TW202440385A - Pet containment system for a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A pet containment system includes a containment structure for containing a pet. The containment structure is mountable in a vehicle using the vehicle’s LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) Restraint System, or other suitable vehicle anchor point(s). The system can include a vertical and horizontally adjustable tether for securing a pet or an animal wearing a wearable such as a chest harness or a vest, and a barrier surrounding the pet or animal. The system according to the present disclosure secures the pet or the animal in the vehicle to prevent or reduce the likelihood of the pet from being impacted or injured by a sudden change in vehicle speed and/or direction.

Description

Car pet containment system

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/443,807 filed on February 7, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention generally relates to a pet containment system. In particular, the present invention relates to a pet containment system for securing a pet or animal in a vehicle.

Many people consider their pets to be family members or companions. As a result, pet owners often take their pets with them on drives to vacation destinations, to veterinary appointments, or for trips around town. Pet carriers or vests can be used in conjunction with a vehicle's seat belts to prevent pets from roaming around and/or slipping out of the vehicle. However, these devices often do not adequately secure pets during sudden changes in vehicle speed or direction and can be difficult to install in a vehicle. Pets that are not properly restrained are more likely to be injured during a crash and injure vehicle occupants.

According to one aspect of the invention, an adjustable pet tether system for a vehicle includes a base for accommodating a pet, a support frame secured to the base, the support frame being removably secured to the vehicle, a bracket supported on the support frame for vertical movement along the support frame between a first lower position and a second upper position, and a tether having a movable end extending from the bracket. The vertical point of attachment of the tether can be adjusted relative to the support frame by moving the bracket along the support frame to a desired vertical height.

According to another aspect of the invention, a pet containment system for a vehicle includes a support frame that can be mounted to the vehicle; a containment structure that is fixed to the support frame for accommodating a pet; and at least one latch that is secure enough to secure the pet containment system to the support frame with a mating buckle of the vehicle.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a pet containment system for a vehicle includes a support frame including an upwardly extending vertical bar portion and a horizontally extending base support portion; at least one latch, which is strong enough to secure the pet containment system to the support frame with a mating buckle of the vehicle, the at least one latch being movable between a stowed position and an extended position; a base, which is secured to the base support portion of the support frame and extends outwardly from the vertical bar portion of the support frame, the base defining at least a portion of a receptacle for accommodating a pet; a foldable fence having a The vertical rod portion is pivotally fixed at an end thereof to the support frame spaced apart from the base, the surrounding rod extending above at least one portion of the base; a soft guardrail extending between at least one portion of the periphery of the base and the surrounding rod; a bracket supported on the vertical rod for movement between a first lower position and a second upper position, the bracket including a tether slot; and an adjustable length tether fixed to the vertical rod portion of the support frame having a tensioning strap buckle for adjusting the length of a movable end of the tether, the movable end of the tether passing through the tether slot of the bracket. The vertical positioning of the active end of the tether can be adjusted by moving the bracket between the first lower position and the second upper position, and the horizontal positioning of the distal end of the active end of the tether can be adjusted using the tensioning strap buckle.

According to still another aspect of the invention, a pet containment system for a vehicle includes a support frame including an upwardly extending vertical bar portion and a horizontally extending base support portion; a base fixed to the support frame and extending outwardly from the vertical bar portion of the support frame, the base defining at least one portion of a receptacle for accommodating a pet; a foldable fence having one end pivotally fixed to the vertical bar portion of the support frame spaced apart from the base, the fence extending above at least one portion of the base; and a soft guardrail extending between at least one portion of a periphery of the base and the fence. At least one of the support frame or the base can be fixed to the restraint system of the vehicle.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method for securing a pet to a pet containment system includes: positioning a pet in a pet containment system having a base for accommodating the pet, a support frame secured to the base and removably secured to a vehicle, a bracket supported on the support frame for vertical movement along the support frame between a first lower position and a second upper position, and a tether secured to the bracket; adjusting a vertical point of attachment of the tether relative to the support frame by moving the bracket along the support frame to a desired vertical height; and securing a movable end of the tether to a wearable component worn by the pet. The method may include adjusting the length of the movable end of the tether and/or partially folding a foldable fence having one end pivotally secured to a vertical pole of the support frame spaced apart from the base, the fence extending over at least a portion of the base and supporting a soft guardrail secured to the base.

