Filter cap for an animal cage

• US 6,295,950 B1
• Filed: 01/20/1999
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lab Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lab Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Deitrich, Eric A., Sheaffer, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Son T.
• Application Number:
  US09/234,394
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 119/416, 119/417, 119/419
• US Class Current: 119/419
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0356 Feeding or drinking devices associated with cages for poultry A01K31/005, A01K31/17, A01K39/00; for birds A01K31/06

Abstract

A combination food and liquid dispenser for an animal cage including a first compartment and a second compartment being in vertical relation to each other. The second compartment is constructed to receive food therein and provide an animal access to the food item disposed therein and the first compartment is constructed to receive a liquid container therein and provide an animal with access to the liquid container disposed in the first compartment. A bracket assembly is affixed to the dispenser and supports the dispenser within the cage on less than four side walls thereof. A filter cap for the animal cage includes a body portion dimensioned to fit upon and cover over the top of the cage. Disposed in the interior of the body portion is an air filter, a retainer for retaining the air filter in close proximity to a top wall of said body portion, a protective cover for protecting the integrity of the air filter and the retainer, and a lock for releasably securing the air filter, the retainer and the protective cover within the interior region of the body portion.

Claims

1. A filter cap for an animal cage, comprising:

a body portion dimensioned to fit upon and cover over a top of said cage, said body portion having a top wall, side walls and end walls, said top wall, side walls and end walls defining an interior;

an air filter disposed in said interior of said body portion and extending across at least a substantial portion of said top wall of said body portion;

a retainer disposed in said interior of said body portion and retaining said air filter at least in close proximity to said top wall of said body portion;

a protective cover disposed in said interior of said body portion to protect the integrity of said air filter; and

wherein said retainer includes a border portion, said air filter being held in place by said border portion and at least a portion of said top wall of said body portion when said retainer is releasably secured in said interior region of said body portion.

2. The filter cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top wall includes a plurality of perforations.

3. A filter cap for an animal cage, comprising

a body portion dimension to fit upon and cover over a top of said cage, said body portion having a top wall, side walls, and end walls, said top wall, side walls, and end walls defining an interior.

an air filter disposed on said interior of said body portion and extending across at least a substantial portion of said top wall of said body portion;

a protective cover disposed in said interior of said body portion to protect the integrity of said air filter, the air filter being disposed between the protective cover and the body portion; and

wherein said retainer includes a border portion, said air filter being held in place by said border portion and at least a portion of said top wall of said body portion when said retainer is releasbly secured in said interior region of said body portion.

4. The filter cap for an animal cage according to claim 3 further comprising a liquid container for use with said animal cage such that the bottom surface of said liquid container is sloped so as to conform to a surface formed by a plurality of wire bars forming a first compartment constructed to receive said liquid container therein so as to provide an animal with access to said liquid container disposed in said first compartment wherein said liquid container is also dimensioned to fit underneath said filter cap.