Pet's cage

Abstract

A cage designed to contain an animal is formed by the reciprocal conjunction of a series of grilled walls in a substantially parallelepiped arrangement applied to a basin type base. The cage includes a window opening on a grilled wall. The cage also include a ladder-like closing element having a substantially quadrilateral conformation and having dimensions corresponding to those of the window opening in which it is insertable to be closed. The ladder-like closing element is removable from the window opening to assume a configuration of a ramp positionable between an edge by the opening of the cage and an inner surface thereof and/or an outer surface adjacent thereto.

Claims

1. A cage for an animal, the cage being: formed by the reciprocal conjunction of a series of grilled walls in a substantially parallelepiped arrangement applied to a basin type base, and provided with a window opening obtained on at least one of the grilled walls of the cage, the cage comprising a rung-frame closing element having a first shape and first dimensions corresponding to a second shape and second dimensions of the window opening in which the rung-frame closing element is insertable to be closed, the rung-frame closing element comprising two uprights joined by a series of crosspieces, the rung-frame closing element being removable from the window opening for use as a ramp extending from an edge adjacent to the window opening, each upright of the two uprights of the rung-frame ladder like closing element having a respective sidewall extending from a first crosspiece of the series of crosspieces to a first distal end of the rung-frame closing element, the respective sidewalls and a final crosspiece of the series of crosspieces defining a u-shaped female coupling interface that is open at the first distal end, the u-shaped female coupling interface receiving a joining element, the final crosspiece being a nearest crosspiece, of the series of crosspieces, to the first distal end.

2. The cage of claim 1, wherein the joining element comprises a pair of plates joined by a connecting joint.

3. The cage of claim 1, wherein the joining element realizes a swivel joining respective uprights of two rung-frame closing elements.

4. The cage of claim 2, wherein one plate of the pair of plates is insertable into the u-shaped female coupling interface.

5. The cage of claim 2, wherein: each upright comprises a flexible tooth, and each flexible tooth engages a respective vertical rod placed on the edge of the window opening of the cage.

6. The cage of claim 1, wherein: each horizontal adjacent side of the rung-frame closing element comprises a groove that is defined by a tab; and each tab engages a respective horizontal rod of the window opening.

7. The cage of claim 1, wherein the animal is a rodent.

8. The cage of claim 1, wherein the animal is a rabbit or a guinea pig.

9. The cage of claim 1, wherein a respective hollow space is defined between each pair of adjacent crosspieces of the series of crosspieces.

10. The cage of claim 1, wherein the first crosspiece is a nearest crosspiece of the series of crosspieces to a second distal end of the rung-frame closing element that is opposite to the first distal end.

11. The cage of claim 1, wherein the u-shaped female coupling interface is a continuous u-shaped female coupling interface.

Description

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other 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 figures illustrated in the appended tables of drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1 and 1a depict schematic and axonometric perspective views of a cage for rodents such as rabbits, guinea pigs or the like provided with an access window involved in the multifunction closing element and ramp according to the invention;

(3) FIGS. 2 and 2a illustrate detailed schematic views respectively from the inside and outside of the cage of the multifunction closing and ramp element;

(4) FIGS. 3 and 3a show schematic and perspective views of the window closing element placed in dual ramp use mode in the first case with respect to the window and in the second with respect to an opening of an entire wall;

(5) FIGS. 4 and 4a are detailed views of a double ramp ladder positioned on the edge of the window of a grilled wall;

(6) FIGS. 5 to 5d depict schematic and perspective views of as many examples of configuration of the closing element/single or double access ramp according to the invention;

(7) FIGS. 6 to 6d illustrate schematic and perspective views of further configuration examples and details of the closing element/single or double access ramp according to the invention with exploded extension elements;

(8) FIGS. 7 to 7c refer to further closing/ramp versions with extension elements installed.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(9) Referring to the appended figures, 10 generally indicates a cage designed to contain pets, in this case a cage for rodents such as rabbits, guinea pigs or the like, formed by the reciprocal conjunction of a series of grilled walls 11 forming a substantially parallelepiped arrangement applied to a basin type base 12.

(10) According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cage 10 is provided with a window opening indicated with 13 that is obtained on one of the grilled walls 11 of the cage and whose lower edge is placed slightly above the edge of the basin type base 12.

(11) According to an embodiment depicting the main feature of the invention, the above-described cage is affected by the presence of a ladder-like closing element 14 having a substantially quadrilateral conformation and having dimensions corresponding to those of the window opening 13.

(12) In fact, the closing element 14 is configured to perform a first function, which is to close on the window opening 13.

(13) For this purpose, the closing element 14, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, has a substantially ladder-like conformation formed by two uprights 15 and 16 joined by a series of crosspieces 17.

(14) Furthermore, the closing element 14 has two end edges 18 and 19 configured as a recess, or comprising a seat bounded by two tracks into which a joining element 20 is insertable.

(15) More in particular, according to the e embodiment depicted in FIGS. 5a, 5c and 6 to 6d, such a joining element 20 comprises a pair of rectangular plates 20 and 20 joined by a connecting joint 21 with staggered protruding portions.

(16) The joining element 20 can be used both for the swivel joining of two ladder-like closing elements 14 and 14, which can be used for example to form a bridge in cases where it is necessary to connect the inner part to the outer part of the cage allowing the exit and entry of the animal, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5c and 5d, or from a support plane or walkway applicable to one of the inner or outer walls of the cage.

(17) Furthermore, the joining element 20 can be used as an extendable portion of the ladder in the case of particularly high bottoms.

(18) In this case, one of the two swivel portions of the joining element 20 is inserted into the recess bounded by the said two tracks of the two ends 18 and 19 of the closing element 14, as shown in FIGS. 5c and 7c.

(19) Furthermore, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention depicted in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the ladder-like closing element 14 has flexible teeth 22 placed at the lateral profiles 15 and 16 used to hook the ladder-like element to the vertical rods placed on the sides of the window 13 of the net of the cage 10, while on each of the horizontal adjacent sides there is a groove defined by a tab 23 depicted in FIGS. 2 and 2a, which allows to engage a respective horizontal rod of the window open on the wall 11 and prevent the animal from opening it by pushing from the inside.

(20) As mentioned above, the purpose of the invention is to integrate the closing function of the element 14 with the function of ladder or exit/access ramp of the animal, i.e., to create a single element, preferably in plastic material which can be hooked to the window opening 13 present on one of the walls of the cage, which can be used as a single or double ramp ladder for the animal.

(21) Such a component 14, being made of plastic material, can be configured according to a conformation, possibly modifiable according to the needs or practicality of use, which facilitates the ascent and descent of the animal wanting to leave the cage, overcoming the obstacle of the lower edge of the window placed at the edges of the basin type base 12, to reach a possibly grassy or similar external area and if necessary return to the cage.

(22) This is allowed on the one hand by the presence of the teeth and the coupling profiles 22 to the window 13, and on the other by the conformation of the ladder which acts as a single or double ramp and by the presence and shape of any appropriate steps integrated on the surface of the piece, or through a correct length and width of the ladder itself.

(23) As depicted in FIGS. 3 and 3a, the ladder-like closing element 14 is arranged with a double ramp at the edge of the window and in the second case on the edge of the basin type base 12, depending on the needs and the structural and modular capacities of the cage.

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