According to another aspect, a pet containment system for a vehicle includes a base for accommodating a pet, a support frame secured to the base, the support frame being removably secured to the vehicle, and a bracket supported on the support frame for vertical movement along the support frame between a first lower position and a second upper position, the bracket defining an attachment point for securing the pet. The bracket is movable to adjust the vertical height of the attachment point.

The present invention discloses various aspects of a pet restraint system for a vehicle including a containment structure for restraining a pet. The pet restraint system can be installed in a vehicle using a vehicle's Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) restraint system or other suitable vehicle buckle attachment points. The pet restraint system includes a base; a guardrail that surrounds the pet or animal; and a vertically and horizontally adjustable tether for securing the pet or animal, such as by securing the pet to a wearable garment such as a chest strap or vest. The pet restraint system according to the present invention secures a pet or animal in a vehicle to prevent or reduce the possibility of the pet being impacted or injured by sudden changes in vehicle speed and/or direction or during an impact.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a pet containment system 10 according to the present invention includes a containment structure 12 and a vertically and horizontally adjustable tether assembly 14. The pet containment structure 12 includes a foldable guardrail 16 supported by a base 20 and a soft guardrail 18 extending between the foldable guardrail 16. As will become apparent from the following description, the pet containment system 10 is configured to be secured to a vehicle using latches 22. In a typical installation, the pet containment system 10 is at least partially supported on a seat of the vehicle, and the latches 22 are secured to LATCH buckles of the vehicle typically located between the seat back and seat base cushion of the vehicle. Once secured, the pet P is then positioned within the enclosure 12 and secured to the adjustable tether assembly 14. As described below, both the enclosure 12 and the adjustable tether assembly 14 have features that simplify use and allow the pet enclosure system 10 to be tailored to pets of various sizes.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7 , the pet enclosure system 10 includes a support frame 24 having a vertical rod portion (or rail) 26; and a horizontally extending base support portion 28, in which the base 20 of the enclosure structure 12 is mounted. The base 20 includes a bottom wall 30 and an upwardly extending peripheral wall 32. The bottom wall 30 of the base 20 is, for example, fixed to the base support portion 28 of the support frame 24, and is not limited to using a plurality of fasteners 34, such as screws, bolts, rivets or the like. Extending upward from the base 20 is a shield 36 adapted to at least partially enclose the vertical rod portion 26 of the support frame 24 and related components. The shield 36 can be integrally formed with the base 20, or can be a separate component. The support frame 24 is typically made of materials such as steel or aluminum. The support frame 24 can be made from a single piece of material, such as in a forging process. More typically, the support frame 24 is made from at least two pieces joined together, such as by a welding process. The base 20 and shield 36 are typically made from a plastic material. However, it should be understood that a wide variety of materials may be used for the various components of the present invention.

The vertical bar portion 26 of the support frame 24 supports the adjustable tether assembly 14. The adjustable tether assembly 14 generally includes a tension strap buckle 38 secured to the vertical bar portion 26 of the support frame 24; and a bracket 40 mounted to the vertical bar portion 26 for reciprocating sliding movement in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3. The bracket 40 includes a tether slot 42 through which a tether 44 is passed for connection to, for example, a pet or animal through a pet vest or harness. The slot 42 may be considered the attachment point of the tether to the bracket 40 because the boundaries of the slot 42 constrain the tether 44. It should be understood that the bracket 40 may alternatively include structure for attaching a tether or belt directly to the bracket 40. Such structure may include a D-ring or the like.

The tensioning strap buckle 38 helps to adjust the length of the movable end of the tether 44, and therefore adjust the horizontal positioning of the end of the movable end of the tether 44 within the containment structure 12. The tensioning strap buckle 38 is only one of many adjustment mechanisms that can be used to releasably secure the tether at various lengths without departing from the scope of the present invention. The bracket 40 adjusts the vertical positioning of the movable end of the tether 44 along the movement of the vertical rod 26. One or more unlocking mechanisms 46 supported on the bracket 40 are configured to selectively lock the bracket in a desired vertical positioning along the vertical rod 26. As used herein, the movable end of the tether 44 refers to the portion of the tether 44 that extends from the slot 42 for connecting to a harness or vest or other wearable garment for a pet.

