Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/696,053 filed Jul. 1, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Disclosure  
         [0003]     The disclosure generally relates to pet container units and, more particularly, relates to bird cages.  
         [0004]     2. Brief Description of Related Technology  
         [0005]     Seed, excrement, and other debris from bird cages have long been recognized as one of the strongest consumer objections. This is also true for cages for other small pets. Many attempts at protecting floors and carpets have been made in the past and have proven unsatisfactory from an aesthetic, functional and or a cost standpoint. Past efforts have ranged from surrounding the cage with overlapping sheets of newspapers on the floor, to elasticized fabric skirts that surround the cage, to devices that approximate an inverted umbrella.  
         [0006]     These past efforts sometimes employ a fabric or other hard to clean surfaces that are as difficult to clean or more so than cleaning the floor they were meant to protect. Some large and expensive cages with metal bases have been made with outward extending metal flanges that are angled upward in an effort to deal with this problem. However, the pet products industry has been unable to accomplish this feature in inexpensive, molded plastic cage bases that are used widely in the mass market for pet cages.  
         [0007]     Another previously unsolved problem has been the accumulation of liquids and waste between a debris drawer and the inside of the cage&#39;s base. Be they metal, plastic or a combination thereof, there must be clearance between the sides of the drawer and the insides of the base from which the drawer may be pulled for cleaning. This minimum clearance must exceed the sum of the expected manufacturing plus tolerances of the drawer and the negative tolerance of the base. The actual clearance is normally much greater. This is a major problem due to gaps at the sides and to a lesser extent, at the rear of the drawer. Any deviation from a straight and square contact at the rear will add to the existing gap due to the drawer not being fully inserted and maintained in contact at its rear. Only the front end of existing drawers may be free from this problem as its interior surface may be located slightly outside of the front interior surface of the cage&#39;s base. Solid waste may accumulate in the vertical gaps between the drawer and the base, but splashed and spilled water and liquid waste can wick beyond the vertical gaps into the broad horizontal gap between the underside of the drawer and the bottom of the base. This liquid can become a breeding media for mold, fungus and bacteria which can be harmful to the pet as well as the pet owners and their families.  
         [0008]     Cages, if not resting on a piece of furniture, are commonly supported by either hanging from above or resting upon a supporting stand to elevate the pet closer to eye level. These supporting stands are commonly made so that they may be user assembled to reduce costs but equally important, to reduce shipping and retailing shelf space. Benefits that would greatly add to the commercial success of such a stand include: (1) quick assembly of the stand without the use of tools or fasteners; (2) quick disassembly of the stand for moving; and (3) low-cost but good structural integrity and small carton size. A further merchandising problem related to cage stands is that they have considerable variation in length and width creating a serious disincentive for a retailer to stock them in more than a few sizes, if at all.  
         [0009]     There is also a need for a simple, aesthetically acceptable means for pet retailers, breeders and those with large collections of pets to vertically stack cages. Simply resting one cage upon another is not a very acceptable solution as it greatly inhibits both light and air flow into the lower cage. It is not uncommon to see such cage owners using short, square sticks of wood, diagonally positioned near the corners of the cages to create some air space between the layers of cages. While the aesthetic short comings of such a solution are obvious, this attempted solution creates the potential for stressing the pet and spilling water and food into the cage below and onto the floor when the stack of cages is bumped, for example by a passerby causing the cage to slip off one or more of the sticks it is resting upon.  
         [0010]     To make a pet cage commercially successful it should have functional and aesthetic appeal coupled with an attractive price relative to the competing products that the consumer is considering. If the concerns of the retailer, such as compact shelf space, ease of assembly and display, and ease of disassembly after purchase, for example, are not addressed, the consumer might not have the opportunity to consider such a pet cage.  
         [0011]     In addition, the capability of catching falling and ejected debris and returning it to the waste drawer of a pet cage is a highly desirable marketing feature and one that is instantly recognized by a knowledgeable pet owner. While a small number of large and/or custom made, expensive pet cages with metal bases have been made with upward sloping metal flanges, the makers of low cost, mass market pet cages with plastic molded bases have not been able to create a molded base with a circumscribing apron extending outward and upward to do this. Among the reasons why they were unable to accomplish this are the fact that such an apron with a useful horizontal projection would add a substantial increase to the area of the base as this increase is being added to the perimeter of the original rectangular area. The cost of the added material required is multiplied by the general fact that as the size of a molded plastic part increases, its wall thickness must also be increased.  
         [0012]     Regardless of instructions or warning labels, users inevitably will try to pick up the cage by grasping the edges of its protruding aprons. This reason alone would be cause for a material increase in the strength of the perimeter apron. As a result, the walls and bottom of the base must be increased in thickness as well. The potential dramatic material cost increase would further be compounded by the fact that molding cycle time must be increased to accommodate the thicker wall sections. These required cost increases would heavily counteract the desirability of this feature in such an extremely cost sensitive market.  
         [0013]     Another obstacle is that the metal cages in this market are almost universally made with hinged side walls so they can fold relatively flat to allow them to be placed in a small carton. The molded bases of these cages typically must function to engage and hold the lower edges of the hinged, vertical walls in a rectangular orientation as the walls rest on the surface of their base. This engagement creates a situation where the bottom horizontal wire of the cage&#39;s vertical walls would act as a barrier to the flow of waste and debris from sliding inward toward the waste drawer.  
