JP7549372B2 - Veterinary Cat Cage - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a veterinary cat cage used to treat cats in animal hospitals and other facilities.

Veterinary cages, that is, hospital cages for recuperating patient animals, are made up of a housing made of metal such as stainless steel from the standpoint of hygiene management, and a door is installed at the opening on the front side of the housing and can close this opening. Such veterinary cages have a completely different structure from the indoor spaces in which patient animals live when healthy or from pet cages, and this poses an issue as it can be stressful for patient animals.

Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cage according to the prior art. In Figure 16, 110 is a cage, 120 is a housing, 121 is a back panel, 122 is an upper panel, 123 is a lower panel, 124 is a left panel, 125 is a right panel, 126 is a decorative frame, 127 is a hanging rod, and 130 is a door. Figure 16 shows a veterinary cage disclosed in JP 2012-165689 A. In the cage 110, the housing 120 is a place for housing and recuperating a patient animal, and is configured by integrally providing a metallic back panel 121, an upper panel 122, a lower panel 123, a left panel 124, and a right panel 125. In addition, the housing 120 has a door 130 at an opening surrounded by the decorative frame 126 on the front side. The door 130 is opened and closed as appropriate when a patient animal enters and leaves the room, when changing pet sheets, etc. The hanging rod 127 is used to hang an infusion bag or the like. Although not shown in FIG. 16, the cage 110 is often used in multiple units arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions.

The above configuration makes it extremely easy to perform sanitary management, such as removing waste, and provides an ideal environment for the treatment of patient animals. Since infusion bags and the like can be hung from the hanging rod 127, there is no need to prepare a separate device for hanging. In addition, the door 130 is made of wire material arranged in a lattice pattern, making it useful for veterinarians and others, as it allows constant observation of the condition of the patient animal.

When a cat is a patient animal, it is preferable to add a structure that corresponds to the cat's behavior. That is, cats have a habit of preferring to be higher than the floor surface, and a habit of hiding in the shadows to avoid the gaze of humans and the like. Therefore, it is preferable to incorporate a structure that corresponds to such cat's behavior in a veterinary cat cage so that the patient animal can recuperate comfortably. However, it is difficult to provide a shelf at a high position only with the structure of the housing 120 of the cage 110, and it is necessary to place a shelf on the bottom plate 123 of the housing 120. However, placing something on the bottom plate 123 is not preferable from the viewpoint of hygiene management. Also, it is possible to hang a towel or the like on the hanging rod 127 to avoid the gaze of humans and the like. However, this towel may be an obstacle when observing the patient animal, and furthermore, depending on the patient animal, the towel or the like may be pulled into the inside of the housing 120, so this is not a preferable solution.

JP 2012-165689 A

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a veterinary cat cage that can incorporate a structure that allows the patient animal, a cat, to recuperate comfortably and that allows for the same hygienic management as cages related to conventional technology.

The invention described in claim 1 is a veterinary cat cage having a housing with a back panel, top panel, bottom panel, left panel and right panel made of metal and formed into approximately rectangular plates, which are integrally arranged on the back side, top side, bottom side, left side and right side of the housing space for a patient animal, so as to surround the housing space, and with an opening on the front side of the housing, and a door that is arranged to be able to be opened and closed at the opening of the housing, and the veterinary cat cage has left beam member and right beam member that are arranged near the left panel and right panel on the inner side of the top panel of the housing and along the left panel and right panel, and are equipped with rail portions and locking holes for supporting interior items in a suspended state.

The invention described in claim 2 is the veterinary cat cage described in claim 1, further comprising a main body portion arranged vertically and formed in a generally plate-like shape, an upper end locking portion formed at the upper end of the main body portion for hanging from the left beam member and the right beam member, a left support plate and a right support plate having a plurality of slits arranged at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction on the main body portion, a main body portion formed in a generally plate-like shape with a center portion arranged horizontally, and a shelf plate having a left locking portion formed at the left end of the main body portion for locking into the slit of the left support plate, and a right locking portion formed at the right end of the main body portion for locking into the slit of the right support plate.

The invention described in claim 3 is the veterinary cat cage described in claim 2, characterized in that the shelf board has a left leaf spring part and a right leaf spring part that are curved at the portions near the left and right locking parts of the main body, and the left and right support plates are constantly pressed against the left and right panel of the housing by the left and right leaf spring parts of the shelf board.

