Patent Abstract:
An animal enclosure is provided which can be used for a plurality of purposes. The animal enclosure first of all includes a pen sized to hold the animal (i.e., dog). The pen is formed from a frame which is covered with a removable, washer cover. The dog enters and exits the pen by way of a gate. The gate includes a panel which is raised to close the gate and lowered to open the gate. The panel can be fixed at a desired position, so that the gate can be partially opened. A washable pen cover is provided to cover the frame of the pen. A top is provided which can be easily mounted to, and removed from, the pen frame. The top is hingedly connected to the frame and includes with a pair of pivotal support arms so that the front of the top can be elevated above the pen to the desired amount. A whelping rail is also provided and which is removably received in the pen. The whelpig rail comprises a frame having a bar member and legs extending disgonally downwardly and outwardly from the bar. The legs support the bar above a bottom of the pen and inwardly from the pen walls.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not Applicable  
         STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    This invention relates to pet enclosures and environments, and, in particular, to a pet environment that can serve multiple functions.  
           [0004]    Enclosures and environments for dogs and other animals have long been used. Typical enclosures and environments include beds, cages, boxes, or fences, in which dogs may sleep, socialize with other animals, retreat from family activity, or be contained, for example, overnight, or when the owner is out of the house. However, such enclosures, although adequate for their intended purposes, still have drawbacks.  
           [0005]    For example, a simple corrugated or wooden box may be used to contain a new puppy within the home. However, the box may readily become soiled and begin to emit offensive odors until the puppy becomes fully housebroken and/or the box is disposed of. If the puppy is teething, it will likely chew on, and damage or destroy, the box.  
           [0006]    Furthermore, unless the box allows the puppy to readily see human and animal activity outside of the box, the box will inhibit the socialization process that is important to the development of a good family pet.  
           [0007]    A metal cage somewhat reduces the problems associated with toileting, socialization, and teething, but it inhibits quick and easy access of the puppy for housebreaking and nurturing by both the mother dog and its human owners. It is also generally the most expensive type of pet environment.  
           [0008]    A metal cage, along with corrugated and wooden boxes, is also not very compatible with typical home interior decor.  
           [0009]    Boxes may inhibit a mother dog&#39;s view of, and access to, her puppies. If a mother dog should feel that her puppies need her, or she wants to feed (i.e., nurse) them, the mother dog may not have a sufficient view of the puppies to know where they are in the box, and can inadvertently injure them when she steps (or jumps) into the box to be with the puppies.  
           [0010]    When a mother dog nurses her puppies, she most often lays down with her back against the wall of the whelping box. Sometimes, a puppy can be behind the mother, and the mother will lean against the puppy, possibly resulting in the suffocation of that puppy. In a standard wooden whelping box, a small wooden rail is often mounted to the inner surface of the walls. The rail assures that there is a space between the mother&#39;s body and the wall of the box. It also discourages the mother from leaning against the wall, since doing so would be uncomfortable. Thus, a clear breathing space for puppies will always be available between the mother&#39;s body and the wall of the whelping box to reduce the possibility of a puppy being caught between the mother dog and the wall of the whelping box. However, these rails are permanent and the box is primarily used for the single purpose of whelping.  
           [0011]    Currently, there are many enclosures and environments that are available for pets. However, the respective enclosures are single use enclosures and environments; they serve only as a bed, for containment, a whelping box, or a personal space, for example. We know of no pet enclosures which are capable of serving all these functions at various times. Additionally, many of the currently existing pet enclosures are not easily cleaned; are not easily transportable; and often, do not complement the decor of the room or house in which they are placed.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    Briefly stated, an animal enclosure is provided which can be used for a plurality of purposes. The animal enclosure first of all includes a pen sized to hold the animal (i.e., dog). The pen comprises two side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, and a gate. The gate can be made of a single movable panel, or a plurality of removable panel slats or frames. In the first instance, the single panel is vertically movable in a channel between a raised position in which the gate is closed and a lowered position in which the gate is opened. A fastener is provided to secure the gate panel in a desired location. In the second instance, the gateway includes a channel which receives the panel slats. The slats are added, one on top of the other, until a desired height is reached. The slats can be solid or formed from wire (and opened). Whether the gate is made from a single panel or a plurality of slats, the gate panel can be provided with a top edge guard extending across at least a majority of the top of the panel to provide a smooth, unchewable surface across the top of the gate.  
