Animal tote

• US 5,572,953 A
• Filed: 05/02/1995
• Issued: 11/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Buckhorn Inc (Myers Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Taconic Farms, Inc.
• Inventors: Phelan, Richard S., Jamison, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US08/432,856
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 119/417, 119/419, 119/496, 119/497
• US Class Current: 119/496
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0245 Boxes or cages
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals

Abstract

A tote for transporting animals has a container, each having a unitary injection molded design. The interior of the container is provided with dividers to provide separate compartments for containing animals therein. The sides and lid of the tote have arrays of minute holes that provide air flow into the container, and filter material is provided to cover the air holes so that contaminated air is prevented from reaching the animals container therein. The filter material is held in place by filter frames provides for the lid and side walls of the tote. A water container is also provided in the container for providing a supply of water that is accessible to the animals.

Claims

1. An animal tote comprising:

a unitary injection molded plastic container having a bottom wall, opposed side walls and opposed end walls with an open top;

a lid for covering the open top of said container, said lid having a substantially planar mid portion and a peripheral flange that engages a rim of said container for securing said lid to said container;

airflow passages formed in said lid and at least of one said side and end walls, said airflow passages including an array of minute holes; and

an air filter material holding means disposed adjacent said airflow passages for holding a filter material in contact with said array of minute holes for filtering airflow into an interior of said container through said airflow passages.

2. An animal tote according to claim 1, wherein said array of minute holes is recessed within said planar portion of said lid and within a planar portion of said at least one of said side and end walls, and wherein said filter material holding means retains a sheet filter material within said recess planar portions, respectively.

3. An animal tote according to claim 1, wherein said filter material holding means includes a snap-on grid for holding a sheet filter material in contact with said array of minute holes, said snap-on grid having posts that snap into apertures formed in said lid and said at least one of said side and end walls.

4. An animal tote according to claim 1, wherein said lid has stacking posts on which one said bottom wall of an adjacent stack container rests when a plurality of said animal totes are stacked in a vertical stack.

5. An animal tote according to claim 4, wherein said stacking posts include upright corner flanges for receiving corner portions of an adjacent one of said animal totes when stacked in a vertical stack.

6. An animal tote according to claim 4, wherein said stacking posts have an upper surface spaced above said planar portion of said lid for separating one said bottom wall of an adjacent stack container from said planar portion of said lid for permitting airflow between adjacent ones of said lid and said bottom wall when said animal totes are stacked in a vertical stack.

7. An animal tote according to claim 1, wherein said container has a rim flange engaged by said peripheral flange of said lid when said lid is secured to said container, said lid flange and said container flange forming a tortuous airflow passage for preventing the direct flow of air into said container between said lid and said container.

8. An animal tote according to claim 7, wherein said lid flange and said container flange have mating side faces forming a face portion extending around a periphery of said animal tote that receives an adhesive tape for extending across a joint formed between said mated side faces.

9. An animal tote according to claim 1, wherein said side and end walls each have said airflow passages and said filter material holding means for covering said respective ones of said arrays of minute holes.

10. An animal tote according to claim 1, wherein said side and end walls are tapered inwardly from said container flange to said bottom wall for providing separation between respectively adjacent ones of said side and end walls when a plurality of said animal totes are placed side by side to provide airflow circulation between side by side ones of said animal totes.

11. An animal tote according to claim 1, further comprising dividers for dividing an interior of said container into separate compartments for containing individual animals, said side and end walls having means for securing said dividers along an interior face of said side and end walls.

12. An animal tote according to claim 1, further comprising at least one water dispenser and at least one of said side and end walls having means for receiving said at least one water dispenser.