Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to animal kennels for use with truck beds and, more particularly, to a collapsible kennel for use with capped truck beds that may be easily installed and uninstalled by a user and can be easily transported and stored.  
         [0002]     Transporting dogs in a truck bed is often a difficult and dangerous undertaking. If the dog is not restrained, it may be tossed into the sides or even out of the bed when the vehicle makes sudden stops or hard turns. A truck cap (also known as a topper, shell, or camper shell) provides some protection but still leaves the dog at risk and allows it to roam around the bed without restraint. Harnesses and leashes provide restraint but can harm the dog during abrupt movements. Other than permanently installing a kennel, the only option is to transport dogs in a portable kennel that is securely tied down to the bed. This is a time-consuming and cumbersome task for people who do not wish to install a permanent kennel. This category of people would include those who need full use of their truck bed and those who only occasionally transport their dog(s) for hunting trips, vacations, etc.  
         [0003]     Currently available kennels that are made for truck beds often occupy an excessive amount of space in the bed, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,499,434 and 5,147,103. They also tend to be heavy, difficult to install, and expensive. Many are not compatible with truck caps or would require permanent modifications to the cap, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,434 and Des. 397,082. Additionally, the existing kennels are not collapsible and require large storage space when not in use.  
         [0004]     Therefore, it is desirable to have a kennel compatible with capped trucks that uses a limited amount of space, is easily installed and uninstalled by the user, does not require permanent modifications to the cap, is collapsible into a manageable package for storage, provides comfortable housing, and is relatively light and inexpensive.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     A collapsible kennel for use with capped truck beds according to the present invention includes a foldable floor section coupled to one or two foldable wall sections. When assembled and in use, the collapsible kennel rests on a truck bed&#39;s side rails, leaving cargo space available in the truck bed. The truck cap provides two opposing walls and a ceiling while the collapsible kennel provides a floor and at least one wall. If only one wall of the collapsible kennel is used, the collapsible kennel must be positioned against the truck cab to provide the opposing wall. The collapsible kennel further includes a divider capable of providing two separate areas for transporting multiple animals and doors for animal ingress and egress. When collapsed, the collapsible kennel can be easily transported and stored due to its configuration and size.  
         [0006]     Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a kennel compatible with capped trucks that offers comfortable housing for an animal.  
         [0007]     Another object of this invention is to provide a kennel, as aforesaid, that is easily installed and uninstalled by the user and does not require permanent modifications to the cap.  
         [0008]     Still another object of this invention is to provide a kennel, as aforesaid, that is collapsible into a manageable package for storage and easily transported.  
         [0009]     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a kennel, as aforesaid, that is capable of providing two separate areas for transporting multiple animals.  
         [0010]     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1   a  is a front perspective view of a collapsible kennel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 1   b  is a rear perspective view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 1  in use on a capped pickup truck;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4   a  is a front view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 2  being collapsed;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4   b  is a front view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 4   a  being further collapsed;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5   a  is a front view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 4   b  being further collapsed;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5   b  is a front view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 2  in a fully collapsed configuration;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6   a  is another perspective view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6   b  is an isolated perspective view on an enlarged scale of a door closure arrangement as in  FIG. 6   a;    
         [0021]      FIG. 6   c  is an isolated perspective view on an enlarged scale of a side support bracket and clamp bolt and a panel bolt connecting a side floor panel to a side front panel as in  FIG. 6   a;    
         [0022]      FIG. 7   a  is a front view of a floor section removed from the collapsible kennel of  FIG. 1   a;    
         [0023]      FIG. 7   b  is a sectional view taken along line  7   b - 7   b  of  FIG. 7   a;    
         [0024]      FIG. 8   a  is a front perspective view of a collapsible kennel according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 8   b  is a rear perspective view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 8   a  being collapsed;  
         [0026]      FIG. 9   a  is a perspective view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 8   b  being further collapsed;  
         [0027]      FIG. 9   b  is a perspective view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 9   a  being further collapsed;  
         [0028]      FIG. 10   a  is a perspective view of the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 1  with an alternate door;  
         [0029]      FIG. 10   b  is an isolated perspective view on an enlarged scale of an alternate door as in  FIG. 10   a;    
         [0030]      FIG. 11   a  is a perspective view of a rear wall compatible with the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0031]      FIG. 11   b  is a perspective view of the rear wall as in  FIG. 11   a  combined with the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0032]      FIG. 11   c  is another perspective view of the rear wall as in  FIG. 11   a  combined with the collapsible kennel as in  FIG. 1 .  
