TECHNICAL FIELD

[1] The present invention relates to the field of pet doors and devices for facilitating for a pet to move between the inside of a home and the outdoor environment like a back yard or the like. More particularly it relates to a pet flap with a lowered risk of the pet being hurt or trapped the event of particular movement patterns.

PRIOR ART

[2] Pet flap, also called pet door and also referred to in more specific terms, such as cat flap, cat door, dog door, or doggie door is a small portal in a wall, window or human door to allow pets to enter and exit a house or other structure on their own without needing a person to open the door. [3] Prior art pet flaps comprise a frame defining an opening for a pet and a flap arranged to cover the opening. The flap can be opened by the pet and it closes after the passage of the pet due to spring loading or as a consequence of gravity acting on the flap.

[4] The flap provides for protection against the weather and temperature

differences. The flap is commonly made of a transparent material.

[5] European patent application EP 03091 10 A1 discloses a pet door having a frame member with a laterally projecting tunnel formation together defining a portal through which a pet may pass. A top-hung flap is located in the portal for closing the portal, the flap being displaceable in one or other of two directions by a pet, to enable the pet to pass through the door in one direction or the other. Tunnel formation provides a ledge which confronts the bottom edge of the flap when the latter is displaced in at least one opening direction, the frame member defining a step down which disposes the ledge sufficiently spaced beneath the flap bottom edge when the flap is displaced in the said direction as to ensure that a pet's paw cannot become trapped and jammed between the flap edge and the ledge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [6] The present invention solves the problem that a pet's paw or another part of its body may become trapped or jammed between a flap bottom edge and the frame. The main idea of the invention is to break the normal force that can arise in a solid one-piece flap, when it is influenced by a non predicted force, such as a pet changing its direction and moving backwards in the door. The normal force arising in the flap from a backward movement, can then be interrupted by an insertion of one or more hinges in a parted flap. The solution involves a flap, top-hung with the aid of an upper hinge. The flap comprises an upper portion and a lower portion connected by an intermediate hinge. The intermediate hinge is arranged such that the flap upper portion and lower portion normally, when not being affected by a pet, will hang straight down from the upper hinge and close the opening. If a pet passes through the door maintaining a forward motion, the flap will work just like a normal flap and open and let the pet pass. If the pet on the other hand, changes its mind after having a paw or a portion of its body pass a plane where the flap hangs when unaffected by a pet, a prior art flap may be hazardous to the pet. The prior art flap might, due to the normal force that arises when a paw or another portion of a pets body changes direction, jam the paw or another portion of a pets body. The flap, swung in the direction of passage, swings back before the pet has passed completely, assisted by the movement of the paw or the another portion of the pets body. Then there is a great risk that the pet's paw or the another part of its body may become trapped or jammed between the flap bottom edge and the frame or bottom of the passage.

[7] The flap according to the present invention will, due to the intermediate hinge between the upper and lower portion, allow the upper portion of the flap to hinge relative to the lower portion of the flap. Such construction thereby, in the scenario described above, prevents a narrowing opening between the lower edge of the flap and the frame or bottom of the passage, from becoming so small that it can hurt the animal withdrawing its paw or other portion of its body. Instead, the hinge will allow the upper and lower portions to swing into positions where normal forces don't build up, and the opening will not be allowed to become so small that the pet's retracted paw or other portion of its body becomes jammed or trapped.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[8] In order that the manner in which the above recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.

[9] Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 a and 1 b shows a front view and a side view respectively of a pet flap door according to prior art.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to prior art built in a wall or in a double door.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to prior art built in a wall or in a double door wherein a pet is searching for what is behind the door.

Fig. 4 shows a normal pet flap door according to prior art built in a wall or in a double door, the pet wants to regret and get back to where it came from.

Fig. 5a and 5b shows a front view and a side view respectively of a pet flap door according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to an embodiment of the present invention built in a wall or in a double door.

Fig. 7 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to an embodiment of the present invention built in a wall or in a double door wherein a pet is searching for what is behind the flap, regardless of the flap being transparent.

Fig. 8 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to an embodiment of the present invention built in a wall or in a double door wherein the pet wants to regret and get back to where it came from.

