formed from a translucent material that permits light to enter the enclosure. Advantageously, by providing that the panel is translucent, the animals inside cannot clearly see through the panel, which is advantageous in the event that a potential predator should be in the vicinity of the enclosure. It is also the case that predators outside of the enclosure cannot see animals in the enclosure through the panel.

In summary, in this arrangement there is provided an animal enclosure wherein at least part of a wall of the enclosure comprises a double-skinned hollow structure that is sufficiently translucent to permit light to pass into the enclosure without enabling animals inside the enclosure to see through the translucent structure.

Another issue associated with the Eglu Cube is that it can sometimes be difficult to see inside the enclosure if ambient light levels are low. To address this disadvantage it is proposed to provide an internal light fitting that is automatically activated when a panel lock is released.

Fig. 28 is a schematic representation of the inside of a panel that can be opened by a user to access a laying chamber of an enclosure. As shown a wall 141 of the enclosure comprises three apertures that are closed by a door 143 which opens and closes -in this example -all three apertures at the same time. A lock assembly 145 has a locking arm 147 pivotally attached to the door, and the arm is rotatable from the position shown where it lies behind the enclosure wall to a position where the arm no longer lies in front of the wall and the door can be opened.

A control switch 149 is provided adjacent to the locking arm, and when the arm is moved away from the control switch 149 a peg is biased to complete a circuit between a power source (in this instance a battery provided within a battery compartment 151) and a plurality of lights 153 provided in end portions of the internal light fitting. When the door is closed and the locking arm is pivoted to lock the door, the arm bears against the peg to break the circuit and switch off the lights.

In summary, this arrangement provides a light fitting for an animal enclosure, the light comprising a switch in an electrical circuit that includes a source of electrical energy and at least one light, the switch being configured to be operated to make or break the electrical circuit by a locking arm of a lock, for example a door lock, for the animal enclosure.

Fig. 29 is an isometric view of a ladder 154 for an animal enclosure that addresses several drawbacks associated with ladders of the type shown in Fig. 1. Fig. is a side elevation of the ladder shown in Fig. 29.

Referring now to Figs. 29 and 30, the ladder 154 is designed to make a smaller angle with the ground (as compared with the ladder of Fig. 1), which makes the ladder easier for the animals to ascend and descend. In addition, the ladder 154 has a greater rung frequency than the ladder of Fig. 1, thereby making it easier for larger and smaller chickens to ascend and descend the ladder.

Another advantage associated with the ladder 154 is that it has a solid first step 155 that will lie immediately adjacent the door of the enclosure so that chickens within the enclosure step out onto a step, rather than first having to step over a gap to reach the first rung of the ladder.

A further advantage is that the ladder 154 is configured so that the rungs are additionally interconnected between the sides of the ladder. In the particular arrangement shown, each rung of the ladder 154 is connected to neighbouring rungs by two legs 156 that run parallel to the sides of the ladder. This greatly reduces the amount of free space between rungs, thereby making it less likely that a chicken will slip and trap its leg between the rungs of the ladder. As best shown in Fig. 30, it is also proposed to provide each rung with several transverse ribs, in this instance two ribs 157, 159, so that the ladder can more easily be used by chickens with different sizes of feet.

Lastly, whilst conventional thought has been that animal enclosure ladders should be darkly coloured -so as to contrast well with the colour of the ground -we have determined that chickens, in particular, can be intimidated by darker colours. To address this, we propose -on a grey scale where 1 is white and 10 is black -to provide a ladder that is at least a 3 on the grey scale and at most a 6 on the grey scale, thereby ensuring that the ladder is sufficiently dark to enable it to be seen but not so dark that it is intimidating to the animals that might want to use the ladder.