Referring to FIG. 8 , an enlarged view of the bracket 40 is shown including the unlocking mechanisms 46. Each unlocking mechanism 46 generally includes an actuator rod 48 supported by the bracket 40 for pivotal movement at a central portion thereof. A first end of the actuator rod 48 is attached to a locking pin 50 supported for reciprocal movement by the bracket 40 between a locked position (as shown in FIG. 8 ) and an unlocked position (not shown). The locking pins 50 are biased toward the locked position by a spring 52. When in the locked position, the locking pins 50 are adapted to be received in one of a plurality of height adjustment holes 54 in the vertical rod portion 26 (e.g., see FIG. 3 ). The unlocked position of the locking pins 50 is achieved when the second ends of the actuator rods 48 are moved toward each other in FIG. 8 (causing the first ends of the actuator rods 48 to move away from each other), thereby withdrawing the locking pins 50 from an opposing hole 54. Once the locking pins 50 are in the unlocked position, the bracket 40 can be slid up or down on the vertical bar 26 to a new vertical position as desired, thereby adjusting the vertical position of the tether 44 relative to the vertical bar 26. The second ends of the actuator rods 48 can be coupled to conventional actuation elements such as levers or buttons via cables or the like (not shown). The conventional actuating element may be disposed on the shield 36 or the base 20 at a location convenient for the user to manipulate.

A wide variety of unlocking mechanisms may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiments, the operating components of the unlocking mechanism are associated with the bracket 40, and the passive components (e.g., holes 54) are associated with the vertical rod 26. In other embodiments, the operating components may be supported on the vertical rod or other adjacent structure and configured to engage the passive components associated with the bracket. In still other embodiments, the bracket 40 and/or the vertical rod 26 may include a ratchet mechanism, a cam lock mechanism, or other similar configuration for fixing the bracket 40 relative to the vertical rod 26. Although two unlocking mechanisms 46 are illustrated in the figures as being located on opposite sides of the bracket 40, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that one or more unlocking mechanisms may be utilized within the scope of the present invention and that the unlocking mechanisms 46 may be provided at different locations along the bracket 40 (e.g., the front or rear side).

Additionally, FIG. 8 shows an insert 58 received in the bracket 40. The insert 58 acts as a bushing between the bracket 40 and the vertical rod 26. To this end, the insert 58 may be a plastic insert or other low friction material. Additionally, the tether slot 42 has a low friction insert 60 to prevent excessive wear on the tether 44. Certain low friction plastics such as polytetrafluoroethylene or the like are particularly suitable for use with the inserts 58 and 60.

It should now be understood that while the tension strap buckle 38 facilitates adjustment of the length of the active end of the tether 44, the length of the active end of the tether 44 may also vary based on the positioning of the bracket 40 along the vertical bar 26. For example, without the tension strap buckle 38 being used to adjust the tether 44, the active end of the tether 44 will be relatively shorter when the bracket 40 is relatively lower on the vertical bar 26 and relatively longer when the bracket 40 is relatively higher on the vertical bar 26. This is because the distance between the tension strap buckle 38 and the slot 42 is greater when the bracket 40 is relatively low on the vertical bar 26 than when the bracket 40 is relatively high on the vertical bar 26. This feature can be useful when using the pet containment system 10 with animals of different sizes because the length of the movable end of the tether 44 automatically increases as the bracket 40 is moved to a position consistent with use with relatively larger animals, and automatically decreases when the bracket 40 is moved to a position consistent with use with relatively smaller animals. Thus, using the tension strap buckle 38 to adjust the length of the tether 44 may not necessarily simplify the use of the pet containment system 10.

Referring now again to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, various features of the foldable fence 16 will now be described. The foldable fence 16 generally includes an annular bar 64 supported on the vertical bar portion 26 of the support frame 24. The shape of the annular bar 64 may have a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the base 20, but may have an overall bottom area greater than the bottom area of the base 20. The annular bar 64 may be a single component or may be assembled from a plurality of discontinuous sections that are assembled together to form a generally annular shape. The annular bar 64 may be covered with a foam material or other cushioning material.

