Abstract:
An animal kennel comprises front, rear, top, bottom, and opposite side walls that collectively define a cavity. At least a portion of the cavity has a horizontal cross-section that is bordered by the front, rear, and opposite side walls. The cross-section has a front portion and a rear portion. The front portion is narrower between the opposite side walls than the rear portion. A majority of each of the front, rear, top, bottom and opposite side walls is formed of a material that is translucent and radiolucent.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention pertains generally to animal kennels. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a kennel for medical or scientific examination of conscious animals. The kennel preferably has a trapezoidal shape that is configured to orient an animal along the centerline of the kennel for behavioral assays. The walls of the kennel are translucent and radiolucent in manner allowing visual observation and radiographic imaging in the lateral, anterior-posterior, and dorsal-ventral orientations. 
         [0006]    2. General Background 
         [0007]    Typical animal kennels are not well suited for behavioral and radiographic examination of freely behaving dogs and other animals. Most kennels comprise metal walls (often wire mesh) which obstruct radiographic imaging and visual observation. Additionally, most kennels have a rectangular floor plan, which doesn&#39;t sufficiently restrain animal head movement. 
         [0008]    Some scientific examination procedures involve the observation of self-feeding and swallowing behaviors of animals such as dogs and cats. In some cases it is desirable to record such behaviors using videofluoroscopy or other radiographic imaging. During such examinations, it is desirable to maintain the animal in a particular orientation. Unfortunately, it is difficult to properly orient animals placed in traditional kennels. For example, videofluoroscopic swallow testing routinely requires the use of animal restraint and force-feeding techniques that significantly increase the risk of radiation exposure for technicians while causing anxiety, struggling, and unnatural behaviors in animals. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In one aspect of the invention, an animal kennel comprises front, rear, top, bottom, and opposite side walls that collectively define a cavity. At least a portion of the cavity has a horizontal cross-section that is bordered by the front, rear, and opposite side walls. The cross-section has a front portion and a rear portion. The front portion is narrower between the opposite side walls than the rear portion. A majority of each of the front, rear, top, bottom and opposite side walls is formed of a material that is translucent and radiolucent. 
         [0010]    Another aspect of the invention, a trapezoidal animal kennel comprises front, rear, top, bottom, and opposite side walls that collectively define a cavity. The cavity has a trapezoidal horizontal cross-section that is bordered by the front, rear, and opposite side walls. The cross-section has a front portion and a rear portion. The front portion is narrower between the opposite side walls than the rear portion. The cross-section has side portions of approximately equal length. A majority of each of the front, rear, top, bottom and opposite side walls is formed of a material that is translucent and radiolucent. 
         [0011]    Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the operation of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the animal kennel with its optional partition wall in place. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the kennel showing the rear wall and side door opened and the partition removed. 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Reference numerals in the written specification and in the drawing figures indicate corresponding items. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    A preferred embodiment of an animal kennel  10  in accordance with the invention is shown in the drawing figures. The animal kennel comprises a front wall  12 , a top wall  14 , a bottom wall  16 , a rear wall  18 , a left wall  20 , a fixed right wall  22 , a movable right wall  24 , and a partition  26 . Preferably all of the walls (and other components of the kennel  10 ) are formed of a translucent and radiolucent material such as Lexan® polycarbonate. Lexan® polycarbonate is highly translucent and therefore the kennel is nearly transparent. Preferably the walls of the kennel  10  are approximately half an inch thick. 
         [0016]    The front wall  12  of the kennel  10  comprises a vertical slot  28  and a handle/ventilation opening  30 . A food bowl holder  32  is mounted to the interior surface of the front wall  12  via an adjustment knob  34  that extends through the vertical slot  28  of the front wall. The food bowl holder  32  is ring-shaped and is configured to support a food dish. The adjustment knob  34  allows the food bowl holder  32  to be raised and lowered within the kennel  10  from outside the kennel. Preferably a vertical scale (not shown) is etched into the front wall  12  adjacent the vertical slot  28 . The scale allows the food bowl holder  32  to be repositioned with greater accuracy. 