Referring now to Figs. 31 and 32, there are depicted front and rear schematic perspective views of a previously proposed lockable door panel 161 (which may comprise, for example, a door panel that provides access to the laying chamber of the enclosure). The panel includes a recessed handle 163 that is pivotally connected through the panel to a locking arm 165. When the door panel is mounted in a frame and the handle is in the position depicted, the locking arm prevents the door from being opened. Turning the handle to the left or right pivots the locking arm until it lies behind the door panel, whereupon the panel can be removed from the frame.

Whilst the arrangement depicted operates satisfactorily, it is the case that certain predators -such as raccoons -are sufficiently dextrous that they are able to turn the handle to unlock the door. To address this, we have devised a handle lock that can be fitted to panels with pivoting lock handles, either those that pivot in the middle (as in the arrangement shown in Figs. 31 and 32) or at one end.

The handle lock 167 is shown in exploded form in Fig. 33. The handle lock 167 comprises a main housing 169 that is generally C-shaped to define a recess 170 in which the shaft of the handle of Figs. 31 and 32 can be received. The main housing includes a pair of posts 172 on which respective resilient biases 171 are provided. An actuator 173 clips to the main housing and can be moved against the resilient biases 171 towards the main housing 169.

Fig. 34 is a schematic elevation of a door panel of the type shown in Figs 31 and 32 with a handle lock of the type shown in Fig. 33 attached to it. As shown in Fig. 35, which is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of Fig. 34, in the position depicted in Fig. 34 the handle interferes with the actuator and cannot be turned to move the locking arm 165.

As shown in Fig. 36, with the actuator pushed towards the main housing to compress the resilient biases, the handle no longer interferes with the actuator, and hence the handle can now be turned to move the locking arm 165.

As will be appreciated, predators such a racoons are not sufficiently intelligent or dextrous to both push the actuator and twist the handle. As such, the handle lock provides an effective mechanism for securing the door lock of Figs 31 and 32. The handle lock, or a handle lock embodying the teachings of this aspect of the disclosure, could also be used with a handle that pivots at one end by locating the lock so that the actuator interferes with a graspable portion of the handle.

In summary, this arrangement provides a handle lock that can be fitted to a door panel of an animal enclosure, the handle lock comprising a main housing that is configured to fit adjacent a shaft of a handle, and an actuator moveable between a first position where the actuator interferes with a graspable portion of the handle to resist pivotal movement of the handle and a second position where the actuator no longer interferes with the graspable portion of the handle. In a preferred arrangement, the handle lock is retrofittable to existing door locks, and in another preferred arrangement the actuator moves towards the housing from said first position to said second position.

As aforementioned, the Eglu Cube includes an internal door between the roosting chamber and laying chamber, which door can be slid between a position where the chickens can move freely between the roosting and laying chambers, and a position where the laying chamber is shut-off from the roosting chamber (for example to enable the roosting chamber to be cleaned). Whilst this arrangement functions adequately, detritus can become lodged in the door track, obstructing sliding movement of the door between the open and closed positions.

To address this, it is proposed to provide an internal door that can be lifted and pivoted upwardly to open the door. As aforementioned in connection with Fig. 13, the enclosure includes an internal wall 59 that sub-divides the interior of the enclosure into a roosting area 61 and a laying chamber 63. Two partition walls 175 extend laterally from the internal wall 59 to subdivide the laying chamber, and a door 177 can be moved from the closed position shown in Fig. 13 to an open position shown in Fig. 37. The partition walls 175 are joined by an arm 179 and the door includes a latch that automatically engages with the arm to hold the door in the open position when the door is pivoted upwardly.

Referring now to Fig. 38, the partition walls each include a projecting peg 181 that functions as a stop when the door is in the closed position. The partition walls also each include a cut-away region 183 that is sized to permit the door to be lifted upwardly and then pivoted away from the internal wall 59.

As shown in Fig 39, the door 177 comprises two lateral slots 185 in which respective partition walls can slide. The slots divide the door into three portions 187 that depend from a common axle towards the floor of the enclosure (when the door is installed). Each of the portions 187 includes at least one finger 189 that abuts against the projecting peg 181 of the neighbouring partition wall to obstruct opening of the door when the door is in the closed position (see Fig. 41, a cross-sectional view along the line B-B of Fig. 37 with the door open).