As best shown in FIG. 5 , the opposite ends of the annular rod 64 are received in corresponding recesses 66 of the vertical rod portion 26 and secured by corresponding surfaces of the shield 36. It should be understood that the ends of the annular rod 64 can be rotated relative to the vertical rod portion 26 so that the enclosure 16 can be moved, for example, between an upper position shown in FIG. 1 and a lower position shown in FIG. 4 . In this position of FIG. 1 , the soft guardrail 18 is held upright by the enclosure 16. In FIG. 4 , the enclosure 16 is in a folded state (the soft guardrail 18 is not shown in FIG. 4 ) so that the interior of the enclosure 12 for loading and/or securing pets is more easily accessible. The soft guardrail 18 can be, for example, a mesh fabric material or the like.

The foldable guardrail 16 is biased toward the position shown in FIG. 1 by a pair of torsion springs 68. Each torsion spring 68 is inserted between the end of the annular rod 64 and the shield 36 so that a rotational force is applied to the annular rod 64, which tends to bias the annular rod 64 toward the position shown in FIG. 1. The rotational force applied by the torsion springs 68 is generally sufficient to maintain the soft guardrail 18 in the upright condition, but can be easily overcome by a user pressing down on the front portion of the guardrail 16. Thus, the guardrail 16 can be pressed down to assist in loading a pet into the enclosure 12, and then released to raise the soft guardrail 18 to the use position. In some embodiments, the fence 16 may be locked in the use position so that a user-activated release (e.g., a button or the like) must be activated by the user to move the fence 16 from the use position. In other embodiments, a stop mechanism may be provided that is intended to prevent the fence 16 from moving from the use position, but which can be overcome when sufficient force is applied to the fence 16 to overcome not only the biasing force of the torsion springs 68 but also the additional resistance of the stop mechanism.

In some embodiments, the fence 16 and the soft guardrail 18 can be easily replaced to provide fences 16 and soft guardrails 18 of different shapes and/or sizes. For example, for smaller pets, a shorter soft guardrail 18 may be required. In other examples, such as when the pet containment system 10 is installed in a small car, a smaller fence may be required. In still other examples, the user may choose to remove the fence and soft guardrail at the same time.

Referring now to FIGS. 9-12 , the features of the latches 22 will be described. The latches 22 of the present embodiment are secured to the support frame 24 and are rotatable between a stowed position (shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 ) and an extended position (shown in FIG. 10 ). Each latch 22 includes a claw/hook 70 for releasably attaching a vehicle buckle (e.g., a LATCH buckle). The claw/hook 70 is retractably extendable from the body of the housing of the latch 22. In the stowed position, the latches 22 are folded into a latch recess 72 in the bottom of the base 20. In one aspect, the latches 22 are slidably connected to the support frame 24 so that the latches can be translated between the stowed position and the deployed position. In the deployed position, the latches 22 protrude from the rear of the base 20 for connection to the corresponding LATCH buckles (or other vehicle buckle fixing points) of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the latches 22 can be adjusted in a horizontal direction to change the gap between the pet containment system 10 and the seat back of the vehicle.

Each latch 22 is supported on a rotatable tubular transverse member, hereinafter referred to as a latch tube 74. The latch tube 74 extends through the lower section of the vertical bar 26 and is surrounded by a concentric outer fixing tube 76 extending from each side of the vertical bar 26. The latch tube 74 is supported for rotation relative to the vertical bar 26 to rotate the latches 22 between the stowed and deployed positions. The latch lock 78 locks the latches 22 in the stowed or deployed positions.

The latch lock 78 includes an actuator 80 that is supported for sliding movement in the base 20. The actuator 80 can be moved between a locked position that limits the rotation of the latch tube 74 and an unlocked position that allows the rotation of the latch tube 74. A spring 82 biases the latch lock 78 toward the locked position. Moving the actuator 80 to the left in FIG. 12 retracts a steel pin 86 from one of the two holes 88 in the latch tube 74 to allow the latch tube 74 to rotate relative to the outer fixed tube 76. After the latches 22 are positioned in the stowed or deployed positions and the actuator 80 is unlocked, the spring 82 forces the latch 86 back into one of the holes 88, thereby limiting the rotation of the latch tube 74 relative to the outer tube 76 and locking the latches 22 in place.

