JP5993542B2 - Automatic scooping cat toilet - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention generally provides a conventional cover with all of the automatic scooping components provided at one end of an automatic cat litter, particularly a cleaning carriage that collects hardened cat sand. It relates to a tray for cat toilets.

  It is important to clean the cat's toilet regularly so that the cat does not discharge solid excrement throughout the house and so that the unpleasant odor caused by the excrement does not spread. From the number and type of automatic cat toilets on the market, even very enthusiastic cat enthusiasts find that cleaning cat toilets is a nasty chore. These cat litters are usually provided with means for separating the excrement mass from litter so that little maintenance is required to keep the cat litter clean. As a result of investigation of the prior art, the patented invention described directly in the claims of the present invention is not disclosed, but the following references are related.

  Of particular relevance is the animal waste disposal system disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,202,595 (inventor: Atrcravi), which collects waste with a scoop and has two handles. A drive mechanism is provided that moves the excrement to a waste container attached to a removable drawer with which the excrement is easily processed. The device described in US Pat. No. 6,205,954 (inventor: Bogaerts) has a comb attached to a receiving container with a cover lid and a movable part that pushes out waste. The waste container is also removable for emptying.

  The self-cleaning cat litter described in US application No. 2003/0217700 (inventor: Northrop et al.) Is designed for the excrement with a gap lid to receive a lump of excrement. The box is provided with a comb for pushing the excrement lump upward along the slope. The waste box is fitted with a removable tray and a disposable sheet, so that the container can be easily emptied.

  The waste treatment system described in US Pat. No. 5,226,388 (inventor: McDaniel) extends along side walls to move solid waste into a garbage bag shaped container. It is equipped with a rigid scoop that runs through the width of the saucer moving along existing parallel paths.

  The improved self-cleaning cat litter disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,082,302 (inventor: Thaler et al.) And US Pat. No. 5,477,812 (inventor: Waters) Both are provided with an open waste container at the discharge end of the sand container, a self-cleaning cat litter described in US Patent No. 5,544,620 mat that avoids excrement leaving the area With a storage part.

  U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,137 (Rood et al.) Describes a cat litter and a rotary sieving device that lifts and rotates through litter sand to carry waste to a disposal site A sieving device is arranged under the sand layer.

  The cat litter disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,494,165 (inventor: Asbury) and US Pat. No. 6,494,165 (inventor: Nussle) are both for cats. The toilet is divided into different parts. This cat litter must be tilted so that the lump is separated from the litter and stored in one part.

  US Pat. No. 6,568,348 (Inventor: Bedard), US Pat. No. 6,401,661 (Inventor: Emery), US Pat. No. 5,931,119 (Inventor: Nissim), etc. ), U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,066 (inventor: Leitz), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,797, the self-cleaning pet toilet box is all a container for litter, A hand mechanism and a motor are provided. An excellent feature of these inventions is that the motor can rotate the toilet sand container and the bearer can separate the litter.

  While some features are provided in combination with the present invention, other elements are sufficiently different to distinguish the combination from the prior art. In particular, the present invention eliminates the large and cumbersome design common to many automatic cat litters. The bear, motor, and container components disclosed in the prior art are located at various locations on the box, which limit the space available for the cat. In the present invention, the excreta is scooped up and collected in the excrement container. The waste container, rotatable grid, and motor mechanism are all provided in a conventional rectangular litter pan and on a portable box located at the end. The waste container is later removed by the user. These features make this toilet sand easy to use and cost effective.

  Therefore, there is an improved automatic cat litter and a system that requires little maintenance, but at the same time requires less effort, takes up less space, and consists of a less expensive carriage section, as well as a cleanable system. There is a long-standing demand to provide.

US Pat. No. 6,202,595 US Pat. No. 6,205,954 US Application No. 2003/0217700 US Pat. No. 5,226,388 US Pat. No. 6,082,302 US Pat. No. 5,477,812 US Pat. No. 5,544,620 US Pat. No. 5,823,137 US Pat. No. 6,494,165 US Pat. No. 5,272,999 US Pat. No. 6,568,348 US Pat. No. 6,401,661 US Pat. No. 5,931,119 US Pat. No. 5,662,066 US Patent No. 5107797

  It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic cat litter, particularly a cat litter with all of the automatic cleaning components configured in the cleaning carriage at one end of the toilet.

  It is a feature of the present invention that at one end of the toilet sand tray, a carriage with a rotatable grid, a drive device and a waste container is provided.

  One advantage of the present invention is that an automatic cleaning component is placed at the opposite end from where the cat enters the box, so that most of the space that the pan litter contains is reserved for the cat. ing.

  It is another feature of the present invention to have a ramp with horizontal ribs to catch the toilet sand on the limbs of the cat when the cat leaves so that the toilet sand is not scattered throughout the house .

  It is another feature of the present invention that all waste containers have a waste container with a rotatable tray that fits into a drawer so that it is not removed for waste to be disposed of. is there.