         [0014]     A further problem confronting the makers of low cost pet cages, which is also totally unaddressed by the makers of large, expensive pet cages with metal bases, is the fact that waste and debris, both liquid and solid, sliding into the cage from the outside aprons would have to pass over the required gaps between the inside of their bases and the outside of their waste drawers. Their failure to do so would result in a bothersome cleaning problem and create a breeding location for bacteria and mold. As will be shown, the present disclosure solves all of these problems and makes this feature finally possible in low cost cages with molded plastic bases. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view showing a pet cage resting upon a stand with a second pet cage spaced above it and supported by multiple spacers;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the stand and lower cage of  FIG. 1  with a partial section illustrating the engagement of the base of the cage and the stand supporting it as well as the engagement of the cage with its base;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the partial section in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the engagement of the cage base with the stand shown in  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken through line (A-A) of  FIG. 2  omitting accessories for clarity;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5  with a broken section to illustrate a portion of the stand supporting and engaged with the base of the cage;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged portion of the sectional view in  FIG. 6  illustrating that portion of the base that is in engagement with a portion of the stand;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the stand;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged view taken through line B-B of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of a corner portion of  FIG. 5 , illustrating two types of engagement between the cage and its base;  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 10 , illustrating a type of engagement that restrains the cage in a horizontal plane relative to the base;  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 10 , illustrating a type of engagement that restrains the cage in both horizontal and vertical planes relative to the base;  
         [0027]      FIG. 13  is a side view along line C-C of  FIG. 12 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 14  is an enlarged view of section D-D taken through  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 15  is a plan view of a waste drawer of the cage;  
         [0030]      FIG. 16  is a view of section E-E taken through  FIG. 15 ;  
         [0031]      FIG. 17  is a front elevation of  FIG. 15 ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 18  is the underside view of  FIG. 17 ;  
         [0033]      FIG. 19  is an enlarged view of a portion of the sectional view in  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0034]      FIG. 20  is a view of a portion of the waste drawer shown in  FIG. 19 , prior to being inserted into the cage&#39;s base;  
         [0035]      FIG. 21  is an enlarged partial portion of  FIG. 15 ;  
         [0036]      FIG. 22  is a partial view of section H-H taken through  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0037]      FIG. 23  is an enlarged partial view of section M-M taken through  FIG. 1  with the waste drawer omitted to better illustrate the engagement of the stacking spacers that connect the two cages;  
         [0038]      FIG. 24  is the plan view of a stacking spacer from the perspective of section F-F of  FIG. 23 ;  
         [0039]      FIG. 25  is an enlarged view of a portion of section G-G in  FIG. 23 ;  
         [0040]      FIG. 26  is a partial elevation view of a first alternative stacking spacer showing a portion of the upper and lower cages with which it is engaged;  
         [0041]      FIG. 27  is an enlarged partial view of section H-H in  FIG. 26 , illustrating an alternative engagement of the stacking spacer with the underside of the upper cage&#39;s base;  
         [0042]      FIG. 28  is a partial view of section J-J in  FIG. 26 ;  
         [0043]      FIG. 29  is the plan view of the first alternative stacking spacer illustrated in  FIG. 26 ;  
         [0044]      FIG. 30  is a plan view of a second alternative stacking spacer;  
         [0045]      FIG. 31  is a view of section K-K in  FIG. 30  with a partial elevation of a cage supporting the second alternative stacking spacer and a partial sectional view of the base of a cage above it illustrating another alternative engagement of the stacking spacer and the base of a cage;  
         [0046]      FIG. 32  is a plan view of a third alternative stacking spacer resting upon the top of a lower cage;  
         [0047]      FIG. 33  is a view of section L-L in  FIG. 32  with a partial sectional elevation of a cage supporting the third alternative stacking spacer and a partial sectional view of the base of a cage above it illustrating another alternative engagement of the stacking spacer and the base of a cage; and  
         [0048]      FIG. 34  is a view of the underside of the base of the cage. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0049]      FIG. 1  shows a pet cage  10  having a perimeter wall  12  and a roof  13  resting upon a stand  20  and supporting a second pet cage  10 ′ by means of multiple stacking spacers  40 .  FIG. 2  shows only a pet cage  10  resting upon the stand  20 ; The perimeter wall  12  may include a plurality of vertical walls, which may be constructed of conventional wire mesh having fill wires  11  that are preferably orientated vertically. At least one part of the perimeter wall  12  has a conventional swinging or sliding access door  14  that can be maintained in the closed position by a conventional latch  16  when desired. A top of the pet cage  10  is enclosed by the generally horizontal roof  13  which may also be of conventional wire mesh construction. The vertical walls  12  of the pet cage  10  engage and are latched to a base  18 . Within the base  18  is a conventional, wire mesh bottom grill  19  that functions to prevent pets from contacting waste and debris that is collected in a waste drawer  30 . As best illustrated in  FIG. 19 , the grill  19  rests on a pair of surfaces of the base  18  above the waste drawer  30  and is restrained from rising by multiple hooks  68 . Other than illustrating a feeding cup  17  in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , other commonly found components in pet cages have been purposely omitted for clarity. As best illustrated in  FIG. 22 , the bottom grill  19  and the waste drawer  30  slide into the base  18  through a front wall having an opening  31 . The bottom grill  19  and the waste drawer  30  may have integral pull handles  32  and  33 , respectively.  