           [0013]    The enclosure walls are formed by framing (i.e., tubing) and the individual walls are hingedly connected together, such that the frame can be moved between a folded and an opened position. A corner lock is provided to maintain the enclosure in the opened position. The hinges can comprise eye bolts having a head which receives a vertical member of one wall and a shaft which extends through the vertical member of an adjacent wall. Alternatively, the hinges can comprise extruded lengths defining a pair of connected cylinders open along the length of the walls of the cylinders to snappingly receive the tubing of the frame. The corner lock comprises a corner brace which extends between adjacent walls, and is removable from at least one of the walls to which it is attachable to allow for folding of the enclosure.  
           [0014]    A removable, washable pen cover is provided to cover the frame of the pen. The pen cover includes downwardly facing pockets along upper edges thereof which are sized to fit over the frame members. The pen cover has, for example, ties, snaps, or Velcro® fasteners, at the bottom of the cover walls to secure the cover to the frame bottom member.  
           [0015]    An optional top is provided for the pen to give the pen a den-like feeling. The top is removably mountable to the pen. The top is made from a frame having a back edge, a front edge, and side edges. The frame is covered with a removable, washable top cover. The top is hingedly connected to the enclosure at the top back edge using a pair of spaced apart eye bolts as hinges. The eyebolt shafts are received in holes in the pen frame. The eyebolt shafts are not fastened to the pen frame so that the top can be removed very quickly if necessary. Alternatively, the top can be snappingly connected to the frame using the extrusion noted above. A pair of pivotal support arms are spaced rearwardly of the front edge of the top and have free ends which engage the top of the pen to support the front of the top above the pen frame. Preferably, the pen is provided with a plurality of openings into which the top support arms extend to enable the top to be positioned at a desired degree. The top is also provided with side flaps which hang from the top to a point below the top edge of the pen side walls. Because the top is hinged at its back, and elevated at its front, it forms a type of lean-to.  
           [0016]    The enclosure can also be provided with a whelping rail which is removably received in the pen. The whelping rail comprises a frame having a bar member and legs extending diagonally downwardly and outwardly from the bar. The legs support the bar above a bottom of the pen and inwardly from the pen walls. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dog enclosure of the present invention, showing the pen with its associated removable top and removable whelping rail;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the pen with the top;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the pen and top, the top being shown in two alternate (lower) positions in phantom;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the pen and top;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pen of the dog enclosure, showing the gate in a partially lowered position to allow a mother dog to enter and exit the pen, yet prevent puppies from exiting the pen, and including a removable whelping rail;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing the gate completely lowered and with the floor of the covering partially cut away to show the operation of the gate;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a frame for the pen;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the connection of two walls of the frame;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cloth cover which covers the frame;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of the frame showing the gate assembly for the pen using a flexible single panel for the gate;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the gate assembly taken along line  11 - 11  of FIG. 10;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 12 is a horizontal fragmentary cross-sectional view of the gate assembly taken along line  12 - 12  of FIG. 11;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the gate assembly using slats or frames, rather than a single panel, as the gate;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 14 is a partially exploded end view of an alternative slat for use with the gate of FIG. 13;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a removable whelping rail accessory for the pen;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the pen of the enclosure in a folded state; and  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative hinge mechanism for joining together frame members of the pen.  
         [0034]    Corresponding reference numerals will be used throughout the several figures of the drawings. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0035]    The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes what we presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention.  
