초록 ▼

A self-supporting pet barrier comprising a front panel and two side panels, each panel having floor-contacting surfaces preferably to which a friction reducing substance has been applied is disclosed. The front and side panels preferably are attached so that the side panels can be positioned from ge

A self-supporting pet barrier comprising a front panel and two side panels, each panel having floor-contacting surfaces preferably to which a friction reducing substance has been applied is disclosed. The front and side panels preferably are attached so that the side panels can be positioned from generally perpendicularly to the front panel in use to a folded position adjacent said front panel for storage or travel. A generally triangular stabilizing leg may protrude forward from the plane of the front panel and can be attached in either the side panel or front panel.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A self-supporting pet barrier, comprising: a front panel which comprises a top horizontal member, a bottom horizontal member comprising a floor-contacting surface, and two flanking vertical members attached to, and extending between, said top and bottom horizontal members, each of said

We claim: 1. A self-supporting pet barrier, comprising: a front panel which comprises a top horizontal member, a bottom horizontal member comprising a floor-contacting surface, and two flanking vertical members attached to, and extending between, said top and bottom horizontal members, each of said flanking vertical members further comprising a side panel receiving portion, wherein the top horizontal member, the bottom horizontal member, and the two flanking vertical members define an open space interrupted by vertical members between the two flanking vertical members with only the interrupting vertical members in a central three-fifths portion of the open space; at least two generally rectangular side panels, each side panel comprising a side panel top horizontal member, a side panel bottom horizontal member comprising a floor-contacting surface, and first and second side panel vertical members attached to, and extending between, said side panel top horizontal member and said side panel horizontal bottom member, each of said first side panel vertical members further comprising a front panel attaching portion; at least one leg coupled to said front panel having a floor-contacting surface and extending from a front side of said front panel; said front panel attaching portion attached to said side panel receiving portion; said side panels configured to be extended in use in an open configuration in the direction generally perpendicular to said front panel to stabilize said self supporting pet barrier in use; said self supporting pet barrier adapted to rest on a floor through contact between said floor-contacting surfaces of said bottom members and said floor, and to stand upright thereon without securing said pet barrier to a structure external to said barrier; said at least one leg is configured to assist with maintaining said self supporting pet barrier to stand upright but is not configured to obstruct a path of a house pet, wherein said front panel comprises a first anterior section and a second posterior section adjustably secured to said first anterior section so that the width of said front panel can be adjusted by moving the position of said first anterior section substantially parallel to said second posterior section or vice versa. 2. The self supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, wherein said side panel receiving portion comprises first and second tubular members, and said front panel attaching portion comprises third and fourth tubular members, and wherein said first tubular member further comprises an upwardly extending pin adapted to removably fit into said third tubular member, and wherein said second tubular member is adapted to fit adjacent said fourth tubular member, and wherein a removable securing pin can be removably secured inside said second and fourth tubular members thereby forming rotatable hinges between said front and side panels, said rotatable hinges enabling said side panel to be positioned from a first position folded against the back of said front panel to a generally perpendicular position with respect to said front panel. 3. The self supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, further comprising a removable stopper which secures said side panel in a rotation-restricting position when said stopper is installed. 4. The self supporting pet barrier according to claim 3, wherein said top horizontal member of said front panel defines a first stopper-receiving tunnel, and wherein said first side panel vertical member is notched, thereby defining a notched area adapted to receive said top horizontal member; and wherein a second stopper-receiving tunnel is defined by said first side panel vertical member in said notched area, whereby said first and second stopper-receiving tunnels line up adjacent to one another when said top horizontal member of said front panel is received in said notched area of said side panel, whereupon said stopper pin may be inserted in said first stopper receiving tunnel and extend into said second stopper receiving tunnel thereby fixing said side panel in a rotation-restricting position. 5. The self supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, wherein said floor contacting surfaces further comprise a friction increasing substance. 6. The self supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, wherein the open space is further interrupted by horizontal members between the top horizontal member and the bottom horizontal member in a bottom or top one-fifth of the open space. 7. The self-supporting pet barrier of claim 6, wherein the interrupting vertical members and the interrupting horizontal members are wires. 8. The self supporting pet barrier according to claim 1 wherein said front panel has a height of 65 cm or less. 9. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, wherein a gate is formed in said front panel and attached thereto by hinges and a locking means, whereupon release of said locking means said gate can be swung open so that a pet can pass through said gate. 10. The self-supporting pet barrier according to claim 1, wherein said front panel further comprises a hinged portion which can open and close to permit a person to pass through said barrier without having to step over it. 11. The self supporting pet barrier of claim 1 which is adapted to be disassembled for transportation or storage in a generally planar configuration, wherein said front panel attaching portion and said side panel receiving portion comprise connecting means and complementary connecting means adapted to removably secure said side panel to said front panel, so that said side panels are detachable from and reattachable to said front panel. 12. The self supporting pet barrier of claim 1 which is adapted for transportation or storage in a generally planar configuration, wherein said side panels are attached to said front panel by one or more hinges which permit said side panels to be folded flat against said front panel to form said generally planar configuration. 13. The self-supporting pet barrier of claim 1, wherein for each side panel, the side panel top horizontal member, the side panel bottom horizontal member and the first and second side panel vertical members define a second open space interrupted by vertical members between said first and second side panel vertical members. 14. A method for temporarily restricting access to an indoor area, comprising the steps of providing a freestanding pet barrier comprising at least two front panels, at least two side panels, and at least one barrier stabilizer, each having bottom floor-contacting surfaces, said front panels adjustably coupled together to allow adjustment of an extent to which said at least two front panels overlap and extend beyond each other, said side panels rotatably attached to said front panels so that said side panels may be positioned in an open and freestanding configuration generally perpendicular to said front panels in use, said front panels and said side panels comprising vertical interrupting members with only the vertical members in a central three-fifths portion of said front panels and said side panels, said at least one barrier stabilizer coupled to and extending from at least one of said at least two front panels. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said front panels and said side panels further comprise horizontal interrupting members in a top or bottom one-fifth portion of said front panels and said side panels. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said front panels and said side panels each comprise a top horizontal member, a bottom horizontal member, and two flanking vertical members attached to and extending between said top and bottom horizontal members, and wherein said vertical interrupting members are between said flanking vertical members and said horizontal interrupting members are between said top and bottom horizontal members. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said vertical interrupting members and said horizontal interrupting members are wires. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein said barrier stabilizer does not impede a path of a house pet. 19. The method of claim 12, wherein said barrier stabilizer does not impede a path of a house pet. 20. A self-supporting house pet barrier for use on a surface, comprising: a first front barrier for blocking the path of a house pet, said first barrier having a front side and a back side and having an inner end and an outer end; a second front barrier for blocking the path of a house pet, said second front barrier having a front side and a back side and having an inner end and an outer end, wherein said inner end of said first front barrier extends beyond said inner end of said second front barrier, and wherein said first and second front barriers are configured to allow adjustment of the extent to which said inner end of said first front barrier overlaps and extends beyond said inner end of said second front barrier in steps with physical features of the first and second front barriers; a first side barrier having two ends; and a second side barrier having two ends; said first front barrier being coupled to said first side barrier such that one of said two ends of said first side barrier is located beyond said back side of said first front barrier and the other of said two ends of said first side barrier is coupled to said first front barrier; said second front barrier being coupled to said second side barrier such that one of said two ends of said second side barrier is located beyond said back side of said second front barrier and the other of said two ends of said second side barrier is coupled to said second front barrier; a first leg coupled to said first front barrier and extending from said front side of said first front barrier; and a second leg coupled to said second front barrier and extending from said front side of said second front barrier, wherein said first and second legs are configured to assist with maintaining said first front barrier and said second front barrier in a vertical position but are not configured to obstruct the path of a house pet, and wherein said first front barrier, said second front barrier, said first side barrier, and said second side barrier are coupled to form an open self-supporting barrier in use. 21. The self-supporting house pet barrier of claim 20, wherein: said first front barrier and said first side barrier are substantially perpendicular to one another; and said second front barrier and said second side barrier are substantially perpendicular to one another. 22. The self supporting house barrier of claim 20, further comprising a third front barrier for blocking the path of a house pet and coupled to said first front barrier and said second front barrier. 