  It is another feature of the present invention to include a toilet sand box cover designed to fit the cat litter structure.

  One advantage of the litter box cover is that it can be easily placed and removed from the pan. Furthermore, the housing is not necessary to support the scooping mechanism. Therefore, the scooping mechanism can be installed directly on the tray.

  The advantages and features of the present invention should be better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of an automatic scooping cat litter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the automatic scooping cat litter shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the automatic scooping cat litter of FIG. 1 with the waste drawer lid open to show its interior. Fig. 3 shows a side view of an automatic scooping cat toilet. The top view of the toilet for automatic cats is shown.

The best mode for carrying out the invention is shown in the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings. An automatic cat toilet 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3. In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the preferred embodiment comprises an inclined portion 14 along the width of one end and an automatic cleaning carriage 12b located at the other end. The automatic cleaning carriage 12b is preferably
It has a waste drawer 16 with a rotating grid 18 provided vertically. The length of the excrement drawer 16 in the longitudinal direction is the width of the toilet sand tray 12 and the depth thereof is approximately half the depth of the toilet sand tray 12. The lid 20 is installed on the excrement drawer 16 by a hinge along the longitudinal direction of the excrement drawer 16.

  FIG. 2 shows a tray 26, which is sized to fit into the waste drawer 16 and suitable for the waste drawer 16. An easily processable and disposable plastic cover 30 or lining is placed on the tray so that waste can be removed quickly and easily. A handle 28 is located at the end of the tray so that the tray can be lifted from the drawer 16 and the waste can be disposed of. The handle 28 extends outwardly through a window formed by a rectangular recess 32 at the top of the drawer 16 and a curved recess 34 at the end of the lid 20 when the lid 20 is in the closed position. Yes.

The automatic cleaning carriage 12 b is positioned on the lip 22 of the tray 12 by the engagement rail 24. When the toilet automatically cleans, the automatic cleaning carriage 12b moves along the lip 22 and moves the guide rim 36 that protrudes outward from the inner wall of the tray 12a. While the engagement rail 24 moves all the automatic cleaning carriage 12b in the longitudinal direction of the saucer 12a, the litter passes through the teeth 38 of the rotating grid 18 and the mass of waste is pushed forward. The teeth 38 are straight or curved in order to better scoop up waste during the cleaning process . The lattice 18 rotates from the vertical position toward the end of the guide rim 36 and is lifted to the horizontal position from the bottom of the tray 12a. The grid 18 is then moved by the axle 40 to scoop all of the solid waste (including solid litter) that teeth 38 have moved into the tray 26 behind the grid 18 from the litter. Flip backward. The grid 18 mechanically returns to the vertical position, and the cleaning carriage 12b returns back along the same guide rim 36 to the rest position of the cleaning carriage 12b.

  The automatic cleaning carriage 12b is attached to the drawer 16 and is moved in the longitudinal direction of the tray 12a by a motor driving device (not shown) accommodated in the adjacent cabin 42. The cabin 42 is a toilet sand tray 12a, and is disposed outside the cat toilet 10 so as not to consume a space containing additional toilet sand. An extrusion lock release 44 located on the head of the cabin 42 provides access to the motor and machine elements used to drive the cleaning carriage 12b.

In another embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, a manual crank is used to drive the automatic cleaning carriage 12b. In this embodiment, the drive unit is still housed in the cabin 42 but is not motor driven. A manual crank (not shown) using a crank mechanism is used instead of the motor.

  Other functional elements provided in the preferred embodiment include horizontal ribs 48. The ribs 48 help the cat enter and exit, and help catch the litter of litter and excrement attached to the cat's limbs before being scattered throughout the house. Circular grooves 50 located at the four corners on the lip 22 of the saucer 12a are also means for covering the cat litter located on the saucer 12a.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention operates with a single motor drive. The scooping by the motor begins to be driven by a sensor or person. After the cat leaves the cat toilet, the lid on the excrement drawer opens and the solid excrement can be stored in the tray 26. Engagement rails arranged on the cleaning carriage carry waste in the longitudinal direction of the saucer by means of lips and guide rims arranged on the inner side wall of the saucer. When the cleaning carriage moves on the saucer, the litter passes through the teeth of the rotatable grid and the litter that is hardened is pushed forward. Toilet sand is filled to about half the depth of the pan. Since the depth of the drawer is approximately half the depth of the saucer, the toilet sand through which the teeth have passed becomes flat via the saucer. As the rotatable grid approaches the curved shallow end of the pan, the path ends and the grid, which is pushed to a relatively horizontal position, removes all solid waste from the tray with the cover behind it. Scoop up. The grid returns to the vertical position and the cleaning carriage returns to its rest position. The lid is closed on the drawer so that the pet owner lifts the tray with the handle and blocks the unpleasant odor from the stored waste until he returns to discard the waste. The tray can be rotated upward to dispose of the waste, and the plastic cover is removed along with the waste stored therein, and both are discarded.

