Abstract:
A movable partition is usable with an animal kennel to change the size of the reposable region of the kennel within which an animal can be disposed during the animal&#39;s period of growth. The reposable region is situated between the kennel door and the movable partition. The movable partition is mountable to ventilation openings formed in the animal kennel and is movable among a variety of distances from the kennel door to change the size of the reposable region within the kennel in order to properly train the animal and to avoid the animal relieving itself within the kennel. The partition includes a barrier element and a number of mounting elements that are mountable to the ventilation openings of the kennel. The movable partition further includes a number of clip apparatuses that are cooperable with the mounting elements to retain the mounting elements mounted to the ventilation openings.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The instant application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/704,703 filed Sep. 24, 2012, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The disclosed and claimed concept relates generally to animal kennels and, more particularly, to a movable partition that is usable with an animal kennel, and to a kennel apparatus. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    Animal kennels are generally known for use in the training and reposing of animals Animal kennels typically include some type of a door that can be opened and closed in order to enable an animal to be received within an interior of the kennel and removed therefrom. While such kennels have been generally effective for their intended uses, they have not been without limitation. 
         [0006]    Kennel training, or crate training as it is sometimes known, is usable to housebreak a dog and for other types of training A dog will typically not relieve itself in the same place where it sleeps. However, if an animal is reposed within a kennel that is significantly larger than the animal itself, the animal may relieve itself in one part of the kennel and lie or sleep in another part of the kennel. Such a situation is counterproductive to the desired housebreaking training of an animal It thus can be seen that an animal in training is desirably retained within a space that is sized appropriately for the animal. However, this can be difficult in some circumstances. 
         [0007]    By way of example, when a large breed dog is raised from a small puppy to a full grown adult, the animal&#39;s size changes dramatically. While a pet owner potentially could purchase several different kennels of successively larger size in order to accommodate and train the growing animal, such a practice would be cost prohibitive. The owner of a puppy that is expected to grow to a much larger size is typically disinterested in purchasing numerous kennels of various sizes, many of which will be used for only a short period of time, and rather would prefer to purchase only a single kennel whose size will be suited to the animal when it is a full grown adult. In so doing, however, this leaves the potential for the animal, when small, to relieve itself in a far region of the kennel while lying or sleeping at another end of the kennel which, as set forth above, is undesirable. It thus would be preferred to provide an improved device that overcomes these and other shortcomings known in the relevant art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    In view of the foregoing, an improved movable partition is usable with an animal kennel to change the size of the reposable region of the kennel within which an animal can be disposed during different stages of the animal&#39;s period of growth. The reposable region is situated generally between the kennel door and the movable partition. The movable partition is mountable to a number of ventilation openings formed in the animal kennel and is movable among a variety of distances from the kennel door to change the size of the reposable region within the kennel in order to properly train the animal and to avoid the animal relieving itself within the kennel. The partition includes a barrier element and a number of mounting elements that are mountable to the ventilation openings of the kennel. The movable partition further includes a number of clip apparatuses that are cooperable with the mounting elements to retain the mounting elements mounted to the ventilation openings. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved movable partition that is usable with an animal kennel and that is movable among a plurality of positions within the interior of the animal kennel in order to provide a corresponding plurality of differently sized reposable regions within which an animal can be placed for training and for other purposes. 
         [0010]    Another aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved kennel apparatus that includes such a movable partition. 
         [0011]    Another aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved clip apparatus that is usable as a part of such a movable partition. 
         [0012]    Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved partition structured for use with an animal kennel that has a number of openings formed therein and that further has an interior within which an animal can be disposed. The partition can be generally stated as including a barrier apparatus that comprises a barrier element and a number of mounting elements that are disposed generally peripherally on the barrier element and that protrude from the barrier element, at least some of the number of mounting elements being structured to be mountable to at least some of the number of openings and being further structured to retain the barrier element in a given position within the interior, the barrier element being structured to resist the animal from moving therepast. 
         [0013]    Another aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved kennel apparatus that can be stated as including an animal kennel and the movable partition of the preceding paragraph. 