     
    
     Drawings—Reference Numerals  
       [0000]    
       
           100  collapsible kennel  
           110  center floor panel  
           112  panel hinge bracket  
           114  back support bracket  
           116  cavities in center floor panel bracket  
           120  side floor panel  
           122  bottom face of side floor panel  
           123  outer edge of side floor panel  
           126  interlocking support mechanism support bracket  
           127  handle  
           130  center front panel  
           132  rear face of center front panel  
           133  panel hinge  
           140  side front panel  
           144  bottom surface of side front panel  
           145  inner surface of side front panel  
           146  top surface of side front panel  
           147  outer surface of side front panel  
           148  panel bolt  
           149  door opening  
           150  divider base  
           152  divider insert embodiment  
           160  side support bracket  
           161  upper lip of side support bracket  
           162  bottom lip of side support bracket  
           163  vertical wall of side support bracket  
           167  side support bracket hole  
           168  clamp bolt  
           169  opening in upper lip of side support bracket  
           170   a  folding-gate  
           171   a  slider  
           172   a  folding-gate track  
           173   a  spring  
           174   a  folding-gate eyelet  
           175   a  side front panel eyelet  
           170   b  wire grate door  
           172   b  spring-loaded hinge  
           174   b  sliding bolt assembly  
           175   b  bolt catch  
           177   b  truck cap eyelet  
           178  cord  
           200  collapsible kennel embodiment  
           220  floor panel  
           221  top face of floor panel  
           222  bottom face of floor panel  
           224  front lip of floor panel  
           229  holes in front lip of floor panel  
           233  panel hinge  
           240  front panel  
           241  front face of front panel  
           242  rear face of front panel  
           244  bottom surface of front panel  
           245  inner surface of front panel  
           246  top surface of front panel  
           247  outer surface of front panel  
           248  front panel hole  
           249  panel bolt  
           250  divider  
           251  divider hinge  
           254  bracket  
           255  divider hole  
           256  bracket hole  
           258  divider bolt  
           300  collapsible kennel embodiment  
           301  rear enclosure  
           380  center rear panel  
           387  outer surface of center rear panel  
           390  side rear panel  
           394  bracket  
           398  bolts  
           399  window  
       
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0104]     A collapsible kennel for use with capped truck beds according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 11   c  of the accompanying drawings. A collapsible kennel  100  according to a now preferred embodiment includes a center floor panel  110  having a generally rectangular configuration fixedly attached to a center front panel  130  and pivotally coupled to a pair of side floor panels  120  by a set of panel hinges  112 , each floor panel having generally rectangular configurations. A back support bracket  114  is fixedly attached to the center floor panel  110  opposite the center front panel  130  and rests on a back rail of a truck bed to help support the weight of the collapsible kennel  100  and its contents.  
         [0105]     The center floor panel  130  defines a horizontal axis relative to the floor panels  110  that are hingedly coupled thereto. More particularly, each floor panel  110  is separately movable between an extended use configuration planar with the center floor panel  130  and a folded storage configuration generally perpendicular relative to the center floor panel  130  ( FIGS. 4   b  to  5   b ).  
         [0106]     A side support bracket  160  is positioned along an outer edge  123  of each side floor panel  120  and fixedly attached to each side floor panel  120  at a bottom face  122  thereof. An upper lip  161  of each side support bracket  160  can rest on a respective side rail of the truck bed to support the weight of the collapsible kennel  100  and its contents. A bottom lip  162  of each side support bracket  160  defines holes  167 . A clamp bolt  168  passes through each hole  167 , creating a C-clamp, and can secure the collapsible kennel  100  to a respective side rail of the truck bed. This is best seen in  FIGS. 4   a ,  4   b , and  6   c . Each upper lip  161  has an opening  169  which acts as a convenient carrying handle when the collapsible kennel  100  is in a fully collapsed configuration, as shown in  FIG. 5   b.    
         [0107]     Inside each side floor panel  120  is an interlocking support mechanism  126  that slides into cavities  116  in the center floor panel  110  by sliding a handle fastener  127  toward the center floor panel  110 . This is best shown in  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  and, in effect, produces a single rigid floor panel for supporting the weight of the collapsible kennel  100  and its contents. The interlocking support mechanism  126  is preferably made of metal. The interlocking mechanism  126  and handle  127  is the preferred fastener although other slidable fasteners would work. The slidable handles  127  may also be referred to as first and second floor panel fasteners. The slidable fastener arrangement is useful for holding and releasing the floor panels  120  between the extended and storage configurations described above. For example, the slidable handles  127  may be slidably moved such that the prongs of the interlocking support mechanism  126  cooperatively engage the cavities  116  of the center floor panel  130  It is understood, of course, that the locking action of the floor fasteners described herein are only effective when the floor panels  120  are in the extended configurations, i.e. such that the cavities  116  are situated to receive the prongs.  
