Abstract:
A small animal habitat having a base and removable hood composed of a plurality of lune-shaped hood sections that are movable with respect to one another enabling them to be nested one above another so that the front and/or back of the hood may be opened. Hubs that connect the hood sections together and mount the hood to the base also define passages for the animal in and out of habitat and provide access to other habitat components.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   Field of Invention 
   This invention relates to small animal cages and more particularly comprises a home and play habitat for hamsters and other like animals that may be used alone or be assembled with other animal habitat components. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   In accordance with one aspect of this invention, the small animal habitat of the present invention is constructed of molded plastic parts and free of wire cage-like sections. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the main cage of the habitat has a base with high side walls and a separate removable hood or top. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cage has a retractable hood that allows easy front and back access to the interior. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the habitat has a water supply that is easy to reach and refill, is located outside the main cage, and easily connected to and disconnected from the main habitat structure. 
   In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the base and retractable roof combination is of generally round configuration, is free of corners and thus easy to clean. The retractable hood provides easy access to the pet, a food dish, exercise wheel, hut and other equipment within the cage. When used with compatible habitat structures, the present invention improves the totality of the animal home so as to duplicate the natural living environment of the animal. More particularly, the habitat increases the freedom to travel, exercise, discover, hoard and sleep as it would in its natural habitat. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the small animal cage embodying the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the small animal cage shown in  FIG. 1  with the front portion of the hood in the fully retracted or open position; 
       FIG. 2A  is a side view of the cage with the retractable hood closed; 
       FIG. 2B  is a side view of the cage with both of the front hood sections retracted to open the cage front; 
       FIG. 2C  is a side view of the cage with the rear hood section retracted to open the rear of the cage; 
       FIG. 2D  is a side view of the cage with both the front and rear hood sections retracted to further open the cage; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the small animal cage with the retractable hood detached from the base and partially exposing the cage interior; 
       FIG. 3A  is a fragmentary side view of the hub assembly of the hood with the locking ring in the unlocked position; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the cage base with its hood support fixtures detached; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the support station of the cage that in use is disposed inside and at the rear of the cage; 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the support station shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded rear perspective view showing the cage base, support station and wheel assembly; 
       FIG. 8  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the support station and wheel assembly; 
       FIG. 9  is a fragmentary exploded view of the several segments of the cage hood assembly; 
       FIG. 10  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the assembled hood assembly mounted on the base; 
       FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of the hood main and rear sections and hood inserts; 
       FIG. 11A  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the assembled main and rear hood sections and insert; 
       FIG. 12  is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the assembled rear hood section and hood insert; 
       FIG. 13  is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of one end of the main and rear hood sections and the hood insert; 
       FIG. 14  is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the assembled main and rear hood sections and hood insert; 
       FIG. 15  is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the assembled main and third or inner front hood sections; 
       FIG. 15A  is an exploded view of the main, rear and inner hood sections shown partly assembled; 
       FIG. 16  is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the assembled hood sections; and 
       FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the cage of the present invention connected to an array of other components to enlarge the small animal habitat. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   This invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. 
   The small animal habitat of this invention comprises a cage  10  having a base  12  and a retractable hood or roof  14  that together define an enclosure for the animal. When the hood is closed as shown in  FIG. 1 , in the preferred embodiment the cage is generally ball-shaped but has a flat bottom  16  so that the cage will rest in a stable position on a table, floor or other flat surface. The invention is not, however, limited to that specific configuration. The base has a peripheral side wall  18  extending upwardly from the edge of the bottom  16  and provides a relatively deep enclosure so as to confine food and waste within the cage. 
   On opposite sides of the side wall  18 , the rim  19  of the base has semicircular recesses  20  (see  FIG. 4 ) that are aligned with one another and carry support fixtures  22  that provide seats for the hub assemblies  26  of the retractable hood  14  as described more fully below. Typically the base should be made of a molded plastic material such as ABS or other hard plastic that is chew resistant to small animals such hamsters. In the embodiment shown the base is opaque, but it may be transparent or translucent. The hood in the preferred embodiment is either transparent or translucent and made of ABS, nylon, Lexam or other chew resistant material. 