The invention described in claim 4 is the veterinary cat cage described in claim 3, further comprising a main body portion formed of a translucent material and formed in a substantially plate shape, with an opening for a patient animal to pass through, and a partition plate having a left locking device and a right locking device, one end of which is connected to a portion adjacent to the left upper end of the main body portion and a portion adjacent to the right upper end of the main body portion, and the other end of which is capable of being locked in the locking holes of the left beam member and the right beam member.

The invention described in claim 5 is a veterinary cat cage, characterized in that in the invention described in claim 4, the partition plate is formed so as to leave gaps between the main body and the bottom plate, left plate and right plate of the housing.

The invention described in claim 6 is a veterinary cat cage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the left side beam member further comprises a locking beam portion extending along the left panel of the housing, formed in a band shape and having the locking hole formed therein, and a fixing portion fixed to the top panel and formed integrally with the rail portion and the locking beam portion, and the upper portion of the rail portion hangs down from the top panel and the lower portion is formed so as to bend toward the left panel of the housing; and the right side beam member further comprises a locking beam portion extending along the right panel of the housing, formed in a band shape and having the locking hole formed therein, and a fixing portion fixed to the top panel and formed integrally with the rail portion and the locking beam portion, and the upper portion of the rail portion hangs down from the top panel and the lower portion is formed so as to bend toward the right panel of the housing.

According to the invention described in claim 1, by providing the left and right beam members, it is possible to suspend members supporting shelves and the like, providing an environment in which the patient animal, a cat, can recuperate comfortably. In addition, as no members are placed on the bottom panel, hygiene management is also easy. Furthermore, since it is easy to remove items suspended from the left and right beam members, it can be used to recuperate patient animals other than cats.

According to the invention described in claim 2, the shelf board is interposed between the left support plate and the right support plate, so that the shelf board can prevent the left support plate and the right support plate from swinging like a pendulum with the left beam member and the right beam member as the fulcrum. As a result, the shelf board can be installed stably so that it does not swing.

According to the invention described in claim 3, the left leaf spring portion and the right leaf spring portion press the left support plate and the right support plate against the left face plate and the right face plate, so that the left support plate and the right support plate can be installed more stably and wobbling of the shelf plate can be prevented.

According to the invention described in claim 4, by suspending partitions on the left and right beam members, the internal space of the housing can be divided, and the space on the rear side is in the shade, allowing the patient animal to relax while avoiding the gaze of humans and others. In addition, since an opening for the patient animal to pass through is formed in the main body, the patient animal can easily move to the front side (near side) of the partition, and the patient animal's movements are not hindered. Furthermore, since the main body is formed from a material having translucency, the condition of the patient animal can be observed to some extent.

According to the invention described in claim 5, a gap is provided between the main body and the housing, so that the flow of air inside the housing is not impeded by the main body.

According to the invention described in claim 6, the rail portion and the locking beam portion coexist, so the partition plate can also be hung when the shelf plate is installed.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a housing of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of a housing of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the AA portion, and (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the BB portion. 1 is a perspective view of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13A, 13B, and 13C show the right beam member of a veterinary cat cage according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a partition plate is installed in the housing of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the CC portion showing the state in which a partition plate is installed in the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a shelf board is installed on the housing of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the DD portion showing a state in which a shelf board is installed on the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the E-E portion showing a state in which a shelf board is installed on the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B show a left support plate and a right support plate of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the left and right support plates of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B show a shelf board of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a shelf of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a modified version of the shelf of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention has been installed. FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view of a modified shelf of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cage according to the prior art.

First, an outline of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the housing of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 20 is a housing, 21 is an upper panel, 22 is a left panel, 22 is a right panel, 24 is a lower panel, 25 is a back panel, 30 is a left beam member, and 40 is a right beam member. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, 10 is a veterinary cat cage, 26 is a decorative frame member, 90 is a door, 91 is a handle, 92 is an upper piercing bar, 93 is a lower piercing bar, 94 is a locking member, 95 is an upper latch, 96 is a lower latch, 97 is an upper hinge, and 98 is a lower hinge, and other symbols indicate the same as those shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the veterinary cat cage 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed to have an external shape that is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped, and includes a housing 20 for housing a cat, which is a patient animal, and a door 90 for closing an opening on the front side (near side) of the housing 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, a left beam member 30 and a right beam member 40 are provided in the vicinity of the left panel 22 and the right panel 23 on the inner side of the top panel 21 of the housing 20. The left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 are provided so as to extend in the front-rear direction along the left panel 22 and the right panel 23, and support interior items in a suspended state, as described later. As described later, the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 themselves are fixed to the housing 20, but the interior items suspended from the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 can be attached or detached as needed, making it possible to use the veterinary cat cage 10 flexibly according to the characteristics and condition of the patient animal.