         [0050]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the stand  20  may include substantially similar multiple legs  22 , a horizontal member  24  that engages and stabilizes the legs  22  near their lower extremity, and a clip  26  that is attached to each of the legs  22  and engages the horizontal member  24 . As better shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a tubular sleeve  28  may interconnect horizontally projecting upper ends  29  of adjacent legs  22 . The horizontal member  24  and the clip  26  are best illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Spaced below the upper ends  29  may be a cross tie  27  that stiffens and stabilizes the upper ends  29  of the legs  22 . Lower ends of the legs  22  may terminate in a bent foot  25  that rests upon the floor.  
         [0051]     The waste drawer  30 , which is best illustrated in  FIGS. 15 through 22 , includes an upstanding wall that may advantageously comprise side walls  34  and a rear wall  35 . A front wall  36  includes the pull handle  33 . An underside of the drawer  37  may include multiple rub ribs  38  that support the waste drawer  30  and which may slide upon and ultimately rest upon a bottom  39  of the base  18 , as seen in  FIG. 19 . The upper portions  51  and  52  of the side walls  34  and rear wall  35  respectively, as seen in  FIGS. 16, 17  and  19 , taper to a thin edge  53  and  54  respectively, which are angled further from the vertical than are the walls  34  and  35 . These upper portions  51  and  52  are separated by a notch  55  that extends downwardly from a top of the upper portions  51  and  52  to their beginning at the upper ends of walls  34  and  35 , respectively.  
         [0052]     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the base  18  preferably has integral, outwardly and upwardly extending side, rear and front aprons  60 ,  62 . The side and/or rear aprons  60  are preferably substantially similar. The front apron  62  terminates at the upper extent of the opening  31  ( FIG. 22 ). The side or rear aprons  60  and the front apron  62  may be stiffened and supported by multiple gussets  61  and  63  respectively ( FIG. 34 ). As best illustrated in  FIG. 22 , bottoms of the multiple front gussets  63  do not extend below the upper extent of the opening  31 . This upper extent of the opening  31  is defined by a generally horizontal flange  59  that extends inwardly from the front apron  62  to generally overlap the front wall  36  of the waste drawer  30 . Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 10  through  14 , extending upwardly from the side or rear aprons  60  and the front apron  62 , are multiple positioning and support ribs  64 . Centered between pairs of the positioning and support ribs  64  and, preferably in two places on each of the side aprons  60 , is a cage latch  66  ( FIG. 14 ). At those locations, the pairs of the positioning and support ribs  64  are connected by a web  65  spaced from and located outside of the cage latch  66  ( FIGS. 10 and 14 ). As best shown in  FIG. 14 , a laterally extended hook  68  rises above a surface of the side aprons  60 . This structure may be duplicated on each side apron  60  where each cage latch  66  is located.  
         [0053]     As best illustrated in  FIG. 4 , descending from the lower surface  70  of the bottom  39  of the base  18  are multiple pairs of gripping fingers  69  which may include facing hooks  71  and guiding tapers  72  that end at a narrow tip  73 . Aperture pairs  88  may be located wherever pairs of gripping fingers  69  are located. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the pairs of gripping fingers  69  which are generally hidden in this view, may be located where ever the aperture pairs  88  are shown and may be positioned an equal distance from corners of the base  18 . The base  18  may also include short legs  74  disposed in the corners of the base  18  connected by a much shorter perimeter rib  75 . As best illustrated in  FIG. 34 , on a lower surface  70  of the bottom  39  are multiple feed runners  76  with a generally radial orientation, which blend into the perimeter ribs  75  and originate from a centrally located distribution ring  77 . To avoid confusion and to better illustrate the other features and functions of the base  18 , the multiple feed runners  76  and the distribution ring  77  are not shown in the other figures in which they might appear.  
         [0054]     The preferred embodiment of the stacking spacer  40  is best illustrated in  FIGS. 23, 24  and  25 . The stacking spacer  40  has a main member  41  that when in use, rests upon the roof  13  of the cage  10 . The stacking spacer  40  may also include a downwardly extending flange  42  that preferably is positioned with a small clearance  43  to a perimeter of the roof  13  and the vertical walls  12  of the cage  10 . At a top of the stacking spacer  40  is one or more cross-members  44  having an upper surface  45  that is generally flat to better support an underside  70 ′ of a bottom  39 ′ of the second cage  10 ′. The lower extremities  46  of the cross-members  44  are shaped to engage with and be removably retained by gripping fingers  69 ′ of the second cage  10 ′. The cross-members  44  are supported by a vertical web  47  which rises from the main member  41 . The vertical web  47  may be braced by one or more gussets  48  having an upper flat surface  49  that may have enough clearance from the underside  70 ′ of the bottom  39 ′ of the second cage  10 ′ to insure that the gripping fingers  69 ′ fully engage the lower extremities  46  of the cross-members  44 . The gripping fingers  69 ′ have a notch  78 ′ that is engaged by the gussets  48  to limit the axial motion of the stacking spacer  40  relative to the gripping fingers  69 ′ of the bottom  39 ′ of the second cage  10 ′. Other means of restricting the axial movement of the stacking spacer  40  relative to the gripping fingers  69 ′ are contemplated herein.  
