Patent Application
20050039694
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a device for allowing a pet to pass through a structural member, such as a door or a wall, while preventing environmental elements from passing through the device when the device is not in use. More particularly, this invention pertains to a device for allowing a pet ingress or egress through a structural member and for protecting the pet from detrimental entanglement with a weather-resisting door flap employed by the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pet door allows a pet to independently enter and exit a structure. However, the use of a pet door introduces the concern of exterior environmental elements, such as rain or wind blown particles, entering the structure through the pet door or the interior environmental elements, such as conditioned air, escaping through the pet door. This concern has prompted the design of various weather-resisting features for pet doors.
One weather-resisting feature involves the use of a two flap system to ensure a weather-tight seal between the flap and the frame. The first flap is generally a full flap that substantially fills the opening of the pet door, such as may be found on any pet door. This flap typically includes a small amount of clearance to allow the flap to swing freely within the opening. To account for this clearance and improve the weather-resistance of the pet door, a second flap is employed. The second flap does not cover the pet door opening. Instead, it is shaped so as to follow and overlap the general contour of the opening. The center portion is open to permit passage through the second flap. By engaging both the first flap and the pet door frame, the second flap effectively produces a weather-tight seal on the pet door. Unfortunately, it has been discovered that the two-flap design described above introduces the risk of entangling animals during passage, leading to injury or death.
Conventional pet doors have addressed the entanglement issue by offering a release mechanism for the second flap. Therefore, upon the occurrence of a pet becoming entangled, the second flap releases itself from the pet door frame and relieves the pet from danger. Conventional release mechanisms include slits that are cut in the weather-resisting flap that cooperate with the pet door frame such that the flap pulls away from the frame upon the application of a force on the flap that is greater than a release force threshold.
These conventional pet doors are limited in that the slits of the weather-resisting flap yield an unpredictable release force threshold. The unpredictability of the release force threshold introduces the possibility that the release mechanism may fail when a pet is in danger or that the weather-resisting flap may be released under standard usage.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a pet door for providing ingress or egress, for a pet, through a structural member while offering a weather-resisting feature that prevents the ingress or egress of environmental elements while the pet door is not in use. The pet door includes two flaps that cooperate to bring about the discussed weather-resisting feature offered by the present invention. One of the flaps is a strip covering the gap between the main flap and the frame. The strip is typically U-shaped and introduces a risk of entanglement for a pet when the two flaps assume a particular position. Because the weather-resisting feature includes a flap that introduces the potential to entangle a pet, the pet door provides a snap fastener based release mechanism for releasing the potentially injurious flap upon its entanglement with a pet. The snap fastener provides the potentially entangling flap with release mechanism that has a known release force that is repeatable and can be easily and reliably produced in large-scale manufacturing of the pet door.
The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which:
a is a perspective view of the pet door of
b is a perspective view of the pet door of
One embodiment of a pet door in accordance with the various features of the present invention is illustrated generally at 10 in
The pet door 10 includes a flap 26 adapted to substantially fill the passageway 16 and to allow movement through the passageway when a force is applied to either face of the flap. The flap 26 may also be referred to as a full flap or a solid flap. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the shape of the flap 26 and the material from which the flap 26 is constructed may vary without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Further, those skilled in the art will recognize that other ways of attaching the flap 26 to the first frame member 12 may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
The pet door 10 further includes an open flap, or strip, 38 that generally follows the perimeter of the passageway 16. The strip 38 overlies and engages both of the flap 26 and the first frame member 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the strip 38 includes a first male snap fastener portion 44 that is disposed at a first terminus 46 of the strip 38 and a second male snap fastener portion 48 that is disposed at a second terminus 50 of the strip 38. The first male snap fastener portion 44 and the second male snap fastener portion 48 cooperate with the first female snap fastener portion 22 and the second female snap fastener portion 24, respectively, such that the strip 38 attaches to the face of the first frame member 12. When attached to the first frame member 12, the strip 38 borders the sides and bottom of the passageway 16 such that an outer portion 52 of the flap engages the first frame member 12 and an inner portion 54 of the flap partially obstructs the passageway 16 and engages the flap 26. The relative positions of the male and female parts of the snap fasteners with respect to the strip and the frame are immaterial so long as a mating relationship is maintained between the strip and the frame.