It should be understood that, despite being rotatable relative to the vertical rod 26 of the support frame 24, the latches 22 are secured to the support frame 24 and may be referred to as "secure latches." When locked in the deployed position, the latches 22 may align with the lower LATCH buckles of the vehicle and snap into engagement with their latches. When deployed, the latches 22 extend a fixed distance from the containment system 10. In this way, any relative movement between the containment system 10 and the vehicle seat when installed in a vehicle and connected to the vehicle buckle anchor points can be minimized or eliminated. Unlike assemblies in which the latches are softly attached with straps or the like, the system of the present invention can be more easily positioned and secured within the vehicle without the need for tightening straps or other soft components.

In other specific embodiments, these latches 22 are retractable, rather than rotatable. In this type of specific embodiment, each latch 22 can be supported for translational movement along the longitudinal axis of the latch between the stowed position and the extended position.

Various embodiments of the present invention may include a load-bearing foot 90, as shown in Figure 1. The load-bearing foot 90 may be used to provide additional support and stability for mounting equipment, such as in the case of large animals or pets, or in the case where the base 20 is not fully received on the seat base of the vehicle.

In other embodiments, the latches 22 of the containment system 10 may be "soft latches." In such embodiments, at least one latch 22 is mounted to the containment system 10 using a soft structure (e.g., such as one or more straps or pieces of mesh, etc.). The soft latch connector may be substantially similar to the hard latch connector described above, and in some embodiments, may be tightened once attached to the vehicle LATCH buckle. However, in other embodiments, the latching joints may be various other types of clips and hooks, such as carabiners or other clips, and may be positioned toward a closed position and manually opened for attachment to a vehicle buckle.

It should be noted that the examples and embodiments shown in the drawings are for exemplary purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention contemplates various embodiments. Additionally, it should be understood that the concepts described above using the aforementioned examples and embodiments may be used alone or in combination with any of the other aforementioned examples and embodiments. It should also be understood that, unless otherwise indicated, the aforementioned various alternative examples and embodiments for one illustrated embodiment may be applied to all examples and embodiments as described herein.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as an approximation as if the word "about," "approximately," or "substantially" were used in front of the numerical value or range. Unless otherwise stated, the terms "about," "approximately," and "substantially" should be understood to describe a range within 15% of the specified value.

Unless otherwise specifically stated, or as understood in the context in which they are used, conditional terms used herein, such as "can," "may," "perhaps," "could," "for example," and the like, are generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include (and other embodiments do not include) certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional terms are generally not intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include determining, with or without author input or prompting, whether such features, elements, and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. The terms "comprise," "include," "have," and the like are synonymous and are used in an open and inclusive manner and do not exclude additional elements, features, actions, operations, etc. Additionally, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense), so when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the multiple elements in the list.

Although certain examples have been described, these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the invention disclosed herein. Therefore, nothing in the foregoing description is intended to imply that any particular feature, characteristic, step, module, or block is necessary or indispensable. In fact, the various novel methods and systems described herein can be implemented in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the forms of the various methods and systems described herein can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention disclosed herein. The scope of the patent application and its equivalent claims hereafter are intended to cover such forms or modifications that fall within certain scopes and spirits of the invention disclosed herein.

It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods described herein do not necessarily need to be performed in a sequential manner, and the steps of the method are understood to be exemplary only. Similarly, additional steps may be included in the method, and certain steps may be omitted or combined in the method of various specific embodiments of the present invention.

Although the elements (if any) in the multiple method claims below are described in a specific order with corresponding labels, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to implementation in that specific order unless the claim description otherwise implies a specific order for implementing some or all of those elements.

The terms "inwardly," "outwardly," "upwardly," and "downwardly" refer to directions toward or away from, respectively, the geometric center of a component.

It should be understood that reference to "a" or "an" feature in this document does not exclude additional features or multiple parts of the feature. For example, reference to a device having, containing, including, or defining "a" feature does not exclude the device having, containing, including, or defining more than one feature, as long as the device has, contains, including, or defines at least one feature. Similarly, reference to "one" of multiple features in this document does not exclude the invention from including two or more of the features. For example, reference to a device having, containing, including, or defining "one of a protrusion and a recess" does not exclude the device having both the protrusion and the recess.