         [0055]     In this preferred embodiment, the lower extremities  46  of the cross-members  44  are first engaged into the gripping fingers  69 ′ of the bottom  39 ′ of the second cage  10 ′. By virtue of the close proximity of the flat surface  49  to the underside  70 ′ of the bottom  39 ′ of the second cage  10 ′, the stacking spacers  40  cannot rotate and their downwardly extending flanges  42  are maintained in a vertical position with the clearance  43  generally maintained as the second cage  10 ′ and its attached stacking spacers  40  are lowered on to a pet cage  10  to be supported by and spaced above it. The engagement of the gripping fingers  69 ′ with the cross-members  44  may be sufficient to prevent rotation of the stacking spacers  40  without the additional stability provided by the close proximity of the flat surface  49  to the underside  70 ′ of the bottom  39 ′ of the second cage  10 ′. It was included in the preferred embodiment because of the additional support and stress distribution the flat surface  49  may provide.  
         [0056]     The spacing provided by the stacking spacers  40  is important for ventilation and lighting of the cage below. The firm, three dimensional engagement to the second cage  10 ′ and close fitting overlap of the supporting cage  10  provided by the stacking spacers  40  insures that the second cage  10 ′ is extremely unlikely to be dislodged. In the preferred embodiment, the stacking spacers  40  may be made of a clear material to avoid impeding light to, or view of the pet in the lower cage  10 . The stacking spacer  40  provides a pet cage improvement, important to those users who have many cages such as breeders and pet stores. It is fully anticipated that alternative or equivalent configurations of the stacking spacers  40  may be used, some of which will later be described.  
         [0057]     A further feature of the disclosure is to avoid the unattractive flat surface flanges of existing art. Flat plastic surfaces exaggerate plastic molding flaws and are not as strong or attractive as curved surfaces. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the side or rear aprons  60  and the front apron  62  (not shown), are curved upwardly for a functional reason as well as for cosmetic and strength purposes. For example, debris falling and striking the aprons  60  and  62  further away from the vertical walls  12  have a longer distance to be bounced, slid or otherwise propelled to the waste drawer  30  that will ultimately receive it. With an upward curve to the surfaces of the aprons  60  and  62 , the horizontal vector of the rebound force on the debris increases as an impact point gets further from the vertical walls  12  of the cage  10 . To maximize the effectiveness of this feature, the feeding cups  17  should be located as low as is practical in the vertical walls  12  of pet cage  10 .  
         [0058]     With the cage  10  constructed as disclosed herein, it is possible to avoid increasing the wall thickness of the molded base, and actually allows the wall thickness to be decreased from what was customarily used in molded bases of similar overall size. Using a square base with an overall length of 22 inches as an example, the cage  10  may have a typical wall thickness of only 0.080″ using high impact polystyrene resin. Prior art cages would customarily have a wall thickness of between 0.125 to 0.140″. Referring to  FIG. 34 , the molding resin may be injected in the center of the distribution ring  77  which is of a substantially larger cross section than the basic wall thickness. The feed runners  76  which also have a larger cross section, radiate from the distribution ring  77  to encourage the flow of resin toward the perimeter ribs  75 . From there the flow is upward into the side or rear walls  79  of the base  18 , as better shown in  FIG. 3 . The flow continues through the side and rear aprons  60  and the side or rear gussets  61  that stiffen and support them. The side and rear aprons  60  and the front apron  62  terminate in a stiffening flange  80  which along with the side and rear gussets  61  and the front gussets  63 , may contribute rigidity to the thin walls to permit confident lifting of the entire cage  10 . The walls of the side and rear aprons  60 , the front apron  62  and the stiffening flanges  80  may be so thin that the stiffening flanges  80  terminate in a bulb  81  to give the consumer an impression that the walls are much thicker than they really are and to prevent the walls of stiffing flange  80  from cutting into the consumers&#39; fingers when lifting the cage  10 . The feed runners  76  are oriented towards the corners of the base  18  to promote a lateral flow of resin in the side or rear walls  79  and the side and rear aprons  60 . Referring to  FIG. 22 , on the front of the base  18 , there is the opening  31  to receive the waste drawer  30  and the bottom grill  19 . The flow of the resin to the front apron  62 , the front gussets  63  and the flange  59  may be accomplished by lateral flow from the corners.  
         [0059]     These improvements may dramatically reduce the cost increase which would have been expected from the large area increase required for the circumscribing, debris catching aprons and may improve its function enough to become commercially feasible to incorporate this feature in low cost, mass market pet cages with molded plastic bases. While the preferred embodiment described herein is one in which the side or rear aprons  60  and the front apron  62  are molded integral with the base  18 , it is anticipated that these aprons may be made as separate parts that can either hook into or be fastened to the balance of the base  18  and each other. The choice between the options is principally a trade off between the cost and complexity savings of the former against the expected smaller carton size of the latter.  
