Platform for cages, particularly for small animals such as rodents and the like

Abstract

A platform for cages, particularly for small animals such as rodents and the like, comprising a deck provided with elements for fixing to the grid-like walls of a cage, the deck having telescopic extension elements for adapting its extension to the dimensions of the cage that are constituted by at least one additional deck, which is adapted to slide, by way of guiding elements, parallel and adjacent to the deck, the deck containing the additional deck in a shorter retracted configuration of the platform.

1 . A platform for cages for small animals, the cages having grid walls, the platform comprising: a deck; fixing means for fixing the deck to the grid walls of a cage; and telescopic extension means for adapting extension of said deck to cages having different sizes.  
   
   
       2 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein said telescopic extension means are constituted by guiding means provided parallel and adjacent to said deck and by at least one additional deck, which is guided by said guiding means, to slide with respect to said deck between an extended configuration of the platform and a shorter retracted configuration of the platform in which the additional deck is contained within said deck.  
   
   
       3 . The platform of  claim 2 , wherein said guiding means are formed by at least one sliding guide, which is provided on said deck, and by a complementarily shaped sliding strip that engages in said at least one sliding guide and is rigidly coupled to said additional deck.  
   
   
       4 . The platform of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one sliding guide comprises two lateral guides arranged inside longitudinal edges of said deck.  
   
   
       5 . The platform of  claim 4 , wherein said complementarily shaped strip is constituted by an outer lateral edge of said additional deck that corresponds to each one of said lateral guides.  
   
   
       6 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein said deck is provided with a passage for small animals.  
   
   
       7 . The platform of  claim 6 , wherein said additional deck is provided with an opening arrangeable at said passage.  
   
   
       8 . The platform of  claim 1 , wherein said fixing means are constituted by at least three hooks, which are movable along a perimeter border of said platform.  
   
   
       9 . The platform of  claim 8 , wherein each one of said hooks comprises: an articulated arm; a head of said arm; and a mushroom-shaped tab that protrudes from a plate-like portion of each one of the hooks and is arrangeable below a cross-member of a grid wall of a cage, said head being shaped so as to accommodate the end of the mushroom-shaped tab, and said arm being adapted to wrap around the cross-member of the grid wall and to interlock reversibly to the cross-member by way of said head.  
   
   
       10 . The platform of  claim 9 , comprising four said hooks, which are arranged in pairs on transverse sides with respect to a direction of extension of said platform.