Coupling element for the connection between adjacent grilled walls of a pet cage

Abstract

A coupling element (10) for the connection between a first grilled wall (P) and a second grilled wall (P) adjacent and orthogonal to each other of a pet cage, comprising an elongated body (11) one side of which ends with an arched coupling appendage (12), and the opposite side with a head (13) comprising two further arched coupling appendages (15, 16) facing opposite sides of the body (11). Said arched appendages (12, 15, 16) define a first seat (14) and a second seat (18) for the coupling to two rods f1, T) forming part of the first grilled wall (P) and a third seat (18) for coupling to a third rod (T) forming part of the second grilled wall (P) to which the first wall (P) is connected. The third seat (18) is associated with an elastic tongue (19) adapted to contrastingly retain said third rod (T) of said second wall (P) to which the first wall (P) is connected.

Claims

1. A coupling element connecting a first net wall and a second net wall adjacent and orthogonal to each other of a pet cage, comprising: an elongated body, wherein the elongated body comprises one side of which ends with a first arched coupling appendage, and an opposite side with a head comprising a second arched coupling appendage and a third arched coupling appendage facing the first arched coupling appendage on opposite sides of the elongated body, wherein the first arched appendage and the second arched appendage and third arched appendages define a first seat and a second seat for coupling of a first rod and a second rod forming part of the first net wall, and wherein the third arched appendage defines a third seat for coupling to a third rod forming part of the second net wall to which the first wall is connected; wherein the third seat is associated with an elastic tongue configured to retain the third rod of the second net wall to which the first net wall is connected, wherein the elastic tongue extends cantilevered in an oblique direction from a surface of the elongated body facing the third seat and ends with a free end at an inner area of the third seat comprising a concavity opposite a concavity of the third seat retaining the third rod, wherein the free end of the elastic tongue is located in correspondence of an opening obtained on a top of the head; wherein the third rod is retained at a position at the concavity of the free end of the elastic tongue; and wherein the third rod is released from the position present in the concavity of the free end of the elastic tongue to uncouple the coupling element by utilizing fingers to exert pressure towards the elongated body of the coupling element on at least one of: the free end of the elastic tongue and the body of the elastic tongue.

2. The coupling element of claim 1, wherein the coupling element is made of thermoplastic material.

3. The coupling element of claim 1, wherein the first seat of said first arched coupling appendage has a section substantially in the shape of an arc of a circle with a radius of curvature having dimensions corresponding to the radius of rods of a first net wall of the pet cage on which the coupling element is applied.

4. The coupling element of claim 3, wherein the angle of curvature of an arc of a circle of the first seat is less than 180 so as to allow coupling and uncoupling with respect to the rods of the first net wall.

5. The coupling element of claim 3, wherein the second seat comprises a flexible appendage which has a section substantially shaped as an arc of a circle with a radius of curvature having dimensions corresponding to a radius of the rods of the first net wall of the cage, and an extension angle greater than 180 to allow a retention and uncoupling of the rod against a force exerted by the flexible appendage.

6. The coupling element of claim 1, wherein a measurement of a distance between axes of the first rod and the second rod which are present in the first and second seats corresponds to an interaxis between two parallel, rods of a mesh of the first net wall on which the coupling element is applied.

7. The coupling element of claim 1, wherein the free end of the elastic tongue exits for a certain length from the opening obtained on the top of the head.

Description

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention provided by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the drawings illustrated in the appended tables of drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1 to 4 show schematic views highlighting the configuration of a coupling element according to the invention, seen from different angles;

(3) FIGS. 5 and 6 show schematic views highlighting an angular coupling detail respectively in coupled and uncoupled condition;

(4) FIG. 7 shows a view of some grilled walls of a cage retained by the coupling elements according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 8 shows a view of a complete modular cage made by connecting grilled modules retained by the coupling element according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(6) Referring to FIG. 1, the number 10 comprehensively indicates a coupling element which, according to the invention, allows to connect the angular sectors of vertical grilled walls of a cage for pets.

(7) The coupling element 10 is made of thermoplastic material, i.e., by hot injection of molten plastic into a mould, one of the production techniques which allows to make many pieces in a short time, at low costs.

(8) According to the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4, the coupling element 10 has a central body 11 of substantially rectangular shape, one of whose sides ends with an arched portion 12 and the opposite side with a particularly shaped head 13.