To open the door, a user lifts the door upwards into the cut-away regions 183 of the partition walls until the fingers 189 are clear of the pegs 181. Once the fingers are clear of the pegs, the door can be pivoted away from the internal wall 59. As the door is pivoted towards the arm 179, a sloped portion of a latch 191 mounted in the door bears against the arm and is urged, against the bias of a spring 193, toward the bottom of the door. Once the sloped portion of the latch has moved past the arm, the spring drives the latch away from the bottom of the door to secure the door in the open position shown in Fig. 40 by virtue of the engagement of the latch with the arm. To release the door, and move it back to the closed position, a user need only pull the latch against the spring bias until it is free of the arm, whereupon the door can pivot back towards the closed position. The fingers extending from the door can then be lifted over the pegs so that the door is locked in the closed position.

In summary, in this arrangement there is provided an animal enclosure in which a door can be moved to open a passageway in an internal wall by lifting the door away from a floor of the enclosure until the door is clear of a door stop (e.g. peg 181) and able to pivot relative to the internal wall to open the passageway.

Figs. 42 to 44 are perspective views of part of an extended run that includes a gull-wing door 195 shown -respectively -in closed, part-open and fully open positions. The gull wing door 195 is advantageous as it can be opened whilst leaving a bottom panel 197 of the run in a closed position. Thus a person can access the interior of the run without worrying that a chicken, for example, in the run might escape. The gull-wing door described below is outside the scope of this disclosure.

The gull-wing door 195 is comprised of mesh panels that have been clipped together; specifically, a roof panel 199 with an outward edge region that is curved in a lateral direction, and a flat panel 201 that clips to a bottom edge of the curved portion.

Clips of the type disclosed in our European Patent no. EP3211251 may be employed for this purpose, or alternatively the panels could just be coupled together by zip ties or any of a number of other suitable connectors.

A lock 203 is provided to lock an edge of the flat panel 201 to the bottom non-opening panel 197 of the run. Once unlocked, the flat panel 201 of the gull-wing door 195 can be lifted up to pivot the curved panel 199 about a neighbouring roof panel and then folded down on top of the curved roof panel 199 (as shown in Fig. 44). A pair of slot-like keeps 205 are provided, one either side of the opening in the run, and lateral edge portions of the flat panel 201 of the gull-wing door 195 can be located in the keeps 205 when the door is in the closed position shown in Fig. 42.

Referring now to Figs. 45 and 46, the lock 203 for the gull-wing door 195 includes an upper lock portion 207 shown in Fig. 45 and a lower lock portion 209 shown in Fig. 46. The lower lock portion 209, as shown in Fig. 44, is coupled to an edge region of the non-opening panel of the run, and the upper lock portion 207 is coupled to a lower edge region of the flat panel of the gull-wing door. The upper lock portion 207 in Fig. 45 is shown in a locked position in which a handle 211 extends laterally. In an unlocked position the handle 211 has been pivoted through 90 degrees so that it extends transversely (i.e. in an up/down direction when installed on the gull-wing door 195). The lower lock portion 209 is formed from two components that can be taken apart and then reassembled around the edge of a mesh panel (so that the mesh panel is sandwiched between a base part 213 of the components). With the edge of the mesh panel sandwiched between the base part 213 of the lower lock portion, a tongue 215 projects upwardly into the opening that is closed by the gull-wing door. The tongue 215, as shown, includes first and second projecting pegs 217, 219, and the tongue 215 is configured to slide inside the upper lock portion 207 via an opening 221 in the base of the upper lock portion 207.

Referring now to Figs. 47 and 48, the upper lock part comprises a two-part main housing 223 that defines the aforementioned opening 221. The two-part main housing is configured so that it can be assembled around the edge of the flat panel 201 of the gull-wing door 195 so that the top part of the lock moves with the gull-wing door 195. When so assembled a first part 225 of the upper lock part main housing lies inside the flat panel and a second part 227 lies outside of the flat panel.

