Abstract:
A portable animal playpen or containing device for containing animals in an enclosure comprising a mat, a plurality of substantially vertical support members coupled to the mat and a roof coupled to the substantially vertical support members. There can also be a plurality of support bars coupled at each ends to the frame. There can also be a hinge for rotationally coupling the plurality of support bars to the substantially vertical support members on the frame. This device is designed so that it is functional and portable for all users.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     Field of the Invention  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a portable animal playpen or containing element that can be used to contain dogs, cats or other pets. In this case, this containing element or device can be in the form of a tent.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     A portable animal playpen or containing device for containing animals in an enclosure comprising a base in the form of a mat, a plurality of support members in the form of a frame coupled to the mat, and a roof coupled to the support members. In use, these support members can extend substantially vertically. There can also be a plurality of support bars coupled at a first end to the vertical support members and at an opposite end the substantially vertical support members. There can also be a hinge for rotationally coupling the support bars to the substantially vertical support members.  
         [0003]     In one embodiment, the roof further comprises support members or bars extending up to a central point. This device can also include a netting coupled to the frame. There can also be a door formed from a zipper coupled to this netting or mesh material, wherein this door is made from the netting or mesh material as well, and is opened via unzipping this netting. This device can also comprise an additional set of support bars, wherein these support bars extend substantially horizontally when in use and are for spacing the vertically extending support members apart from each other.  
         [0004]     There can also be a plurality of stakes coupled to the base mat or bracket, wherein the plurality of stakes are used to secure the mat into a secured position. This base mat can be hexagonal, octagonal or substantially circular shaped.  
         [0005]     In this case, the roof structure can be formed as a section coupled to the frame in the in the form of a plurality of support members coupled to the vertically extending support members, wherein this roof further comprises a substantially waterproof awning or cover. In this case, each of these plurality of roof support bars or members are coupled to at least one corresponding substantially vertically extending support member to form the frame.  
         [0006]     This entire device then allows a user to set up an enclosure for a pet which can for example be a dog or a cat which forms an entire enclosure around an animal while still providing a mesh opening to allow air to permeate the enclosure while the roof provides both water and sun protection for a dog, a cat or any other animal.  
         [0007]     One of the benefits of this device is that it allows a user to put an animal such as dog into a self-contained closure while still being able to view that dog.  
         [0008]     Another benefit of this invention is that all of the parts may come in individual portable form and then assembled to form a final product.  
         [0009]     Another benefit is that all of the parts of this design may be stored in a carrying bag for easy transport of the device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.  
         [0011]     In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the device;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second stage of assembly of the device;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of another stage in assembly of the device;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of another stage in the assembly of the device;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3C  is a perspective view of an additional stage in the assembly of the device;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3D  is a close up view of a connection element between a spacing or spreader bar;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3E  is a close up view of a connection between a bracket and a frame and a mat;  
         [0019]      FIG. 3F  is a close up view of a connection element of a spacing or spreader bar;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3G  is a perspective view of a top section of a frame;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4A  is an exploded perspective view of the assembly of the frame;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4B  shows an assembly of a frame to a hub;  
         [0023]      FIG. 4C  shows an assembly of a netting or mesh material to the frame;  
         [0024]      FIG. 4D  shows an assembly of a top portion of the netting or mesh material to the frame;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4E  shows an assembly of a bottom portion of the netting to the frame;  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of the device; and  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is a semi-exploded view showing the cover being put on the device.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0028]     Turning now in detail to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a device  10  which can function as a playpen for animals.  
         [0029]     This device can include a frame, which is formed from a plurality of bars forming a frame  12 , and a mesh netting extending around and coupled to frame  12 . There can also be a cover or a top awning  16  which can be made from a fabric, which can be place on top of frame  12 . Frame  12  can also include angled bars  15  forming a roof, which extends up from a base section of frame  12  and are used to support cover  16 . A mat  18  can be spread out over a bottom section on the ground wherein this mat can contain a plurality of sections and be formed from a PVC mesh material or any other suitable material may be used as well.  
         [0030]     As shown in  FIG. 2  the device can be formed as a kit, which can be fit inside of a bag  34 . The kit includes all of the above-identified parts as well as a hub  38  and stakes  50 , which can be removed from bag  34  and then assembled.  