         [0014]    Another aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved clip apparatus structured for use with a barrier element and a number of mounting element that are situated on the barrier element and an animal kennel that has a number of openings formed therein. The clip apparatus can be generally stated as including at least a first pin structured to be engaged with a mounting element of the number of mounting elements to retain the mounting element in a condition mounted to an opening of the number of openings to retain the barrier element in a given position within the interior, and a locking lug structured to be engageable with an opening of the number of openings to retain the at least first pin in a position engaged with the mounting element of the number of mounting elements. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    A further understanding of the disclosed and claimed concept can be gained from the following Description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an improved kennel apparatus in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept that employs a movable partition in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept and an animal kennel, with the kennel apparatus being depicted in an exploded fashion; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , except depicting a barrier of the movable partition in a folded condition and being received through a doorway of the animal kennel; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is another perspective view of the kennel apparatus of  FIG. 1  with the barrier in a partially unfolded condition wherein a set of mounting elements of the barrier are positioned to be receivable in a corresponding set of ventilation holes formed in the kennel; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an improved clip apparatus in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is another perspective view of the clip apparatus of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of the kennel with the mounting elements received in the ventilation openings and with the clip apparatus partially received in holes formed in the mounting elements; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view as taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a view similar to  FIG. 6 , except depicting the clip apparatus fully received in the holes and mounted to a ventilation opening; 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view as taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the kennel apparatus with the movable partition installed in a first position thereon; 
           [0026]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10 , except depicting the movable partition installed at a second position on the kennel apparatus; 
           [0027]      FIG. 12  is a sectional view as taken along line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10  except depicting the door being in a closed condition; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 13  is a sectional view as taken along line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 11 , except depicting the door being in a closed position. 
       
    
    
       [0029]    Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification. 
       DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    An improved kennel apparatus  4  in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept is depicted in  FIG. 1  in an exploded condition. The kennel apparatus  4  can be generally said to include an animal kennel  6  and a movable partition  8  that is usable in conjunction with the animal kennel  6 . The animal kennel  6  may be any of a wide variety of conventional animal kennels. The animal kennel  6  in the depicted exemplary embodiment includes a first shell  10  and a second shell  12  mounted atop the first shell  10 . The first and second shells  10  and  12  can together be said to form a body of the animal kennel  6  that includes a doorway  14 . The animal kennel  6  further includes a door  16  that is situated in the doorway  14  and is movable between an open condition, such as is depicted generally in  FIG. 1 , and a closed condition, such as is depicted generally in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . The animal kennel  6  further includes an interior region  20  that is situated generally between the first shell  10 , the second shell  12 , and the door  16 . The first and second shells  10  and  12  are each formed with a number of ventilation openings  24  formed therein that are formed through the walls of the first and second shells  10  and  12  and thus can be said to extend between the interior  20  an the exterior of the animal kennel  6  and provide ventilation and light to the interior  20 . As employed herein, the expression “a number of” and variations thereof shall refer broadly to any non-zero quantity, including a quantity of one. In the depicted exemplary embodiment, a plurality of the openings  24  are formed in each of the first and second shells  10  and  12 , and the ventilation openings  24  are aligned with one another in rows and are spaced apart along the length of the animal kennel  6  between the doorway  14  and a closed end of the animal kennel that is opposite the doorway  14 . 
         [0031]    As can be understood from  FIG. 1 , the movable partition  8  can be said to include a barrier apparatus  28  that includes a barrier  32  and a set of clip apparatuses  36  that are cooperable with the barrier  32 . In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the barrier apparatus  28  includes four of the clip apparatuses  36 . The barrier  32  actually includes a first barrier portion  40  and a second barrier portion  44  that are hingedly connected together with a pair of hinge elements  48 . The first and second barrier portions  44  in the depicted exemplary embodiment are generally rigid and have a plurality of apertures formed therein that allow for the transmission of light and ventilating air. The exemplary first and second barrier portions  44  are each depicted as being of a fence-like grate configuration formed of wire, but they can be of numerous other configurations without departing from the present concept. 
