RODENT HABITAT

• US 3,791,346 A
• Filed: 01/21/1972
• Issued: 02/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rolf C Hagen (USA) Corporation (Hagensons Investments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Albert J. Dinnerstein, Allan H. Willinger
• Inventors: Willinger, Allan H., Dinnerstein, Albert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chamblee, Hugh R.
• Application Number:
  US05/219,767
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 119/1,15,17,18,19
• US Class Current: 119/456
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/035 Devices for use in keeping domestic animals, e.g. fittings in housings or dog beds

Abstract

A rodent habitat comprising a transparent plastic housing which includes an open bottom portion. A screen is connected across the open bottom portion of the housing, whereas a shallow tray is provided for receiving the open bottom portion of the housing in detachable relation. An arrangement of adjustable tubes and subhousing structures are provided for detachable association with the transparent housing and mutual communication with one another.

Claims

1. An animal habitat comprising an at least partially transparent housing which includes an open bottom portion;

a screen connected across said open bottom portion;

tray means operatively associated with said open bottom portion for receiving the latter in detachable relation, said screen acting to generally isolate and maintain an animal in said housing from said tray means when the latter is either attached or detached from said housing;

means for defining an adjustable passageway communicating with the interior of said housing, said adjustable passageway including tube segments each constituted by a pair of mating semi-cylindrical portions associated detachable with one another in generally annularly abutting relation, each of said semi-cylindrical portions being provided with an internally ribbed concavity and associated ones of said semi-cylindrical portions being mated in ship-lap relation; and

at least one subhousing detachably associated with said tube segments and having a bottom portion through and above which a litter-retaining tube segment projects partially.

2. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tray means is a shallow tray and said open bottom portion includes means for maintaining a substantial portion of said screen in generally slightly spaced parallel relation with a bottom interior of said tray.

3. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 2 wherein the bottom interior of said tray includes a partially raised portion for contacting said screen and reenforcing the latter against deforming downwardly when subjected to the weight of an animal.

4. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tray includes an upper surrounding auxiliary litter-coNfining flange flaring upwardly and outwardly away from said housing.

5. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 1 wherein said screen is provided with grid openings each having an extent of at least one-quarter inch for readily permitting conformingly sized litter particles to pass freely therethrough.

6. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tray means is constituted of elastically deformable thermoplastic for permitting detachable snap-fit insertion of said open bottom portion of said housing thereinto.

7. An animal habitat comprising an at least partially transparent housing for confining an animal, said housing having an opening formed in a top surface thereof, and conduit means detachably associated with said opening for defining a lengthwise adjustable passageway communicating with the interior of said housing and accessible to the animal, said adjustable passageway projecting downwardly through said opening in said top surface of said housing so that a lower open end of said passageway is slidably positionable between proximate and remote spaced locations relative to a bottom surface of said housing, said conduit means comprising a tube of adjustable length and further comprising a sub-housing connected to said tube and movable together with the latter from the raised position above said top surface to a lowered position approximately overlying said bottom surface of said housing.

8. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7 wherein said adjustable passageway includes a plurality of tube segments adjustably associated with one another telescopically.

9. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7 wherein said adjustable passageway includes tube segments each constituted by a pair of mating semi-cylindrical portions associated detachably with one another in generally annularly abutting relation.

10. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 9 including elastomeric sleeves interposed between telescopically associated tube segments for retaining frictionally the tube segments as telescopically adjusted to withstand the weight of an animal climbing upwardly therethrough.

11. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 9 wherein each of said semi-cylindrical portions is provided with an internally ribbed concavity.

12. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 11 wherein each of said semi-cylindrical portions is associated with its mate in ship-lap relation.

13. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7 wherein said housing is constituted of generally rigid transparent thermoplastic and includes an internally projecting gnaw-resistant accessory-support convexity having a radius of curvature of at least one-half inches.

14. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7 wherein said housing has a width substantially less than the height and length thereof for maintaining an animal in clearly observable close proximity to a transparent front portion of said housing.

15. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7 wherein said housing includes an open bottom portion, tray means operatively associated with said open bottom portion, and an upper portion having a lesser length and width than said open bottom portion, said tray means having a greater length and width than said open bottom portion and being constituted of generally abrasion-resistant elastomeric material for withstanding rubbing and absorbing impact when packaged together with said housing therein.

16. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7, wherein said sub-housing includes an upper generally horizontal surface which extends generally in a near co-planar relation with said top surface of said housing when said sub-housing is in said lowered position thereof.

17. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 16, wherein said tube to which is connected said sub-housing includes internally roughened surface means for permitting an animal to climb upwardly therein.

18. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 16, wherein said tube is generally transparent and of sufficient elongate extent for contActing said bottom surface of said housing when said sub-housing is in said lowered position thereof, thereby permitting entrapment of an animal in said tube and sub-housing.

19. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 18, wherein said housing is provided with at least one further gnaw-resistant closable opening, and including further tubes, and means for assembling said further tubes in both series in parallel communication with both said further closable opening in said housing and said sub-housing.

20. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 19, wherein the latter said means includes respective tees and elbows each having a pair of mating segments and secured to one another with respective elastomeric sleeves.

21. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an additional opening in said top surface of said housing;

and means for detachably supporting feed-substance in said additional opening.

22. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 21, wherein said feed-substance means includes a detachable elongate sleeve having an apertured lowered-rounded gnaw-resistant end through which detachably projects a feed tube from a feed-substance carrying-bottle.

23. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7, wherein said length adjustable conduit means comprises a plurality of communicating tubes;

and elastomeric coupling means configured to snappingly engage respective end portions of two communicating tubes.

24. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 23, wherein each tube has an annular rim at its respective end portions, and said coupling means comprises a flexible elastomeric coupling sleeve provided with two spaced annular grooves adapted to snappingly receive the rims of two communicating tubes.

25. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7, wherein said conduit means comprises a pair of elongate semi-annular mating portions which together define an elongate cylindrical tube.

26. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7, wherein said conduit means are provided with spaced annular internal ribs along its length, whereby the animal may engage said ribs for improved traction.

27. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7, wherein said conduit means comprises a plurality of communicating tubes together defining a passageway having portions thereof directed in different directions.

28. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 7, wherein said housing has a further opening, and wherein said conduit means comprises a plurality of tubes associated with said opening for defining a lengthwise adjustable passageway exteriorly of said housing which communicates at respective ends thereof with the interior of said housing, whereby the animal may leave said housing through one opening therethrough and return through said passageway into said housing through the other opening.

29. An animal habitat comprising an at least partially transparent housing for confining an animal, said housing having an opening formed therein, and conduit means detachably associated with said opening for defining a lengthwise adjustable passageway communicating with the interior of said housing and accessible to the animal, said housing including a top portion which defines an external concavity having an upper generally horizontal surface, said housing also having a lower generally horizontal surface, and a rounded transition surface joining the upper and lower horizontal surfaces to one another, said opening being provided in said lower horizontal surface, said conduit means comprising a tube slidably adjustable vertically in said opening and a sub-housing connected to said tube and movable together with the latter from a raised position above said upper horizontal surface at a lowered position approximately overlying said lower horizontal surface.

30. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 29 wherein said shallow sub-housing includes an upper generally horizontal surface which extends generally in near co-planar relation with said upper horizontal surface of said housing when said subhousing is in said lowered position thereof.

31. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 30 wherein said tube to which is connected said sub-housing includes internally roughened surface means for permitting an animal to climb upwardly therein.

32. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 30 wherein said tube is generally transparent and of sufficient elongate extent for contacting said screen in said housing when said sub-housing is in said lowered position thereof, thereby, permitting entrapment of an animal in said tube and sub-housing.

33. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 32 wherein said housing is provided with at least one further gnaw-resistant closable opening, and including further tubes, and means for assembling said further tubes in both series and parallel communication with both said further closable opening in said housing and said sub-housing.

34. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 33 wherein the latter said means includes respective tees and elbows each having a pair of mating segments and secured to one another with respective elastomeric sleeves.

35. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 29 wherein said lower generally horizontal surface of said housing is provided with an additional opening proximate the first said opening, and means for detachably supporting feed-substance in said additional opening.

36. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 35 wherein the latter said means includes a detachable elongate sleeve having an apertured lower-rounded gnaw-resistant end through which detachably projects a feed-tube from a feed-substance carrying-bottle.

37. An animal habitat comprising an at least partially transparent housing for confining an animal, said housing having an opening formed therein, and length adjustable conduit means detachably associated with said opening for defining a lengthwise adjustable passageway communicating with the interior of said housing and accessible to the animal, said conduit means being formed of generally rigid and transparent thermoplastic material, said conduit means comprising a pair of elongate semi-annular mating portions which together define an elongate cylindrical tube, each of said mating portions having two spaced elongate portions, one of said elongate portions being provided with a tongue, said other elongate portion being provided with a groove configurated to receive said tongue when said mating portions are assembled to define the cylindrical tube.

38. An animal habitat as claimed in claim 37, wherein said mating portions are provided with similarly disposed tongues and grooves along respective elongate portions to thereby make said mating portions identical and interchangeable.

39. An animal habitat comprising an at least partially transparent housing for confining an animal, said housing being provided with an opening in a top surface thereof;

a vertically disposed elongate tube adjustable lengthwise in the vertical direction detachably associated with said opening for defining a lengthwise adjustable passageway of said housing and accessible to the animal, said elongate tube being formed of generally rigid and transparent thermoplastic material; and

an auxiliary housing having an opening formed therein and spaced from said first-mentioned housing, said elongate tube being associated with the opening in both said housings for defining a lengthwise adjustable passageway communicating with the interiors of said housings, said auxiliary housing being supported by the top end portion of said elongate tube, whereby the interiors of each of said housings, is accessible to the animal irrespective of the spacing between said housings and whereby the animal must climb upwardly inside the elongate tube to leave the first-mentioned housing and enter said auxiliary housing.