         [0036]    A pet enclosure  1  of the present invention is shown generally in FIG. 1. Although described for use with a dog, the pet enclosure can also be used with cats and other pets. The enclosures  1  includes a pen  3  made from a tubular frame  5  (FIG. 7). A washable soft cover  7  covers the frame  5  and can easily be removed for cleaning. The cover  7  is preferably a cloth cover. The removability of the cover  7  also allows for the cover to be easily changed, for example, between washings or to change the color or pattern of the cover. Hence the cover can be changed to match the decor of the room in which the pen is placed. The pen  3  includes a gate  9  which can be moved between a raised position and a lowered position. In the lowered position, the dog can easily enter and exit the pen  3 . When the gate is raised, dogs (and especially puppies) are prevented from exiting the pen  3 . As will be described below, the gate  9  can be raised or lowered to be at a desired height. That is, the gate can be placed in a fully raised position, a fully lowered position or at a desired position between the fully raised and fully lowered positions. Thus, the gate can be lowered to a desired height which will prevent puppies from exiting the pen, but will allow a mother dog to enter and exit the pen. It is anticipated that the gate will generally be kept in a position, which will allow the mother to freely enter and exit the pen, and yet still contain the puppies in the pen. The adjustability of the gate allows the gate to be raised as the puppies grow to contain the puppies in the pen, yet still allow the mother dog to readily see and gain access to her puppies. The pen  3  is preferably a low-profile pen, having a height approximately equal to the shoulder height of an adult dog of various breeds. To avoid the need to make numerous different sizes of pens, the pen is provided in small, medium, and large sizes. The pet enclosure  1  can optionally be provided with a cover or top  11  and a whelping rail  13  (FIG. 15).  
         [0037]    The features of the soft wall, gated pen with the optional cover and whelping rail allow the pet enclosure to be used throughout the several stages of a pet&#39;s life. Thus, by adding (or removing) the top  11  and whelping rail  13 , the pen can be adapted for use not only when the dog is a puppy and full grown dog, but can be used as a birthing place for pregnant females, as well as a place where the mother dog can safely nurse, clean and nurture her puppies.  
         [0038]    When dogs are puppies, the puppies can be placed in the pen to keep them from getting underfoot and possibly injured when there is human activity, and especially when children are around. When the gate is raised, the puppies will not be able to exit the pen. The height of the gate can be varied for the breed of the dog contained in the pen, and can be varied as the puppies grow larger. Thus, the gate can be adjusted to a height that safely contains the puppies, yet permits them to see outside the pen as the puppies grow. Thus, the puppies can enjoy the mental stimulation of seeing human activity going on about them, thereby helping in the socialization process. Additionally, the moderate height of the walls of the pen permit humans to readily interact with puppies while they are in the pen, again, helping with the puppies&#39; socialization process.  
         [0039]    The pen can also serve as a place where the puppies&#39;chewing toys are kept. When the puppies are still young and confined to the pen, the pen will prevent the puppies from chewing on furniture and other household items. However, once the puppies are older and begin to be allowed out of the pen, with the chewing toys readily accessible to the puppies, they have already begun to be conditioned to accept chewing on the toys, rather than on household items, such as rugs and furniture, for example.  
         [0040]    As a contained environment, the pen can be provided with a disposable floor surface or liner during the house breaking process to protect the cover  7  from being soiled. Should a puppy soil the disposable floor surface, it can be quickly and easily removed and thrown away. The disposable floor surface or liner can be as simple as newspapers that are placed on the pen floor. Alternatively, a replaceable liner can be used which has a fluid impervious bottom surface, which is placed against the pen floor, and an absorptive upper surface. Such a liner would protect the pen floor. As another alternative, a removable floor liner can be placed in the bottom of the pen  3 . The use of the disposable and/or replaceable liners will protect the cover  7  so that the cover  7  will not have to be washed as often during the housebreaking process. If the cover  7  itself does becomes soiled, it can be removed and replaced with a clean cover  7  while the soiled cover is being washed.  
