WO2017012914A1

WO2017012914A1 - A cage for the transport of pets

Info

Publication number: WO2017012914A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/066498
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlo Vaccari
Original assignee: Ferplast S.P.A.
Priority date: 2015-07-20
Filing date: 2016-07-12
Publication date: 2017-01-26
Also published as: EP3324733A1; ITUB20152329A1

Abstract

A cage (10) for the transport of pets consisting of a pair of shell-shaped elements (11, 12) located one on another to form a container having a generally parallelepiped shape having a series of walls in which at least one opening is provided for access of the pet, closable by a door (13). At least one wall of one of the shell-shaped elements (11, 12) has an opening (16) comprising a frame provided with rapid coupling and decoupling means for application and removal of a removable panel (17).

Description

"A CAGE FOR THE TRANSPORT OF PETS"

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention concerns a carrier or cage for the transport of pets such as dogs or cats.

This is a carrier for the transport of pets, typically for dogs but also for cats or other animals, which comprises means designed to make it usable in various different circumstances, according to the type of transport, as a result of its construction characteristics .

The cage for pets according to the invention intends to overcome the current difficult adaptability of traditional prior art pet carriers to the various transport conditions according to the situation, the place and the condition of the animal, which require different levels of visibility through the walls, considering for example the method of air transport which differs from the method on means of public transport, or from transport by car, or in other particular situations.

This invention can be advantageously applied in the sector of accessories for pets, and more specifically in the sector of accessories and containers designed for the transport of dogs and cats.

BACKGROUND ART

It is known that a cage for pets generally consists of a container made from plastic material in a parallelepiped shape with sloping sides and rounded corners, equipped with a closable opening for access of the pet and its restraint inside the container, while the walls are made according to various construction methods which foresee the creation of different shapes and types of openings .

The closure of the access opening of traditional pet cages is usually achieved by using grid doors which allow air to circulate and visibility from and to the outside, while the walls are made according to various construction concepts based also on the use of the cage.

It should in fact be noted that the current traditional pet cages are made using an upper shell made from plastic material provided with slots for ventilation obtained by moulding of the plastic material. In some cases, the openings in the shell consist of the permanent application of grids in various materials, such as plastic, metal or others.

It is also known that pet cages must have particular and different characteristics depending on the situation and above all depending on the means of transport used according to the requirements at that time.

It should in fact be remembered that according to the situation, the place and the conditions of the animal it may be necessary to adapt the pet cage to obtain different levels of visibility towards the outside, creating appropriate openings or windows fitted with grids to prevent the pet from getting out of the cage.

For example, if the pet cage has to be used in an aeroplane it must be provided with slits or openings that must comply with IATA regulations, whereby the animal must remain inside the pet cage and, albeit not foreseen by the regulations, it is often allowed in air transport that dogs may keep their heads outside the container as long as they wear a muzzle and as long as they cannot get out of the container.

Keeping the pet's head outside the cage is thus allowed by the provision of appropriate openings large enough to allow the pet's head to pass through.

This characteristic is foreseen for example in the document TW - M279178 which foresees the use of side windows that can be opened to provide access to an external drinking trough.

The transport in public of dogs that are not afraid of crowds and like instead to see the outside environment foresees the use of pet cages provided with a closed upper part but which is completely or partially transparent to allow the pet to see out.

Another different case is the use of the pet cage in a car or similar vehicle for private used: larger openings are necessary so that the dog can be stroked and comforted by the passengers, wherein these openings allow access of the hands inside the pet cage.

It is therefore understandable that, according to the situation, anyone who has a pet needs to have different types of carriers, that can be summarised in the following types:

- traditional cages with side slots cut in the plastic material ;

- traditional cages with side slots fitted with metal grids that provide greater visibility towards the outside ;

- cages with fabric covers to completely obscure the interior;

- bag-type cages to allow the pet to be stroked and the owner to have more contact with the pet.

These and other similar types of pet cages that can be used in the different transport situations and conditions presuppose different construction methods associated with different types of openings, and each of these cannot currently be combined with the others, with the result of an inevitable increase in costs for the user who is forced to purchase several cages for the various uses, even if only for occasional use.

In addition, retailers of accessories for pets must have a stock of many different types of models of pet cages to suit the different individual requirements, with the consequent difficulty in managing stocks and the use of display space which is often extremely limited.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention has for an aim to provide a cage for the transport of pets such as dogs or cats, designed with a modular type construction method, thereby creating a condition which can overcome, or at least reduce, the above mentioned drawbacks of traditional pet cages.

In particular, the invention proposes a new type of modular pet cage suitable for a variety of different requirements, sparing owners of pets the need to purchase different pet cages for each different use.

