초록 ▼

An animal housing assembly includes a cage coupled to a base assembly to provide an enclosure for one or more animals to be kept in captivity. The cage is collapsible such that the cage may transition from an expanded state, wherein the cage may cooperate with the base assembly to form an enclosure

An animal housing assembly includes a cage coupled to a base assembly to provide an enclosure for one or more animals to be kept in captivity. The cage is collapsible such that the cage may transition from an expanded state, wherein the cage may cooperate with the base assembly to form an enclosure for an animal, to a collapsed state, wherein portions of the cage may fold into one another into a compact condition. The base assembly may transition from an assembled state, wherein first and second base members are releasably coupled to one another to form the base assembly, to a disassembled state, wherein the first and second base members are separated from one another, thereby allowing a more compact condition.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A collapsible animal housing assembly comprising: a collapsible cage comprising a first collapsible cage assembly coupled to a second collapsible cage assembly, wherein said first and second collapsible cage assemblies are each configured to transition between an expanded state and a collapsed st

1. A collapsible animal housing assembly comprising: a collapsible cage comprising a first collapsible cage assembly coupled to a second collapsible cage assembly, wherein said first and second collapsible cage assemblies are each configured to transition between an expanded state and a collapsed state;a base assembly for providing support for said collapsible cage, said base assembly comprising a first base member and a second base member, the first and second base members configured to transition between an assembled state and a disassembled state; andfirst and second locking members; wherein: said first and second base members each comprise a floor and first, second and third sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom to form a cavity, the first and second sidewalls oppose one another and the third sidewall opposes an open end of a respective one of the first and second base members;the first, second and third sidewalls of each of said first and second base members each comprise a top edge, and the first and second sidewalls of each of the first and second base members further comprise respective first and second sidewall leading edges;said first and second base members are configured to releasably engage with one another to form said base assembly when said base assembly is in said assembled state and to support said first and second cage collapsible assemblies, respectively, when said first and second collapsible cage assemblies are in said expanded state to form an enclosure;the first and second locking members each comprise a body portion having a channel that is configured to receive and couple the first and second locking members to at least a portion of the top edge of a respective one of the first and second sidewalls of the first and second base members;in said assembled state, the first and second sidewall leading edges of the first base member couple with the first and second sidewall leading edges of the second base member, respectively, and the first and second locking members are configured to slide between an unlocked and locked position, wherein in the locked position, the channel of each of the first and second locking members spans a seam between a respective one of the first and second sidewall leading edges of the first and second sidewalls of the first and second base members, so as to reinforce the coupling of said first and second base members;said first and second collapsible cage assemblies each comprise a top panel having a substantially rectangular shape, a first side panel rotatably coupled to a first end of said top panel, a second side panel rotatably coupled a second end of said top panel, and a third side panel rotatably coupled to a third end of said top panel; andwhen in said expanded state, at least the top panel of said first collapsible cage assembly is coupled to the top panel of said second collapsible cage assembly. 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein, when in said expanded state, said top, first and second side panels of said first collapsible cage assembly are coupled to said top, first and second side panels of said second collapsible cage assembly, respectively. 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein when in said expanded state, said first side panels oppose said second side panels and a said third side panels oppose one another to form a cage interior. 4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein, when transitioning from said expanded state to said collapsed state, at least one of said first, second and third side panels may be configured to rotate relative to said top panel in a direction towards an opposing side panel and be folded into a substantially flat engagement with said top panel when in said collapsed state. 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the top edge of each of said first, second and third sidewalls comprise at least one recess configured to receive and retain at least one protrusion extending from a portion of at least one of said first and second collapsible cage assemblies. 6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said floor of said first base member comprises a first leading edge proximate the open end thereof, said floor of said second base member comprises a second leading edge proximate the open end thereof, wherein the first and second leading edges are configured to matingly engage one another. 7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein, when in said assembled state, the first and second leading edges engage one another in a snap fit manner. 8. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising a third locking member, wherein in the assembled state, the third locking member is coupled to a portion of said first leading edge and a portion of the second leading edge and over a seam defined between said first and second leading edges, the third locking member configured to retain said first and second leading edges to one another and to prevent substantial movement of said first and second leading edges relative to one another. 