The two-parts of the two-part main housing 223 cooperate to define a first internal channel 229 that at least the first projecting peg 217 of the lower lock portion 209 can slide into when the tongue of the lower lock portion is slid into the opening 221 in the main housing of the upper lock portion as the gull-wing door is closed.

A column 231 extends outwardly from the second part 227 and is profiled at an end distal from the second part 227 to provide a retaining notch 233. A handle shaft 235 fits over the column 231 and comprises a frustoconical base portion 237 that locates within a recess 238 formed in the outer face of the second part 227. The handle shaft is coupled to the second part 227 of the main housing 223 by means of a screw and is configured so that it is capable, in certain circumstances, of being rotated by a user.

The handle 211 of the lock is integrally formed with the handle shaft 235 and is configured to accommodate an actuator 239 that comprises a pair of buttons 241 which are coupled by a shaft 243. The actuator 239 locates in the handle 211 so that the buttons 241 project from the underneath of the handle 211, and springs 242 are provided between the actuator and a snap-fitted cap 244 so that the buttons are biased to project from under the handle.

With the handle in the locked position shown in the drawings, the shaft 243 connecting the buttons 241 locates in the retaining notch 233 in the column 231, and rotation of the handle is prevented. To rotate the handle a user must first pull the buttons upwardly (i.e. away from the mesh panel that forms part of the gull-wing door) to lift the shaft 243 out of the retaining notch 233.

At this juncture a first structure 245 provided in the recess and second and third structures 247, 249 provided in the underside of the frustoconical base portion 237 of the handle shaft 235 (see Fig. 48) co-operate to ensure that the handle (and attached frustoconical base portion 237) can only be rotated through 90 degrees. In the locked position depicted, the first structure 245 projecting from the recess in the outer face of the second part 227 is received in a circumferential gap 251 between the second and third structures 247, 249 provided in the underside of the frustoconical base portion 237. The first structure 245 cooperates with the second and third structures to ensure that the handle can only be moved through 90 degrees between a locked position where the first structure is in close proximity to the second structure and an unlocked position where the first structure is in close proximity to the third structure.

As shown in Fig. 48, the second and third structures 247, 249 are spaced from one another to provide a second channel 253 that opens to a gap 255 in a peripheral wall of the frustoconical base portion. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, rotating the handle from the locked to unlocked position causes the gap 255 to move to align with the channel 229. At this point the lock is unlocked and the first peg 217 can move through the first channel 229 via the gap 255 into the second channel 253 and subsequently into or out of an interior space 257 within the frustoconical base portion 237.

Once the first peg 217 is within the interior space 257, rotating the handle in the opposite direction causes the gap 255 to move and the third structure 249 to move to block movement of the peg 217 out of the interior space 257. In this position the first peg is locked within the interior space 257 and the upper and lower lock portions are securely coupled together (which in turn means that the gull-wing door to which the lock is connected is locked closed).

In summary, in this arrangement there is provided a lock for an animal enclosure wherein internal structure within a first lock part can be moved to enable or disable access for part of a second lock part to an internal space within said first lock part.

It will be appreciated that whilst various different aspects and embodiments have heretofore been described, the scope of this disclosure 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 spirit and scope of this disclosure.