In addition, the veterinary cat cage 10 is often arranged in multiple tiers or rows and used as a collection of veterinary cages rather than being used alone. Furthermore, in order to improve the appearance, a top plate and side plates that cover the housing 20, and furthermore, a stand or casters for moving to improve workability, etc. are usually additionally provided. Note that the width (frontage) and height of the housing 20 are not limited to those shown in Figures 1 and 3, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of patient animal to be housed. Although not specifically shown, when housing a patient animal, a mat or a lattice is usually laid inside the housing 20. In addition, the veterinary cat cage 10 can also house patient animals other than cats as long as the patient animal fits the size of the housing 20.

Next, the configuration of the veterinary cat cage 10 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the A-A portion, and (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the B-B portion. In Figure 2, 33 is a vertical portion, 34 is a fixed portion, 35 is a locking beam portion, 41 is a fall prevention portion, 42 is a horizontal portion, 43 is a vertical portion, 44 is a fixed portion, 45 is a locking beam portion, 46 is a bent portion, 48 is a rail portion, and other symbols indicate the same as those shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows the right beam member of the veterinary cat cage according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a right side view. In FIG. 4, 31 is a fall prevention part, 32 is a horizontal part, 36 is a bent part, 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, 37e, 37f, and 37g are locking holes, 38 is a rail part, and the other symbols indicate the same things as in FIG. 1.

As described above, the veterinary cat cage 10 has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and a patient animal accommodation space is formed, separated from the surroundings by the housing 20 and the door 90. That is, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the housing space for the patient animal is surrounded by the upper plate 21, the left plate 22, the right plate 23, the lower plate 24, and the rear plate 25 of the housing 20 arranged on the upper side, left side, right side, lower side, and rear side. Furthermore, the front side of this accommodation space is an opening for the patient animal to enter and leave, and when the patient animal is accommodated, this opening is closed by the openable door 90. Therefore, the housing 20 itself is not provided with a fixed shield for the patient animal to avoid the line of sight of the veterinarian, etc.

The housing 20 is formed by forging so that the upper plate 21, the left plate 22, the right plate 23, the lower plate 24 and the back plate 25 are integrated. The housing 20 is also formed from stainless steel or an aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the front end of the upper plate 21, the left plate 22, the right plate 23 and the lower plate 24 is provided with a decorative frame member 26. The decorative frame member 26 serves as a decorative frame and is provided so as to be continuous with the front end of the upper plate 21, the left plate 22, the right plate 23 and the lower plate 24, that is, integral with the upper plate 21, the left plate 22, the right plate 23 and the lower plate 24. The height, width (frontage) and depth ratios of the housing 20 are not limited to those shown in Figs. 1 and 3. However, when the storage space of the housing 20 is divided into two in the front-rear direction by the method described later, both the front and rear spaces must be large enough for the patient animal, the cat, to relax in.

The door 90 is formed of a lattice plate and a frame surrounding the lattice plate, and is arranged to rotate around the upper hinge 97 and the lower hinge 98 as a rotation axis when the handle 91 is gripped and moved to the front or back. Although not shown in the figure, the upper hinge 97 and the lower hinge 98 have a shaft fixed to the door 90 and a bearing fixed to the housing 20 that can be separated, and the door 90 can be easily removed from the housing 20. Furthermore, the door 90 is provided with an upper penetration rod 92 and a lower penetration rod 93 that are provided to protrude toward the lock member 94. Note that the door 90 can be made of other materials, such as a rectangular plate made of transparent acrylic resin, as long as it is possible to fix the rotation axis of the upper hinge 97 and the lower hinge 98 to the upper penetration rod 92 and the lower penetration rod 93. Also, the door may be configured so that only a part of the door can be opened and closed, that is, a door is provided within a door.

