Pet step and method

• US 20040079297A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Store Chain, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jeanne Rae Wolfington, Karen Kristen Hanson
• Inventors: Wolfington, Jeanne Rae, Hanson, Karen Kristen
• Granted Patent: US 6,964,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/849
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/035 Devices for use in keeping domestic animals, e.g. fittings in housings or dog beds

Abstract

A pet step is a modular foam core item which can be used alone or in an arrangement with other pet steps—referred to as cubes—to form a stair and offers a comfortable way for a pet that has been debilitated by age, surgery, illness, or injury to climb, e.g., from the floor to the couch and down, eliminating the impact of jumping. Each step is formed of a washable fabric cover stretched across a high-density foam core, the core being usually of regular block shape, but alternatively in the shape of a trapezoidal block, right wedge, or other. The cover may be made from various fabrics with different textures, colors, and designs, and is secured around the foam core using a band of elastic. Thus, the cover is easily removable and washable. The pet steps are intended to be used in a stair, formed by placing the steps adjacent one another with the elasticized opening of the cover on the bottom sides of the steps and mating and engaging the optional fasteners, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, which are mounted between the adjacent step surfaces.

Claims

1. A pet step comprising:

a high-density foam core of a three-dimensional shape, said high-density foam having a relatively high coefficient of friction, and said core defining a bottom,

a cover removably mounted to said core, said cover being constructed from a fabric having a relatively high coefficient of friction and having a plurality of seams arranged therein so as to define a bag shape with an opening therein,

an elastic band mounted to the cover at said opening, said cover being fitted around said core such that the band locates entirely within the bottom of the core, and

a plurality of fasteners strategically mounted to the fabric cover.

2. The pet step of claim 1 wherein the foam core is in the shape of a regular six-sided block defining a top, a bottom, four sides, and four corners, said bottom defining four edges, and the cover is mounted on said core such that the opening of the cover locates on the bottom of the core and the elastic band locates within and proximate to the edges of said bottom.

3. The pet step of claim 2 wherein the elastic band locates roughly 2 inches within the edges of said bottom.

4. The pet step of claim 1 wherein the foam core is in the shape of a regular six-sided block with four corners, and the cover includes four seams spaced evenly around said opening and extending roughly perpendicularly therefrom such that when the cover is fitted onto the core, the seams correspond to the corners of the block.

5. The pet step of claim 1 wherein the foam core is in the shape of a regular six-sided block with a top, a bottom, four sides, and four corners, said bottom defining four edges and the cover is mounted on said core such that the opening of the cover locates on the bottom of the core and the elastic band locates within and proximate to the edges of said bottom and the seams correspond to the corners of the block.

6. The pet step of claim 5 wherein said fasteners comprise hook-and-loop fasteners and are strategically mounted on the cover.

7. The pet step of claim 5 wherein said fasteners are mounted on the elastic band.

8. The pet step of claim 1 wherein the foam core is in the shape of a regular right wedge defining a bottom.

9. The pet step of claim 1 wherein the foam core is in the shape of a six-sided trapezoidal block defining a bottom.

10. An article of furniture for pets comprising:

a first pet step comprising a high-density foam core of three-dimensional shape, said high-density foam having a relatively high coefficient of friction, and defining a bottom, a cover removably mounted to said core, said cover being constructed from a fabric having a relatively high coefficient of friction and having a plurality of seams arranged therein so as to define a bag shape with an opening therein, an elastic band mounted to the cover at said opening, said cover being fitted around said core such that the band locates entirely within the bottom of the core, and a plurality of fasteners mounted to the cover,

a second pet step comprising a high-density foam core of three-dimensional shape, said high-density foam having a relatively high coefficient of friction, and defining a bottom, a cover removably mounted to said core, said cover being constructed from a fabric having a relatively high coefficient of friction and having a plurality of seams arranged therein so as to define a bag shape with an opening therein, an elastic band mounted to the cover at said opening, said cover being fitted around said core such that the band locates entirely within the bottom of the core, and a plurality of fasteners mounted to the cover, and

said second pet step being removably mounted to the first pet step such that the bottom of the second step is adjacent the cover of the first step and the fasteners are engaged.

11. The article of furniture of claim 10 wherein the fasteners comprise hook-and-loop fasteners.

12. The article of furniture of claim 11 wherein each hook-and-loop fastener comprises a hook portion and a loop portion and the hook portion is mounted to the cover of the first block and the loop portion is mounted to the cover of the second block such that the portions will mate upon assembly.

13. The article of furniture of claim 12 further comprising a third pet step, such third pet step comprising a high-density foam core of three-dimensional shape, said high-density foam having a relatively high coefficient of friction, and defining a bottom, a cover removably mounted to said core, said cover being constructed from a fabric having a relatively high coefficient of friction and having a plurality of seams arranged therein so as to define a bag shape with an opening therein, an elastic band mounted to the cover at said opening, said cover being fitted around said core such that the band locates entirely within the bottom of the core, and a plurality of fasteners mounted to the cover, and the steps being removably mounted adjacent each other and arranged into a stair such that the hook-and-loop fasteners are mated and engaged.

14. A method for constructing a pet stair from a plurality of pet steps, each such step comprising a high-density foam core of three-dimensional shape, said high-density foam having a relatively high coefficient of friction, and each core defining a bottom, a cover removably mounted to said core, said cover being constructed from a fabric having a relatively high coefficient of friction and having a plurality of seams arranged therein so as to define a bag shape with an opening therein, and an elastic band mounted to the cover at said opening, said cover being fitted around said core such that the band locates entirely within the bottom of the core, comprising the steps of:

assembling the individual pet steps to be used by fitting the covers on the cores so that the seams generally locate on the corners of the cores and the bands locate entirely within the bottoms of the cores, and

arranging the pet steps adjacent each other in a stair configuration as desirable so that the bottom of at least one step is adjacent the cover of at least one step.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the steps further comprise hook-and-loop fasteners mounted on the covers, each fastener having a hook portion and a loop portion, and the method further comprising the step of:

fastening the pet steps to each other by securing the hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastener to the corresponding loop portion of a mating hook-and-loop fastener, thereby engaging the fasteners.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the foam cores are of regular six-sided block shape and the steps are arranged in a three-step stair.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the foam cores are of regular six-sided block shape and the steps are arranged in a four-step stair.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the foam cores are of regular six-sided block shape and the steps are arranged in a six-step stair.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the steps is in the shape of a right wedge and the steps are arranged in a ramped configuration.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein at least one of the steps is in the shape of a trapezoidal block and the steps are arranged in a ramped configuration.