Pet ramp system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10375925-B2
Application number	US-201715686928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2017
Priority date	Apr 4, 2016
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A pet ramp system has a central pier and at least one ramp with an axle that is received in at least one axle receiver disposed near the top of the pier. The pier's axle receiver(s) permit installation of the ramp axle when the ramp is oriented at less than a predetermined angle from vertical, but the axle receiver(s) will not permit separation of the ramp from the pier when the ramp is lowered to any of a plurality of use positions that each are at more than the predetermined angle.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pet ramp system for assisting a pet into a cargo area of a vehicle, the cargo area elevated above the ground, the pet ramp system comprising:
a ramp that has:
a near end, a far end of the ramp spaced from the near end by a length along an a axis of the ramp, an axle of the ramp disposed at the near end and formed around a b axis that is perpendicular to the a axis, a first thickness of the axle of the ramp taken in a c direction that is perpendicular to the a axis and the b axis being less than a second thickness of the axle of the ramp taken in an a direction parallel to the a axis;
the ramp having a tread panel in parallel to the a and b axes, the ramp having a right rail and a left rail that are elongate in a (−a) direction opposite to the a direction, the right rail being spaced from the left rail in a b direction parallel to the b axis by the tread panel, a thickness of the right rail in the c direction and a thickness of the left rail in the c direction being greater than the first thickness of the axle and a thickness of the tread panel in the c direction, the right rail having an inboard-facing surface, the left rail having an inboard-facing surface, a first predetermined width in the b direction separating the inboard-facing surface of the right rail from the inboard-facing surface of the left rail, the left and right rails extending in the a direction beyond the axle;
the pet ramp system further comprising a pier, the pier having a base for placement on the ground, the pier having a length in an x direction, a width in a y direction perpendicular to the x direction, and a height in a z direction perpendicular to the x and y directions, a top of the pier upwardly displaced from the base of the pier in the z direction;
a first axle receiver formed near the top of the pier, a second axle receiver formed near the top of the pier and spaced from the first axle receiver in the y direction, each of the first axle receiver and the second axle receiver being an axle receiver that has:
a center, a cylindrical bearing surface formed around the center and around a first receiver axis parallel to they direction; and
an upwardly facing opening in the cylindrical bearing surface, the upwardly facing opening being upwardly spaced from the center of the axle receiver, a second receiver axis of the axle receiver being parallel to the z direction and passing through the center of the axle receiver and the upwardly facing opening, a width of the upwardly facing opening in the x direction being greater than the first thickness of the axle of the ramp;
each axle receiver having an outboard-facing surface parallel to the x and z axes, a second predetermined width in they direction separating the outboard-facing surface of the first axle receiver from the outboard-facing surface of the second axle receiver, the first predetermined width being greater than the second predetermined width;
the ramp adapted to being an inserted ramp that is assembled to the first axle receiver and to the second axle receiver, the first axle receiver and the second axle receiver to which the inserted ramp is assembled each then being a receiving axle receiver, such that in order to assemble the inserted ramp to the receiving axle receiver, the inserted ramp is oriented such that the a axis of the inserted ramp is positioned at an insertion angle relative to the second receiver axis of the receiving axle receiver, the insertion angle chosen from any of a plurality of angles relative to the second receiver axis of the receiving receiver that are each less than a predetermined angle, the predetermined angle being greater than zero, the axle of the inserted ramp then passing through the upwardly facing opening of the receiving axle receiver to be received on the cylindrical bearing surface of the receiving axle receiver;
the inserted ramp then being downwardly rotated around the b axis of the inserted ramp to any of a plurality of use positions, in any of the use positions the a axis of the inserted ramp forming an angle with the second receiver axis of the receiving axle receiver which is greater than the predetermined angle, the inserted ramp being incapable of being separated from the pier when oriented in any of the plurality of use positions;
wherein in a first one of the plurality of use positions, the far end of the inserted ramp is elevated in the z direction above the top of the pier, and wherein in a second one of the plurality of use positions, the far end of the inserted ramp is displaced in a direction parallel to the z direction below the top of the pier.

2. The pet ramp system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined angle is 20 degrees.

3. The pet ramp system of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the axle of the ramp has two opposed flats parallel to the a axis of the ramp, and opposed convexly curved segments connecting together the two opposed flats.

4. The pet ramp system of claim 3 , wherein each of the two opposed flats is formed in the outer surface of the axle of the inserted ramp, the two opposed flats including an upper flat, the top of the pier having a pier flat surface, the upper surface of the axle of the inserted ramp being coplanar with the pier flat surface when the inserted ramp has been lowered to a horizontal one of the plurality of use positions, such that the a axis of the inserted ramp is then parallel to the x direction of the pier.

5. The pet ramp system of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the cylindrical bearing surface of the receiving axle receiver is greater than the first thickness of the axle of the inserted ramp.

6. The pet ramp system of claim 1 , wherein the top of the pier has a pier flat surface, the first receiver axis being downwardly displaced in a direction parallel to the z direction from the pier flat surface.

7. The pet ramp system of claim 6 , wherein the axle of the ramp has an outer surface formed in parallel to the b axis, an upper flat of the outer surface spaced from the b axis by a predetermined distance, a displacement of the b axis from the pier flat surface in a direction parallel to the z direction being similar to the predetermined distance when the inserted ramp is assembled to the receiving axle receiver.

Assignees

• Macneil Ip Llc

Inventors

• Macneil David F
• Masanek Jr Frederick W
• Iverson David S

Classifications

• B65G69/30

  Non-permanently installed loading ramps, e.g. transportable · CPC title

• A01K1/035 Primary

  Devices for use in keeping domestic animals, e.g. fittings in housings or dog beds · CPC title

• B60R3/007

  Removable steps or ladders, e.g. foldable (as access means for vehicle tops B60R3/005) · CPC title

• A01K29/00

  Other apparatus for animal husbandry · CPC title