         [0060]     As illustrated in  FIG. 5  and in more detail in  FIGS. 10 through 14 , the cage  10  eliminates the bottom wire  15  of the vertical walls  12  of the cage  10  from acting as a barrier to the flow of waste and debris sliding off the aprons  60  and  62 . The bottom wire  15  is supported at a spaced interval above the surface of the aprons  60  and  62  by resting upon the bottom  82  of a vertical notch  83 . The positioning and support ribs  64  are located at least once, but preferably twice on each of the aprons  60  and  62 . The support ribs  64  may be individual, but preferably are in close coupled pairs as illustrated. The walls  84  of notch  83  are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the bottom wire  15  so as to easily accept it and restrict its movement in the horizontal plane. The positioning and support ribs  64  are positioned in the horizontal plane to be located approximately midway between the vertical fill wires  11  of the vertical walls  12  of the pet cage  10  so that even with the expected tolerance in the placement of the fill wires  11  there will be no interference between them and the positioning and support ribs  64 . Alternatively, if the fill wires  11  were horizontal, this positioning requirement would not be necessary. Thus, the positioning and support ribs  64  may support and position the bottom wire  15  of vertical walls  12  above the surface of the aprons  60  and  62  so that debris may slide under the bottom wire  15  and into the waste drawer  30 . Additionally, the positioning and support ribs  64  may position the vertical walls  12  in a horizontal plane relative to the base  18  to keep the hinged vertical walls  12  in their rectangular orientation. This positioning function would be required even if the positioning and support ribs  64  were cooperating with the vertical walls of a welded, rigid cage.  
         [0061]     Working in conjunction with the positioning and support ribs  64 , as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , may be the cantilevered, cage latch  66  which will deflect outwardly by the bottom wire  15  upon the vertical walls  12  being pushed down into the positioning and support ribs  64 . The cage latch  66  may spring back so that the tapered barb  67  will be above the bottom wire  15  thus locking the vertical walls  12  to the base  18 . The taper on the tapered barb  67  causes the cage latch  66  to be deflected outwardly by the downward motion of the bottom wire  15 . In the preferred embodiment, the cage latch  66  may be positioned between a pair of the positioning and support ribs  64  and at lease one, preferably two, would be used on each of two opposed aprons  60  and  62 . The cage latch  66  may be employed on all the aprons  60  and  62 , but this may make unlatching the vertical walls  12 , much more and needlessly tedious. The tapered barb  67  is potentially a fragile part which might be easily damaged by the consumer assembling the cage. Accordingly, means to protect the tapered barb  67  are contemplated herein.  
         [0062]     To keep the deflection of the tapered barb  67  within its elastic limit, a web  65  may be placed outside of the tapered barb  67 . The web  65  may be spaced from the tapered barb  67  a sufficient distance to permit it to deflect far enough to clear the bottom wire  15 , but not so far as to exceed the elastic limit of its cantilevered support. The web  65  also gives added lateral strength to the pair of positioning and support ribs  64  it spans. To prevent the possibility of the bottom wire  15  descending outside or behind the tapered barb  67  such as, for example, by inadvertently pushing it inward and over stressing or breaking it, tops  85  of the positioning and support ribs  64  are connected by the web  65  and are elevated slightly above the tapered barb  67 . The descent of the bottom wire  15  outside of the tapered barb  67  would be halted by the top  85  of the positioning and support ribs  64  above the top of the tapered barb  67 . Should the consumer lower the vertical walls  12  so far from the correct position that the bottom wire  15  descends outside of the web  65 , no damage is likely to result since the inward thrust would be resisted by the relatively strong structure of the web  65 , as it may be reinforced by the pair of the positioning and support ribs  64  it spans. The webs  65  are preferably short in length as they constitute the only impediment to the free flow of debris down from the aprons  60  and  62 .  
         [0063]     The tapered barb  67  of cage latch  66  may be located inside of the bottom wire  15  of the vertical walls  12  as an alternative to the preferred embodiment illustrated. As best seen in  FIG. 14 , the preferred embodiment has the advantage of allowing release of the cage latch  66  by the simple act of pressing a finger tip into the gap between its narrow tip  84  and the vertical walls  12  to deflect the tapered barb  67  outwardly which may allow a slight lift of the vertical wall  12  above its latched location. The cage  10  may be released from its base  18 , one side at a time, wherein the cage latches  66  are disposed on only two opposing sides.  
         [0064]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , positioned on each of the side aprons  60  may be two laterally extending hooks  68  which may serve to retain and guide edges  86  of the bottom grill  19  when it is slid in or out of the base  18  through its opening  31 . The underside of the edges  86  of the bottom grill  19  rest upon a surface of the side aprons  60  adjacent to side walls  79  of the base  18 . Other than being on the side aprons  60 , and being positioned to keep the bottom grill  19  from tipping downwardly when being withdrawn, the front to rear location of the laterally extended hooks  68  is arbitrary. In the preferred embodiment, the hooks  68  are positioned beneath pairs of positioning and support ribs  64 . The bottom grill  19  is withdrawn from the base  18  using the pull handle  32  ( FIG. 22 ). Beneath the bottom grill  19  and resting upon the bottom  39  of the base  18  is the waste drawer  30 , as is illustrated in  FIGS. 19 through 22 . When the drawer  30  is inserted into the opening  31 , the upward excursion of the rear wall  35  of the waste drawer  30  is limited by the underside of the bottom grill  19 . There are multiple rub ribs  38  on the underside of the drawer bottom  37  that slide on the bottom  39  of the base  18  ( FIG. 18 ). The side walls  34  and the rear wall  35  of the waste drawer  30  are generally parallel to and spaced inward for working clearance  87  from the side or rear walls  79  of the base  18 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 19 . As molded, the waste drawer&#39;s  30  upper portions  51  of the side walls  34  and the upper portion  52  of the rear wall  35  project outward a greater distance than the clearance  87 . This is best illustrated by contrasting  FIG. 20 . with  FIG. 19 . The upper portions  51  and  52 , taper to very thin edges  53  and  54  respectively. When inserted into the base  18 , these upper portions  51  and  52  are forced to flex and conform to the surface of the side or rear walls  79  of the base  18 , as illustrated in  FIG. 19 . The geometry of the flexure is limited to being below the elastic limit of the plastic selected for use on the waste drawer  30 . The side upper portion  51  and the rear upper portion  52  of the walls of the waste drawer  30  causes a squeegee blade-like action that seals the working clearance  87  between the waste drawer  30  and the side or rear walls  79  of the base  18 . Liquid and solid waste or debris are extremely unlikely to fall between the walls as they cascade down into the waste drawer  30 .  
