Animal shelter

A mobile, insulated, and compartmented animal shelter having a living compartment and an overhead loft. The loft is provided with an electric heating system mounted on a pallet that may be slid into and out of the loft through a hinged access door. An air duct conveys warm air from the heater through outlets in the duct, pallet and ceilling panel and into the living compartment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to new and useful improvements to animal shelters, 
and more particularly to animal shelters of the kind that are used for 
housing dogs and the like, commonly referred to as dog houses. 
Animal shelters are known in the prior art as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 
2,252,191 which issued to Wade E. Marks on Aug. 12, 1941, and which shows 
a heatable small animal incubator. U.S. Pat. No. 2,821,165 which issued to 
Venita A. Wright on Jan. 28, 1958 shows a mobile pet home. U.S. Pat. No. 
3,601,096 which issued to Dwayne C. Rutherford on Aug. 24, 1971 shows a 
ventilating and control system for a swine house. U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,420 
which issued to John M. Eagleson, Jr. on Apr. 15, 1975 shows a controlled 
environment animal housing system. 
The present invention provides a novel and useful animal shelter that can 
be used for protecting dogs and other animals from the elements and which 
has the additional feature that it can be heated in the winter. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The shelter of the present invention has all the advantages of shelters 
known in the prior art, and in addition it provides several distinct and 
important advantages not found in previously known shelters. 
A common problem with shelters heretofore known in the art is a tendency 
for the shelters to be cheaply constructed with only minimal consideration 
for the comfort of the animal that is to occupy the structure. 
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a shelter that 
is sturdily constructed and that will provide maximum comfort for an 
occupant even during the worst weather. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelter that is 
heatable during cold weather. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelter that is 
well insulated from the cold. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelter with a 
heating system that it easy to construct, install, remove and repair. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heated shelter that 
is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable, and well 
adapted for the purposes for which it is designed. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heated shelter that 
may be conveniently moved from place to place. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heated shelter that 
provides for satisfying some of the hygienic needs of an occupant. 
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 
from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in 
connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment 
of the invention is shown. 
It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details 
disclosed, but includes all such variations and modifications as fall 
within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. 
This invention contemplates shelters of different sizes and architectural 
designs and various commonly known heating systems. 
The objectives of the present invention are accomplished by providing a 
shelter comprising a building structure having a living compartment with a 
loft area above, adapted for installation of a system for heating the 
living compartment. The structure comprises a front panel having a door 
opening therethrough and a handle adapted for pulling the structure when 
it is optionally mounted on wheels, a back panel, a first side panel, a 
second side panel, a bottom panel having integral therewith a plurality of 
supports adapted to keep the structure off the ground, and having means 
thereon for mounting a plurality of casters for rolling the structure from 
place to place, a pitched roof, a deodorizing means, and a sleeping pad; 
said front, back, sides, bottom and roof being assembled to provide an 
enclosure suitable for occupancy by a dog or other animal. 
The front, back, side, bottom and roof panels are of an insulated sandwich 
construction. 
An insulated ceiling panel separates the living compartment from the loft, 
said panel being adapted to allow the passage of warm air from a heating 
duct in the loft into the living compartment. 
A hinged loft access door is provided in the back of the structure, having 
provided therefor a plurality of latches to secure the door in a closed 
position and a handle for convenience in operating the door. 
The heating system is assembled on a pallet that can be easily slid into 
and out of the loft through the access door in the back of the structure, 
and which is provided with a handle for convenience in slidably inserting 
and removing the pallet. The pallet is adapted to allow the passage of 
warm air from a heating duct in the loft into the living compartment. 
The heating system comprises a heater, a duct for conveying heated air from 
the heater to an opening in the pallet which is adapted to be aligned with 
an opening in the back of the ceiling panel. A cooling fan is provided for 
cooling the loft, along with necessary electrical service for powering the 
heater and fan. In operation, warm air is blown into the back of the 
living compartment, tending to force cold air out the front. 
An occupant's hygienic needs are ministered to by providing a detachable 
and re-fillable deodorizer, comprising a container having stored therein a 
deodorizer material such, for example, as sodium bicarbonate, said 
container having an opening thererthrough adapted to allow the air in the 
living compartment to communicate with the air in the deodorizer; and a 
removable rug or other soft and washable sleeping pad adapted to cover the 
inside surface of the floor of the structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIGS. 1-4, 6, 8 and 9 
illustrate the shelter of the present invention, shown generally at 1. The 
shelter 1, comprises a frame 2, a front panel 3, a back panel 8, a first 
side panel 17, a second side panel 18, a bottom panel 20, and a pitched 
roof 25, comprising a first roof panel 26 and a second roof panel 27, and 
a ceiling panel 30 that divides the structure 1 into a living compartment 
37 having a loft 38 thereabove. All of the said panels 2, 8, 17, 18, 20, 
26, 27, 30 are of the insulated sandwich construction type illustrated in 
FIG. 7, each panel comprising a pair of outer sheathing members 34, 35 
having sandwiched therebetween a layer of insulation 36. The panels 3, 8, 
17, 18, 20, 26, 27, 30 are closely fitted together at their respective 
interfaces to provide a relatively draft free enclosure. 