The locking member 94 is provided so as to protrude forward, and is provided with an upper latch 95 and a lower latch 96 that are attached to the housing 20 in a state in which they can slide up and down. When the door 90 is closed, the upper and lower pull rods 92 and 93 are pressed down from above by the upper and lower latches 95 and 96 of the locking member 94. Furthermore, in order to prevent the patient animal from releasing the lock, the locking member 94 is made to have a weight that the patient animal cannot easily lift. Therefore, even if a veterinarian grasps the handle 91 and pulls it toward the front, the door 90 is not easily opened. When opening the door 90, the door 90 can be easily opened by pulling it toward the front while lifting the locking member 94. As described above, the locking member 94 is made to be relatively heavy compared to its size when compared to the door 90, and is therefore prone to generating vibrations that cause noise. Furthermore, when a veterinarian or animal nurse lifts the locking member 94 and slides it over the surface of the left panel 22 or right panel 23 of the housing 20, friction generates noise. Therefore, although not specifically shown, in the veterinary cat cage 10, the locking member 94 is attached to the housing 20 via a resin plate to reduce friction noise.

As described above, the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 have the role of supporting the interior items in a suspended state, and are fixed to the housing 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 are arranged near the left and right edges of the inner surface (lower surface) of the upper panel 21, and at the same distance from the left panel 22 and the right panel 23. The left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 have the same shape and size, but are arranged in a mirror-symmetrical orientation when viewed from the front side. In addition, the front ends of the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 are located near the door 90, and the rear ends are located near the back panel 25. The left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 are fixed to the upper panel 21 by welding at the fixing parts 34 and 44, which are formed in a belt shape and extend horizontally. However, as long as the configuration does not pose any problems in terms of hygiene, other means of fastening, such as screws, may be used.

As described above, the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 are fixed in a mirror-symmetrical orientation when viewed from the front side, and the detailed configuration will be described based on the right beam member 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the right beam member 40 has a vertical portion 33 formed to hang down from the end of the right panel 23 side of the fixing portion 34, a horizontal portion 32 formed to extend horizontally from the lower end of the vertical portion 33 toward the right panel 23 side, and a drop prevention portion 31 formed to rise vertically from the end of the horizontal portion 32 on the right panel 23 side. The vertical portion 33, the horizontal portion 32, and the drop prevention portion 31 as a whole constitute a rail portion 38, which is used for horizontal movement and hanging of interior items, as described later. In addition, the drop prevention portion 31 is formed at a position that can ensure a predetermined gap with the right panel 23 so as not to interfere with the horizontal movement of the interior item.

The fixing portion 34 also includes a locking beam portion 35 formed to hang down from the end portion on the left panel 22 side, and a bent portion 36 formed to extend horizontally from the lower end portion of the locking beam portion 35 toward the left panel 22 side. The locking beam portion 35 is formed with locking holes 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, 37e, 37f, and 37g. The locking holes 37a, 37b, 37c, 37d, 37e, 37f, and 37g are formed to lock a snap hook or the like used to hang an interior item, and are formed in large numbers at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the housing 20 so that the interior item can be hung in a suitable position. In addition, since the rail portion 38 and the locking beam portion 35 are separated by a predetermined width, different interior items can be hung from the rail portion 38 and the locking beam portion 35, respectively. Furthermore, the right beam member 40 is bent at five points from the drop prevention portion 31 near the end on the right panel 23 side to the bent portion 36 near the end on the left panel 22 side, which has the advantage of ensuring rigidity even when formed from a relatively thin base material. The left beam member 30 also has the same function as the drop prevention portion 41, the rail portion 48 consisting of the horizontal portion 42 and the vertical portion 43, the locking beam portion 45 and the bent portion 46.

Next, the partition plate installed in the veterinary cat cage according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the partition plate is installed in the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 5, 50 is the partition plate, 51 is the main body, 52 is an opening for passage, 53 and 54 are holes for fasteners, 55 is a left fastener, 56 is a right fastener, 57 is a lower gap, 58 is a left gap, 59 is a right gap, and the other symbols indicate the same as those shown in Figure 1. Also, Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the C-C portion showing the state in which the partition plate is installed in the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The partition plate 50 is installed in response to the patient animal cat's tendency to dislike human gaze, that is, to hide in a space that is not exposed to the gaze of veterinarians. As shown in FIG. 5, the partition plate 50 includes a main body 51, a right-side locking device 56, and a left-side locking device 55. The main body 51 divides the internal space of the housing 20 to make the space on the back side a space that is not exposed to the gaze of veterinarians. That is, the main body 51 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape from a resin with relatively high translucency, and realizes a situation in which the patient animal on the back side cannot see the eyes of the veterinarian looking in from the front side, but the veterinarian can observe the posture and movement of the patient animal to some extent. In addition, the main body 51 includes a passage opening 52 formed to a size that allows the patient animal to pass through, and the patient animal can pass through the passage opening 52 and freely move between the space in front and behind the partition plate 50. The main body 51 does not have a front or back. Therefore, by turning the main body 51 upside down, the passage opening 52, which is located to the right in FIG. 5, can be easily moved to the left.