10: Pet enclosure system, enclosure system 12: Enclosure structure 14: Adjustable tether assembly 16: Foldable fence, fence 18: Soft guardrail 20: Base 22: Latch 24: Support frame 26: Upright rod (or guide rail), vertical rod 28: Base support 30: Bottom wall 32: Upward extending peripheral wall 34: Fastener 36: Guard 38: Tightening belt buckle 40: Bracket 42: Tether slot, slot 44: Tether 46: Unlocking mechanism 48: Actuator rod 50: Locking pin 52: Spring 54: Hole 58: Insert 60: Low friction insert, insert 64: Ring bar 66: Notch 68: Torsion spring 70: Clamp/hook 72: Latch pocket 74: Latch tube 76: External fixing tube 78: Latch locking 80: Actuator 82: Spring 86: Latch 88: Hole 90: Carrying foot

The following description of several exemplary embodiments may be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the possible embodiments of the disclosed system are not limited to those described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary pet containment system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pet containment system of FIG. 1 with the soft guardrail and foldable fence removed for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the support frame of the pet containment system of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the pet containment system of FIG. 1 with the soft guardrail removed.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the upper portion of the pet containment system of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the adjustable tether assembly of the pet containment system of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the adjustable tether assembly of FIG. 6 .

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the bracket and locking mechanism of the adjustable tether assembly of FIG. 6 .

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the pet containment system of FIG. 1 .

10 is a cross-sectional view of the pet containment system of FIG. 1 showing the latch in a first position.

11 is a cross-sectional view of the pet containment system of FIG. 1 showing the latch in a second position.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of FIG. 10 .

10:Pet enclosure system, enclosure system

20: Base

22: Lock

24: Support frame

30: Bottom wall

32: Extend the peripheral wall upwards

34: Fasteners

36: Shield

40: Bracket

44: Leash

Claims (31)