         [0031]      FIGS. 3A-3G  show the various stages of assembly of frame  12 . In this case, frame  12  can be placed above mat  18  as shown in  FIG. 3A  and then radially expanded outward as shown in  FIG. 3B . For example, coupled to frame  12  can be a plurality of substantially angled stabilizing connecting bars  20 , which can be used to connect frame  12  together.  
         [0032]     There are also a plurality of spreader bars  22  which can be used to keep the frame elements  12  spread apart from each other. Stabilizing connecting bars  20  can be connected to frame  12  via a bracket  24  having a hinge, such that frame  12  can be formed as a single interconnected frame that can be radially expanded outward such as shown in  FIGS. 3A, 3B , and  3 C. In addition spreader bars  22  can be connected to frame  12  via a hinge bracket  21   c  as well. Spreader bars  22  can be fastened to the netting as shown in  FIGS. 4E and 4D .  
         [0033]     For assembly, these substantially vertically extending members are pulled apart while connecting bars  20  expand out via hinges  21   a  and  21   b  to allow the frame to expand radially out.  FIG. 3C  shows the fully expanded frame, which can then be inserted into and placed into ground stake loops  32  in mat  18  as shown in  FIG. 3E .  FIG. 3D  shows the two different stages of assembling spreader bars  22  which can be formed as two different bars  22   a  and  22   b  having a hinge  23  coupling the two bars  22   a  and  22   b  together. In addition, there is a latch  25  which can be used to lock spreader bars  22  in place once these two bars  22   a  and  22   b  have been extended out to their fullest extent. Thus, in this first stage, the two different bars  22   a  and  22   b  can be in a bent or broken form wherein these two bars can then be rotated relative to each other via hinge  23  to couple these two bars together so that they latch via latch  25  in a second position.  FIG. 3F  shows this process via the lower spreader cross bars  22  as well.  
         [0034]      FIG. 3G  shows the insertion of the curved bars  15  associated with frame  12 . In this case, curved bars  15  can be in the form of bent aluminum poles, which can be inserted into brackets  29  on frame  12 . These curved bent poles radiate inwards towards a center region wherein these poles are then covered by a cover.  
         [0035]      FIG. 4A  shows a perspective view of an assembly of these curved poles wherein this assembly can include a central hub  38 , which has a plurality of slots  39  radiating in an outward direction. These slots  39  are to receive end portions of these curved poles as shown in  FIG. 4B  to form a roof  19 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 4C  shows mesh netting  14  being attached to frame  12 . In this case, mesh netting can include wraps  34  and  36  with wraps  34  being top wraps, and wraps  36  being bottom wraps. Top wraps  34  attach to top cross bars or spreader bars  22 , while bottom wraps  36  attach to bottom cross bars or spreader bars  22 . Wraps  34  and  36  can be secured over cross bars  22  via a fastener which can be any suitable fastener known in the art but can for example be a hook and loop fastening strip for wrapping around these cross bars  22  as shown in  FIGS. 4D and 4E .  FIG. 4C  also shows a door  46  which can be made integral with mesh netting  14  wherein this door can be opened via a zipper  47 .  
         [0037]     This mesh netting  14  can be secured around the device wherein once mesh netting  14  is wrapped around frame  12 , a zipper  42  can be zipped up along the two peripheral ends to enclose mesh netting  14  around frame  12 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of the full assembly of the device  10  including ground stakes  50  wherein these ground stakes  50  can be used to secure mat  18  to a ground surface through loops  32 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 6  shows the fastening process for applying cover top  16  to frame  12  and mesh netting  14 . In this case, cover top  16  includes a plurality of fasteners for securing the cover top  16  to the rest of the device. A first set of fasteners  52  can be in the form of a hook and loop fastener, which can be used to secure cover top  16  to frame  14  by wrapping around bent bars  15 . In addition, an additional fastener  54  can be used to fasten to fasteners  56  on mesh netting  14 . This additional fastener  54  can be in the form of a fastening strip such as a hook and loop fastener, which can then be fastened to a complementary fastener  56 . Additional types of fasteners may be used, for example, straps, clamps, ties, etc.  
         [0040]     This device can be disassembled as well using similar methods described for its assembly. In addition, this device presents itself as a self-contained kit, which can be opened and expanded to house a pet.  
         [0041]     Accordingly, while a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.