It should also be noted that whilst particular combinations of features are described herein, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the particular combinations of features described herein, but instead extends to encompass any combination of features herein disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An animal enclosure for chickens, the enclosure comprising a plurality of walls that co-operate to define an internal laying chamber, said internal laying chamber having a floor that is formed by a tray, said tray being removable from the enclosure via a slot in one of said plurality of walls of the enclosure.
2. An animal enclosure according to Claim 1, wherein said slot is provided in a rear wall of the enclosure. 10
3. An animal enclosure according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein a front wall of the enclosure comprises a door for permitting animals to enter and exit the enclosure, said front wall of the enclosure being configured to be capable of being coupled to a plurality of run fixings for coupling the enclosure to a run, said front wall being configured so that the run fixings can be undone and done up without requiring the enclosure to be disassembled.
4. An animal enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein at least part of a wall of the enclosure comprises a double-skinned hollow structure that is sufficiently translucent to permit light to pass into the enclosure without enabling animals inside the enclosure to see through the translucent structure.
5. An animal enclosure according to any preceding claim, further comprising a light fitting for illuminating the animal enclosure's interior, the light fitting comprising a switch in an electrical circuit that includes a source of electrical energy and at least one light, the switch being configured to be operated to make or break the electrical circuit and hence turn on or turn off the lights by a locking arm of a lock for the animal enclosure.
6. An animal enclosure according to Claim 5, wherein the lock comprises a door lock for locking a door of the enclosure in a closed position.
7. An animal enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the enclosure is elevated above ground and a ladder is provided to enable animals to enter and exit the enclosure, said ladder comprising a solid first step immediately adjacent a door of the enclosure so that animals exiting the enclosure step out onto a step rather than having to step over a gap in order to reach a first rung of a ladder.
8. An animal enclosure according to Claim 7, wherein rungs of said ladder are additionally interconnected between sides of the ladder.
9. An animal enclosure according to Claim 8, wherein each rung of the ladder is connected to neighbouring rungs by legs that run parallel to the sides of the ladder.
10. An animal enclosure according to Claim 9, wherein each rung has several transverse ribs that the ladder can more easily be used by chickens with different feet sizes of feet.
11. An animal enclosure according to Claim 10, wherein each rung includes two ribs.
12. An animal enclosure according to any of Claims 7 to 11, wherein -on a grey scale where 1 is white and 10 is black -said ladder is at least a 3 on the grey scale and at most a 6 on the grey scale, thereby ensuring that the ladder is sufficiently dark to enable it to be seen but not so dark that it is intimidating to animals that might want to use the ladder.
13. An animal enclosure according to any preceding claim, the enclosure comprising a door panel that can be opened to provide access to the interior of the enclosure, said door panel including a handle for operating a retaining mechanism that is operable to keep the panel closed when the handle is in a first position and operable to permit the panel to be opened when the handle is in a second position.
14. An animal enclosure according to Claim 13, further comprising a handle lock that can be fitted to the door panel of the animal enclosure, the handle lock comprising a main housing that is configured to fit adjacent a shaft of the handle, and an actuator moveable between a first position where the actuator interferes with a graspable portion of the handle to resist pivotal movement of the handle and a second position where the actuator no longer interferes with the graspable portion of the handle.
15. An animal enclosure according to Claim 14, wherein said handle lock is retrofittable to existing animal enclosure door locks.
16. An animal enclosure according to Claim 14 or 15, wherein the actuator is configured to move towards the housing from said first position to said second position.
17. An animal enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the enclosure comprises an internal wall that subdivides the interior of the enclosure into a plurality of regions.
18. An animal enclosure according to Claim 17, comprising a door associated with said internal wall, said door being moveable to open or close a passageway through said wall from one said region to another.
19. An animal enclosure according to Claim 18, wherein said door can be moved to open the passageway in the internal wall by lifting the door away from a floor of the enclosure until the door is clear of a door stop and able to pivot relative to the internal wall to open the passageway.
20. An animal enclosure according to Claim 19, comprising a retainer associated with said internal wall.
21. An animal enclosure according to Claim 20, wherein said door carries a door locking member that is engageable with said retainer as the door is moved towards said open position to retain the door in said open position.
22. An animal enclosure according to Claim 21, wherein said door locking member is moveable against a spring bias to disengage the locking member from the retainer to permit the door to be moved towards the closed position.
23. An animal enclosure according to any of Claims 18 to 22, wherein said door is moveable to a closed position to isolate a laying chamber from a remainder of the interior of the enclosure.