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US 12,324,411 B2Granted
Modular frame expandable to form a pet's cage
AssigneeFerplast S.P.A.
InventorNicola Vaccari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular frame expandable to form a pet's cage comprises a plurality of modules each of which comprises a substantially quadrangular vertical wall, said modules being arranged adjacently to each other to define the outer shape of the cage, and wherein each vertical edge of each module comprises connecting elements adapted to allow the connection and retention of each vertical wall of a module to a vertical wall of another adjacent module. The modular frame is expandable on a horizontal plane according to a predetermined configuration to form a pet's cage having predetermined shape and dimensions.
Claims10
A module for use in an expandable modular frame to form a pet's cage, the module comprising:
- a substantially quadrangular vertical wall comprising a lower vertical wall portion comprising a closed panel made of plastic material and an upper vertical wall portion comprising a metallic mesh grid panel releasably attached to the closed panel;
- wherein
- the closed panel comprises a pair of vertical edges, with one vertical edge disposed on each side of the closed panel, each vertical edge having a predefined shape;
- an upper horizontal edge of said closed panel and a lower horizontal edge of said closed panel each comprise a groove, and each respective groove comprises a respective locking tooth;
- a lower horizontal edge of the metallic mesh grid panel is received into and removably retained within the groove in the upper horizontal edge of the closed panel and the groove in the upper horizontal edge of said closed panel is configured to retain the metallic mesh grid in vertical alignment with said closed panel;
- and
- the groove in the lower horizontal edge of said closed panel is configured to receive and removably retain an upper horizontal edge of a second metallic mesh grid of a second module so that the second metallic mesh grid is in vertical alignment with said closed panel;
- a border formed integral with the closed panel and disposed proximate the lower horizontal edge of the closed panel, the border projecting orthogonally away from an interior side of the closed panel, the border comprising a pair of parallel vertically spaced apart flaps which define a channel configured to receive and removably retain one or more base panels in a horizontal arrangement;
- and
- a plurality of connecting elements configured to removably connect an edge of the module to an edge of a third module disposed adjacent to the module on a horizontal plane;
- wherein
- the connecting elements comprise a first connector of elongated shape with a vertical axis, the first connector being elongated along the vertical axis and configured to removably couple one of the vertical edges of the closed panel to a vertical edge of a closed panel of a lower vertical wall portion of the third module at a predefined angle;
- the first connector of elongated shape has a cross-section of a cross-like shape that defines four channels each spaced 90° with respect to two of the other channels, the lengthwise axis of each channel being parallel to the vertical axis of the first connector and each channel extending from a first end of the first connector to a second opposite end of the first connector;
- and
- the four channels of the first connector of elongated shape are each configured to slidably receive and interlock with one of the vertical edges of the closed panel of the lower vertical wall portion of the module.
12 more elements
A module for use in an expandable modular frame to form a pet's cage, the module comprising:
- a) an upper vertical wall portion comprising a metallic mesh grid panel having an upper horizontal edge and a lower horizontal edge;
- and
- b) a lower vertical wall portion comprising a closed panel made of plastic material and having:
- i) a lower horizontal edge;
- ii) two vertically-extending edges, each vertical edge having a predefined shape;
- iii) an upper horizontal edge comprising a groove with a locking tooth disposed therein configured to receive and removably retain the lower horizontal edge of the metallic mesh grid panel within the groove so as to form a four-sided vertical wall when the lower horizontal edge of the metallic mesh grid panel is received within the groove of the upper horizontal edge of the closed panel;
- and
- iv) an integrally formed border disposed proximate to the lower horizontal edge of the closed panel, the border projecting inwardly away from a vertically-extending flat interior side of the closed panel and comprising a pair of parallel vertically spaced apart flaps which define a channel configured to receive and removably retain one or more base panels in a horizontal arrangement;
- and
- v) the vertically-extending flat interior side positioned above the border;
- c) a plurality of elongated closed panel connectors, each elongated closed panel connector being elongated along a vertical axis and comprising a plurality of parallel vertically-extending channels, wherein one of the plurality of vertically-extending channels extends from a first end of the elongated closed panel connector to a second end and is configured to slidably receive and interlock with one of the two vertically-extending edges of the closed panel, and wherein a second of the plurality of vertically-extending channels extends from a first end of the elongated closed panel connector to a second end and is configured to slidably receive and interlock with a vertically-extending edge of another closed panel of a second module disposed adjacent to the module on a horizontal plane, and wherein the plurality of vertically-extending channels are arranged at predefined angles with respect to each other.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.