         [0041]    Once a puppy has matured, the pen  3  can be fitted with a dog bed, transforming the pen into the dog&#39;s own personal environment within the home. The dog bed can be any commercially available dog bed that will fit in the pen  3 . The pen thus becomes a place where the dog can retire to sleep or to retreat from human activity. Additionally, the dog&#39;s toys can be kept in the pen, and the dog will know that it can get its toys from the pen when desired. Because the pen is easily folded, and transportable the pen  3  can be moved about the house or taken outdoors. Additionally, the pen can be taken along on family vacations, and set up in a hotel room, vacation home, etc., giving the pet the comfort of a familiar place when taken on vacation.  
         [0042]    For pregnant female dogs, having a known and secure environment is particularly important. As the birthing time approaches, the mother dog may spend more and more time in the pen in anticipation of the birth. Additionally, pregnant dogs tend to prefer darker more confined environments (i.e., den-like environments) when giving birth. To accommodate this, the accessory top cover  11  can be placed on the pen. The top or cover  11  can easily be applied to the pen  3  and set to any one of several desired positions, all of which permit visual access to the pregnant dog by her owners. As discussed below, the cover  11  can be quickly and easily removed from the pen  3  should it be determined that either the birthing mother or one of her puppies is in distress and intervention is needed.  
         [0043]    In anticipation of the birth, the pen  3  can be lined with clean paper, or other disposable linings. The pen can also be fitted with the whelping rail  13 . The rail  13  effectively prevents accidental smothering of a newborn puppy that may become trapped between its mother&#39;s body and the wall of the pen. Because the pen is soft-sided, the possibility of this occurring is further reduced.  
         [0044]    Once the puppies are born, the pen provides a safe environment for the puppies. The gate can be positioned to allow for easy entry and exit for the mother, while preventing the puppies from exiting the pen. The gate is preferably lowered to a height that will allow the mother dog to step over the gate without scratching her sensitive underside, and yet sufficiently high to prevent the puppies from exiting the pen. However, the top edge of the gate is smooth, to reduce the possibility of abrading the new mothers sensitive underside as she crosses over the gate. Additionally, the top edge of the gate is made of a hard material that substantially precludes damage to the gate when the puppies chew on it. Further, the walls of the pen  3  are sized such that the mother can look into the pen from outside the pen and see her puppies.  
         [0045]    In a preferred embodiment, the frame  5  (FIGS. 7 and 8) is preferably a tubular frame made from a series of top and bottom horizontal members  21   a,b  and vertical side members  23 . The frame members are preferably metal tubes, but could be made from extruded or molded plastic tubes. The members  21   a,b  and  23  are assembled together to form four walls: two side walls, a back wall, and a front wall. A gap is formed in the front wall to accept the gate assembly  9 . The horizontal members  21   a,b  are preferably straight hollow tubes. The vertical members, on the other hand, have a vertical portion  23   a  and top and bottom horizontal portions  23   b . The vertical members are unitary, one-piece tubular members, and are bent to transition between their vertical and horizontal portions. The tubes of the vertical members are swaged (or otherwise reduced in diameter) at the ends of the top and bottom portion to define noses  25  which are frictionally received in the respective ends of the horizontal members. This construction of the frame members lends itself to allow for a small size in shipping and storing of the pens, and more readily accommodates desired changes to the length and width of the pen. To hold the frame members together, bolts  26  extend through the horizontal frame members  21   a  and the nose section  25  of the vertical frame members  23 . Nuts  28  are provided to hold the bolts  26  in place. If desired, pins, bolts, ball and detent, or other conventional means can be used to secure the vertical and horizontal members together to form the walls of the frame  7 .  