         [0032]    The first barrier portion  40  can be said to include a first barrier body  52 , a pair of mounting elements  56 A and  56 B situated on the first barrier body  52 , and another pair of mounting elements  60 A and  60 B situated on the first barrier body  52 . Similarly, the second barrier portion  44  can be said to include a second barrier body  64 , a pair of mounting elements  68 A and  68 B situated on the second barrier body  64 , and another pair of mounting elements  72 A and  72 B that are situated on the second barrier body  64 . In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are formed as loops of the wire from which the first and second barrier portions  44  are formed, whereby the loops of the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B each have a hole formed therein. The first and second barrier bodies  52  and  64  can together be said to form a hinged barrier element  74  upon which the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are mounted. As will be set forth in greater detail below, the barrier element  74  is movably positionable within the interior  20  and serves to resist the animal from moving past a reposable region that can be said to exist within the interior  20  and to be situated generally between the door  16  and the barrier element  74 . The mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are mountable to different sets of ventilation openings  24  to retain the barrier element  74  in any of a variety of given positions within the interior  20 . 
         [0033]    The barrier  32  is movable between an expanded condition, such as is depicted generally in  FIG. 1 , and a folded condition, such as is depicted generally in  FIG. 2 . In the folded condition, the first and second barrier portions  40  and  44  can be said to generally overlie one another to enable the barrier  32  to be received through the doorway  14  and into the interior  20  of the animal kennel  6 . When the barrier  32  is in its expanded condition situated within the interior  20 , such as is depicted generally in  FIGS. 3 ,  10 , and  11 , the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are received in a set of the ventilation openings  42  and are cooperable with the clip apparatuses  36  that are situated at the exterior of the animal kennel  6  to enable the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B to be mounted to the set of ventilation openings  24 . That is, in the folded condition of the barrier  32 , the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are in a condition retracted from the ventilation openings  24 . On the other hand, in the expanded condition of the barrier  32 , the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are in a position received in and through the ventilation openings  24  and are capable of being mounted to the ventilation openings  24  through the use of the clip apparatuses  36  in a fashion that will be set forth in greater detail below. 
         [0034]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the clip apparatuses  36  each include a handle  76  and a pair of elongated pins  80 A and  80 B that are oriented parallel with one another and that are spaced apart and extend from the handle  76 . As is best shown in  FIG. 4 , the pins  80 A and  80 B each have a ramped region  84 A and  84 B, respectively, that facilitate reception of the pins  80 A and  80 B in holes formed in the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B. 
         [0035]    The clip apparatuses  36  can be said to each additionally include a number of locking lugs that include a locking peg  88  that is best depicted in  FIG. 4  and a pair of locking ledges  92 A and  92 B that are best shown in  FIG. 5  and that protrude from the pins  80 A and  80 B, respectively. As can be understood from  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the locking peg  88  extends from the handle  76  in one direction, and the locking ledges  92 A and  92 B extend from the handle  76  in another direction that is orthogonal thereto. Additionally, the aforementioned one direction and the aforementioned another direction are each generally orthogonal to the direction in which the pins  80 A and  80 B extend from the handle  76 . 
         [0036]    In order to mount the movable partition  8  within the interior  20 , the barrier  32  in its folded condition, or in an at least partially folded condition, is received through the doorway  14  into the interior  20 , such as is depicted generally in  FIG. 2 . The barrier  32  is then hingedly unfolded toward the expanded condition such as is depicted generally in  FIG. 3  until the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are received in a set of the ventilation openings  24 . In such position, and as is depicted in part in  FIG. 6 , the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are received in and extend through the ventilation openings  24  and protrude out of the ventilation openings  24  at the exterior of the animal kennel  6 . The holes that are formed in each of the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B are indicated generally with the numeral  94 , with the holes  94  being structured to receive the pins  80 A and  80 B therein. 