         [0017]    The top wall  14  is preferably trapezoidal in shape, with the rear of the top wall being wider than the front. The top wall  14  preferably comprises an access cover  36  which covers an opening that extends through the top wall above the food bowl holder  32 . Pivoting the access cover  36  uncovers the opening to thereby allow a person to service a food bowl mounted on the food bowl holder  32  of the kennel  10 . The top wall  14  also comprises a door channel  38  that runs parallel to and adjacent the right side of the top wall. The door channel  38  is formed into the bottom surface of the top wall  14 . 
         [0018]    The bottom  16  wall is preferably the same shape as the top wall and also comprises a door channel  40  that runs parallel to and adjacent the right side of the bottom wall. However, unlike the door channel  38  of the top wall  14 , the door channel  40  of the bottom wall  16  is formed into the top surface of the bottom wall. 
         [0019]    The rear wall  18  is generally rectangular and is hingedly attached to the rear of the left wall  20 . The rear wall  18  preferably comprises a relatively large window  42  which is covered by a plastic screen (not shown). The window  42  provides ventilation. Although not shown, the rear wall  18  also preferably comprises a latch that selectively latches the rear wall closed. 
         [0020]    The left wall  20  is also generally rectangular and comprises a vertical slot  44  and a handle/ventilation opening  46 . The vertical slot  44  is configured and adapted to receive the partition  26 . The handle/ventilation opening  46  is preferably positioned near the rear of the kennel  10 . 
         [0021]    The fixed right wall  22  also comprises a vertical slot  48  and a handle/ventilation opening  50 . The fixed right wall  22  is secured between the top wall  14  and the bottom wall  16  and is aligned with the rear of the kennel  10 . The vertical slot  48  is adjacent the front of the fixed right wall  22  and is configured to receive the partition  26 . The handle/ventilation opening  50  is preferably positioned near the rear of the kennel  10 . 
         [0022]    The movable right wall  24  is generally rectangular and comprises a plurality of finger/ventilation openings  52 . The top of the movable right wall  24  preferably extends into the door channel  38  of the top wall  14 . Likewise, the bottom of the movable right wall  24  preferably extends into the door channel  40  of the bottom wall  16 . The movable right wall  24  allows the interior of the kennel  10  to be accessed from the right side of the kennel by sliding the movable right wall toward the rear of the kennel. The finger/ventilation openings  52  facilitate such movement. When cleaning the kennel  10 , the movable right wall  24  can be removed from the kennel  10  by sliding out to the rear of the kennel when the rear wall  18  is pivoted open. 
         [0023]    The partition  26  is configured to pass through the vertical slots  44 ,  48  in the left wall  20  and the fixed right wall  22 . The partition  26  comprises a plurality of finger openings  54  and a plurality of ventilation slots  56 . The finger openings  54  facilitate the removal and installation of the partition  26 . 
         [0024]    In use, an animal is placed headfirst into the kennel from the rear of the kennel  10  with the rear wall  18  pivoted open. The trapezoidal shape of the kennel  10  provides adequate room for the body of the animal while it also confines the animal&#39;s head. With the animal in the kennel  10 , the rear wall  18  can be swung closed and latched. If the animal is relatively small compared to the kennel  10 , the partition  26  can be inserted behind the animal through the vertical slots  44 ,  48  in the left wall  20  and the fixed right wall  22 . 
         [0025]    In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the invention achieves several advantages over prior art animal kennels. For example, the translucency of the kennel allows for the video recordation of animal behavior from all angles. Similarly, the radiolucency of the kennel allows for unobstructed videofluoroscopy or other radiographic imaging from all angles. Still further, the narrowness of the front of the kennel relative to the rear of kennel facilitates the proper alignment of the animal for examination/observation. 
         [0026]    As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 
         [0027]    It should also be understood that when introducing elements of the present invention in the claims or in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, the term “portion” should be construed as meaning some or all of the item or element that it qualifies. Moreover, use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be construed in a manner imposing any relative position or time sequence between limitations. Still further, the order in which the steps of any method claim that follows are presented should not be construed in a manner limiting the order in which such steps must be performed.