Freestanding pet barrier

• US 7,739,983 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richell USA Incorporated (Richell)
• Original Assignee: Richell USA Incorporated (Richell)
• Inventors: Tani, Orie, Hirokawa, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansen; Michael R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, MONICA L
• Application Number:
  US12/367,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20090178624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 119/452, 119/484, 119/705, 119/712, 49/50, 49/55, 49/57, D63/31, D63/32, 256/24, 256/25, 256/47, 256/65.11, 256/65.12, 256/73
• US Class Current: 119/452
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0005 Stable partitions devices for fastening animals A01K1/06; pasturing enclosures A01K3/00
• 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 1/0613 Devices for immobilisation or restraint of animals, e.g. chutes pens for animals while being shod A01L13/00; appliances for supporting or fettering animals for operative purposes A61D3/00

Abstract

A self-supporting pet barrier comprising a front panel and two side panels, each panel having floor-contacting surfaces preferably to which a friction reducing substance has been applied is disclosed. The front and side panels preferably are attached so that the side panels can be positioned from generally perpendicularly to the front panel in use to a folded position adjacent said front panel for storage or travel. A generally triangular stabilizing leg may protrude forward from the plane of the front panel and can be attached in either the side panel or front panel.

Claims

1. A self-supporting pet barrier, comprising:

a front barrier which comprises two front barrier flanking vertical members, each of the front barrier flanking vertical members further comprising a side barrier receiving portion;

at least two side barriers, each side barrier comprising first and second side barrier flanking vertical members, each of the first side barrier flanking vertical members further comprising a front barrier attaching portion;

each of the at least two side barriers'"'"' first side barrier flanking vertical member'"'"'s front barrier attaching portion attached to one of the front barrier'"'"'s two front barrier flanking vertical members'"'"' side barrier receiving portion;

a gate formed in the front barrier and attached thereto by at least one hinge and a lock, wherein the gate is configured to rotate on the at least one hinge upon release of the lock so that a pet can pass through the gate; and

a first of the at least two side barriers configured to be extended in use at a first angle to the front barrier;

a second of the at least two side barriers configured to be extended in use at a second angle to the front barrier;

the at least two side barriers configured to be extended in use in an open configuration to stabilize the self-supporting pet barrier without securing the pet barrier to a structure external to the barrier, wherein a plan view of the front barrier and the at least two side barriers in the open configuration defines an open non-closing figure.

2. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one leg coupled to one of the front barrier and the at least two side barriers and configured to assist with maintaining said self-supporting pet barrier to stand upright in use but is not configured to obstruct a path of a house pet.

3. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 2, wherein the at least one leg is coupled to one of the front barrier and the at least two side barriers at a third angle to the front barrier within 180°

from a plane of the front barrier and opposite to another 180°

from the plane of the front barrier that includes at least one of the first angle to the front barrier and the second angle to the front barrier.

4. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, wherein the front barrier comprises a first front barrier and a second front barrier, the first front barrier comprising one of the two front barrier flanking vertical members and a first front barrier flanking vertical member, the second front barrier comprising the other of the two front barrier flanking vertical members and a second front barrier flanking vertical member, the first front barrier coupled to the second front barrier such that a distance between the two front barrier flanking vertical members is adjustable.

5. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, wherein the front barrier further comprises a top horizontal member and a bottom horizontal member, wherein the top horizontal member, the bottom horizontal member, and the two front barrier flanking vertical members define an open space interrupted by vertical members between the two flanking vertical members with only the interrupting vertical members in a central three-fifths portion of the open space.

6. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 5, wherein the open space is further interrupted by horizontal members between the top horizontal member and the bottom horizontal member in a bottom or top one-fifth of the open space.

7. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 6, wherein the horizontal members and the vertical members are wires.

8. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 1 wherein said front barrier has a height of 65 cm or less.

9. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 1 wherein the gate is configured to rotate on the at least one hinge upon release of the lock to permit a person to pass through the front barrier without having to step over the self-supporting pet barrier.

10. A method for temporarily restricting access by a pet to an indoor area, comprising the steps of providing a freestanding pet barrier comprising a front barrier, a gate formed in the front barrier, and at least two side barriers, the side barriers rotatably attached to the front barrier and configured to be positioned in an open and freestanding configuration at an angle to the front barrier in use, the front barrier and the at least two side barriers form an open non-enclosing shape in the open and freestanding configuration, the gate attached to the front barrier by at least one hinge and a lock, wherein the gate is configured to rotate on the at least one hinge upon release of the lock so that a pet can pass through the gate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the freestanding pet barrier further comprises at least one leg coupled to one of the front barrier and the at least two side barriers and configured to assist with maintaining the freestanding pet barrier to stand upright in use but is not configured to obstruct a path of a house pet.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the front barrier comprises a first front barrier and a second front barrier coupled to the first front barrier such that a width between an end of the first front barrier and an end of the second front barrier is adjustable.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the front barrier and the at least two side barriers form an open space interrupted by vertical members with only the vertical members in a central three-fifths portion of the open space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the open space if further interrupted by horizontal members in a bottom or top one-fifth of the open space.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the freestanding pet barrier has a height of 65 cm or less.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the gate is configured to rotate on the at least one hinge upon release of the lock to permit a person to pass through the front barrier without having to step over the freestanding pet barrier.

17. A self-supporting pet barrier, comprising:

a first front barrier comprising a first vertical flanking member, a second vertical flanking member, and an open space interrupted by vertical members;

a second front barrier comprising a third vertical flanking member, a fourth vertical flanking member, and an open space interrupted by vertical members;

a first side barrier comprising an open space interrupted by vertical members, the first side barrier coupled to the first vertical flanking member of the first front barrier;

a second side barrier comprising an open space interrupted by vertical members,

the second side barrier coupled to the third vertical flanking member of the second front barrier;

the second vertical flanking member of the first front barrier coupled to the second front barrier and the fourth vertical flanking member of the second front barrier coupled to the first front barrier such that a distance between the first vertical flanking member of the first front barrier and the third vertical flanking member of the second front barrier is adjustable;

the first and the second front and side barriers configured in an open configuration in use to stabilize the self-supporting pet barrier without securing the self-supporting pet barrier to a structure external to the self-supporting pet barrier, wherein the first front barrier, the second front barrier, the first side barrier, and the second side barrier do not, by themselves, enclose an area in the open configuration.

18. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 17, further comprising:

at least one leg coupled to one of the first front barrier, the second front barrier, the first side barrier, and the second side barrier and configured to assist with maintaining said self-supporting pet barrier to stand upright in use but is not configured to obstruct a path of a house pet.

19. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 18, wherein the open spaces of the first and second front barriers and the first and second side barriers is further interrupted by horizontal members in a bottom or top one-fifth of the open space.

20. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first front barrier, the second front barrier, the first side barrier, and the second side barrier have a height of 65 cm or less.