As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the front panel 3 is adapted to be secured 
to the frame 2 [best shown in FIG. 6]and to fit closely under the roof 
panels 26, 27. The front panel 3 is provided with a door 4 therethrough 
adapted for ingress and egress of a dog or other animal, and a handle 5 to 
facilitate pulling the shelter which may be mounted on casters 50. 
As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the back panel 8 is adapted to be secured to 
the frame 2 and to fit closely under the roof panels 26, 27. The said back 
panel 8 is provided with a hinged door 9 therethrough adapted for 
inserting and removing a heater assembly 40 described below. In the 
illustrated embodiment, a single hinge 10 is provided at the bottom 11 of 
the door 9; however in alternate embodiments of my invention other hinge 
arrangements may be employed. The illustrated embodiment shows a plurality 
of twistable latches 12, each of which is adapted to lock the door 9 in 
its closed position. A handle 13 is provided on the outside of the door 9 
to facilitate controlling the raising and lowering the door 9, and a notch 
14 is provided in the door 9 through which a power service cord [not 
shown]may be passed. 
Two like side panels 17, 18 are provided, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Each 
side panel 17, 18 encloses a side of the structure 1 from the roof 25 to 
the bottom 20 and from the front 3 to the back 8. 
The bottom panel 20 encloses the bottom of the structure 1 from front 3 to 
back 8 and from side 17 to side 18. A plurality of supports 21 is provided 
on the bottom panel 20 to keep the structure 1 off the ground, said 
supports 21 being shown as a pair of longitudinal beams joined to the 
bottom. In the illustrated embodiment a plurality of casters 50 is 
attached to the bottom 20 to facilitate moving the structure by rolling 
it. 
The roof panels 26, 27 enclose the top of the structure 1, and are pitched 
to provide for runoff of rainwater. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the insulated ceiling panel 30 extends from front 3 to 
back 8 and from side 26 to side 27 and divides the structure into a living 
compartment 37 and a loft 38. A moisture barrier 32 is provided on the 
upper surface 31 of the ceiling panel 30, and a vent opening 33 is 
provided near the back of the ceiling panel 30, which opening 33 is 
adapted to be aligned with a similar opening 42 in the heater pallet 41 to 
allow warm air to be blown from the heater assembly 40 into the living 
compartment 37. 
A heater assembly illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be slidably inserted 
into and removed from the loft 38. FIG. 8 shows the loft with the heater 
assembly 40 partly inserted, and FIG. 9 with the heater assembly 40 
inserted all the way in. 
The heater assembly 40 comprises a pallet 41 having an opening 42 
therethrough adapted to be aligned with the opening 33 in the ceiling 
panel 30 and adapted to allow the passage of warm air from a warm air duct 
45 into the living compartment 37. Mounted on the said pallet 41 are an 
electric heater 43 with a built in blower motor [not shown], a fan 44 
adapted for cooling the heater 43 and the loft 38, a warm air duct 45 
extending from the heater output to the back of the pallet 41. The distal 
end 46 of the duct 45 is sealed, and an opening 47 is provided in the 
bottom at the distal end of the duct 45, which opening is adapted to be 
aligned with the opening 42 in the pallet 41 and the opening 33 in the 
ceiling panel 30 and adapted to allow the passage of warm air from the 
warm air duct 45 into the living compartment 37. Also mounted on the 
pallet 41 are means 48 for connecting the heater 43 and fan 44 to an 
electrical cord [not shown] that may be run from a power source through 
the notch 14 in the back door 9 into the loft 38. The heater pallet 41 is 
adapted to slide over the frame 2 and into and out of the loft 38 through 
the back door 9, and a handle 49 is provided for convenience in pushing 
and pulling the pallet 41. 
A detachable deodorizer 60 is also provided. The deodorizer comprises a 
box-like container 61 having an closable opening 62 therethrough and a 
removable lid 63 adapted to close the said opening. The deodorizer 60 may 
be filled through the opening 62 with a deodorizer material such, for 
example, as sodium bicarbonate. A screened opening 65 is provided through 
the container 61 to allow the air in the living compartment 37 to 
communicate with the deodorizer material 64. Attachment means 66 are 
provided for detachably securing the deodorizer 60 to the inside of the 
structure 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the said attachment means 66 
comprise a first plurality of Velcro.sup.R strips 67 of the hook or loop 
type permanently attached to the inside of a side wall 17, 18 of the 
structure, and a second plurality of Velcro.sup.R strips 68 of the loop or 
hook type permanently attached to a side of the said deodorizer 60. The 
deodorizer 60 may be filled with deodorizing material 64 through an 
opening 62 which may then be covered by the lid 63. The deodorizer 60 may 
then be mounted onto a side wall 17, 18 or other part of the living 
compartment 37 by pressing the first plurality of Velcro.sup..RTM. strips 
against the second plurality of Velcro.sup..RTM. strips, and may be 
removed by simply pulling the said strips apart. 
A sleeping pad is also provided for an occupant's additional comfort, said 
pad comprising rug or other soft and washable floor cover. 
To use the structure, a person merely places it in a desired location, 
opens the back door 9, slides the heater assembly 40 out, connects the 
heater 43 and fan 44 to a suitable power source by means of an electrical 
cable, slides the heater assembly 40 back into the loft 38 and closes the 
back door 9 while running the power cable through the notch 14 in the door 
9, and locks the door 9 using the plurality of latches 12 provided for 
that purpose.