Vehicular kennel for pets

A portable kennel houses pets that are left in a vehicle on a sunny day. Pets left in vehicles are normally susceptible to heat exhaustion. The disclosed apparatus overcomes this problem without requiring that the vehicle air conditioning system be left on and without jeopardizing the security of the vehicle. One embodiment of the invention comprises a portable enclosure that is sized and adapted to hold a pet, and constructed to prevent unrestricted ingress of air into the enclosure from the outside thereof (such as from the hot passenger compartment of the vehicle in which the kennel may be positioned). The kennel further includes a system for providing cool air to the interior of the enclosure. The system is designed to be operable even when the vehicle engine is turned off and may comprise, for example, one or more Peltier effect devices powered by the vehicle battery or an auxiliary battery.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to portable kennels for use with automobiles, 
recreational vehicles, boats and the like. 
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
People travelling with pets on sunny days (or hot but overcast days) 
encounter a problem when they wish to leave their pets in a vehicle, such 
as a car or recreational vehicle (RV), for more than a few moments at a 
time. Vehicles quickly heat up to temperatures that are harmful for the 
pets. The pets may rapidly succumb to heat exhaustion and, unless treated 
promptly, die a tortured death, their last minutes spent frantically 
trying to escape their confinement. 
The quick heating of vehicle passenger compartments is familiar to anyone 
who has parked a car in the sun while going shopping or visiting a 
restaurant. Although some steps may be taken to mitigate the heating 
effect, these are ineffective in eliminating the risk to pets in the 
vehicle. 
Exemplary of prior art techniques for keeping the vehicle cool are the 
currently popular sun shades shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,396 to Levy. 
While these devices may slow the temperature rise in the vehicle, the same 
temperature is ultimately reached and the pet eventually meets the same 
fate. 
Another proposed solution is to leave the vehicle running with the air 
conditioning turned on. This approach, of course, has a number of 
drawbacks. Principal among these is that the car engine overheats. Also, 
it leaves the vehicle key in the ignition, inviting theft of the vehicle. 
A further drawback is that a large pet may dislodge the gear shift lever 
and put the vehicle into gear, risking damage to any property or persons 
in the vehicle's path. 
A somewhat more satisfactory technique is to roll down the vehicle windows 
to permit cross ventilation. This is the approach urged by organizations, 
such as the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, that have been 
calling attention to this problem for decades. Unfortunately, this 
technique is not entirely satisfactory either. For example, the interior 
temperature will always rise to at least that of the surrounding air. That 
is, an outside temperature of 90.degree. will beget a temperature of 
90.degree. plus in the car. If the windows are opened wide, the pet may 
leave the car and become lost in unfamiliar surroundings. If the windows 
are opened a smaller distance, the ventilation achieved may not be 
sufficient to keep the temperature in the vehicle at a tolerable level. 
Opening the windows any amount jeopardizes the security of the car and its 
contents. 
Although the above-described problem is one of long standing, no fully 
satisfactory solution has heretofore been found. 
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a 
satisfactory solution to this problem. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a solution to 
this problem without compromising vehicle security. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a solution to this 
problem without relying on the vehicle air conditioning system. 
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a kennel for 
travelling with a pet is provided comprising a portable enclosure that is 
sized and adapted to hold the pet. The enclosure is constructed to prevent 
unrestricted ingress of air into the enclosure from the outside thereof 
(such as from the hot passenger compartment of a vehicle in which the 
kennel may be positioned). The kennel further includes a system for 
providing cool air to the interior of the enclosure. This system is 
designed to be operable even when the vehicle engine is turned off and may 
comprise, for example, a solid state cooling device powered by the vehicle 
battery or an auxiliary battery. In one embodiment, solar cells are 
employed to recharge a battery power source or, if provided in sufficient 
number, may be able to power the cooling system without use of a battery. 
The apparatus also desirably comprises a fan or other means for 
circulating the cool air and a refresh system for introducing new air into 
the enclosure so that the oxygen content of the cooled air is not 
depleted. 