         [0065]     Referring to  FIG. 22 , the horizontal flange  59  that extends from the bottom of the front apron  62  and defines the upper extent of the opening  31  through which the bottom grill  19  and the waste drawer  30  enter, serves as a conduit for debris sliding off the front apron  62 . Since the horizontal flange  59  overhangs the front wall  36  of the waste drawer  30 , the debris from the front apron  62  falls inside the waste drawer  30 . The flexure of the rear upper portion  52  is created by pushing the waste drawer  30  fully into the base  18 . If there is a relatively low coefficient of friction between the rub strips  38  and the bottom  39  of the base  18 , one may expect the waste drawer to be urged forward by the flexural force of the deflected rear upper portion  52  and thus breaking the seal that was created by its full insertion. However, the partial ejection of the waste drawer  30  is resisted by a frictional grip of the two side upper portions  51  on the side walls  79  of the base  18 . This may be in addition or as an alternative to the friction grip due to the weight of the waste drawer  30  resting upon the bottom  39  of the base  18 . If the coefficient of friction between the two plastic surfaces of the waste drawer  30  and the base  18  was 0.5μ, for example, the side wall grip alone may be enough to resist a springing back force from the rear of the waste drawer  30  equal to the weight of the waste drawer  30 . In the event the coefficient was much lower, the waste drawer  30  may move slightly until the force generated by the flexure of the rear upper portion  52  was reduced to the point where it could no longer overcome the frictional resistance opposing it. Even in such case, the rear upper portion  52  may still be partially flexed against the rear wall  79 , thereby maintaining a seal against it. As best shown in  FIG. 21 , the side and rear upper portions  51  and  52  are separated by a notch  55  at the rear corners of the waste drawer  30 . The width of the notch  55  may be great enough to allow the side or rear upper portions  51  and  52  respectively, to be deflected upward and inward without touching, as a result of their contact with the with the side or rear walls  79  of the base  18 . Any excess width may create a gap through which debris might find its way between the base  18  and the waste drawer  30 .  
         [0066]     The injection mold that can manufacture the base  18  may be made and operated less expensively as a result of the seal between the walls of the base  18  and the waste drawer  30 . For example, spilled water and possibly other liquid waste will no longer have the opportunity to collect on the bottom  39  of the base  18 . In addition, this eliminates the worry of liquid leaking through holes in the bottom  39  of the base  18  and onto the floor or carpet. Accordingly, the injection mold from which the base  18  may be manufactured, may be made without the use of expensive and maintenance requiring moving elements that would normally be required to create the undercuts of the facing hooks  71  of the gripping fingers  69 . As best illustrated in  FIG. 4 , pairs of apertures  88  can be made in the bottom  39  of the base  18  which allow the undercuts of the facing hooks  71  to be created by stationary steel that is an integral part of the upper half of the mold. Similarly, referring back to  FIGS. 12 and 14 , the “U” shaped barrier, created by positioning and support ribs  64  and the web  65 , prevent debris from falling through aperture  89  and slot  91  in the side aprons  60 . Aperture  89  and slot  91  create the undercuts required for the tapered barb  67  and the laterally extending hook  68  respectively without having to increase the cost of the mold or the maintenance on it caused by moving parts.  
         [0067]     The gripping fingers  69 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , project a lesser distance than the short legs  74 . Therefore, the base  18  of the pet cage  10  gives the user the option of resting it upon either the floor or a table or it can snap onto the stand  20 .  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the pet cage  10  engaged with and supported by the stand  20 . In the preferred embodiment, the four legs  22  are illustrated in a rectangular pattern. However, the stand  20  may include more or fewer legs  22 . For example, other stands may have three legs  22  supporting a triangular or circular base  18 . As further illustrated in  FIGS. 7, 8  and  9 , the legs  22  terminate in a pair of horizontal upper ends  29  that are orientated 90 degrees from each other in the case of a four legged stand  20 , or 60 degrees, for example, if only three legs  22  were used. As best shown in  FIG. 9 , near the foot  25  of the multiple legs  22 , but preferably high enough to clear the head of a vacuum cleaner, is an offset kink  92  in each half of the multiple legs  22 . Resting upon these offset kinks  92  is a clip  26  which has a hole  93  through which a projecting wire  94  from a corner of a horizontal member  24  descends. The clip  26  is gripped by the leg  22  by virtue of being wedged between its halves. An alternative to the clip  26  would be a bracket with a hole or a wire with a central loop that could be welded to the leg  22 . The horizontal member  24  may stabilize the ends of the legs  22  and give rigidity to the stand  20 . It may also function as a shelf for pet related supplies.  
