Cat carrier with destabilizing sliding floor

• US 8,925,491 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K-Kat LLC
• Original Assignee: K-Kat LLC
• Inventors: Glover, Theodore J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRINH T
• Application Number:
  US14/156,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20140216356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 119/428, 119/429, 119/430, 119/431, 119/432, 119/452, 119/453, 119/454, 119/455, 119/456, 119/458, 119/459, 119/461, 119/462, 119/463, 119/464, 119/472, 119/473, 119/474, 119/475, 119/479, 119/480, 119/481, 119/482, 119/496, 119/497, 119/498, 119/501, 119/161, 119/165, 119/512, 119/513, 119/751, 119/752
• US Class Current: 119/453
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0245 Boxes or cages

Abstract

A portable cat carrier has a sliding floor that momentarily and mildly destabilizes a cat'"'"'s footing to facilitate transferring the cat in and out of the carrier. The floor is the bottom portion of a movable insert that has a receptacle for receiving the cat. The insert has relatively low side panels to provide the cat with a calming, unrestricted side view. After the cat is lowered into the receptacle, the insert is slid horizontally into an outer housing for containing the cat. When the insert is fully inserted within the housing, a front panel of the insert closes the housing'"'"'s access opening to prevent the cat from escaping. A back panel of the insert has an elevated impassable rear barrier that prevents the cat from jumping into a trapped area between the insert and the outer housing.

Claims

1. A cat carrier comprising:

an outer housing comprising a roof having a front edge and a rear edge, the outer housing defining a chamber underneath the roof;

an insert defining a pet receptacle, the insert extending into the chamber, the insert comprising a floor, two side panels each extending from the floor up to an upper edge height, an impassable back panel extending up from the floor and extending laterally between the two side panels, and a front panel extending up from the floor and extending laterally between the two side panels, the front panel being spaced apart from the impassable back panel with the floor and the two side panels extending between the front panel and the impassable back panel, the insert being selectively translatable between an inserted position and an extended position relative to the outer housing, the insert extending farther into the chamber when the insert is in the inserted position than when the insert is in the extended position, the impassable back panel being underneath the roof and being closer to the rear edge of the roof when the insert is in the inserted position than when the insert is in the extended position, the impassable back panel being underneath the roof and closer to the front edge of the roof when the insert is in the extended position than when the insert is in the inserted position, the front panel being proximate the front edge of the roof when the insert is in the inserted position;

an impassable rear barrier extending above the impassable back panel up to a barrier height that is higher than the upper edge height of the two side panels but is lower than the roof of the outer housing, the impassable rear barrier being movable with the insert relative to the outer housing, the impassable rear barrier being proximate the rear edge of the roof when the insert is in the inserted position; and

a roller interposed between the insert and the outer housing.

2. The cat carrier of claim 1, wherein the front panel comprises a door that is movable selectively to an open position and a closed position relative to the two side panels, the door providing a front access opening into the pet receptacle when the door is in the open position.

3. The cat carrier of claim 1, wherein the front panel is movable selectively to a removed position, an attached-extended position, and an attached-inserted position, the front panel being spaced apart from the two side panels when the front panel is in the removed position, the front panel being attached to the two side panels and spaced apart from the outer housing when the front panel is in the attached-extended position, and the front panel being attached to the two side panels and proximate the outer housing when the front panel is in the attached-inserted position.

4. The cat carrier of claim 1, wherein the front panel extends above the upper edge height of the two side panels.

5. A cat carrier comprising:

an outer housing comprising an upper shell and a lower shell;

the upper shell comprising a roof, two upper side walls extending down from the roof, and an upper back wall extending down from the roof and extending laterally between the two upper side walls;

the lower shell comprising a bottom, two lower side walls extending up from the bottom, and a lower back wall extending up from the bottom and extending laterally between the two lower side walls, the upper shell being above the lower shell to define a chamber therebetween;

an insert defining a pet receptacle, the insert extending into the chamber, the insert comprising a floor, two side panels each extending from the floor up to an upper edge height, an impassable back panel extending up from the floor and extending laterally between the two side panels, and a front panel extending up from the floor and extending laterally between the two side panels, the front panel being spaced apart from the impassable back panel with the floor and the two side panels extending between the front panel and the impassable back panel, the insert being selectively translatable between an inserted position and an extended position relative to the outer housing, the insert extending farther into the chamber when the insert is in the inserted position than when the insert is in the extended position, the impassable back panel being adjacent to the lower back wall when the insert is in the inserted position;

an impassable rear barrier extending above the impassable back panel up to a barrier height that is higher than the upper edge height of the two side panels but is lower than the roof of the outer housing, the impassable rear barrier being movable with the insert relative to the outer housing, the impassable rear barrier being adjacent to the upper back wall when the insert is in the inserted position; and

a roller interposed between the insert and the outer housing.

6. The cat carrier of claim 5, wherein the front panel is movable selectively to an open position and a closed position relative to the two side panels, the front panel providing a front access opening into the pet receptacle when the front panel is in the open position.

7. The cat carrier of claim 5, wherein the front panel is movable selectively to a removed position, an attached-extended position, and an attached-inserted position, the front panel being spaced apart from the two side panels when the front panel is in the removed position, the front panel being attached to the two side panels and spaced apart from the outer housing when the front panel is in the attached-extended position, and the front panel being attached to the two side panels and proximate the outer housing when the front panel is in the attached-inserted position.

8. The cat carrier of claim 5, wherein the front panel extends above the upper edge height of the two side panels.