Fig. 9 shows the pet flap door of fig. 8 wherein a lower portion of the flap hinges relative an upper portion of the flap making room between a lower edge of the lower portion of the flap and the frame, allowing the pet to safely retract its paw to where it came from.

Fig. 10a and fig. 10b shows the relative position of the intermediate hinge of a pet flap according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 10c shows the lock of the pet flap door of fig. 10a and 10b in four

different positions allowing the flap to open: inwards, outwards, in no direction, in both directions, respectively.

Fig. 1 1 a and fig . 1 b shows an embodiment of the present invention where the flap is divided into three portions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[10] Fig. 1 a and 1 b shows a front view and a side view respectively of a pet flap door according to prior art. The pet flap door comprises a frame 105 defining an opening, and a flap 1 10 top-hung with the aid of an upper hinge 120. The flap can be swung from a resting position 1 10 towards open positions 1 1 1 , 1 12 between 0 and approximately +/- 90 degrees. When the pet no longer influences the flap it swings back to its resting position. [11] Fig. 2 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to prior art built in a wall or in a double door.

[12] Fig. 3 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to prior art built in a wall or in a double door wherein a pet is searching with its paw 130 for what is behind the door. If the pet gets nervous it may try to retract its paw 130.

[13] Fig. 4 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to prior art built in a wall or in a double door, the pet wants to regret and get back to where it came from. When it regrets entering the door it retracts its paw 130 in the direction of the arrow A. The flap tries to return to its resting position and is assisted in this by the retracting force action in the direction of arrow A. In doing so the flap 1 10 will exert an increasing force on the paw due to the decreasing distance between a free end 1 15 of the flap and the floor 1 17 of the door. The paw 130 of an animal is thicker than the nether part 131 of its leg. Forcing back its leg causes the pet to get trapped because the flap changes its function from being a flap, instead the flap enters to be a part of a trap, where the pet cannot escape or move back. The pet is liable to panic and will try to force back its paw 130.

[14] Fig. 5a and 5b shows a front view and a side view respectively of a pet flap door 102 according to the present invention. The flap comprises an upper portion 1 10a and a lower portion 1 1 b connected to the upper portion with the aid of an intermediate hinge 121 . The intermediate hinge is horizontally arranged and allows the flap lower portion 1 10b to swing relatively to the upper portion. Fig. 5b also shows, from the side, alternate positions 1 1 1 a, 1 1 1 b, 1 12a, 1 12b of the combined flap 1 10a, 1 10b

[15] Fig. 6 shows side view of a pet flap door according to the present invention built in a wall or in a double door.

[16] Fig. 7shows a side view of a pet flap door according to the present invention built in a wall or in a double door wherein a pet is searching with its paw 130 for what is behind the door.

[17] Fig. 8 shows a side view of a pet flap door according to the present invention built in a wall or in a double door wherein the pet wants to regret and get back to where it came from. When it regrets entering the door it retracts its paw 130 in the direction of the arrow A. The flap tries to return to its resting position and is assisted in this by the retracting force action in the direction of arrow A. But now, due to the intermediate hinge 121 between the upper and lower flap portions, and contrary to what is shown in figure 4, the flap 1 10 will hinge and there will not be exerted any forces to talk about on the paw since the distance between the free end 1 15 of the flap and the floor 1 17 of the door does not need to decrease. The paw 130 of an animal is thicker than the nether part 131 of its leg. Forcing back its leg causes the upper and lower portions of the flap to hinge relatively to each other creating a distance between the free end of the flap, big enough for the paw to pass, and the pet does not get trapped.

See figure 9. The pet does not panic, and even if it will try to force back its paw 130 it does not get hurt.

[18] Fig. 10a and fig. 10b shows a front view and a side view respectively of a pet flap door indicating the relative position of the intermediate hinge. The vertical height of the combined flap is x, wherein, preferably, the upper portion is between 20 to 40% of x, or more preferred 25 to 36 % of x or even more preferred 29 to 35% or most preferred 33% or x/3.

Correspondingly, the height of the lower flap portion (1 10b) is preferably between 60 to 80% of x. [19]

[20] Further, the pet flap door can be provided with a lock or a latch.