   As is shown in  FIG. 4 , the side portion  30  of the side wall  18  carries a pair of ribs  32  having flanges  34  spaced from the inner surface  36  of the side wall  18  and that define a pair of spaced-apart slots  38  that engage a support station  40  removably mounted in the cage. The support station  40  in the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 5-7  has upper and lower sections  42  and  44  that perform separate functions. The lower portion  44  is generally U-shaped in horizontal cross-section and its side walls  46  and  48  carry flanges  50  at their edges that register with the slots  38  on the inside surface of the side wall of the base to hold the support  40  in place. The upper section  42  of the support which preferably is detachably connected to section  44  has a feeding bowl  52  disposed an appreciable distance above the bottom  16  of the base. Stairs  54  attached to the bottom portion  44  provide easy access up to the opening  56  in the side wall  58  that partially defines the bowl  52 . In the embodiment shown, the upper section  42  of the support is separable from the lower section  44  so that the two parts can be conveniently cleaned. In the embodiment shown, the stairs  54  are similarly separable from the lower portion  44  of the support, but the parts may be preassembled by the manufacturer. 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , the side wall  48  of the lower section  44  of support  40  has an opening  60  that provides access to the interior of the bottom section  44  of the support when the support is assembled in the base. Thus, a housing  65  for the animal is defined by the side walls  46  and  48  and the front wall  62  of the lower section  44 , and by the bottom wall  64  of the upper section  42  along with the base bottom wall  16 . 
   The upper and lower sections  42  and  44  of the support are detachably held together in the embodiment illustrated by posts  66  formed on the tops of the side walls  46  and  48  of the lower section  44  of the support, which register with the openings  68  in the side walls  58  of the upper section  42 . The lower section  44  of the support  40  also carries an upstanding plate  70  generally aligned with the front wall  62 . The plate provides a support for the wheel assembly  80  shown in  FIG. 7 . The plate  70  includes a vertical slot  82  that is open at its upper end to engage the hub  84  of the freely rotating wheel assembly  80 . 
   The wheel assembly  80  (see  FIG. 8 ) includes a shaft  86  in the hub  84  that extends through the slot  82  and carries a split hanger  88  having two sides  82   a  and  82   b  that engage the inside and outside faces of the plate  70 . The rim  90  of the wheel assembly has an inner track  92  large enough to receive a small animal such as a hamster occupying the cage. When the animal runs on the track, the wheel rotates enabling the animal to run substantially in place. The top portion  94  of plate  70  cooperates with a rib  98  adjacent the upper edge of the wall  96  of the upper section of the support to hold the upper section in place. The upper and lower sections  42  and  44  of the support  40  may be separated simply by squeezing the side walls  46  and  48  together so as to disengage the posts  66  and holes  68 . The support  40  is also preferably made of ABS, nylon, Lexam or other plastic material which is chew resistant. The wheel assembly may be mounted in other ways on its support but it is particularly advantageous to have it mounted on a plastic support rather than a wire or metal support, as the assembly generates little or no noise. 
   In accordance with other embodiments of the invention, the support  40  may be formed in many different shapes and may either be a unitized or multi-component construction, and the wheel assembly may be mounted on the support in a variety of different ways. It should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the support described. 
   In  FIGS. 9-16  details of one embodiment of the hood  14  of the habitat are shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the hood  14  is comprised of a plurality of crescent or lune-shaped sections  120 ,  122 ,  124 , and  126 . While four sections are shown in the preferred embodiment, a smaller or larger number may be employed. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, sections  122  and  124  are perforated (see  FIG. 10 ) to provide circulation of air in the cage when the hood is closed. The other two sections  120  and  126  in the illustrated embodiment are imperforate, but it should be appreciated that fewer or greater number of sections may be perforated, and the shape of the holes  128 , while shown as round in the illustrated embodiment may take other shapes as well. Each hood section has its two ends attached to the hub assembly  130  on each side, and the hub assemblies permit the sections to move with respect to one another so as to open or close the habitat. The sections are preferably molded of a non-chewable plastic such as ABS, SAN or polycarbonate, but other materials may also be used. 