         [0046]    The connection of the frame walls (i.e., the side walls to the front and back walls) is accomplished using eyebolts  27  and corner braces  44 , as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. The eyebolts  27  each have a circular head  29  through which the vertical member  23  of one wall extends, and a shaft  31  which extends through an opening in the neighboring vertical member. The end of the shaft  31  is preferably threaded, and a lock nut  33  is applied to the end of the shaft to prevent the shaft from exiting the member through which it extends. Preferably, two eyebolts  27  are used at each corner of the pen, in a vertically spaced apart relationship. As can be appreciated, the eyebolts act as hinges, and allow the walls of the pen  3  to pivot about the corners of the pen. Thus, the pen can be moved between a opened position, as shown in FIGS.  1 - 6 , and a folded position, as seen in FIG. 16. Because the frame  5  is made from lightweight tubing, the frame is light, and when folded, is quite compact. Thus, the folded frame, with its fabric cover, can be easily moved from one location to another. For example, the frame, with its fabric cover, can be moved from one room to another within a house, or, when a family goes on vacation, the frame can be folded and set up easily and quickly in a hotel room or vacation home. A carrier or tube can be provided to contain the folded pen.  
         [0047]    Although eyebolts are shown to connect the frame walls together, the frame elements can be connected with, for example, plastic extrusions  27 ′ (FIG. 17), which snappingly receive the vertical frame members  23 . Such an extrusion would have two identical portions  29 ′ with curved fingers  31 ′ which define cylinders with an elongate slot into which the tubing  23  is snappingly received. The backs of the two portions  29 ′ would then be directly connected together, or connected by a web. The size of the finger would allow for the frame members to pivot in the connector, to allow for folding of the frame.  
         [0048]    Corner braces  44  prevent the pen  3  from inadvertently being folded when in use and in the open position. The corner braces  44  comprise generally U-shaped bolts having two end shafts  43  which are connected by a connecting section  45 . The connecting section  45  extends diagonally underneath the frame  5  and the end shafts extend up through the noses  25  of the frame vertical members  23 . Thus, the corner braces  44  also help in maintaining the frame members together. The ends of the shafts  43  are threaded, and nuts  47  (for example wing nuts) are threaded on to the ends of the shafts  43  to hold the corner brace in place. The corner braces  44  rigidize the frame, and hence, must be removed for the frame to be folded. Although U-bolts are shown for the corner braces, the U-bolts can be replaced with any conventional corner locking device. For example, a pivoting arm can be fixed to the side walls near the front and backs of the side walls. The arm can be provided with a key-hole or bayonet-slot type opening which is received over a headed stud on the front and back walls. The use of a pivoting arm would eliminate the necessity of totally removing the corner brace to fold the pen. Rather, the corner brace would merely need to be unlocked.  
         [0049]    The washable, flexible, removable frame cover  7  is shown in FIG. 9. The cover  7  includes opposed side walls  51 , a front wall  53 , a back wall  55 , and a bottom  57 . The front wall  53  includes a gap or opening  59  for the gate. The walls of the cover  7  extend down the inside of the frame from the top of the frame to the bottom of the frame. Pockets  61  are formed at the tops of the walls and are sized to fit over the frame top members. Holes  63  are formed in the top of the back wall pocket and holes  65  are formed in the top of the side wall pockets. The hole  63  and holes  65  allow for mounting of the top/cover  11  on the frame  3 , as discussed below. Fasteners, such as ties  67  are provided at the corners and at the edge of the gate opening  57  near the bottom of the cover to hold the cover in place on the frame  5 . Because the cover  9  is held in place on the pen frame  3  by the cover pockets  61  and ties  67 , the cover can be easily removed from the pen frame for washing or replacing. Although the fasteners are shown to be ties, bands with snaps, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, or other types of commonly available fasteners can be used to removably hold the cover  11  to the frame  3 .  