Preferably a rotatable lock wheel 141 comprising one or more heels arranged at portions of the lock wheel periphery and arranged to cooperate with a lower flap portion 1 10b lateral edge to render the flap locked, openable in an outward direction only, openable in an inward direction only, or openable in both directions. Another embodiment of the rotatable lock wheel may have heels arranged to only allow the flap to be either locked or openable in both directions. [21] The lock is preferably arranged at a vertical distance from the top hinge 120 where it can engage a lateral edge of the flap lower portion 1 10b. Preferably the centre of the lock is arranged at a vertical distance of a = ^ fronn the upper hinge 120

[22] Fig. 1 1 a and fig .1 1 b shows an embodiment of the present invention where the flap is divided into three portions, i.e., an upper portion 1 10a, a middle portion 1 10b', and a lower portion 1 10b". The flap upper portion 1 10a is provided with a top hinge 120 hinging it to the frame. The flap thus comprises a flap upper portion 1 10a, a flap middle portion 1 10b' and a flap lower portion 1 10b". A horizontal first intermediate hinge (122) is arranged to connect the flap upper portion 1 10a and the flap middle portion 1 10b' to form a hinged connection between these two portions. A horizontal second intermediate hinge 123 is arranged to connect the flap middle portion 1 10b' and the flap lower portion 1 10b" to form a hinged connection between these two portions. Together the three portions and the two intermediate hinges form a flexible flap arranged to further lower the probability of a pet getting stuck or injured when reversing direction of movement of limb or other body part.

[23] A flap consisting of three flap portions may have flap portions of substantially the same height. Thus, the height of a single flap portion may be one third of the total flap height. The vertical height of the lowermost flap portion (1 10b, 1 10b") may be between 20 to 70% of the total flap height x. The lowermost flap portion (1 10b, 1 10b") may also be between 20 to 40% of x, or more preferred 25 to 36 % of x or even more preferred 29 to 35%, or most preferred 33% or x/3

[24] The flap door with a flap comprising two or three, horizontal portions may be advantageous also when there is pets with largely different sizes, e.g. a St Bernhard dog and a small cat. The dog need to swing open all portions of the flap and the small cat may settle with swinging open the lowermost portion.

The inventor have also envisaged flaps with higher number of flap portions and intermediate hinges, such as 4, 5 and 6 portions and 3, 4 and 5 intermediate hinges.

[25] The above embodiments may be provided with a lock (141 ) as

disclosed above or with a locking mechanism comprising one or more horizontally displaceable elongated profiles extending vertically at a lateral side of, and interacting with the frame defining the opening. The one or more elongated profile being horizontally displaceable from a first position letting the flap freely move in both directions, to a second, blocking position, wherein the elongated profile engages the flap and blocks the flap's movement in at least one of the two opening directions. The elongated profile may extend along the major portion of the lateral side of the opening or only partially, but to an extent sufficient to block the movement of the portions of the flap. The elongated profile may be arranged to be evenly wide along its length or to be provided with protrusions and indentations, wherein the protrusions are arranged to block the movement of the flap portions when the elongated profile is in the blocking position. There may be arranged a first elongated profile at the left side of the frame for blocking opening of the flap portions in one direction and arranged a second elongated profile at the right side of the frame for blocking the flap portions in the other direction. Or a single elongated profile may be arranged to block in both directions. The profile could in the latter case preferably comprise a U-shaped cross section, the U opening facing the flap portions to accommodate an edge of a flap portion in the space defined by the U profile when the profile is in the blocking position.

[27] Legend

101 Pet flap door according to prior art

102 Pet flap door according to present invention

105 Frame

110 Flap

110a Flap upper portion

110b Flap lower portion

110b' Flap middle portion

110b" Flap lower portion (in a flap having three portions)

111, 112Alternate swinging positions of flap 110

111a, 11b and

112a, 112b Alternate swinging positions of flap 110a, 110b

115 Free end of flap 110

117 Floor of pet flap door

120 Hinge

121 Intermediate hinge

122 First intermediate hinge

123 Second intermediate hinge

130 Paw

131 Nether part of a pet's leg

141 Lock