         [0108]     A divider base  150  is fixedly attached atop the center floor panel  110  and fixedly attached to a rear face  132  of the center front panel  130 , adding structural support to the collapsible kennel  100 . A divider insert  152  is removably attached to the divider base  150  The divider base  150  and insert  152  may be collectively referred to as a partition as they effectively divide the interior space of the kennel  100  into separate kennel spaces.  
         [0109]     A pair of side front panels  140  are pivotally coupled to the rear face  132  of the center front panel  130  by a set of panel hinges  133 . Each side front panel  140  includes a generally rectangular configuration having a linear bottom surface  144 , a linear inner surface  145 , and linear top surface  146 , but with an outer top surface  147  being complementary to the shape of a truck cap and a truck bed&#39;s side rail. The front panels  130  are pivotally movable on respective hinges  133  between open and closed configurations ( FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b ). It is understood that the center front panel  130  defines a vertical axis about which the front panels  130  are designed to pivot. It should be appreciated that front and rear walls of the truck cap itself may provide the equivalent of the front panels  140  if the floor panels  120  are appropriately dimensioned and positioned in a truck bed.  
         [0110]     The side front panels  140  may be secured to the side floor panels  120  by two removable panel bolts  148 , as best seen in  FIG. 6   c . The panel bolts  148  may be referenced as first and second front panel fasteners that may be selectively extended through respective floor panels  120  into cooperative engagement with respective front panels  130 , whereby to releasably hold the front panels at closed configurations or to release them to open configurations. It is understood that the front panels and front panel fasteners are separately operable.  
         [0111]     Each side front panel  140  defines a door opening  149  for animal ingress and egress. The preferred door to cover door opening  149  is a folding-gate  170   a , shown in  FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b . A pair of sliders  171   a  on the folding-gate  170   a  move along a track  172   a  that is fixedly secured to the side front panel  140 . A spring  173   a  attaches the sliders  171   a  to make the folding-gate  170   a  self-closing. The spring  173   a  should be stiff enough to prevent a dog from opening the folding-gate  170   a  with his paw or snout. An eyelet  174   a  is fixedly attached to each folding-gate  170   a , and an eyelet  175   a  is fixedly attached to each side front panel  140  directly above each eyelet  174   a . This is best seen in  FIG. 10   b . A cord or cable can then be secured to each eyelet  174   a , pass through each eyelet  175   a , and be pulled horizontally by a user to exert a vertical force and open each folding-gate  170   a.    
         [0112]     The door opening  149  may alternatively be covered by a wire grate door  170   b . The wire grate door  170   b  is pivotally coupled to the side front panel  140  by a set of spring-loaded hinges  172   b . A conventional sliding bolt assembly  174   b  is fixedly attached to the wire grate door  170   b , and a compatible bolt catch  175   b  is fixedly attached to the side front panel  140  where the sliding bolt assembly  174   b  and the bolt catch  175   b  can connect. A cord or cable  178  can then be secured to the sliding bolt assembly  174   b  and pass through an eyelet  177   b  that is permanently mounted to the truck cap. Eyelet  177   b  provides the angle needed for the cord  178  to release the bolt in the sliding bolt assembly  174   b  and pull the wire grate door  170   b  open ( FIG. 2 ).  
         [0113]     The combined widths of the center floor panel  110 , the two side floor panels  120 , and the two vertical walls  163  of side support brackets  160  are preferably slightly less than the distance between the truck bed&#39;s side rails. When unfolded and assembled, the collapsible kennel  100  may be placed with the upper lips  161  of side support brackets  160  atop the truck bed&#39;s side rails, leaving cargo space available in the truck bed. When positioned against the truck cab and secured by clamp bolts  168 , the collapsible kennel  100  would provide a floor and one wall of a kennel, the truck cab would provide a second wall, and the truck cap would provide the final two walls and ceiling. Since truck beds come in various widths, various combinations may be needed to ensure a good fit with different trucks. Multiple center floor panels  110  and center front panels  130  may be provided to allow the user to assemble the collapsible kennel  100  with the components that match the width of his truck bed. Truck caps also come in different sizes, and while this will not be significant in most cases, some caps may leave enough of a gap for an animal to climb out of the kennel. In such cases, the side front panels  140  can be custom made or extra material can be added to cover the gap. A flexible frame may also be added that could slide up to meet the contours of the cap.  
