Self-contained vehicle cage and pet stairs apparatus

Abstract

A horizontal frame to mount in the back bay of a vehicle, formed with a rearwardly opening tunnel and collapsible ladder device received in the tunnel.

I claim: 
     
         1 . Pet cage and stairway apparatus to be carried in the back bay of a vehicle having a floor, ceiling, side walls and doorway of a predetermined width and comprising:
 a horizontal bottom frame having a lateral width less than the predetermined width, formed with back and front ends and inboard and outboard sides and vertically spaced apart top bottom walls;   upstanding side and front fences carried on the respective inboard and front sides of the bottom frame   the bottom frame configured with a at least one outwardly opening tunnel;   a portable ladder device received slidably in the tunnel;   a slider device interposed between the ladder device and bottom frame to accommodate sliding of the ladder in the tunnel;   a pivot device connecting the ladder device to the slider device to provide for pivoting of the ladder device downwardly and outwardly to an inclined loading position.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the horizontal bottom frame is constructed with the a width no greater than one half the predetermined width. 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the ladder device includes stair steps having, when the ladder device is in the inclined loading position, horizontal step surfaces. 
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the bottom frame includes a pair of first and second outwardly opening tunnels; and 
 the ladder device is received in the first tunnel and the apparatus includes a drawer received slidably in the second tunnel. 
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the ladder device includes a plurality of stairway sections connected together by slides for sliding to an extended position. 
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the side fence includes at least one vertical post supported from the inboard side of the bottom frame. 
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein:
 the post includes a vertically extendable screw device; and 
 a pressure pad carried on top of the screw device for selective engagement with the roof of the bay. 
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fence includes at least one vertical post supported on its bottom end from the front end of the bottom frame. 
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the ladder device includes a foot to engage an underlying support surface. 
 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  that includes:
 a cushion supported on the top wall and sized to complementarily fit between the outboard wall and side fence. 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  that includes:
 an elongated contoured cushion supported on the top wall and nested against the side fence. 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  that includes:
 a contoured cushion supported on the top wall and nested against the front fence. 
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the ladder device includes a platform received slidably in the tunnel to be extended therefrom to an extended, horizontal position to terminate in a free end; 
 
       at least one rigid ladder section having an upper end pivotally and slidably connected with the free end; and
 a slider mechanism interposed between upper end and platform for sliding of the upper end inwardly and outwardly relative to the platform. 
 
     
     
         14 . A pet ladder apparatus to be carried in the back bay of a vehicle having a doorway and comprising:
 a horizontal bottom frame formed with an outwardly opening tunnel to open in a an outer end facing the doorway;   a ladder device received slidably in the first tunnel for deployment from a retracted position in the tunnel to a loading position inclined downwardly and outwardly from the first tunnel;   the ladder device including a horizontal platform slidably received in the tunnel and extendable therefrom to a horizontal cantilever position to terminate in a free edge spaced from the vertical plane including the outer end; and   slider devices interposed between the tunnel and ladder device.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein:
 the ladder device includes steps formed to, when the ladder device is in the loading position, be disposed in respective horizontal planes. 
 
     
     
         16 . A pet cage and ladder apparatus to be carried in the back bay of a vehicle having a doorway of a predetermined width and comprising:
 a horizontal bottom frame having front and inboard sides and including a floor wall for resting on the floor of the bay, a horizontal top wall spaced there above, and vertical posts connecting the bottom and top walls together;   the frame formed with a rearwardly opening tunnel;   a ladder device received slidably in the tunnel and including first, second and third sections slidably connected together for extension from the first tunnel, the first section configured with a horizontal platform and the second and third sections slidably interconnected to be slidably collapsed with one another to a collapsed position and extendable to for the third section to be lowered to a support surface;   a foot mounted on the third section to engage the support surface   a drawer slidably received in the second tunnel and including compartments for storage of paraphernalia;   a side fence mounted to the inboard side of the bottom frame and including at least one post braced against the roof of the bay; and   a front fence mounted on the front side of the bottom frame and including at least one post braced against the roof of the bay.   
     
     
         17 . A pet cage for mounting in the back bay of a vehicle having a floor , roof and rear door of a predetermined width and comprising:
 a bottom frame to be nested on the floor of the bay and having inboard and front sides;   the frame having a width no greater than one half the width of the doorway;   a side fence mounted to the inboard side of the bottom frame and including at least one post braced against the roof; and   a front fence mounted from the front side of the bottom frame and including at least one post braced against the roof.   
     
     
         18 . A portable pet stairway apparatus comprising:
 a horizontal bottom frame having front and inboard sides and configured with vertically spaced top and bottom walls cooperating to define a rearwardly opening tunnel;   a ladder device constructed to be retracted into the tunnel and to be slid rearwardly therefrom to an extended position;   a slide device interposed between the ladder device and tunnel for sliding of the ladder device relative to the tunnel; and   a pivot device connecting the ladder device to the slider device for pivoting of the ladder device to a rearwardly and downwardly inclined position.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  including:
 upstanding side and front fence fences carried on the respective inboard and front sides of the bottom frame to cooperate in forming a pet cage on the bottom top wall. 
 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein:
 the ladder device includes a horizontal platform slidably received in the tunnel, slidable to an extended position, and including free end, and upper and lower ladder sections configured to slide together to collapse on one another and to be slid to an extended position, the upper ladder section including an upper end pivotally connected to the free end. 
 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 18  including:
 a foot on the ladder device for supporting it from a support surface.