         [0068]     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the upper ends  29  may be connected to adjacent legs  22  by tubular sleeves  28 . The lengths of the tubular sleeves  28  may be equal to or slightly less than the distance between the two adjacent legs  22  at a point where they make the transition to horizontal at their upper ends  29 . The use of the tubular sleeves  28  in combination with the legs  22  allows for multiple lengths and widths of the stand  20 . The legs  22  are preferably the same for all size stands. In a preferred embodiment, the legs  22  are tightly nested for shipping, storage and packaging purposes. The changes in length and or width of pet cages may be accommodated, for example, by an extra supply of tubular sleeves  28  in various lengths. The cost and storage needs for such sleeves  28  is minimal. The horizontal member  24 , being a thin, low cost part to fabricate and store in inventory would be the only size specific part that may need to be inventoried. Thus, a distributor or retailer could afford to inventory a wide range of stands  20  that would require very little shelf space or investment to do so. In an alternative embodiment, the gripping fingers  69  could be configured to directly grip the upper ends  29  of the legs  22  rather than the tubular sleeves  28 . However, as will be shown, the tubular sleeves  28  may contribute considerable strength and convenience to the stand  20 .  
         [0069]     As best illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the lower surface  70  of the bottom  39  of the base  18  of pet cage  10  rests on the tubular sleeve  28  that spans and connects the upper ends  29  of the legs  22  of the stand  20 . The tubular sleeves  28  are kept in contact with the base  18  by the facing hooks  71  of gripping fingers  69  that descend from the base  18 . Ideally, the stand  20  is first assembled as illustrated in.  FIG. 8  prior to being attached to the pet cage  10 . Without the tubular sleeves  28 , the upper ends  29  of the legs  22  would be free to wander laterally and would require one person to hold one leg  22  while another person attempted to engage the upper ends  29  of that one leg  22  with the corresponding two pairs of gripping fingers  69  ( FIG. 4 ) that descend from the base  18 . This would be repeated for each additional leg. While the guiding tapers  72  of the gripping fingers  69 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , would help somewhat, this would be an awkward assembly. In the preferred embodiment, the tubular sleeves  28  allow one person to easily assemble the stand  20  without the need for any tools. Since all the upper ends  29  are being held in an accurate position relative to each other, the cage  10  may be lowered onto an assembled stand  20  with only a slight downward press to releasably snap the cage  10  in place. Only a slight lateral shift may be needed to engage the guiding tapers  72  of the gripping fingers  69  onto all the tubular sleeves  28 . The maximum deflection of the gripping fingers  69  is restricted to under the elastic limit of the plastic resin being used.  
         [0070]     The weight of the cage  10  may be transferred to the stand  20  primarily through the portions of the bottom  39  of the base  18  in the areas immediately above the upper ends  29  of the legs  22  of the stand  20 . However, as is best shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 6 , these areas may be weakened by the aperture pairs  88  that make possible the molding of the facing hooks  71  without the need for moving parts in the mold for the base  18 . Since the contact between the lower surface  70  of the bottom  39  of the base  18  and the tubular sleeve  28  extend for the entire length of the tubular sleeve  28 , any localized deflection in the area of the gripping fingers  69  may result in the load being distributed along the entire length of the tubular sleeves  28 .  
         [0071]     It is also contemplated that square wire may be used in place of the preferred round wire for the legs  22  and square tubing for the preferred round tubular sleeves  28 . Round wire and tubing is preferable because of lower cost and, more importantly, because it allows easier engagement and much easier disengagement with the gripping fingers  69 . The square tubing may offer limited resistance to rotating within the grasp of the gripping fingers  69 . For example, this would be the case when the legs  22  of the stand  20  encounter an obstruction while the pet cage  10  and the stand  20  are being dragged across a floor. To better visualize this, refer to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In such an instance, the leg  22  would tend to fulcrum about a point near where the horizontal member  24  is located. Depending upon the direction the leg  22  is moving when it struck the obstruction, there may be a tendency for one upper end  29  of the leg  22  to rotate within the grasp of the gripping fingers  69  and the other upper end  29  of the leg  22  wanting to rotate upwardly into the bottom  39  of the base  18  or downward breaking the grip of the facing hooks  71  of the gripping fingers  69 . The tubular sleeve  28  that encompasses the upper end  29  which is subjected to this rotational force, also encompasses the upper end  29  of an adjacent leg  22 . Because of this, the tubular sleeve  28  may act as a strong lever arm which may be sufficient to resist the force of this tendency.  
         [0072]     In the preferred embodiment, the legs  22  may be used with the upper ends  29  and the mating gripping fingers  69  angularly displaced from each other. This allows the use of light engagement forces between them while providing a strong, positive location in both lateral and horizontal directions and the downwardly direction between the stand  20  and the pet cage  10 . The total sum of the grip in the upwardly direction need only be enough to exceed the weight of the stand  20  and any supplies that might be resting on the horizontal member  24 . This will allow the user to carry both the cage  10  and the stand  20  by gripping and lifting the cage  10 . While one upper end  29  and its encompassing sleeve  28  are free to slide axially within the grasp of their mating gripping fingers  69 , the other upper end  29  and its encompassing sleeve  28  are engaged with their mating gripping fingers  69 , which in the case of a four leg stand  20 , is at an angle of 90 degrees to the former upper end  29 . This configuration prevents axial motion of either upper end  29  of leg  22 . In order to eliminate almost any lateral deflection of these upper ends  29  of legs  22  and to help maintain them in an accurate position for easy mating with the base  18 , spaced below the upper end  29  may be the cross tie  27  that stiffens and stabilizes the upper ends  29  of the leg  22 . Alternatively, a single bent wire serving as both upper ends  29  which would be welded or fastened to a leg  22  may be used. The leg  22  could be made of wire, sheet metal or plastic.  