(9) More precisely, the arched portion 12 has a first seat 14 with a section substantially in the shape of an arc of a circle with a radius of curvature having dimensions corresponding to the radius of the rods T of a first net wall P of the cage on which the coupling element is applied.

(10) The angle of curvature of the arc of a circle of the seat 14 is less than 180 so as to allow the coupling and also the uncoupling with respect to the metal rods T of the net according to the application methods which will be described below.

(11) The head 13 of the coupling element 10 has appendages 15 and 16 opposite the longitudinal plane of the body 11.

(12) The appendage 15, which is elastic and flexible, defines a second seat 17 having section substantially in the shape of an arc of a circle with a radius of curvature having dimensions corresponding to the radius of the rods of the net of said first wall P of the cage, and an extension angle greater than 180 to allow the retention of the rod contrastingly to the flexible appendage 15 according to the application methods which will be described below.

(13) The measurement of the distance L between the axes of the two rods T present in said first and second seats 14 and 17 corresponds to the interaxis between two not necessarily adjacent rods of the mesh of the net of the first wall P on which the first side of the coupling element is applied.

(14) The second of the appendages present on the head 13 of the coupling element 10, i.e., that indicated with 16, defines a third seat 18, represented in FIG. 4 which, according to a feature of the invention, is associated with an elastic tongue 19 which extends in an oblique direction from the surface of the body 11 facing the appendage 16.

(15) The elastic tongue 19 ends with the free end 20 thereof at the inner part of the third seat 18 defined by the appendage 16 and in this area has a concavity opposite the concavity of the seat 18, so as to retain a third rod T this time of the wall P to which the wall P is associable orthogonally.

(16) Advantageously, the end of the elastic tongue 19 exits for a certain length from an opening 21 (FIG. 3) obtained on the top of the head 13, so that it can be moved with fingers from a retaining position of the rod T to a release position of the same to allow it to be uncoupled.

(17) From an operational point of view, the coupling element 10 according to the invention in a first step is coupled on one side of a first grilled wall P by firstly introducing an end rod T into the seat 17 defined by the flexible appendage 15 and secondarily being locked on a respective inner rod T which penetrates the seat 14 of the appendage 12, allowing the coupling element to remain retained on the first wall of the cage.

(18) The next step includes the association and locking of the coupling element 10 to a second wall P by inserting the end rod T in the seat 18 defined by appendage 16; the end rod T locks in this position urged by the elastic tongue 19.

(19) For the release of the grilled walls during disassembly and for the uncoupling of the element 10 it is sufficient to act on the end 20 of the elastic tongue whose retraction frees the rod T of the wall P, while for the release of the wall P it is sufficient to act on the appendage 12 which by releasing the rod T also frees the rod T which can be removed from the seat 17.

(20) This coupling can be made in different types of plastics, depending on the mechanical strength required and as a function of the strength of the animal which the cage must contain.

(21) The coupling element 10 can therefore be made with multiple types of plastic, such as polypropylene for lower strengths, or technopolymers such as polyamide 6, polyamide 6,6 or acetal resins.

(22) According to further possible embodiments of the coupling element 10, it can be used with the same principle, modifying only the type of fixing to the net, also in other points of the cage, such as the base, the roof or the door.

(23) It is also included that the coupling element 10 can be advantageously used, possibly with the appropriate modifications, also to retain the dividers present inside these cages, to facilitate the coupling between the divider and vertical nets.

(24) As can be noted, the coupling element described achieves all the advantages mentioned above and, in particular, being realisable by injection moulding, it can be made at particularly competitive costs, with very high production capacities.

(25) A further advantage is given by the fact that when the product is assembled and in place, the coupling element is interposed between the edges, preventing direct iron-iron contact and therefore limiting, if not zeroing, clicks or noises in general.

(26) In addition, injection moulding allows the creation of shapes without edges, sharp points and therefore dangerous areas for animals and consumers.

(27) As the coupling component according to the invention is usable by the end consumer, the same can choose to apply the desired number thereof for each corner of the cage, depending on the size of the animal contained in the cage, the behaviour or age thereof.

(28) The invention has been described in the foregoing with reference to a preferential embodiment thereof. However it is clear that the invention is susceptible to numerous variants which fall within the scope thereof, and which are technically equivalent.