   In the preferred embodiment shown, the hood section  124  remains in a fixed position when the hood is mounted on the base via the support fixtures  22  disposed on the semi-circular recesses  20  in the base side wall  18  (see  FIG. 3 ). Section  124  may be considered to be the main hood section. As shown in  FIGS. 9-13 , section  124  has a circular collar  200  and flange  202  at each end with the two axially aligned with one another. Hood section  126 , the rear hood section, has a collar  204  and a flange  206 . The flange  206  slidably lies against the inner surface  208  of flange  202  of hood section  124  with the collar  204  extending a short distance outwardly into the collar  200  of main section  124 . The flange  206  on its inner surface, carries an insert  210  having a pair of outwardly extending tabs  212  and  214  and a circular collar  216  (see  FIG. 13 ). When the insert  210  and roof sections  124  and  126  are assembled together, insert collar  216  extends into the collar  204  of section  126  and a snap fastener  220  mounted on the outer face of insert tab  212  extends through an opening  222  in flange  206  (see  FIG. 12 ) and into an arcuate slot  224  in the flange  202  of hood section  124  (see  FIG. 14 ). A guide post  226  carrier on the other insert tab  214  engages the margins of a second opening  228  in the flange  206  of hood section  126  (see  FIG. 12 ) further maintaining the circumferential alignment of the insert  210  with the first hood section  126  (see  FIGS. 12-14 ). 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 15 and 15A , the flange  202  of main hood section  124  on its outer side  230 , carries a pin  232  that registers with an arcuate slot  234  formed in the flange  236  of hood section  122 , to limit the rotation of section  122  with respect to the fixed main hood section  124 . Similarly, a pin  238  on the outer surface  240  of flange  236  of hood section  122  engages arcuate slot  242  on the flange  244  of the front hood section  120  (see also  FIG. 16 ). These pins and slots on the flanges of the hood sections control the relative rotational movements of the hood sections with respect to one another. The flanges  140  on the arcuate side edges of the hood sections further assist in controlling the relative movements of the hood sections. While the pin and slot arrangement is the preferred mode of controlling the relative rotation and angular relationship of the several hood sections, other mechanisms may be used to perform the same function, and the invention is not limited to the specific structure illustrated and described. 
   The hood is completed by locking rings  250  on the hub assemblies  130 . Each ring  250  carries a handle  252  on its outer face (see  FIGS. 1 and 10 ), and each ring  250  is seated in a track  254  on the collar  200  of main hood section  124 , just outside the flange  244  of hood section  120 . The ring  250  is made of a plastic material such as polystyrene, ABS, SAN and polypropylene and has sufficient flexibility enabling it to be pulled off the track if for any reason the hood is to be disassembled. The locking rings  250  releasably lock the hood  14  to the base  12 . The hood is removable so as to permit knock-down of the cage for packaging purposes and also to facilitate assembling of the cage interior components and cleaning of the cage. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A and  11 , the hub assemblies  130  on each side of the hood include tongues  251  as part of main hood section  124 , that register with slots  253  in support fixtures  22 . In the preferred embodiment, each hub also has an extension  255  at each end of the hood section  124  (see  FIGS. 3 and 11 ) that should be pointed toward the front of the base  12  when the hood is to be attached to it. The extensions engage the rim  19  of the base as well as the support fixtures  22  when the tongues  251  register with their respective slots  253  in the fixtures. When the hood structure is properly positioned, the handles of the locking rings may be rotated toward the back of the cage. 
   As suggested in  FIG. 3A , each locking ring  250  on its inner face  260  has a curved flange  258  positioned to engage the lower edge  262  (see  FIG. 4 ) of the support fixture  22  seated in the semicircular recess  20  of the base  12 . The locking rings  250  turn approximately 90° between the open position wherein flanges  258  are circumferentially beyond the edges  262  of the fixtures  22  with the handles in approximately the twelve o&#39;clock position, and a locked position wherein the flanges  258  underly the edges  262  to hold the hood in place. 
   When both hub assemblies (one on each side of the hood structure) are seated on the respective support fixtures and the locking rings  250  are moved to the locked position, the hood is fixed on the base. Either or both of the front hood sections  120  and  122  may be moved to their retracted positions above the section  124  (see for example  FIG. 2B ) and the rear section  126  may be moved to its retracted position beneath section  124  (see  FIG. 2D ), and sections  120 ,  122  and  126  may be moved to their closed positions as well. In addition, each of the front and rear hood sections may be moved independently of one another. To lock the respective hood sections  120 ,  122  and  126  in their closed positions, latches  270  and  272  are provided on the edges  274  and  276  of sections  120  and  126  respectively. The latches are pivotally mounted on the edges and are positioned to engage catches  278  and  280  on the rim  19  of the base. The latches are preferably also made of plastic material and in the preferred embodiment, are made of polypropylene. 
   The hub assemblies of the hood on each side of the cage have relatively large passages  282  through the telescoped collars of the hood sections, that provide access to the cage interior. The passages  282  are provided to connect the cage to other parts of the small animal habitat. In  FIG. 17  the cage  10  is shown connected to an array of attachments including a den  290 , water bottle  292 , and transport unit  294 , all detachably connected directly or indirectly to the passages  282  at the hub assemblies by straight and angled tubular pieces  296  and  298 . Obviously, other attachments may also be joined to the habitat. The passages as well as any of the attachments may be capped by a perforated or solid cover. The several components are coupled to the tubes and hub assemblies by connectors  300 . An appropriate and preferred form of connector is shown in applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,502 granted Dec. 17, 2002, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
   Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.