The main body 51 also has a locking hole 53 and a locking hole 54 formed in the vicinity of the upper corner. The right locking device 56 and the left locking device 55 are connected to the locking hole 53 and the locking hole 54. As shown in FIG. 6, the right locking device 56 and the left locking device 55 are locked to the locking hole 37e of the left beam member 30, respectively, so that the main body 51 can be suspended inside the housing 20. The names of the right locking device 56 and the left locking device 55 are for convenience, and when the main body 51 is installed upside down, the left and right positional relationship is reversed. In addition, the right locking device 56 and the left locking device 55 are provided using a carabiner, and can be immediately detached from the locking beam 35 and the locking beam 45. Therefore, when a patient animal is discharged from the hospital or when a patient animal other than a cat is admitted, the partition plate 50 can be removed immediately.

Furthermore, the partition plate 50 is formed so that, when installed in the housing 20, not only the gap between the main body 51 and the top plate 21, but also the left gap 58, the right gap 59, and the lower gap 57 are secured between the left panel 22, the right panel 23, and the lower panel 24. The left gap 58, the right gap 59, and the lower gap 57 are gaps set to ensure air circulation inside the housing 20 and to prevent feed, feces, hair, vomit, etc. attached to the left panel 22, the right panel 23, and the lower panel 24, or a mat laid on the lower panel 24, from adhering to the main body 51 and deteriorating sanitary conditions. The shape and arrangement of the passage opening 52 of the partition plate 50 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 5, and may be, for example, a U-shaped cut made in the main body 51. Furthermore, if the housing 20 has a wide opening and the main body 51 is also long horizontally, two passage openings 52 may be formed.

Further, the shelf board installed in the veterinary cat cage according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the state where the shelf board is installed in the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 7, 60 is the shelf board, 61 is the main body, 70 is the left support plate, 70 is the right support plate, and other symbols are the same as those shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the D-D part showing the state where the shelf board is installed in the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 8, 66 is the right leaf spring part, 68 is the right vertical part, and other symbols are the same as those shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the E-E part showing the state where the shelf board is installed in the housing of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In Fig. 9, 72 is a folding frame, 76 is an upper end locking part, and other reference numerals are the same as those in Fig. 2. In addition, Fig. 10 shows the left and right support plates of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) being a front view, and (b) being a left side view. In Fig. 10, 71 is a main body, 75a, 75b, 75c, 75d, and 75e are slits, 81 is a main body, 82 is a folding frame, 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d, and 85e are slits, and 86 is an upper end locking part, and other reference numerals are the same as those in Fig. 9. In addition, Fig. 11 is a right side view of the left and right support plates of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 11, 73 is a folding frame, 74 is a folding part, 83 is a folding frame, and 84 is a folding part, and other reference numerals are the same as those in Figs. 9 and 10. Furthermore, Fig. 12 shows a shelf of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) being a front view, and (b) being a partially enlarged front view. In Fig. 12, 62 is a left leaf spring part, 63 is a left vertical part, 64a is a front side holding part, 65 is a left side locking part, 66 is a right leaf spring part, 67 is a right vertical part, 68a is a front side holding part, 69 is a right side locking part, and other symbols are the same as those in Fig. 8. Also, Fig. 13 is a plan view of a shelf of a veterinary cat cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 13, 64b is a rear side holding part, 68b is a rear side holding part, and other symbols are the same as those in Figs. 8 and 12.

The shelf 60 is provided in response to the habit of cats, which prefer to be higher than the floor. That is, as shown in Figs. 7 and 12, the shelf 60 includes a main body 61 where the patient animal can relax at a position higher than the lower panel 24 of the housing 20, a right vertical part 67 that holds the main body 61 at a predetermined height from the lower panel 24, a front side holding part 64a, a rear side holding part 64b, and the right vertical part 67, as well as a left vertical part 63, a front side holding part 68a, a rear side holding part 68b, and a left side locking part 65, a right leaf spring part 66 that presses the right vertical part 67 toward the right support plate 80, and a left leaf spring part 62 that presses the left vertical part 63 toward the right support plate 80. As described later, the shelf 60 can be provided together with the partition plate 50, so that the patient animal can relax on the main body 61 without being exposed to the gaze of the veterinarian, etc., by the partition plate 50.