An adjustable pet tether system for a vehicle, comprising: a base for accommodating a pet; a support frame secured to the base, the support frame being removably secured to the vehicle; a bracket supported on the support frame for vertical movement along the support frame between a first lower position and a second upper position; and a tether having a movable end extending from the bracket; wherein a vertical point of attachment of the tether is adjusted relative to the support frame by moving the bracket along the support frame to a desired vertical height. An adjustable pet tether system as described in claim 1, wherein the bracket is movable to at least one discrete position between the first lower position and the second upper position. The adjustable pet tether system as described in claim 2 further includes an unlocking mechanism for selectively securing the bracket to the desired vertical height of the support frame. An adjustable pet leash system as described in claim 1, wherein the leash is fixed to the support frame using an adjustment mechanism so that the adjustment mechanism can adjust the length of the movable end of the leash. An adjustable pet tether system as described in claim 4, wherein the adjustment mechanism is a tensioning strap buckle. The adjustable pet tether system as described in claim 1 further includes at least one latch fixed to the support frame for fixing the adjustable pet tether system to a matching buckle of a vehicle. A pet containment system for a vehicle comprises: a support frame mountable to the vehicle; a containment structure secured to the support frame for housing a pet; and at least one latch secure enough to secure the pet containment system to the support frame with a mating buckle of the vehicle. A pet containment system as described in claim 7, wherein the at least one latch is movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A pet containment system as described in claim 8, further comprising an offset member to push the at least one latch toward the deployed position. The pet containment system as described in claim 9 further comprises a latch tube supported for rotation relative to the support frame, wherein the at least one latch is supported on the latch tube for rotation between the deployed position and the stowed position. The pet containment system as described in claim 10 further comprises a latch lock for fixing the at least one latch in at least one of the stowed position and the deployed position. A pet containment system as described in claim 11, wherein the latch lock includes an actuator coupled to a latch, and wherein the latch is selectively movable by the actuator into and out of a hole in the latch tube to limit or allow rotation of the latch tube relative to the support frame. The pet enclosure system as described in claim 7 further includes a load-bearing leg for supporting the enclosure structure. A pet containment system for a vehicle, comprising: a support frame including an upwardly extending vertical bar portion and a horizontally extending base support portion; at least one latch secure enough to secure the pet containment system to the support frame to a mating buckle of the vehicle, the at least one latch movable between a stowed position and an extended position; a base secured to the base support portion of the support frame and extending outwardly from the vertical bar portion of the support frame, the base defining at least one portion of a receptacle for accommodating a pet; a foldable guardrail pivotally secured at one end to the vertical bar portion of the support frame spaced apart from the base, the guardrail extending above at least one portion of the base; a flexible guardrail extending between at least one portion of the perimeter of the base and the fence; a bracket supported on the vertical bar portion for movement between a first lower position and a second upper position, the bracket including a tether slot; and an adjustable length tether secured to the vertical bar portion of the support frame with a tensioning strap buckle for adjusting the length of a movable end of the tether, the movable end of the tether passing through the tether slot of the bracket; a vertical position of the movable end of the tether can be adjusted by moving the bracket between the first lower position and the second upper position; and a horizontal position of a distal end of the movable end of the tether can be adjusted using the tensioning strap buckle. A pet containment system for a vehicle, comprising: a support frame including an upwardly extending vertical bar portion and a horizontally extending base support portion; a base secured to the support frame and extending outwardly from the vertical bar portion of the support frame, the base defining at least one portion of a receptacle for accommodating a pet; a foldable fence having one end pivotally secured to the vertical bar portion of the support frame spaced from the base, the fence extending above at least one portion of the base; and a soft guardrail extending between the fence and at least one portion of a periphery of the base; wherein at least one of the support frame or the base is securable to a restraint system of the vehicle. The pet containment system as described in claim 15 further includes an offset member for offsetting the containment bar toward a usage position. A pet containment system as described in claim 15, wherein the containment bar is generally in the shape of a loop. A pet containment system as described in claim 15, wherein the containment pole is composed of a plurality of discontinuous sections assembled together. A pet enclosure system as described in claim 15, wherein the soft guardrail comprises at least one of a fabric or a net. A pet containment system as described in claim 15, further comprising at least one latch secure enough to secure the pet containment system to the support frame of a mating buckle of the vehicle, the at least one latch being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The pet containment system as described in claim 15 further includes a supporting leg for supporting the base. A method of securing a pet to a pet containment system, the method comprising: positioning a pet in a pet containment system having a base for receiving the pet, a support frame secured to the base, the support frame being removably secured to a vehicle; a bracket supported on the support frame for vertical movement along the support frame between a first lower position and a second upper position; and a tether having a movable end extending from the bracket; adjusting a vertical point of attachment of the tether relative to the support frame by moving the bracket along the support frame to a desired vertical height; and securing the movable end of the tether to a wearable component worn by the pet. The method as described in claim 22 further includes adjusting the length of the movable end of the tether. A method as described in claim 22, wherein positioning the pet in the pet containment system includes at least partially folding a foldable fence, one end of which is pivotally secured to a vertical bar of the support frame spaced apart from the base, the fence extending above at least a portion of the base and supporting a soft guardrail secured to the base. A pet containment system for a vehicle, comprising: a base for accommodating a pet; a support frame secured to the base, the support frame being removably secured to the vehicle; and a bracket supported on the support frame for vertical movement along the support frame between a first lower position and a second upper position, the bracket defining an attachment point for securing the pet; wherein the bracket is movable to adjust a vertical height of the attachment point. A pet containment system as described in claim 25, wherein the bracket is movable to at least one discrete position between the first lower position and the second upper position. A pet containment system as described in claim 26, further comprising an unlocking mechanism for selectively securing the bracket to a desired vertical height of the support frame. A pet containment system as described in claim 25, further comprising a tether having a movable end extending from the bracket for attachment to the pet. A pet restraint system as described in claim 28, wherein a portion of the tether opposite the movable end of the tether is fixed to the support frame so that movement of the bracket changes the length of the movable end of the tether. A pet protection system as described in claim 29, wherein the portion where the tether is fixed to the support frame is fixed to the support frame using an adjustment mechanism so that the length of a movable end of the tether can be adjusted. A pet containment system as described in claim 25, further comprising at least one latch secured to the support frame for securing the pet containment system to a mating buckle on the vehicle.