In one embodiment, the flap 26 is constructed of a flexible material secured to the frame. As illustrated in
Other materials, movement mechanisms, attachment mechanisms, and arrangements for the flap and the strip are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, substantially rigid materials can be used for the flap and strip with the flap and the strip being hinged or pivotably attached to the frame. Such modifications are considered to be well within the purview of those skilled in the art and do not depart from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
When the pet door 10 is not in use, a releasable coupling provides a temporary bond between the flap 26, the strip 38, and the first frame member 12 to assist in the maintenance of a weather-tight seal. One type of releasable coupling often used in the field of pet doors is a magnetic coupling. The magnetic coupling is maintained between coupling components located in each of the flap 26, the strip 38, and the first frame member 12. These coupling components include some combination of magnets and keepers, which are typically plates of ferromagnetic materials. The coupling components are selected to provide a temporary bond that is selected to be broken when a threshold force is applied to the flap 26, for example, when a pet attempts to pass through the pet door 10.
In the illustrated embodiment, the flap 26 includes a first set of magnets 32 that are disposed at the bottom of the flap 26 and the strip 38 includes a second set of magnets 40 and a third set of magnets 42, which are disposed at the closed-end of the strip 38. The second set of magnets 40 magnetically bonds the strip 38 to the first frame member 12. The third set of magnets 42 magnetically bond with the first set of magnets 32 such that the flap 26 is held in contact with the inner portion 54 of the strip 38. When the aforementioned magnetic bonds are present, the pet door 10 is employing the discussed weather-resisting feature that deters the ingress or egress of environmental elements.
a illustrates the operation of the pet door 10 during the ingression of a pet. Ingression is defined as the passing through the passageway 16 by entering at the second frame member 14 and exiting at the first frame member 12. As a pet applies force to the flap 26 during ingress, the flap 26 applies force to the inner portion 54 of the strip 38, causing the magnetic bond produced by the second set of magnets 40 and the first frame member 12 to be broken. The third set of magnets 42 and the first set of magnets 32 maintain the magnetic bond that secures the flap 26 to the strip 38, causing the flap 26 and the strip 38 to act as one flap that pivots and flexes in the direction of the applied force, allowing the pet passage. When the pet has cleared the passageway 16, the flaps fall to their original position and the second set of magnets 40 reassumes a magnetic bond with the first frame member 12.
b illustrates the operation of the pet door 10 during the egression of a pet. Egression is defined as the passing through the passageway 16 by entering at the first frame member 12 and exiting at the second frame member 14. As a pet applies force to the flap 26 during egress, the magnetic bond produced by the third set of magnets 42 and the first set of magnets 32 is broken because the strip 38, due to its restricting contact with the first frame member 12, is unable to pivot in the direction of the applied force. Therefore, the flap 26 pivots and flexes in the direction of the applied force, allowing the pet passage. When the pet has cleared the passageway 16, the flap 26 falls to its original position and the third set of magnets 42 reassumes a magnetic bond with the first set of magnets 32.
Because the snap fasteners employed in the present invention are uniformly produced, they offer a consistent release force. This release force is calibrated to accommodate the needs of the pet door 10. As a result, the possibility that the release mechanism may fail when a pet is in danger or that the strip 38 may be released under standard usage is eliminated.
From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will recognize that a device for providing ingress and egress through a structural member offering advantages over the prior art has been provided. The device provides a weather-resisting feature that prevents the passing of environmental elements through the pet door. The device further provides a release mechanism for reliably releasing a potentially entangling flap. The release mechanism is easily mass produced while still providing a known, uniform, and repeatable release condition.
While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.