As shown in FIG. 13, the main body 61 of the shelf 60 is a portion for placing the patient animal, and is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape. In addition, the shelf 60 has a front vertical portion 61a and a back vertical portion 61b formed to hang down from the front and rear ends of the main body 61 in order to increase the rigidity of the main body 61. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, the shelf 60 extends obliquely from the upper end of the right vertical portion 67 toward the right support plate 80, and the right vertical portion 67 is held at a predetermined height by the right vertical portion 67 engaged with the right support plate 80, as described below. At the same time, the front side holding portion 64a and the back side holding portion 64b extending from the front and rear ends of the right vertical portion 67 toward the right support plate 80 hold the right support plate 80 so that the main body 61 does not rattle back and forth. In addition, the shelf 60 has a right leaf spring portion 66 formed between the main body portion 61 and the right vertical portion 67, which presses the right vertical portion 67 against the right support plate 80. Therefore, even if there is some variation in the size of the housing 20, no gap is created between the right leaf spring portion 66 and the right support plate 80, and the right leaf spring portion 66 is stably held by the right support plate 80.

Furthermore, the shelf 60 extends obliquely from the upper end of the left vertical portion 63 toward the left support plate 70, and as described below, the left vertical portion 63 is held at a predetermined height by the left locking portion 65 that is locked to the left support plate 70. At the same time, the front side holding portion 64a and the back side holding portion 64b that extend from the front end and rear end of the left vertical portion 63 toward the left support plate 70 hold the left support plate 70 so that the main body portion 61 does not wobble back and forth. In addition, the left vertical portion 63 of the shelf 60 is pressed against the left support plate 70 by the left leaf spring portion 62 formed to be interposed between the main body portion 61 and the left vertical portion 63. Therefore, even if there is some variation in the size of the housing 20, the left leaf spring portion 62 is stably held by the left support plate 70 without creating a gap between the left leaf spring portion 62 and the left support plate 70. The shelf 60 is formed in a shape and size that is mirror-imageable, and can be installed upside down. Therefore, the names of the right vertical section 67 and the left vertical section 63 are merely for convenience.

The right support plate 80 and the left support plate 70 are formed in the same shape and size, and can be installed on either the left or right side. Therefore, Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 are common to the right support plate 80 and the left support plate 70. Therefore, only the right support plate 80 will be described below, and the description of the left support plate 70 will be omitted. The right support plate 80 is configured to hold the shelf plate 60 at various heights depending on the condition of the patient animal. That is, the right support plate 80 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and further, in order to ensure the rigidity of the area that abuts against the right face plate 23 of the housing 20 and the right support plate 80 itself, the front and rear end portions are formed into bending frames 72 and 73 by bending processing, and the lower end portion is formed into a bending portion 74. In addition, the right support plate 80 has the right locking portion slits 75a, 75b, 75c, 75d, and 75e of the shelf plate 60 at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction so that the shelf plate 60 can be held at various heights. In addition, an upper end locking portion 76 is formed on the upper end of the right support plate 80. The upper end locking portion 76 is formed by bending two places on the left side as shown in Figures 8 and 9 so that it can be locked to the rail portion 38 of the left beam member 30. The front end of the left beam member 30 is located near the door 90. Therefore, the upper end locking portion 76 of the left support plate 70 is inserted into the rail portion 38 from the front end side of the left beam member 30, and the left support plate 70 is further moved to the back plate 25, so that the left beam member 30 can be installed in the desired position.

Next, a modified version of the shelf of the veterinary cat cage according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the modified version of the shelf of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention is installed. In FIG. 14, 100 is a shelf, 101a is a left shelf part, 101b is a right shelf part, and other symbols are the same as those shown in FIG. 7. Furthermore, FIG. 15 is an enlarged front view of the modified version of the shelf of the veterinary cat cage according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 15, 101c is a fixing screw, 102 is a left leaf spring part, 103 is a left vertical part, 104a is a front side holding part, 104b is a rear side holding part, 105 is a left side locking part, 106 is a right leaf spring part, 107 is a right vertical part, 108a is a front side holding part, 108b is a rear side holding part, 109 is a right side locking part, and other symbols are the same as those shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 14.