         [0037]    More specifically, and as is depicted generally in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the pins  80 A and  80 B are received in the holes  94  by first orienting the clip apparatus  36  such that the ramped regions  84 A and  84 B face toward an exterior surface of the animal kennel  6  and are oriented generally parallel therewith. In such a position, the handle  76  can be seen to be situated at an oblique angle with respect to the animal kennel, as is best depicted in  FIG. 7 . The clip apparatus  36  is then advanced toward the holes  94  to cause the pins  80 A and  80 B to be receive in the holes  94 . When the pins  80 A and  80 B are fully received in the holes  94 , the handle  76  can be pivoted toward the animal kennel  6  to cause the locking peg  88  to be received in and mounted to one of the ventilation openings  24 . This is illustrated generally in  FIG. 9 , it being noted that the irregular shape of the ventilation openings  24  causes a relieved region  95  ( FIGS. 12 and 13 ) at a corner of the ventilation openings  24  to appear in  FIG. 9  to be spaced from the locking peg  88 , and it is understood that other portions of the lateral surface of the locking peg  88  are mounted to and engaged with portions of the lateral surface of the corresponding ventilation opening  24 , as is depicted in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . After such pivoting, the locking ledges  92 A and  92 B have been received through the holes  94  and are engagable with the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B to further retain the clip apparatus  36  in the position depicted generally in  FIGS. 8 and 9  installed on the barrier  32 . In the locked position of the clip apparatus  36  that is depicted generally in  FIGS. 8 and 9  (and elsewhere in the accompanying drawings), the locking peg  88  is mounted to one of the ventilation openings  24 , the pins  80 A and  80 B are received in a pair of the holes  94  formed in a pair of the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B, and the locking ledges  92 A and  92 B are further engagable with the same pair of the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B. The locking lugs which, as set forth above, include the locking peg  88  and the locking ledges  92 A and  92 B, retain the pins  80 A and  80 B in the holes  94  to retain the barrier apparatus  28  in a given position within the interior  20  of the animal kennel  6 . 
         [0038]    It is also understood that the clip apparatuses  36  can be removed from the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B in order to permit the barrier apparatus  28  to be moved and mounted to a different set of the ventilation openings  24 . More specifically, the clip apparatuses  36  are removed from the mounted elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B, by first pivoting the handle  76  away from the exterior surface of the animal kennel  6  to cause the locking peg  88  to be removed from its position engaged with the ventilation opening  24 . The pins  80 A and  80 B are then removed from the holes  94 , and the barrier  32  is at least partially moved toward its folded condition in order to remove the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B from the ventilation openings  24 . Afterward, the barrier  32  is moved to a desired different position along the interior  20  and is moved toward its expanded condition to cause the mounting elements  56 A,  56 B,  60 A,  60 B,  68 A,  68 B,  72 A, and  72 B to be received in a different set of the ventilation openings  24 . The clip apparatuses  36  can then be received in the holes  94  and the locking peg  88  received in a ventilation opening  24  as set forth above to retain the barrier  32  in the new position within the position  20 . 
         [0039]    Such different positioning is depicted in  FIGS. 10 and 11  and is further depicted in section in  FIGS. 12 and 13  (albeit with the door  16  in a closed position). It can be seen that the barrier  32  in the position depicted generally in  FIGS. 10 and 12  is at a first distance  98 X from the door  16  and thereby forms between the barrier  32  and the door  16  a reposable region  96 X within which an animal can be received and reposed. In the position of the barrier  32  depicted generally in  FIGS. 11 and 13 , the barrier  32  is situated at a different distance  98 Y from the door  16  which forms a differently sized reposable region  96 Y that is larger than the reposable region  96 X and within which the animal can be reposed. 
         [0040]    It thus can be seen that the improved movable partition  8  is movable and lockable at any of a variety of different distances from the door  16  to create any of a wide variety of differently sized reposable regions within the interior  20  that can accommodate an animal of correspondingly varying size therein. The movable partition  8  and the resultant kennel apparatus  4  thus advantageously can be usable to repose therein an animal during its growth stage while facilitating training of the animal, which is highly advantageous. 
         [0041]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of invention which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.