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US 2008/0264349 A1Published application
Kennel with automatically opening door
OwnerThomas Barry Hoegh, Timothy Harold Grafeinventors
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OwnerThomas Barry Hoegh, Timothy Harold Grafeinventors
Estimating the term…
The general goal of the present invention is to prevent damage to property resulting from the animal's separation anxiety which typically is a consequence of the pet owner's departure while minimizing the period of time the dog is confined. The most obvious objective is to restrain the animal until it calms down. A similar approach would be to reward the animal with a treat once it has calmed down. We have invented a device that incorporates an automatically releasing door of the kennel. For instance, the owner of a canine would place the dog in a kennel prior to leaving his or her residence. The owner would initiate a timer on the kennel, and the kennel door would automatically open after a pre-determined amount of time, for instance 30 minutes, or some other amount of time that was sufficient to calm the canine's emotions. After the door is automatically open, the canine would be free to exit the kennel for exercise, to access water and/or food, or otherwise explore the dwelling or its surroundings.
An apparatus which restrains movement of an animal comprising:
The apparatus of claim #1 further comprising a controller which determines the time of said automatic release of said means of restraint.
The controller of claim #2 where said time of automatic release is based on the behavior of the restrained animal.
The controller of claim #2 where said time of automatic release is based on a biological parameter of the restrained animal.
The controller of claim #2 where said time of automatic release is based on passage of time.
The controller of claim #2 where said time of automatic release is based on an external signal.
The controller of claim #2 where said time of automatic release is based on a combination of two or more of the following:
The means of restraint of claim #1 wherein said means of restraint may be an enclosure, control of an access point or a freedom-limiting device.
The means of restraint of claim #8 wherein said enclosure may be a kennel, an electronic fence, a fenced-in area, a room in a home, a garage, or a doghouse.
The means of restraint of claim #8 wherein said access point may be a kennel gate, a pet door, a gate or a door to a room.
The means of restraint of claim #8 wherein said freedom-limiting device may be a leash, collar, halter, muzzle, shock-collar or leg-restraint.
The controller of claim #3 where said behavior is the restrained animal's movement which may include but is not limited to pacing, breathing, chewing, scratching or tail wagging.
The controller of claim #3 where said behavior is a sound made by the restrained animal such as breathing, barking, mewing, scratching, gnawing, growling or whining.
The controller of claim #4 where said biological parameter may be heart rate, respiratory rate or respiratory minute volume.
The controller of claim #5 where said passage of time is determined by a mechanical timer
The controller of claim #5 where said passage of time is determined by a timer.
The controller of claim #6 where said event is an external signal such as sound, temperature, light, vibration or humidity.
The controller of claim #6 where said external signal is a signal from a phone, computer or other communication device.
The controller of claim #6 where said external signal is the sound or a signal from a fire alarm or smoke detector.
A kennel for restraining an animal comprising:
The kennel of claim #20 further comprising:
The kennel of claim #20 where means of securing said gate is a latch.
The controller of claim #21 where time of automatic release is based on passage of time.
The controller of claim #23 where passage of time is determined by a mechanical or electrical timer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.