The shelf 100 shown in Figures 14 and 15 can be installed on veterinary cat cages of various sizes. That is, the portion of the shelf 100 that corresponds to the main body 61 of the shelf 60 is formed into a rectangular tube shape. The left shelf portion 101a on the right support plate 80 side is inserted inside the right shelf portion 101b. Also, as shown in Figure 15, a fixing screw 101c is provided on the underside of the right shelf portion 101b near the left support plate 70, and by tightening the fixing screw 101c, the left shelf portion 101a and the right shelf portion 101b can be adjusted to a predetermined width and then fixed. The left leaf spring portion 102, left vertical portion 103, front holding portion 104a, rear holding portion 104b, left locking portion 105, right leaf spring portion 106, right vertical portion 107, front holding portion 108a, rear holding portion 108b, and right locking portion 109 of the shelf 100 are approximately the same shape and function as the left leaf spring portion 62, left vertical portion 63, front holding portion 64a, rear holding portion 64b, left locking portion 65, right leaf spring portion 66, right vertical portion 67, front holding portion 68a, rear holding portion 68b, and right locking portion 69 of the shelf 60, respectively, and will not be described.

As described above, according to the veterinary cat cage 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, by providing the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40, the partition plate 50 and the left support plate 70 and the right support plate 80 supporting the shelf plate 60 can be suspended, and an environment in which the patient animal, the cat, can be comfortably recuperated can be provided. In addition, since the partition plate 50 and the shelf plate 60 are not placed on the lower panel 24, hygiene management is also easy. Furthermore, since the partition plate 50, the shelf plate 60, the left support plate 70, and the right support plate 80 can be easily removed, the veterinary cat cage 10 can be used for the recuperation of patient animals other than cats. In addition, since the shelf plate 60 is configured to be interposed between the left support plate 70 and the right support plate 80, the shelf plate 60 can prevent the left support plate 70 and the right support plate 80 from swinging like a pendulum with the left beam member and the right beam member as the fulcrum. In addition, the shelf plate 60 can be stably installed so as not to swing. In addition, the left leaf spring portion 62 and the right leaf spring portion 66 of the shelf 60 press the left support plate 70 and the right support plate 80 against the left face plate 22 and the right face plate 23, so that the left support plate 70 and the right support plate 80 can be installed more stably and the shelf 60 can be prevented from wobbling. Furthermore, by hanging the partition plate 50 on the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40, the internal space of the housing 20 can be divided, and the space on the back panel 25 side becomes a shaded area that cannot be directly seen by veterinarians, etc., so that the patient animal can relax without being seen by humans.

In addition, the partition plate 50 has a passage opening 52 in the main body 51 for the patient animal to pass through, so the patient animal can easily move to the front side (near side) of the partition plate 50 and does not interfere with the patient animal's behavior. Furthermore, since the main body 51 is made of a material having translucency, veterinarians can observe the posture and movement of the patient animal to some extent. In addition, since a gap is formed between the main body 51 of the partition plate 50 and the housing 20, the flow of air inside the housing 20 is not hindered by the main body 51. In addition, the left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 have the rail portion 48 and the rail portion 38, and the locking beam portion 45 and the locking beam portion 35, so that the partition plate 50 can also be hung when the shelf plate 60 is installed. The left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 can also be added to a conventional veterinary cage, making it possible to remodel a conventional veterinary cage into one suitable for cats. Furthermore, the shelf 100 can be adapted to veterinary cat cages of various sizes, eliminating the need to manufacture a shelf for each different sized cage.

The left beam member 30 and the right beam member 40 can be fitted with items other than the above-mentioned interior items, for example, a commercially available cat hammock, to make the patient animal feel even more comfortable, making it possible to make the living environment even closer to that of a healthy patient animal. In addition, by installing a temperature sensor or a small camera on either side of the left beam member 30 or the right beam member 40, management of the patient animal's health condition can be further improved. It is also possible to install the temperature sensor, small camera, etc. in a position that is hidden from the patient animal so that they will not be dragged down or bitten by the patient animal.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