         [0114]     In use, the collapsible kennel  100  may be collapsed as shown in  FIGS. 4   a  through  5   b . First, panel bolts  148  may be removed and side front panels  140  are folded in toward the divider base  150  ( FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b ). Next, clamp bolts  168  are loosened, and handles  127  are slid away from the center floor panel  110  to disengage the interlocking support mechanism  126 . The side floor panels  120  are then folded upwards toward the divider base  150  as shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b .  FIG. 5   b  shows the collapsible kennel  100  fully collapsed into a one-piece package.  
         [0115]     A collapsible kennel  200  according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 8   a  through  9   b  and includes a construction substantially similar to the construction previously described except as specifically noted below. More particularly, the collapsible kennel  200  according to this embodiment includes two floor panels  220  having generally rectangular configurations pivotally coupled along a bottom face  222  by a set of panel hinges (not shown). Each floor panel  220  has a front lip  224  defining holes  229 . A divider  250  is pivotally coupled to one of the floor panels  220  by a divider hinge  251  at a top face  221 .  
         [0116]     A pair of front panels  240  are pivotally coupled together by a panel hinge  233  situated on a front face  241  of each of respective front panels  240 . The front panels  240  have a linear bottom surface  244  perpendicular to a linear inner surface  245  perpendicular to a linear top surface  246 . In the same manner described previously, the linear top surface  246  transitions into an outer surface  247  designed to approximate the shape of a truck cap. The front panels  240  have holes  248  that correspond to holes  229  when the front panels  240  are lined up with the floor panels  220 . Panel bolts  249  selectively couple the front panels  240  with the floor panels  220 . A bracket  254  having a hole  256  is fixedly attached to a rear face  242  of one front panel  240 .  
         [0117]     The divider  250  has a hole  255  that corresponds to hole  256  of bracket  254  when the front panels  240  are combined with the floor panels  220  and the divider  250  is in a vertical position. Divider bolt  258  fastens the divider  250  with the bracket  254 , maintaining the divider  250  in a vertical position.  
         [0118]     Preferably, the combined widths of the two floor panels  220  are slightly more than the distance between the truck bed&#39;s side rails. When unfolded and assembled, the collapsible kennel  200  may be placed atop the truck bed&#39;s side rails, leaving cargo space available in the truck bed. When positioned against the truck cab, the collapsible kennel  200  would provide a floor and one wall of a kennel, the truck cab would provide a second wall, and the truck cap would provide the final two walls and ceiling.  
         [0119]      FIGS. 8   a  through  9   b  show the collapsible kennel  200  being collapsed. First, divider bolt  258  is removed and the divider  250  is folded to the connected floor panel  220 . Next, panel bolts  249  are removed and the front panels  240  are separated from the floor panels  220 . The floor panels  220  are then folded, causing the bottom faces  222  to abut, and the front panels  240  are folded, causing the front faces  241  to abut.  
         [0120]     A collapsible kennel  300  according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 11   a  through  11   c  and includes a construction substantially similar to the construction first described above except as specifically noted below. More particularly, the collapsible kennel  300  according to this embodiment includes a center rear panel  380  pivotally coupled to a pair of side rear panels  390  by a set of panel hinges (not shown). The side rear panels  390  can include windows  399 .  
         [0121]     A bracket  394  with holes (not shown) fixedly attached to the bottom of outer surface  387  of the center rear panel  380 . Bolts  398  pass through the bracket holes to create a C-clamp for attaching the rear enclosure  301  to the center floor panel  110  of the collapsible kennel  100 . The back support bracket  114  must be removed from the collapsible kennel  100 .  
         [0122]     When unfolded and assembled, the collapsible kennel  300  may be placed with the upper lips  161  of side support brackets  160  atop the truck bed&#39;s side rails, leaving cargo space available in the truck bed. The collapsible kennel  300  may be positioned anywhere along the truck bed&#39;s side rails and secured by clamp bolts  168 . The collapsible kennel  300  would provide a floor and two opposing walls of a kennel, and the truck cap would provide the final two walls and ceiling.  
         [0123]     The center rear panel  380  is preferably more narrow and shorter than center front panel  130 , and the side rear panels  390  is preferably more narrow and shorter than the side front panels  140 . This allows rear enclosure  301  to fold into the one-piece package of the collapsible kennel  100  when both the collapsible kennel  100  and the rear enclosure  301  are completely collapsed.  
         [0124]     It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.

Technology Category: 7