9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first and second base members are correspondingly shaped and sized to allow a stackable configuration with one another when in a disassembled state. 10. A collapsible animal housing assembly comprising: a collapsible cage comprising first, second and third collapsible cage assemblies coupled to one another, wherein said first, second and third collapsible cage assemblies are each configured to transition between an expanded state and a collapsed state;a base assembly for providing support for said collapsible cage, said base assembly comprising first, second and third base members, the first, second and third base members each configured to transition between an assembled state and a disassembled state; andfirst, second, third, and fourth locking members; wherein: said first and second base members each comprise a floor and first, second and third sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom to form respective first and second cavities, the first and second sidewalls oppose one another and the third sidewall opposes an open end of a respective one of the first and second base members, the first, second and third sidewalls each of the first and second base members each comprise a top edge;said third base member comprises a floor and first and second sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom, the first and second sidewalls of the third base member opposing one another so as to define a third cavity with two open ends;the first and second sidewalls of each of the first, second, and third base members each comprise a top edge, the first and second sidewalls of the first and second base members further comprise respective first and second sidewall leading edges, and the first and second sidewall of the third base member each comprise fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sidewall leading edges, the fourth and fifth sidewall leading edges being proximate one of the openings of the third cavity, and the sixth and seventh sidewall edges being proximate the other of the openings of the third cavity;when said base assembly is in said assembled state, the first base member is configured to releasably engage the third base member at one of the two openings of said third cavity, and the second base member is configured to releasably engage the third base member at the other of the two openings of said third cavity to form said base assembly, and to support said first, second and third collapsible cage assemblies, respectively;the first, second, third and fourth locking members each comprise a body portion having a channel that is configured to receive and couple the first, second, third, and fourth locking members to at least a portion of the top edge of a respective one of the first and second sidewalls of the first, second, and third base members;in said assembled state, the first and second sidewall leading edges of the first base member couple with the fourth and fifth sidewall leading edges of the third base member respectively, the first and second sidewall leading edges of the second base member couple with the sixth and seventh sidewall leading edges, respectively, and the first, second, third, and fourth locking members are configured to slide between a locked and unlocked position;in the locked position, the channel of each of said first and second locking members span a seam between the leading edges of a respective one of the first and third base members, and the channel of each of the third and fourth locking members span a seam between the leading edges of a respective one of the second and third base members, so as to reinforce the coupling of the first, second and third base members;said first and second collapsible cage assemblies each comprise a top panel having a substantially rectangular shape, a first side panel rotatably coupled to a first end of said top panel, a second side panel rotatably coupled to a second end of said top panel, and a third side panel rotatably coupled to a third end of said top panel;said third collapsible cage assembly comprises a top panel having a substantially rectangular shape and a first side panel rotatably coupled to a first end of said top panel and a second side panel rotatably coupled to a second end of said top panel; andwhen in said expanded state, the top panel of said first collapsible cage assembly is coupled to a third end of the top panel of said third collapsible cage assembly, and the top panel of said second collapsible cage assembly is coupled to a fourth end of the top panel of said third collapsible cage assembly. 11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein, when in said expanded state, said third collapsible cage assembly is positioned between said first and second collapsible cage assemblies, wherein said top, first and second side panels of said third collapsible cage assembly are coupled to said top, first and second side panels of said first and second collapsible cage assemblies, respectively, wherein said first side panels oppose said second side panels and said third side panels oppose one another to form a cage interior. 12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the top edge of each of the first and second sidewalls of the first, second, and third base comprise at least one recess configured to receive and retain at least one protrusion extending from a portion of at least one of said first, second and third collapsible cage assemblies. 13. The assembly of claim 10, wherein: said floor of said third base member defines a first leading edge at one of said two open ends, and a second leading edge at the other of said two open ends;the floor of the first base member defines a third leading edge at the open end of the first base member;the floor of the second base member defines a fourth leading edge at the open end of the second base memberwhen in said assembled state, said first leading edge matingly engages third leading edge and said second leading edge matingly engages the fourth leading edge. 14. The assembly of claim 10, wherein said first, second and third base members are correspondingly shaped and sized to allow a stackable configuration with one another when in a disassembled state.