         [0073]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the second pet cage  10 ′ may be stacked on the pet cage  10  by use of the stacking spacers  40 . The spacers  40  create space between the cages  10  and  10 ′ for ventilation, light and viewing while also keeping the pet cage  10 ′ positioned directly above the pet cage  10  and resistant to being dislodged from it. This latter accomplishment was made possible by use of bi-directional horizontal engagement with both the base of the second pet cage  10 ′ and the vertical walls  12  and or the roof  13  of the lower pet cage  10 , as oriented in  FIG. 1 . The stacking spacers  40  and the base  18 ′ of the second pet cage  10 ′ may also be latched as was previously explained. The latching may stabilize the multiple stacking spacers  40  to prevent movement of one or more of the spacers  40  while the upper pet cage  10 ′ is being lowered in place.  
         [0074]      FIGS. 26 through 29  illustrate a first alternative stacking spacer  40 ′. The first alternative stacking spacer  40 ′ demonstrates an equivalency created by having a main member  41 ′ and a vertical web  47 ′ such that dual, downwardly extending flanges  42 ′ can be employed to engage two adjacent vertical walls  12  of the lower pet cage  10  while maintaining a similar clearance  43 ′ to them. As such, only four stacking spacers  40 ′ would be needed. The upper surface  45 ′ of the cross-member  44 ′ may extend for the entire length of the vertical web  47 ′. The stacking spacer  40 ′ may have only one cross-member  44 ′ and, if so configured, only four pairs of gripping fingers  69 ′ would be required descending from the bottom  39 ′ of the base  18 ′ of the second pet cage  10 ′. The cross-member  44 ′, as shown, is one of many shapes that may be employed to engage the gripping fingers  69 ′. Gussets  48 ′ may function similarly to those of the stacking spacer  40 . An end cleat  50 ′, may restrict axial movement, and is displaced a distance from the gussets  48 ′, and more specifically, is displaced a slightly greater distance than the length of the pairs of gripping fingers  69 ′.  
         [0075]      FIGS. 30 and 31  illustrate a second alternative stacking spacer  40 ″. The second stacking spacer  40 ″ is essentially a pair of the stacking spacers  40  with abbreviated main members  41 ″, vertical webs  47 ″ ( FIG. 31 ) and gussets  48 ″. The inner most cross-member  44 ″ at one end is connected to the inner most cross-member  44 ″ at its other end by a connecting web  96 ″. An upper surface  45 ″ of the connecting web  96 ″ is contiguous with the upper surface  45 ″ of the cross-member  44 ″ and similarly serves to support the bottom  39 ′ of the base  18 ′ of the second pet cage  10 ′. The upper surface  45 ″ may be broken near a central portion by clearance notch  97 ″ which functions to avoid interference with the feed runners  76 ′ on the underside of the bottom  39 ′ of the base  18 ′. For purposes of clarity, the feed runners  76 ′ were not illustrated in  FIG. 31 . The connecting web  96 ″ functions as the means to restrict the axial movement of the cross-member  44 ″ within their respective pairs of gripping fingers  69 ′ by making the cross-member  44 ″ at one end serve to restrict the axial motion of the cross-member  44 ″ at the other end. Obviously, only four of the stacking spacer  40 ″ would be required, but eight pairs of gripping fingers  69 ′ would be needed.  
         [0076]      FIGS. 32 and 33  illustrate a third alternative stacking spacer  40 ′″. The third alternative stacking spacer  40 ′″ may function with the base  18 ′ of a second pet cage  10 ′ that was or was not equipped with pairs of gripping fingers  69 ′. The stacking member  40 ′″ has a main member  41 ′″ which rests upon the roof  13  of the pet cage  10  near corners of the pet cage  10  so that two downward extending flanges  42 ′″ overhang two adjacent vertical walls  12  with a clearance  43 ′″. The stacking spacers  40 ′″ may attach to the base  18 ′ of the second pet cage  10 ′ by frictionally gripping sides of both reaches of short legs  74 ′ that are located at the corners of the base  18 ′ of the second pet cage  10 ′. This is accomplished by two upward extending channels  98 ′″ whose gap  99 ′″ has approximately the same draft and width but a greater depth than that of the short legs  74 ′ of the second pet cage  10 ′. The upper surfaces  45 ′″ of the upward extending channels  98 ′″ function to support the lower surface  70 ′ of the bottom  39 ′ of the second pet cage  10 ′. Alternatively, two upward extending channels  98 ′″ may be separated, as illustrated in  FIGS. 32 and 33 , or connected with their contour accommodating that of the short legs  74 ′ of the second pet cage  10 ′. There may be four of the stacking spacers  40 ′″ required to support and grip a rectangular base  18 ′ of a second pet cage  10 ′. By frictionally gripping surfaces of short legs  74 ′ that are at right angles to each other, axial movement relative to the short legs  74 ′ is prevented.  
         [0077]     The preferred and/or alternative embodiments of the pet cage  10 , the base  18 , the waste drawer  30 , the stacking spacer  40  or the stand  20 , may include circular, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal or octagonal configurations without departing from the spirit of the invention.  
         [0078]     The foregoing description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications within the scope of the invention may be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art.

Technology Category: a