  The cat litter lid covers the automatic cat litter during the automatic cleaning process. The lid is fixed on the saucer by four pins fastened in the corner grooves of the saucer. The lid can be easily and quickly removed when access to the drawer is required. Furthermore, the fabric cover can be removed from the frame and washed repeatedly.

  The foregoing specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of the drawings and specification. They are not exhaustive and the invention is not limited to the disclosed arrangements. It is clear that many modifications and variations are possible from the viewpoint of the above-mentioned professor. The examples have been selected and described in order to best explain the principles and practical applicability of the present invention, so that those skilled in the art will With minor modifications, the present invention and various embodiments can be best utilized. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited only by the following claims.

Claims (13)

A deep rectangular saucer with no cover,
A scooping carriage at the end of the tray;
A drive for moving the scooping carriage along the tray;
A waste drawer provided in the scooping carriage;
An automatic scooping cat litter characterized by having a grid supported by a shaft mounted perpendicular to the excrement drawer. In the automatic scooping cat toilet according to claim 1,
The excrement drawer is
A lid provided with a hinge,
A tray sized to fit the excrement drawer;
A disposable plastic cover or lining provided on the tray;
An automatic scooping cat toilet, wherein the tray is lifted from the excrement drawer by an outwardly extending handle disposed on the tray, and the excrement contents in the tray are discarded. In the automatic scooping cat toilet according to claim 1,
The scooping carriage engagement rail moves along the lip of the tray, collects solid waste in the tray, and returns to the original position to store the collected mass. The automatic scooping cat litter is characterized in that the carriage is arranged on the lip of the tray by the engaging rails located on opposite sides of the scooping carriage. In the automatic scooping cat toilet according to claim 1,
The automatic scooping cat tray, wherein the scooping carriage further includes a guide rim that projects from the side wall of the tray into the tray. In the automatic scooping cat toilet according to claim 1,
An automatic scooping cat litter characterized in that the tray is curved so as to be shallow at the opposite end where the scooping carriage is disposed. In the automatic scooping cat toilet according to claim 5,
An automatic scooping cat litter characterized by further comprising an inclined portion provided with a horizontal rib at the end of the shallowing portion. In the automatic scooping cat toilet according to claim 1,
An automatic scooping cat litter characterized in that the drive device is provided in a cabin located outside the tray and is attached to and adjacent to the excrement drawer. An uncovered toilet sand tray, the toilet sand tray forming a cat litter container for holding cat litter, the container being surrounded by an upwardly extending side wall Toilet sand tray,
A carriage driven by a motor that is movable near the top of the toilet sand pan and straddles two side walls;
The carriage driven by the motor includes a waste drawer and a comb-like portion,
The comb-like portion supported on the excrement drawer by a shaft and freely suspended in the container for the toilet sand for cats is excreted when the comb-like portion is supported above. It is attached so that it can guide the object to the drawer,
An automatic scooping cat characterized in that the carriage driven by the motor drives the excrement drawer by a reciprocating movement forward and backward for collecting and storing the lump and collecting and collecting the lump. Toilet. In the automatic scooping cat toilet according to claim 8,
The automatic scooping cat toilet, wherein the carriage driven by the motor reciprocates and is restrained within the boundary of the side wall of the toilet sand tray. A rectangular toilet sand pan with two bottom walls spaced apart from one bottom,
These side walls each end at the upper end of the side wall with a lip on the wall ,
An improved automatic scooping cat litter with a litter pan defining an upward litter room for the litter to be filled with cat litter to a predetermined filling level Because
The improved automatic scooping cat litter further comprises a waste drawer movable along the lip of the side wall to hold a removable tray ;
A comb-like portion supported on the excrement drawer by a shaft and freely suspended in a container of the toilet sand for cats,
The comb-shaped portion is attached so as to be able to guide an object to the excrement drawer when it is supported above, and
Is driven by a motor, a carriage provided with the excrement drawer and the comb collects mass back to storage, collected mass in reciprocating motion to recover, is driven along a saucer litter An improved automatic scooping cat litter characterized by In the improved automatic scooping cat litter according to claim 10,
An improved automatic scooping cat litter characterized in that the carriage driven by the motor is movable along the top of one side wall. In the improved automatic scooping cat litter according to claim 10,
An improved automatic scooping cat litter characterized in that the carriage driven by the motor comprises a reversible excrement carriage drive motor. In a method for automatically scooping up a cat litter by driving a carriage with excrement drawers and comb-like portions by a motor ,
This method
Drive the comb attached to the excrement drawer , and the comb from the first side of the toilet sand pan through the toilet sand pan to collect the lump, opposite the toilet sand pan Driving to the second side of the side;
Further rotating the comb to pivot the collected mass to a waste collection container;
A method comprising the step of returning a comb-like portion to said first side within the boundary of a toilet sand pan for storage of collected excreta.

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