Animal crate cooling system

1. A animal crate cooling system comprising:

a thermal cover, a cold air unit, and a first air moving device;

wherein the animal crate cooling system is adapted to cover a crate for an animal and circulate cool air through the crate;

wherein the thermal cover comprises a cover left side panel, a cover right side panel, a cover front panel, a cover rear panel, and a cover top panel;

wherein the thermal cover is placed over the crate to surround the crate with a thermal barrier;

wherein the thermal cover insulates the crate to assist in maintaining a current temperature;

wherein the left edge of the cover front panel is coupled to the front edge of the cover left side panel;

wherein the right edge of the cover front panel is coupled to the front edge of the cover right side panel;

wherein the top edge of the cover front panel is coupled to the front edge of the cover top panel;

wherein the left edge of the cover rear panel is coupled to the rear edge of the cover left side panel;

wherein the right edge of the cover rear panel is coupled to the rear edge of the cover right side panel;

wherein the top edge of the cover rear panel is coupled to the rear edge of the cover top panel;

wherein the top edge of the cover left side panel is coupled to the left edge of the cover top panel;

wherein the top edge of the cover right side panel is coupled to the right edge of the cover top panel;

wherein the cover top panel comprises one or more vent apertures;

wherein the one or more vent apertures are openings in the cover top panel to allow passage or air into and/or out of the crate;

wherein an air moving device is coupled to at least one of the one or more vent apertures to force the air into or out of the crate.

2. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 1

wherein an individual panel selected from the cover left side panel, the cover right side panel, the cover front panel, the cover rear panel, or the cover top panel comprises an inner vinyl layer, an outer thermal shield layer, and an insulating layer sandwiched between the inner and outer layers;

wherein the outer thermal shield layer of the individual panel is thermally reflective.

3. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 2

wherein the outer thermal shield layer of the individual panel is composed of polyester and aluminum.

4. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 2

wherein the outer thermal liner of the individual panel is composed of polyester cotton batting.

5. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 2

wherein the cover front panel is removable, in whole or in part, to gain access to the crate without having to remove the thermal cover for the purpose of accessing a door of the crate.

6. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 5

wherein the cold air unit comprises an insulated enclosure, a CO2 cylinder coupler, a hose, a valve, a dry ice basket, a battery, an insulating pad, and a recirculation pipe;

wherein the cold air unit makes dry ice which is used to cool the air being introduced into the crate.

7. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 6

wherein the insulated enclosure comprises an enclosure left side panel, an enclosure right side panel, an enclosure front panel, an enclosure rear panel, an enclosure top, and an enclosure bottom;

wherein the left edge of the enclosure front panel is coupled to the front edge of the enclosure left side panel;

wherein the right edge of the enclosure front panel is coupled to the front edge of the enclosure right side panel;

wherein the bottom edge of the enclosure front panel is coupled to the front edge of the enclosure bottom;

wherein the left edge of the enclosure rear panel is coupled to the rear edge of the enclosure left side panel;

wherein the right edge of the enclosure rear panel is coupled to the rear edge of the enclosure right side panel;

wherein the bottom edge of the enclosure rear panel is coupled to the rear edge of the enclosure bottom;

wherein the bottom edge of the enclosure left side panel is coupled to the left edge of the enclosure bottom;

wherein the bottom edge of the enclosure right side panel is coupled to the right edge of the enclosure bottom;

wherein the enclosure top is removable for gaining access to the interior of the cold air unit;

wherein the enclosure bottom comprises a bottom aperture;

wherein the cold air unit is positioned on top of the thermal cover such that the bottom aperture aligns with one of the one or more vent apertures;

wherein the bottom aperture aligns with one of the one or more vent apertures allowing the cool air to enter the crate by passing through the thermal cover from the cold air unit.

8. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 7

wherein the CO2 cylinder coupler is located on the enclosure front panel outside of the insulated enclosure;

wherein a CO2 cylinder is attached to the CO2 cylinder coupler;

wherein a pipe passes from the CO2 cylinder coupler through the enclosure front panel and couples to a first side of the valve;

wherein CO2 from the CO2 cylinder passes through the CO2 cylinder coupler, through the pipe, and into the valve;

wherein a first end of the hose is coupled to a second side of the valve;

wherein a second end of the hose is positioned above the dry ice basket such that when the valve is in an open position the CO2 flows from the CO2 cylinder to the second end of the hose and exits the hose above the dry ice basket.

9. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 8

wherein the valve controls the flow of the CO2 from the CO2 cylinder to the dry ice basket;

wherein when the valve is in the open position, the CO2 flows from the CO2 cylinder to the dry ice basket;

wherein when the valve is in a closed position, the CO2 is prevented from flowing from the CO2 cylinder to the dry ice basket.

10. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 9

wherein the dry ice basket is located within the insulated enclosure above the bottom aperture;

wherein the dry ice basket is coupled to a collar extending up from the enclosure bottom;

wherein the dry ice basket accumulates the dry ice produced by the CO2 exiting from the hose;

wherein the air passing the dry ice basket is chilled by the dry ice in the dry ice basket and the cool air is drawn from the insulated enclosure into the crate by the first air moving device.

11. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 10

wherein the battery comprises one or more energy-storage devices;

wherein the battery is a source of electrical energy to operate the first air moving device;

wherein the battery is replaceable or rechargeable.

12. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 11

wherein the insulating pad is a rectangular section of a thermally insulating material that is located between the enclosure bottom of the insulated enclosure and the cover top panel;

wherein the insulating pad is the same length and width as the insulated enclosure;

wherein the insulating pad comprises a central aperture;

wherein the central aperture is a hole in the insulating pad that is sized to surround the first air moving device;

wherein the insulating pad assures that more of the cool air is transferred from the insulated enclosure into the crate than would be transferred if the insulating pad was not present.

13. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 12

wherein the recirculation pipe is an L-shaped pipe that allows for recirculation of the air within the animal crate cooling system;

wherein the top end of the recirculation pipe extends vertically into the insulated enclosure to a height that places the top end of the recirculation pipe between the enclosure top and the level of the dry ice basket;

wherein the bottom end of the recirculation pipe is positioned to align with the bottom aperture;

wherein the air enters the bottom end of the recirculation pipe and travels to the top end of the recirculation pipe where it exits into the insulated enclosure to be cooled and blown into the crate.

14. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 13

wherein the first air moving device is positioned on top of the thermal cover directly above one of the one or more vent apertures;

wherein the first air moving device forces the movement of the cool air downwards from the insulated enclosure into the crate;

wherein the first air moving device is electromechanical in nature;

wherein the first air moving device is energized by an electrical potential supplied from the battery.

15. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 14 wherein a solar panel converts light into electricity;

wherein the solar panel is positioned on top of the thermal cover;

wherein the solar panel is electrically coupled to the cold air unit via an electrical harness;

wherein wiring located inside of the insulated enclosure electrically couples the electrical harness to the battery such that the solar panel is used to recharge the battery.

16. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 15

wherein a second air moving device is positioned on top of the thermal cover directly above one of the one or more vent apertures;

wherein the second air moving device forces the movement of the cool air upwards from the crate into the outside environment and is used to pull the air out of the crate;

wherein the second air moving device is rated at a higher cubic feet per minute specification than the first air moving device and creates negative pressure within the crate;

wherein the second air moving device is electromechanical in nature;

wherein the second air moving device is energized by the electrical potential supplied from the battery via the electrical harness.

17. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 16

wherein the cold air unit comprises a control board;

wherein the control board comprises a microprocessor and a memory wherein the memory contains instructions for causing the microprocessor to control the sequence and timing of the operation of the cold air unit;

wherein the control board comprises one or more temperature sensors that measure the temperature within the cold air unit;

wherein the control board maintains a flow of the cool air by controlling the rotational speed and/or direction of the first air moving device and the second air moving device.

18. The animal crate cooling system according to claim 17 wherein the valve is electromechanically controlled by a control signal from the control board and the control board causes the dry ice to be periodically regenerated by opening the valve to form the dry ice on the dry ice basket.