The foregoing and additional objects, features and advantages of the 
present invention will be more readily apparent from the following 
detailed description thereof, which proceeds with reference to the 
accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown therein a kennel 10 according to one 
embodiment of the present invention. The kennel 10 includes an enclosure 
12 and a thermostatically controlled cooling unit 14. The enclosure 12 
includes bottom, side, front and rear walls 16, 18, 20 and 22 which define 
a space into which a pet can comfortably be received. The top wall 24 of 
the enclosure is the bottom wall of the cooling unit 14. The illustrated 
cooling unit 14 is affixed to the enclosure by clip closures 26 on the 
front wall 20 and by hinges 28 (with removable pins) on the rear wall 22. 
(Other fastening means could of course be used.) By such arrangements, the 
cooling unit serves as the door to the enclosure and can be pivotally 
swung up from the enclosure to permit the pet to be placed therein. (The 
cooling unit 14 may also be removed entirely and replaced by a top panel 
so that the unit may also serve as a conventional animal carrier.) 
On the front and side walls 20, 18 of the enclosure 12 are a series of air 
vents 30 which permit some of the cool air in the enclosure to escape so 
that the air therein can be replenished by fresh air, as described below. 
A window 32 can also be provided, if desired. A handle 34 is positioned on 
the top of the kennel 10 to facilitate its movement. Large units could 
have multiple handles. 
A preferred cooling unit 14 is shown in FIG. 6 and includes a bank 36 of 
solid state cooling devices that is provided with air to be cooled from an 
intake duct 38. One type of solid state cooling device useful in the 
present invention relies, for its cooling properties, on exploitation of 
the Peltier effect. The Peltier effect is a physical phenomenon in which 
heat is absorbed at the junction of two dissimilar metals when a current 
is passed through the junction. Such devices are most commonly used in 
cooling high power semiconductor components. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3734293, 
3347453, 3309565, 3219993, 3207159, 3111813, 3093135, 3077080 and 3077079 
illustrate the use of Peltier devices and are incorporated herein by 
reference. 
Air that has been cooled by the cooling unit 14 leaves through output duct 
40 and is carried therethrough to the enclosure 12. The cooling unit 14 is 
powered from a battery 42 connected to a power plug 44 on the rear of the 
unit (FIG. 2). 
In one embodiment, the battery used is the vehicle's own battery. In other 
embodiments, one or more auxiliary batteries are used so that the charge 
on the vehicle's primary battery is not depleted. If an auxiliary battery 
is used, it can be included as part of the kennel itself or can be 
positioned remotely in the vehicle and connected to the kennel by 
appropriate cabling, as discussed below in connection with FIG. 7. 
For simplicity of illustration, the intake duct of the cooling system 14 is 
shown in FIG. 6 as drawing air from the outside of the enclosure. In many 
embodiments, it is preferable to recirculate some of the cool air from 
within the enclosure by routing the intake duct to the inside of the 
enclosure. A secondary intake duct can then be used to supplement the 
recirculated air by drawing a small amount of fresh air from outside the 
enclosure. A corresponding volume of air is exhausted from the vents 30 on 
the front and sides of the enclosure. By this arrangement, the pet is 
saved from suffocation caused by incessant recirculation of the same air, 
while the cooling operation is optimized by reusing some of the previously 
cooled air. (It will be recognized that the fresh air intake can be from 
the passenger compartment of the vehicle or from a location external to 
the passenger compartment.) 
Shown in FIG. 2 is an arrangement that can be used to secure the kennel 
inside the vehicle. The mounting technique here contemplated comprises a 
pair of anchors 44 through which a vehicle seat belt can be routed. This 
arrangement assures that the kennel 10 is securely positioned, yet permits 
ready removal of the kennel from the vehicle. The anchors 44 can be molded 
as an integral part of enclosure 12, or may be affixed separately. 
