US 12,114,646 B2
Amphibian/reptile habitat with removable insert
Brad L. Mihlbauer, Mukwonago, WI (US); Phillip C. Bartoszek, New Berlin, WI (US); Ernie Katris, Hawthorn Woods, IL (US); and Lawrence E. Sternal, Kansasville, WI (US)
Assigned to CENTRAL GARDEN & PET COMPANY, Walnut Creek, AZ (US)
Filed by CENTRAL GARDEN & PET COMPANY, Walnut Creek, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/173,276.
Prior Publication US 2022/0248645 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. A01K 63/00 (2017.01)
CPC A01K 63/006 (2013.01) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An enclosure for providing a habitat for one or more creatures, the enclosure comprising:
a basin defining a cavity to store water, wherein the basin includes a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending vertically from the base;
an insert configured to be disposed within the cavity of the basin, the insert comprising a filter section having a filter cavity, and having a profile that corresponds to a profile of the basin;
a removable filter cover separable from a remainder of the insert;
wherein the insert comprises a dry section configured to be disposed above the water to be stored within the cavity of the basin when the insert is disposed within the cavity of the basin, a wet section to be disposed within the water to be stored within the cavity of the basin when the insert is disposed within the cavity of the basin, and a transitional section to allow for the one or more creatures to travel between the dry section and the wet section, and wherein the transitional section defines one or more first openings to communicate water from the filter section into the wet section;
wherein the filter cavity is disposed beneath the dry section and is configured to receive at least one filter device to filter the water to be stored within the cavity of the basin and a pump to pump the water to be stored within the cavity of the basin to the at least one filter device, wherein the at least one filter device is disposed downstream of the pump with respect to direction of water flow through the pump and the at least one filter device;
wherein the insert, including the dry section, the wet section and the transitional section, is insertable in the cavity of the basin as to overlie the base of the basin and removable from the cavity of the basin;
wherein the insert, when assembled with the at least one filter device and the pump, are insertable into and removable from the cavity of the basin as a single unit;
wherein the base of the basin is configured such that, when the insert is disposed within the cavity of the basin, the base is planar beneath the dry section, the wet section and the transitional section of the insert overlying the base wherein a singular water volume is containable between the dry section, the wet section and the transitional section of the insert and the base;
wherein the removable filter cover covers the filter cavity and the at least one filter device;
wherein the filter cover defines at least a portion of the dry section and at least a portion of the transitional section including the one or more first openings of the transitional section; and
wherein a water flow path from the at least one filter device to the one or more first openings of the transitional section is defined by both the filter cover and the remainder of the insert.