This is achieved by means of a container for the transport of pets such as cats or dogs, whose features are described in the main claim.

The dependent claims of the solution according to this invention describe advantageous embodiments of the invention .

The main advantages of this solution concern the better management of pet cages, limiting their type to just size according to the size of the pet, while the different types of use are included in the new modular concept of the openings.

Another aim of the invention is to limit the retailer' s stock management problems by proposing a single pet cage model designed to cover a variety of uses and requirements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear on reading the description given below of one embodiment, provided as a non-limiting example, with the help of the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a schematic exploded view of the pet cage according to the invention;

figures 2 and 3 show schematic front and rear views of the pet cage;

figure 4 is a schematic side view of the invention; figure 5 is a prospective view of the pet cage according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the accompanying figures, the numeral 10 indicates generally a cage designed for the transport of pets, in particular a cage with a series of removable or interchangeable panels attached to the walls of the cage.

According to an embodiment shown in the figures, the cage 10 consists of two upper 11 and lower 12 truncated- pyramid half-shells generally made from plastic material which, when assembled, assume a substantially parallelepiped conformation with a widened center-line providing the dog with a comfortable habitat, the cage comprising a front opening that can be closed by means of a generally grid-like door 13 that can consist of a grating that rests on the perimeter edges of the opening 12 and that can be blocked by any appropriate means of temporary fixing, for example consisting of four rotating lock and release hinges 14 engaging with four pins 15 of the grating 13.

The upper portion of the upper half-shell 11 is also provided with a handle for the manual lifting and transport of the cage 10.

According to one feature of the invention, at least the side walls of the upper shell 11 have openings or windows 16, each of which comprises a frame provided with restraining means for removable or interchangeable panels 17, made from opaque or transparent material.

These removable or interchangeable panels 17 are generally produced by the moulding of plastic material and their surface can be of different types according to the requirements for use of the cage, that is to say they can consist of solid continuous surfaces, or perforated surfaces with openings of various sizes to provide the pet with different degrees of vision towards the outside or to allow the owner to put a hand inside, or for other practical reasons.

In the example shown in the figures, the removable or interchangeable panels 17 have constantly-sized perforations or openings arranged in two horizontal parallel rows, but depending on requirements the cage can be provided with additional interchangeable panels with perforations or openings of any size or arrangement.

The removable or interchangeable panels 17 can be made with just a frame, provided with means for fixing to the windows 16, together with a grid made from metal wire or other material including plastic, and in different sizes according to customer requirements.

The frame of each removable or interchangeable panel 17 is provided with retaining means able to couple with respective retaining means located for example on the frame of the openings of the half-shell 16.

For example, these retaining means consist of reciprocal coupling profiles at the lower end and retaining tabs 18 at the upper end, and/or vice versa.

As can be noted, this solution makes it possible to achieve the all the aims described above, that is to say the pet cage according to the invention is designed to allow its use in various circumstances by simply attaching the interchangeable panels according to requirements .

The invention described above refers to a particularly advantageous embodiment.

It is nevertheless clear that the invention is susceptible to numerous variations which lie within the scope of its disclosure.

For example, the particular shape of the pet cage shown in the figures certainly does not represent a limitation of the invention.

In addition, the retaining means used to attach the various parts of the pet cage together can be of different types, and can be easily designed by an expert technician, having merely to carry out the function of holding the parts together in a releasable way.

Moreover, the invention shown in the figures and described above consists of a cage in which the removable or interchangeable panels are located in the walls of the upper shell 11 of the cage. According to other embodiments (not shown in the figures) the walls in the lower shell 12 of the pet cage can also be provided with removable or interchangeable panels.

The invention as described above refers to a preferred embodiment. It is nevertheless clear that the invention is susceptible to numerous variations falling within the scope of the disclosure, in the context of technical equivalents.

Claims

A cage (10) for transport of pets constituted by a pair of shell-shaped elements (11, 12) located one on another to form a container having a generally parallelepiped shape having a series of walls on which at least an opening is present for access of the pet, said opening being closable by a door (13), characterised in that at least a wall of one of the shell-shaped elements (11, 12) has an opening (16) comprising a frame provided with rapid coupling and decoupling means for application and removal of a removable panel (17) comprising a substantially flat surface free of openings, or a gridded surface or a surface having a series of openings or holes.

A cage according to claim 1, characterised in that the removable panel (17) is made of a plastic material .

The cage according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the frame of the removable panel (17) comprises rapid hooking and unhooking means to and from the interchangeable panel (17) . The cage (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the removable panel (17) is provided with retaining means able to couple with respective retaining means located on the frame of a respective opening (16) .

The cage according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it further comprises a raising and transporting handle coupled to the upper wall of the upper shell-shaped element.