Pet animal living structures

• US 5,832,876 A
• Filed: 04/04/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brown & Michaels PC, Ian D. Kayser, Kevin J. Bailey, Steven L. Kayser
• Original Assignee: Brown & Michaels PC, Ian D. Kayser, Kevin J. Bailey, Steven L. Kayser
• Inventors: Brown, Michael, Kayser, Steven L., Kayser, Ian D., Bailey, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABBOTT, YVONNE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US08/832,668
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 119/706, 119/417, 119/421, 119/422, 119/452, 119/702, 119/256, 119/246, 119/266, 119/267
• US Class Current: 119/706
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals
• 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 15/02 Training or exercising equipment, e.g. mazes or labyrinths for animals A01K15/04 takes precedence; Electric shock devices circuits therefor H03K3/537; Toys specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/025 Toys specially adapted for animals

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a pet animal structure for insertion into a transparent tank. The structure is in a single piece with upper and lower body parts. The lower body part has floors for movement of the animal and the upper body part has a shoulder which overhangs the lower body part. The upper body part when the structure is inserted an appropriate size tank, closes and extends into the top opening to the tank with the shoulder below the top opening so as to protect top regions of walls of the tank. Preferably, the upper body part has a downward facing support surface for supporting the structure upon a top edge of the tank so that the bottom of the structure is spaced from the bottom of the tank. Also advantageously, the floors are positioned to prevent the animal from gnawing at the shoulder while providing freedom for the animal to move between the structure and the tank when standing upon the bottom of the tank.

Claims

1. A pet animal structure for insertion into a transparent tank, the structure being in a single piece and comprising an upper body shoulder part and a lower body part, the lower body part to be inserted wholly within the tank and provided with floors for movement of the animal, and the upper body shoulder part to be inserted partly into the tank, the upper shoulder body part extending over floors of the lower body part and having:

a lower region providing a shoulder to be disposed within the tank and which overhangs the lower body part so as to face and extend towards upper wall regions of the tank and provide a barrier for an animal to top wall edges of the tank; and

an upper region which overhangs the shoulder to define a substantially horizontally extending and downward facing support surface to be disposed above the tank for supporting the structure on the top wall edges of the tank with the lower body part suspended away from the bottom of the tank.

2. A pet animal structure according to claim 1 wherein the upper body shoulder part overhangs areas of the lower body part to a degree to ensure free passage of the animal between all these areas and a wall of the tank when the animal is on a floor of the tank.

3. A pet animal structure according to claim 1 wherein all of the floors of the lower body part are disposed in locations to prevent accessibility by the animal to gnaw the shoulder.

4. An animal structure according to claim 3 wherein the upper body shoulder part overhangs areas of the lower body part to a degree to ensure free passage of the animal between all these areas and a wall of the tank when the animal is on a floor of the tank.

5. A pet animal structure comprising an endless wall extending around and defining a cavity, the endless wall also defining a plurality of floors for movement of the animal and upwardly extending wall portions, the floors and wall portions having random shapes and configurations, the wall also defining an aperture for carrying an electric light bulb holder to hold an electric light bulb at a specific location within the cavity, and the wall permitting light to pass through the wall from the cavity with the randomly shaped and configurated floors and wall portions extending at random angles to the specific location for the light bulb so as to randomly alter the amount of light emitted through the wall from one wall position to other and adjacent wall positions.