23. The self supporting house barrier of claim 22, wherein: said third front barrier has a first end and a second end; and said first end of said third front barrier overlaps said inner end of said first front barrier and said second end of said third front barrier overlaps said inner end of said second front barrier. 24. The self-supporting house barrier of claim 20, wherein said first side barrier is coupled to said first front barrier by a first hinge and said second side barrier is coupled to said second front barrier by a second hinge. 25. The self-supporting barrier of claim 20, wherein: said first side barrier and said first leg are configured to rotate together between a position generally perpendicular to said first front barrier and a position generally parallel to said first front barrier; and said second side barrier and said second leg are configured to rotate together between a position generally perpendicular to said second front barrier and a position generally parallel to said second front barrier. 26. The self-supporting barrier of claim 20, further comprising: a first stopper coupled to said first side barrier to prevent rotation of said first side barrier relative to said first front barrier; and a second stopper coupled to said second side barrier to prevent rotation of said second side barrier relative to said second front barrier. 27. The self-supporting pet barrier of claim 20, wherein: said first side barrier rests on the floor via one or more intermediate members; and said second side barrier rests on the floor via one or more intermediate members. 28. The self-supporting pet barrier of claim 27, wherein: said one or more intermediate members of said first side barrier comprise friction increasing members; and said one or more intermediate members of said second side barrier comprise friction increasing members. 29. The self-supporting pet barrier of claim 20, wherein at least one of said first and second front barriers has a gate therein. 30. The self-supporting pet barrier of claim 29, wherein said gate is sized to allow a person to pass through when said gate is opened. 31. The self supporting pet barrier of claim 29, wherein said gate is sized to allow a house pet to pass through when said gate is opened. 32. The freestanding house pet gate of claim 20, wherein: said physical features of said first front barrier comprise a plurality of openings; said physical features of said second front barrier comprise at least one opening; at least one of said plurality of openings in said first front barrier aligns in steps with the at least one opening in said second front barrier based on the extent to which said inner end of said first front barrier extends beyond said inner end of said second front barrier; and a first connecting member, said first connecting member disposed within said aligned openings of said first and second front barriers. 33. The freestanding house pet gate of claim 32, wherein: said plurality of openings of said first front barrier comprise a plurality of openings at a top of said first front barrier and a plurality of openings at a bottom of said first front barriers; said at least one opening of said second front barrier comprises at least one opening at a top of said second front barrier and at least one opening at a bottom of said second front barrier; at least one pair of said plurality of openings at the top of said first front barrier and said plurality of openings at the bottom of said first front barrier aligns in steps with a pair of the at least one opening at the top of said second front barrier and the at least one opening at the bottom of said second front barrier; a plurality of connecting members disposed within said aligned pairs of openings. 34. The freestanding house pet gate of claim 32, wherein: said at least one opening in said second front barrier comprises at least two openings; a pair of said plurality of openings in said first front barrier aligns in steps with the at least two openings in said second front barrier based on the extent to which said inner end of said first front barrier extends beyond said inner end of said second front barrier; and a plurality of connecting members disposed within said aligned pairs of openings of said first and second front barriers. 35. A self-supporting house pet barrier, comprising: a front barrier configured to block the path of a house pet, said front barrier having a front side and a back side, wherein said front barrier comprises two panel portions adjustably coupled together to allow adjustment of an extent to which said two panel portions overlap and extend beyond each other; a first stabilizing member having two ends; and a second stabilizing member having two ends; said front barrier being coupled to said first stabilizing member such that one of said two ends of said first stabilizing member is located beyond said back side of said front barrier and the other of said two ends of said first stabilizing member is coupled to said front barrier; said front barrier being coupled to said second stabilizing member such that one of said two ends of said second stabilizing member is located beyond said back side of said front barrier and the other of said two ends of said second stabilizing member is coupled to said front barrier; a first leg coupled to said front barrier and extending from said front side of said front barrier; and a second leg coupled to said front barrier and extending from said front side of said front barrier, wherein said first and second legs are configured to assist with maintaining said front barrier in a vertical position, wherein said front barrier, said first stabilizing member, and said second stabilizing member are coupled to form an open self-supporting barrier in use, and wherein said two panel portions of said front barrier, said first stabilizing member, and said second stabilizing member each comprise a frame defining an open space interrupted by vertical members with only the vertical members in a central three-fifths portion of the open space. 36. The self-supporting house pet barrier of claim 35, wherein the open space is further interrupted by horizontal members in a top or bottom one-fifth portion of the open space.