10 Veterinary cat cage 20 Housing 21 Top plate 22 Left plate 23 Right plate 24 Bottom plate 25 Back plate 26 Decorative frame member 30 Left beam member 31 Falling prevention part 32 Horizontal part 33 Vertical part 34 Fixed part 35 Locking beam Part 36 Bending portion 37a Locking hole 37b Locking hole 37c Locking hole 37d Locking hole 37e Locking hole 37f Locking hole 37g Locking hole 38 Rail portion 40 Right beam member 41 Falling prevention portion 42 Horizontal part 43 Vertical part 44 Fixing part 45 Locking beam part 46 Bent part 48 Rail part 50 Partition plate 51 Main body part 52 Passage opening 53 Locking hole 54 Locking hole 55 Left side locking tool 56 Right side fastener 57 Lower gap 58 Left side gap 59 Right side gap 60 Shelf board 61 Main body portion 61a Front side vertical portion 61b Rear side vertical portion 62 Left side leaf spring portion 63 Left side vertical portion 64a Front side holding portion 64b Rear side holding portion 65 Left side locking portion 66 Right side leaf spring portion 67 Right side vertical portion 68a Front side holding portion 68b Rear side holding portion 69 Right side locking portion 70 Left side support plate 71 Main body portion 72 Bending frame 73 Bending frame 74 Bending portion 75a Slit 75b Slit 75c Slit 75d Slit 75e Slit 76 Upper end locking portion 80 Right side support plate 81 Main body portion 82 Bending frame 83 Bending frame 84 Bending portion 85a Slit 85b Slit 85c Slit 85d Slit 85e Slit 86 Upper end locking part 90 Door 91 Handle 92 Upper piercing rod 93 Lower piercing rod 94 Lock member 95 Upper latch 96 Lower latch 97 Upper hinge 98 Lower hinge 100 Shelf board 101a Left shelf part 101b Right shelf part 101c Fixing screw 102 Left side leaf spring part 103 Left side vertical part 104a Front side holding part 104b Back side holding part 105 Left side locking part 106 Right side leaf spring part 107 Right side vertical part 108a Front side holding part 108b Back side holding part 109 Right side locking part 110 Cage 120 Housing 121 Back plate 122 Top plate 123 Bottom plate 124 Left plate 125 Right plate 126 Decorative frame 127 Hanging rod 130 Door

Claims (6)

A veterinary cat cage comprising a housing having a rear panel, an upper panel, a lower panel, a left panel and a right panel, which are made of metal and formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and which are integrally provided on the rear side, the upper side, the lower side, the left side and the right side of a housing space for a patient animal so as to surround the housing space and to be an opening on the front side of the housing, and a door provided in an openable manner on the opening of the housing,
A veterinary cat cage having a left beam member and a right beam member which are provided near the left panel and the right panel on the inner surface of the top panel of the housing and along the left panel and the right panel, and which are equipped with a rail portion for supporting interior items in a suspended state and a locking hole. a left support plate and a right support plate each including a main body portion disposed vertically and formed in a substantially plate-like shape, an upper end engaging portion formed at an upper end of the main body portion for hanging the main body portion from the left beam member and the right beam member, and a plurality of slits arranged at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction on the main body portion;
The veterinary cat cage as described in claim 1, further comprising a shelf having a main body portion formed in an approximately plate-like shape and arranged horizontally near the center, a left side engagement portion formed at the left end of the main body portion for engaging with the slit in the left side support plate, and a right side engagement portion formed at the right end of the main body portion for engaging with the slit in the right side support plate. The shelf board includes a left leaf spring portion and a right leaf spring portion, each of which is curved at a portion adjacent to the left locking portion and the right locking portion of the main body portion,
The veterinary cat cage according to claim 2, characterized in that the left side support plate and the right side support plate are constantly pressed against the left side panel and the right side panel of the housing by the left side leaf spring portion and the right side leaf spring portion of the shelf plate. a main body portion formed of a light-transmitting material, formed in a substantially plate shape, and having an opening for allowing the patient animal to pass through;
The veterinary cat cage as described in claim 3, further comprising a partition plate having a left side fastening device and a right side fastening device, one end of which is connected to a portion near the left upper end and a portion near the right upper end of the main body portion, and the other end of which is capable of being engaged with the engaging holes of the left side beam member and the right side beam member. The veterinary cat cage according to claim 4 , characterized in that the partition plate is formed so as to leave gaps between the main body and the bottom plate, the left plate and the right plate of the housing. the left side beam member further includes a locking beam portion extending along the left panel of the housing, formed in a band shape and having the locking hole formed therein, and a fixing portion fixed to the top panel and formed integrally with the rail portion and the locking beam portion, an upper portion of the rail portion hanging down from the top panel and a lower portion formed so as to bend toward the left panel of the housing,
A veterinary cat cage as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the right side beam member further comprises a locking beam portion extending along the right panel of the housing and formed in a band shape with the locking hole formed therein, and a fixing portion fixed to the top panel and formed integrally with the rail portion and the locking beam portion, the upper portion of the rail portion hanging down from the top panel and the lower portion being formed so as to bend toward the right panel of the housing.

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