GB2132064A - Animal enclosure - Google Patents

Abstract

A collapsible house (5) for an animal such as a dog is detachably engaged with a dismantlable cage which may consist of a roof (23) and a floor together with side walls (22) which are hinged to the roof or floor to be foldable against the roof or floor for storage or transportation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Animal enclosure This invention relates to combined dog kennels and pens, with particular application to such dog kennels and pens which are dismantlable for storage or transport. The term "dog kennel" is used for convenience and includes any animal housing whether intended or used for a dog or any other animal.

According to the invention, a dog kennel and pen comprises a kennel having a cage attached thereto, the cage having side portions which are foldable to lie substantially parallel to a roof or floor portion of the cage.

Preferably, the said side portions are hingedly engaged with the roof or floor portions. Such hinged engagement may be carried out by means of substantially parallel members having convexly curved abutting surfaces, which are retained in abutment permitting relative pivotal movement.

Conveniently, the said substantially parallel members may be pipes or rods. In a preferred form of the invention, an assembly of such substantially parallel members is held together by means of a coil spring which surrounds both of two abutting members. The coil spring allows the members to pivot freely relative to each other, while holding the parts of the cage in their proper relative positions.

It is further preferred that the kennel includes wall panels which are disengagable from each other and from a roof portion of the kennel. In a preferred form of the invention, the wall panels are held in engagement with each other by reception of an edge portion of a panel with a groove formed in a face of another panel. The wall panels further engage in the same manner with a floor of the kennel. Any convenient means for retaining the edge portions in the grooves may be adopted, for example joinery cam-locks which permit ready disengagement of the parts from each other.

The kennel is preferably provided with a roof which is waterproof, for example a roof made of a fibreglass composition. Such a roof may be retained in engagement with the wall panels of the kennel by any convenient means, for example a releasable strap.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and carried into effect, one embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view from above of a kennel according to the invention with its roof removed; Figure 2 is an elevation of a wall of and entrance to the kennel of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partially sectioned view of a junction of two walls of the kennel of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the kennel of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a side elevation of a cage for use in conjunction with the kennel of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a partially sectioned view taken on line A-A' of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a plan view from above of the cage of Figure 5; and Figure 8 is an end elevation of the cage of Figure 5.

In the embodiment, a kennel has a wooden floor 1 and four side walls, 2,3,4,5. Each of the side walls has a groove formed in its edge portion a short distance inwardly of its lower edge, and the side wails 3 and 5 each have two grooves 6, 9 and 7,8 respectively adjacent their ends.

The side walls and floor are held in interengagement by reception of edges of walls 2 and 4 and edges of the floor into the appropriate grooves. Such assembly is shown in Figure 1.

One wall 2 is provided with a portal 10 for entry and egress of a dog or other animal. The walls are made of 15 mm plywood. The walls and floor are held in interengagement by joinery cam-locks. One such lock contained within the circle 11 in Figure 2 is shown in Figure 3. The view is from above the kennel. A conventional joinery cam-lock 12 is fitted and the two walls 2, 3 may readily be locked into engagement or released from engagement using a screwdriver.

The kennel is adapted to be releasabiy engaged with a cage into which the portal 10 opens. As shown in Figure 4, the kennel is provided with hooks, for example 13, which allow the kennel to engage with and be supported by an upper cross-member 14 of a cage. The cross-member 14 is part of an end frame 15 of the cage and a similar end frame 16 is situated at the opposite end of the cage. The end frames include foot portions 17, 18, 19, 20 by means of which the floor 21 of the cage is raised above ground level. The floor 21 may be made of wooden slats ends or edges of which are received by or supported by members of the cage.

The cage has two side portions one 22 of which is shown in Figure 5. The side portions are tied together by a removable angle-iron bar 39 which also supports a floor of the cage and are hingedly engaged with a roof portion 23 which rests on the end-frames 15, 16. The hinged engagement is achieved by means of parallel members 24, 25 which are surrounded by coil springs 26, 27, 28 and held thereby in close but pivotal engagement. Similar springs 29, 30, 31 retain the other side portion in engagement with the roof portion. The members 24, 25 are, like other parts of the cage, formed of steel rods. The side walls are, as a result, able to swing from the roof portion away from their vertical positions when detached from the end frames 15, 16.

The end frames 15, 16 are formed of steel or other suitable pipe or tube with holes, e.g. 40,41,42, 43, 44,45,46,47, provided to receive pegs or dowels (not shown) extending from end faces of the side portions and the roof portion. These positively locate the end frames relative to the side and roof portions when the cage is assembled and suitable fasteners are provided to prevent disassembly. The fasteners can be threaded shafts and nuts (for example threads on the pegs or dowels and nuts to engage end portions extending through the end frames) or, as preferred, spring clips which can be removed and fitted easily. The hook 13 may serve as a spring clip tool.

A fibreglass moulded roof 36 is provided for the kennel and overlies the sides of the walls of the kennel and extends for a short distance inside the cage. The roof is liftable off the kennel and may be retained in engagement with it by a strap or any other suitable means.

The end frame 16 mounts a hinged gate 37 which can be secured by a bolt 38.

The particular advantage of the embodiment described is its ability to pack into a relatively small space for storage or transport. To dismantle the kennel and pen, the roof is lifted off the kennel, the cam-locks are unfastened and the wails dismounted from the floor of the kennel, and the end frames 15, 16 are unfastened from the side and roof portions.

The sides and floor of the kennel, together with the end frames, can be stacked substantially flat in a compact package. The side portions of the cage are folded upwardly beneath the roof portion and the floor of the cage together with the roof of the kennel can then be slipped into the space between the folded side portions and the top of the roof portion to make a separate compact package. In end elevation, the roof portion is of substantially the same profile as the end frames, that is rising above the members which suspend the side portions, to provide a space beneath the roof portions and above the folded side portions. The whole kennel and pen is thus reduced to two substantially flat and compact packages for convenience of storage and transport.

Claims (12)

1. A dog kennel and pen comprising a dog kennel as hereinbefore defined and a dismantlable cage which is detachably engageable therewith.

2. A dog kennel and pen according to claim 1, wherein the cage includes side portions which are foldable to lie substantially parallel to a roof or floor portion of the cage.

3. A dog kennel and pen according to claim 2, wherein the said side portions are hingedly engaged with the roof or floor portion.

4. A dpg kennel and pen according to claim 3, wherein substantially parallel members of the side portions and the roof or floor portion have convexly curved abutting surfaces and are retained in abutment permitting relative pivotal movement.

5. Adog kennel and pen according to claim 4, wherein the said substantially parallel members are pipes.

6. A dog kennel and pen according to claim 4 of claim 5, wherein an assembly of a pair of the said substantially parallel members are retained in abutment by a coil spring surrounding the substantially parallel members.

7. A dog kennel and pen according to any one of claims 4, 5 and 6, wherein the said substantially parallel members are members of the side portions and the roof portions.

8. A dog kennel and pen according to claim 1, wherein the kennel includes wall members which are disengagable from each other and from a roof portion of the kennel.

9. A dog kennel and pen according to claim 8, wherein wall members of the kennel are retainable in engagement with each other by reception of an edge portion of a wall with a groove formed in a face of another wall.

10. A dog kennel and pen according to claim 9, wherein edge portions of a floor of the kennel are receivable into grooves formed on faces of the wall members.

11. A dog kennel and pen according to any one of claims 8,9 and 10, wherein parts of the kennel are retainable in interengagement by joinery cam-lock fasteners.

12. Adog kennel and pen having its parts constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.