FIG. 4 shows the floor 46 on which the pet is carried. The illustrated 
floor is a rabbit wire mesh with a one-quarter inch grid. Positioned below 
the mesh floor is a litter tray 48 with a one-inch depth for containing 
cat litter or newspaper. The tray 48 is provided with handles 50 to 
facilitate lifting of the tray from the kennel for cleaning. 
FIG. 7 schematically shows one embodiment of the present invention which 
has certain components fixed in the vehicle. Referring to that figure, a 
vehicle 52 has a passenger compartment 54 in which a pet enclosure 56 is 
placed. Illustrated pet enclosure 56 differs from enclosure 12 discussed 
earlier in that enclosure 56 does not include a cooling unit associated 
therewith. Instead, a cooling unit 58 is mounted in another portion of the 
vehicle and is coupled to the enclosure by ducting 60. 
Vehicle 52 includes an engine 62, a starter battery 64 and an alternator 
66. However, the cooling unit 58 is powered from a power source distinct 
from the starter battery. This other power source 68 can be a second 
battery, a source of natural gas, etc. If a second battery is used, it can 
be recharged either from the engine alternator 66 or from an array of 
photovoltaic cells 70. By this arrangement, the bulk and weight of the 
enclosure unit 56 is reduced, yet the invention still achieves the 
above-stated objects. 
FIG. 8 shows a related embodiment in which the cooling unit 70 is distinct 
from the enclosure 72, but both are portable and removable from the 
vehicle. The cooling unit may be strapped to the seat using a seat belt 
(as illustrated previously), or it may rest on the floor. It may even by 
positioned on top of the enclosure 72. 
The enclosures 12, 56, 72 described above can, of course, be fabricated of 
a number of different materials. The illustrated enclosures are formed of 
molded plastic and are provided with insulation to reduce the load on the 
cooling systems. (The insulation may, of course, be omitted and the 
enclosures may be made commensurately smaller.) Of course, the size of the 
enclosure can be selected to match the requirements of the pet and the 
vehicle. As an option, the units can be provided with 110 volt AC to 12 
volt DC power inverters so that they can be powered from 110 volt AC when 
removed from a vehicle and used near an electrical outlet, such as a camp 
site. 
Having described and illustrated the principles of my invention with 
reference to a preferred embodiment and several variations thereof, it 
will be apparent that the invention can be modified in arrangement and 
detail without departing from such principles. For example, while the 
invention has been illustrated with reference to an electrically operated 
solid state cooling system, a cooling system powered from natural gas 
could readily be used. In still other embodiments, other cooling 
technologies, such as compressors or evaporative coolers, could be 
substituted for the solid state cooling system illustrated. 
It will further be recognized that, while the invention has been described 
with reference to the particular situation in which a vehicle is left 
unattended with a pet in it, the invention finds other application as 
well. For example, in certain conditions, the conventional air conditioner 
provided with a vehicle may not be sufficient to adequately cool the 
vehicle for a pet, even when the engine is operating at high speeds. This 
can be the case, for example, in particularly hot climates, such as the 
deserts of the southwestern United States. While the air conditioner may 
reduce the temperature in the passenger compartment somewhat, the 
temperature attained may not be low enough for the pet's prolonged 
comfort. In these situations, the present invention also finds 
application, serving to reduce the temperature in the relatively small pet 
enclosure to a safe temperature for the pet. 
Finally, while the invention has been illustrated with reference to a 
forced air cooling system, alternative cooling mechanisms such as 
convection and conduction can alternately be employed. For example, in the 
enclosure 12 of FIG. 1. etc., a liquid refrigerated by cooling unit 14 can 
be circulated within the walls of the enclosure to thereby cool the pet 
contained therein. 
In view of the wide range of embodiments and uses to which the principles 
of the present invention can be applied, it should be understood that the 
apparatuses and methods illustrated are to be considered illustrative only 
and not as limiting the scope of the invention. Instead, my invention 
includes all such embodiments as may come within the scope and spirit of 
the following claims and equivalents thereof.