The present invention relates generally to animal kennel enclosures. More specifically, the present invention discloses a wall affixed and collapsible kennel which provides the advantages of maximizing floor space within an installation facility, as well as providing a bottom urine trap for easy removal of stagnant collected urine and without requiring that the kennel door be opened. The present design further provides for ease of scale-ability by adding additional units via a separated panel.
A variety of conventional kennel designs are known in the art which include fixed sides, usually cage or chain link defined. Not known is the provision of any kennel design which can include a panel or partial location affixed to an interior or exterior wall location and which can be converted between expanded use and collapsed storage positions.
The present invention discloses a collapsible kennel assembly including a plurality of individual and pivotally inter-connected panels, a selected one of the panels adapted to being affixed to a wall. The panels can optionally be provided as an injection molded material and are inter-collapsed in succession along first and second sides between an expanded use configuration and a folded storage configuration.
Additional features include at least one interior subdividing panel, as well as upper and lower individual pairs of hinges inter-connecting each of the panels. Each of the pairs of hinges including top and bottom hinge components, a circular cross section pin extending from a first hinge component and seating within a recess in the other component for providing swiveling support.
The plurality of panels further include a forward door panel having a food and water supporting door at a lower end, this in one non-limiting application being pivotally rotated about a pin to access an inside supporting side thereof. The food and water supporting door further includes a pair of doors individually and pivotally secured to the forward door panel.
Other features include a bottom tray secured between slanted edge locations of opposing panels in order to angle downwardly and forwardly to a front urine collection trap. Additional supports are secured to the food and water panel, which can be folded upwardly to a non-use position during collapsed storage of the assembly.
Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following detailed description, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
With reference to the appended illustrations, the present invention discloses a wall affixed and collapsible kennel which provides the advantages of maximizing floor space within an installation facility during periods of non-use, as well as providing a bottom urine trap for easy removal of stagnant collected urine and without requiring that the kennel door be opened. As will be further described, the present design provides for ease of scale-ability by adding additional units via a separated panel, and along with a variety of other below described features for more efficiently utilizing a given floor plan of a facility (such as an animal kennel or shelter), and as opposed to utilizing standard fixed cages as is known in the existing art.
With reference initially to
Also shown is a vertical wall or like surface (see at 2) and which, in a preferred application, secures a rear sub-dividing wall of the enclosure. In this manner, the present invention permits the collapsibility of the kennel enclosure (see
As will be further understood, the various panels and doors of the collapsible assembly can, without limitation, be constructed of any material not limited to a lightweight injection molded plastic, and can be of any desired dimension (length, height and thickness). This can also include, again without limitation, providing the kennel enclosures in varying sizes such as in order to accommodate any of small, medium and larger sized dogs.
With further reference to succeeding
As further best shown in the cutaway view of
As previously indicated, the material construction of the assembly can include, without limitation, any natural or synthetic materials or composites not limited to wood, injection molded plastics, or combinations thereof. In one further non-limiting variant, the frame components or panels 12-32 are constructed of a clear or bronzed anodized aluminum. The door component or panel 12 can additionally or alternatively include a tempered glass covering 36. The various inner and outer wall panels 12-32 can also include fiberglass reinforced plastic isolation panels to resist scratching, staining, odor and moisture. Other materials can include, without limitation, any of Wilsonart® or stainless steel over a polycore (polypropylene fluted core panel construction) for preventing moisture absorption and to retard warpage of the panels in response to changes in ambient temperature.
A series of hinged and locking components are incorporated into the kennel assembly in order to maintain the same between the fully expanded use position of
As best shown in
Pluralities of hinge and pin connections are also provided at each outer front and side perimeter defining panel edge interconnection, with the exception of the rear panel 14 and proximate side panels 20 and 26 which are fixed. Viewing the several illustrations collectively, and as best again shown in
An identical arrangement of second side hinges are also provided between the front panel 12 and second side interconnected panels 22, 24 and 26 and, as best shown in the cutaway view of
Without limitation, each hinge sub-assembly can include (in one non-limiting application) a pair of angled and offset brackets secured to opposing inside surfaces of the interconnecting panels, with a support pin extending from a selected bracket and through a receiving interior aperture of an opposing and offset arrayed bracket for pivotally and hingedly supporting the panels. Other alternate hinge variants are also assumed for interconnecting the sides and interior panels of the collapsible kennel assembly.
The present invention also contemplates, without limitation, the use of a magnetic locking system configured at each pivot hinge for holding the interconnecting panels in either of the open or closed positions. The magnetic locations are depicted at 82, 84 and 86 (
With further reference to each of
The front door or panel 12 can also include an opening (see inner defining rim 102 in
In operation, and upon first upwardly pivoting the floor 32 against the inside of the rear fixed panel 14, the pairs of “U” brackets 38/40 and 42/44 are upwardly displaced (see again
As previously described, the present design also makes possible adding additional pets to a subdivided interior of the kennel by rotating the opposite side supported inner panels 28 and 30 to the position shown in
Referring to
As further understood, and given the selected overall layout of the unit assembly (including a four foot wide and thirty two foot long variant) a plurality of individual collection trays 114 can be arranged in side by side fashion along the length of the unit and so that the forward collection traps are aligned and interconnected with a waste disposal line (not shown). It is also understood that the forward located urine collection tray is an optional feature and the present invention also envisions other mechanisms for collecting and storing either liquid or solid animal feces, this not limited to the incorporation of other floor designs additional to that shown and described herein.
Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims. This can include installing an optional top (not shown) such as with exterior installations. Associated door locks can also include the provision of slide locks which will lock and unlock in the direction of the associated lever. Other features can include designing the panels to inter-act in a fashion to enable a one push opening and closing of the overall assembly and to facilitate the folding action of the respective sides against each other in order to define a minimal footprint in the closed nonuse position.
The detailed description and drawings are further understood to be supportive of the disclosure, the scope of which being defined by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the claimed teachings have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the disclosure defined in the appended claims.
The foregoing disclosure is further understood as not intended to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed. As such, it is contemplated that various alternate embodiments and/or modifications to the present disclosure, whether explicitly described or implied herein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Having thus described embodiments of the present disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is limited only by the claims.
In the foregoing specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, various embodiments disclosed herein can be modified or otherwise implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, this description is to be considered as illustrative and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of making and using various embodiments of the disclosure. It is to be understood that the forms of disclosure herein shown and described are to be taken as representative embodiments. Equivalent elements, materials, processes or steps may be substituted for those representatively illustrated and described herein. Moreover, certain features of the disclosure may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the disclosure. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “consisting of”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural.
Further, various embodiments disclosed herein are to be taken in the illustrative and explanatory sense, and should in no way be construed as limiting of the present disclosure. All joinder references (e.g., attached, affixed, coupled, connected, and the like) are only used to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and may not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the systems and/or methods disclosed herein. Therefore, joinder references, if any, are to be construed broadly. Moreover, such joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected to each other.
Additionally, all numerical terms, such as, but not limited to, “first”, “second”, “third”, “primary”, “secondary”, “main” or any other ordinary and/or numerical terms, should also be taken only as identifiers, to assist the reader's understanding of the various elements, embodiments, variations and/or modifications of the present disclosure, and may not create any limitations, particularly as to the order, or preference, of any element, embodiment, variation and/or modification relative to, or over, another element, embodiment, variation and/or modification.
It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. Additionally, any signal hatches in the drawings/figures should be considered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwise specifically specified.
The present application claims the priority of U.S. Ser. No. 63/041,218 filed Jun. 19, 2020.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63041218 | Jun 2020 | US |