         [0050]    The gate assembly  9  is shown in FIGS. 7 and 10- 12 . As noted above, because the gate can be lowered or raised a desired amount, to, for example, allow a mother dog to enter and exit the pen, but prevent puppies from exiting the pen, the gate assembly is one of the important features of the pen  3 . The gate assembly  9  includes a gate frame  71  made from a U-shaped tubular member. The frame  71  has a bottom portion  71   a  and vertical side portions  71   b,c . As seen in FIG. 7, the frame bottom portion  71   a  is raised relative to the bottom members  21   b  of the pen frame  5 . The gate frame  71  is secured to the pen frame vertical members  23  by bolts  73  which extend through the gate frame side  71   b  and the neighboring pen frame member  23 . Eyebolts  27  are used to hingedly connect the opposite gate frame side  71   c  to the neighboring corner vertical member  23 . As can be appreciated, the gate assembly  9  completes the front wall of the frame. The bolts  73  provide for an essentially rigid connection between the gate assembly and the inner end of the front wall; and the eyebolts  27  provide for a hinged connection between the gate and a corner vertical member of the pen frame.  
         [0051]    Braces  75  extend diagonally between the gate frame bottom  71   a  and the gate frame sides  71   b,c  The braces  75  are sized and positioned so that they will not interfere with the pet&#39;s use of the gate. Yet, the size of the braces  75  will strengthen the crush bend that is formed in the tubing which forms the gate frame  71 , and could be dispensed with if the gate was formed in a different manner. For example, separate elbow joints could be used to form the corners of the gate frame  71 .  
         [0052]    A pair of opposed track members  77  are mounted to the sides  71   b,c of the gate frame. The track members  77  include a flange  79  through which bolts extend to secure the members  77  to the gate frame and a pair of spaced apart rails  81  defining a channel  83 . The track  77  extends from a point just below the top of the frame sides to a point below the gate frame bottom portion  71   a  and bends inwardly (to be under the bottom of the cover  7 ). A pliable panel  85  is slidably received in the track  77 . The panel  85  is preferably made of flexible plastic, or some other flexible material which can be easily washed. The panel  85  is turned up at its bottom to form a curved portion or end  87  to facilitate movement of the panel across a textured surface (such as carpet, cement, grass, etc.) when the panel  85  is lowered. Hence, the curved end  87  of the panel  85  helps in causing the panel to bend inwardly, to be under the cover bottom  57  as seen in FIG. 6. The curved end  87  of the panel  85  prevents the bottom edge of the panel from catching on the textured surface so that the panel  85  will slide along textured surfaces (such as rug, cement, etc) as easily as it will slide along a smooth surface (such as wood, linoleum, etc.). The curved end  87  of the panel also helps rigidize the end of the panel  85 . As seen in FIG. 11, the curved end  87  generally forms a semi-circle (or an arc of about 180°). Inasmuch as the curved end  87  is provided to facilitate movement of the panel over textured surfaces, the curvature  87  of the curved end could be altered if desired. For example, it could form nearly a complete circle, or only a quarter-circle.  
         [0053]    The curved end  87  of the panel  85  is preferably set inwardly of the edges of the panel so that the curved end  87  will not interfere with removal of the panel  85  from the gate (by pulling the panel  85  up through the track  77 ) so that the panel can be cleaned or replaced, if necessary. The curved end  87  could extend the full width of the panel  85 . In this instance, the curved end would prevent the panel from being pulled up and out of the track  77 . To remove the panel  85  from the track  77 , the panel would be pulled out the bottom of the track.  
         [0054]    The top edge of the panel  85  is capped with a top guard  89  (FIG. 5). The top guard  89  provides a smooth surface to the top edge of the panel  85  to help prevent abrading the teats of a nursing female (and the undersides of pets in general) when crossing through the gate. Additionally, the hard cap  89  prevents puppies (and other chewing pets) from damaging the top of the panel  85 .  
         [0055]    The panel  85  can be held in place frictionally. However, it includes a plurality of holes  91  along one edge thereof. The track  77  includes a hole  93  (FIG. 5) near the bottom thereof. A spring biased pin  95  (FIG. 6) is mounted to the track over the hole  91 . The pin  95  extends through the track hole  93  to engage a selected hole  91  in the panel  85  to keep the panel  85  from sliding, for example, from a dog leaning on the panel  85 .  
