US 7,380,521 B2
Collapsible pet crate
Julian Morton, 1097 Oakdale Rd., NE., Atlanta, Ga. 30033 (US); and Michel Maurer, 79 Lilliput Road, Dorset BH1 48JX (United Kingdom)
Assigned to Julian Morton, Atlanta, Ga. (US); and Michel Maurer, Dorset (United Kingdom)
Filed on Jan. 13, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/34,589.
Prior Publication US 2006/0150917 A1, Jul. 13, 2006
Int. Cl. A01K 1/03 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 119—499 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A collapsible pet crate comprising:
a) an internal framework having:
a first hub having a first central axis;
a second hub having a second central axis;
a first set of at least three masts each having a respective first mast end pivotally attached to the first hub and a second mast end, wherein each mast in the first set of masts pivots in a separate mast plane parallel to the first central axis;
a number of beams corresponding to the number of masts in the first set of masts, wherein a first beam end of each beam is pivotally connected to the second mast end of a mast from the first set of masts and the beams are substantially parallel to the first central axis;
a second set of at least three masts each having a respective first mast end pivotally attached to the second hub and a second mast end attached to a respective beam, wherein each mast in the second set of masts pivots in a separate mast plane parallel to the second central axis and the number of masts that are in the first set of masts; and
b) an external shell that covers a substantial portion of the internal framework wherein the crate has at least two positions, a first position in which the crate is deployed and the first set of masts are in a common plane substantially orthogonal to the first central axis and to the beams and the second set of masts are in a common plane substantially orthogonal to the second central axis and to the beams, and a second position in which the crate is collapsed and all of the masts are substantially parallel to each other and parallel and proximal to the beams.