METHOD OF CONVERTING A VEHICLE FOR UPLOADING, OFFLOADING AND TRANSPORTING A PET

• US 20180228121A1
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Published: 08/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murray, Alan
• Original Assignee: Murray, Alan
• Inventors: Murray, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 10,104,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0035 Transportable or mobile animal shelters
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0272 Boxes, bags, cages, baskets, harnesses especially adapted for transport in or on automobiles
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/035 Devices for use in keeping domestic animals, e.g. fittings in housings or dog beds
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/40 Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 3/02 Retractable steps or ladders, e.g. movable under shock B60R3/005 takes precedence

Abstract

A method including mounting a horizontal frame in the back bay of a vehicle and slidably extending sections of a collapsible ramp from the frame to the lower distal end to the ground for access by a pet to be loaded into the bay.

Claims

1. A method of preparing to load and transport a pet in a rear bay of a vehicle having a door for opening to expose a doorway and including:

selecting a horizontal frame of the type having a floor with an upwardly facing bed and formed under the bed with an outwardly opening tunnel;

selecting an extendable ramp device with a plurality of ramp sections and a horizontal landing device to be extended from the tunnel to cooperate in creating a walkway from the upwardly facing bed;

inserting the ramp device in the tunnel for slidable extension to project the landing device to a cantilevered horizontal position; and

sliding the ramp sections distally from the landing device to an inclined loading position projecting distally and downwardly from the landing device whereby the horizontal frame may be loaded in the back bay and the landing device and ramp sections slide outwardly from the tunnel to the inclined (landing) position while retaining the frame stationary in the back bay.

2. The method of claim 1 that includes:

erecting a retainer fence around at least one side of the bed.

3. The method of claim 1 that includes:

storing pet paraphernalia in a drawer under the bed.

4. The method of claim 1 that includes:

erecting a fence around at least two sides of the bed.

5. The method of claim 1 that includes:

securing the frame between a floor and ceiling of a vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 that includes:

selecting the ramp as a stairway with steps having respective step surfaces disposed, when the ramp is in the loading position, in horizontal planes.

7. The method of claim 1 that includes:

deploying the landing device to carry the ramp sections clear of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 that includes:

slidably extending the ramp sections relative to one another.

10. The method of claim 1 that includes:

selecting the ramp device with male and female sections, the female sections having tracks mounted on opposite sides thereof and the male sections having slides on opposite sides thereof to interact with respective tracks for sliding the female and male sections longitudinally relative to one another.

11. The method of claim 1 that includes:

selecting the ramp device with a distal end having a handle thereon.

12. The method of claim 1 that includes:

sliding a drawer from a retracted position in the frame to and extended position.

9. (canceled)

13. A method of retrofitting a back bay of a vehicle to transport a pet, including:

selecting a pet cage mounted on a horizontal frame (formed) including a floor cooperating in forming the top wall of an outwardly opening tunnel;

placing the horizontal frame and pet cage in the back bay;

sliding a landing device in the tunnel;

selecting a ramp device having extendable rigid ramp sections to be extended slidably from the horizontal frame and relative to each other to slope downwardly and outwardly in a loading position;

sliding the landing device horizontally from the frame to an extended horizontal position, carrying the ramp device therewith; and

deploying the rigid ramp sections to form a rigid stairway disposed in the loading position.

14. The method of claim 13 that includes:

selecting slides and tracks (interspersed) interposed between the landing device and ramp sections and between the ramp sections.

15. The method of claim 14 that includes:

selecting the horizontal frame with a pet bed.

16. A method of retrofitting a vehicle rear bay of a predetermined width including:

selecting a pet cage mounted on a horizontal frame having a width less than three quarters of the predetermined width and including a pair of rearwardly opening tunnels;

loading the cage and frame in the rear bay;

selecting an elongated stairway device with multiple rigid sections carried slidably from a horizontal landing device and with the rigid sections slidable longitudinally, one rigid section relative another, to an extended position sloping downwardly and outwardly and with the rigid sections carrying spaced apart steps with step surfaces disposed in horizontal planes; and

extending the stairway device from the landing device to the extended position to dispose the step surfaces on the stairway device in the respective horizontal planes.

17-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method of preparing a vehicle having a back bay for transport of a pet and including:

selecting a horizontal frame for mounting to one side of the bay and configuring the frame with a horizontal wall having an upwardly facing floor surface and including an outwardly opening tunnel below the horizontal wall;

making a pet cage mounted on the frame over the floor surface;

making a landing device to be received in the tunnel and slidable outwardly from the tunnel relative to the pet cage to a horizontal, cantilevered loading position and including a horizontal landing surface to be slid outwardly with the landing device;

making a landing device mounting device including landing device tracks and sliders mated together and interposed between the landing device and horizontal frame for sliding of the landing device outwardly to the loading position;

making an elongated ramp device with upper and lower extremities and including upper and lower ramp sections slidable together for extension of the lower ramp section relative to the upper ramp section;

placing the ramp device in the tunnel for sliding from a retracted position to the extended loading position for pivoting of the upper extremity about a pivot axis to angle downwardly and outwardly to a ramp loading position;

making a ramp mounting device including tracks and sliders mated together and interposed between the ramp device and landing device for sliding of the ramp device relative to the landing device whereby the landing device may be slid outwardly from the tunnel to the horizontal cantilevered loading position and the ramp device slid outwardly relative to the landing device and pivoted downwardly about the pivot axis to the ramp loading position.