         [0056]    In an alternate embodiment, the gate  9 ′ (FIG. 13) has a frame  71 ′ which extends the full height of the pen frame  5 . That is, the gate frame bottom member  71   a  ′ is level with the pen frame bottom members  21   b . Rather than using a single panel  85 , the gate  9 ′ is provided with a plurality of slats  85 ′. Slats  85 ′ are simply inserted in (or removed from) the tracks  77 ′ until the gate  9 ′ is raised (or lowered) to a desired position. The slats  85 ′shown in FIG. 13 are formed wire slats. No covering is provided to the slats  85 ′. They are sized so that a puppy can not pass through the slats. The advantage of formed wire slats is that they are light weight and easy to store. For example, a hook or loop can be provided on the side of the cover on which the formed wire slats can be hung. Additionally, the wire form slats form a smooth surface which will not abrade the underside of a dog or the teats of a nursing mother. Further, because they are made of wire, teething puppies will not be able to damage them.  
         [0057]    An alternative slat  81 ″ is shown in FIG. 14. The slat  81 ″ is a solid slat having a tongue  81   a  on its top and a groove  81   b  on its bottom. The slates  81 ″can be plastic, wood, or metal slats. If plastic, they can be formed as an extrusion and cut to length. Alternatively, they can be injection molded. Because the slats  81 ″are made of plastic, they are inherently softer than the wire slats  81 ′. Thus, a specific one of the slats will be a top slat and be provided with a metal cap to reduce the possibilities of abrasion and prevent teething puppies from damaging the top slat  81 ″. If the slats are made from extruded aluminum, no cap is required.  
         [0058]    As noted above, the whelping rail  13  (FIG. 15) can be inserted in the pen to further reduce the possibility of a puppy becoming lodged between the mother dog and the side of the pen  3 . The whelping rail  13  comprises four tubes—two side tubes  101 , and front and back tubes  103 . Each of the tubes has a horizontal rail portion  105  and leg portions  107  at opposite ends of the rail portion. The tubes are joined together at the leg portions by bolts  109 , for example, which extend through the legs  107  to form the whelping rail  13 . The legs  107  extend from the rail portions  105  at an angle, such that when the whelping rail is formed, the bottom ends of the legs will be received substantially in the corners of the pen and the rails portions  105  will be above the pen bottom and spaced inwardly from the pen walls. The legs  107  are sized and angled such that the rail is about  4 ″ above the pen bottom and about  3 ″from the walls of the pen. If the mother dog leans against the rail, there is a gap between the mother and the wall of the pen. Thus, if a pup is in this area, there will be a space to reduce the possibility of the mother dog suffocating her puppy.  
         [0059]    Because the whelping rail only needs to be used for a short period of time, it is designed to be easily inserted into the pen, simply by dropping it in the pen. Once the puppies are weaned, and are no longer nursing, the whelping rail can be simply lifted out of the pen.  
         [0060]    Turning to FIGS.  1 - 4 , the top  11  includes a tubular frame  111  made from side tubes  113  and front and back tubes  115  which are assembled in substantially the same way as the wall portions of the pen frame  7 . A fabric cover  117  is applied to the top frame  111 . As can be appreciated, the top frame cover  117  is provided with channels along its front edges into which the tubes  113  extend. The rear channel  107  is formed by wrapping or folding the cover about itself, and using hook and loop type fasteners (i.e., Velcro®) to maintain the channels in the cover  117 . Thus, the cover  117  can be easily removed from the top frame  111  for washing. Alternatively, snaps or a zipper, or any other easy-to-use fastener can be used which will allow for easy mounting and dismounting of the cover  117  from the frame  111 .  
         [0061]    The top  11  is hingedly mounted to the pen frame  5  using a pair of hinges  119 . The hinges  119  are eye bolts having a head through which the top frame back tube extends and a shaft which extends into the pen frame top member  21   a . The head  121  is sized so that the top back tube  105  can pivot in the head. The eye-bolt shafts extend through the openings  63  (FIG. 9) in the pen cover  11  and corresponding holes in the pen frame top tube  21   a . Alternatively, sections of the extrusion  27 ′ can be used to hingedly mount the top  11  to the frame  5 . The use of the extrusion  27 ′ would allow for snapping the top  11  onto the frame  5 , while still allowing for pivoting of the top relative to the frame and for quick removability of the top from the frame.  
         [0062]    The top also includes a pair of pivoting arms  131  which support the top  11  in a sloped position, as seen in FIG. 3. The arms  131  each include a top finger  133  which extends through the top frame side tubes at a point slightly rearwardly of the front of the top frame. The end of the fingers  133  are threaded, and accept a nut to secure the arm  131  to the top frame. The forward, free ends, of the arms  131  are received in holes  135  (FIG. 4) in the pen frame top side members. Preferably, there are several holes  135  in the pen frame top members (three holes are shown) so that the slope of the top  11  can be selectively altered. The cover holes  65  are aligned with the frame holes  135 . As can be seen, preferably the pen cover holes  65  are larger than the frame holes  135 . The pen cover holes  63  and  65  are preferably reinforced, to reduce the possibility of the pen cover  117  fraying at the holes. The pen cover holes  63  and  65  can be reinforced, for example with grommets, or by button-hole stitching.  
         [0063]    Preferably, the frame top  11  has a side-to-side width that is slightly smaller than the side-to-side width of the pen  3 , so that the arms  131  can be straight as seen in FIG. 2. Thus, as seen best in FIG. 4, the distance between the outer edges of the top frame side tubes is slightly less than the distance between the inner edges of the pen frame side walls. Additionally, the front-to-back depth of the top  11  is shorter than the front-to-back depth of the pen  3 . The top  11  can also include side flaps  137  (FIG. 3) to enhance the den-like environment formed by the top  11 . The flaps  137  are preferably trapezoidal in shape and are sized to hang from the top frame side top rails to below the pen side rails when the top is in its highest position.  
         [0064]    The top  11  is applied to the pen  3  simply by inserting the eyebolt shafts in the frame back holes, and then inserting the support arms  131  in a desired one of the frame side holes  135 . The top frame  11  is not secured to the pen frame  5 , so that it can be quickly and easily lifted off the pen frame should the master need instant access to the dogs in the enclosure  1 .  
         [0065]    As can be appreciated, the enclosure  1  of the present invention can be used throughout the various stages of a pets life. The use of the easily removable top  11  and whelping rail  13  make adapting the enclosure  1  for birthing and nursing of puppies simple and quick. The unique gate construction allows for the master to control the egress and ingress of pets, and especially of puppies, by raising and lowering the gate a desired amount. The wall height of the pen  5  allows for a mother dog to see into the pen to check on her puppies. Younger puppies can see outside the pen primarily by looking over the lowered gate.  
         [0066]    As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Although nuts and bolts are used to hold the frame members together, they can be held together in other fashions. For example, a spring mounted finger in the ends  25  of the vertical side members  23  can be received in corresponding holes in the horizontal frame members. The frame members would be pushed together until the spring biased finger is brought into alignment with the corresponding hole, and the finger would pop into the hole, thereby preventing the frame members from inadvertently being separated from each other. The finger could then be pressed down to disassemble the frame  5 . Alternatively, the spring biased finger could be replaced with a screw-down friction lock. The frame cover  9  could be secured to the frame in other fashions. For example, the pockets  53  could be eliminated, and the fabric forming the cover could be extended to be folded around the pen frame members. Fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners or snaps, for example, could be used to form channels around the frame members to hold the cover  9  to the frame top. Additionally, the ties  53  could be replaced with fabric strips having snaps, Velcro®, etc. at their ends. Although eyebolts are preferred as the hinges, other types of hinge elements, such as plastic extrusions, could also be used to connect the pen frame walls together and to hingedly and removably mount the top to the pen frame. The gate can alternatively comprise an accordioned or folded screen which is secured to the bottom bar of the gate frame and which includes a top bar. The top bar would be provided with snaps, pins, or other equivalent means for securing the gate in a desired position. These examples are merely illustrative.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0