WO2006083123A1

WO2006083123A1 - Evacuation cleaning apparatus for pet

Info

Publication number: WO2006083123A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/000376
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jung-Rim Huh
Original assignee: Jung-Rim Huh
Priority date: 2005-02-07
Filing date: 2006-02-02
Publication date: 2006-08-10

Abstract

An evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets for training pets to evacuate by which when the pets evacuate (particularly, urinate) indoors, feed is automatically provided thereto in return to their cautious evacuation, so as to enable the training of the pets to cautiously evacuate. Another object of the present invention is to provide an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate, which is capable of improving a living environment which is unsanitary due to raising of the pets by cleanly collecting and disposing the pets evacuations. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate, which is capable of being efficiently used by stably inducing and disposing evacuations (particularly, urine) which are discharged irrespective of evacuating postures depending on a female-male division for the pets. Hence, the evacuation cleaning apparatus is constructed by forming a main body frame provided with an installation space, a container receiving groove, a controlling unit and an external equipment connecting hole, mounting and coupling to one another a tray having a leakage preventing piece, a discharge induction plate having a discharge groove, a urine detecting sensor and a discharge treating container having an antibiotic pad disposed therein, all of which are installed within the installation space of the main body frame with being sequentially stacked on one another, and thereafter electrically connecting a feed supplying apparatus to the external equipment connecting hole of the main body frame.

Description

EVACUATION CLEANING APPARATUS FOR PET

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets, and more particularly, to an evacuation apparatus cleaning apparatus for pets which is capable of cleaning pets evacuation more conveniently and more cleanly and of training pets to always evacuate only at a designated place by providing the pets with a certain amount of feed in return to their evacuations using an evacuation sensing function.

[2]

Background Art

[3] People who raise various types of pets such as dogs, cats, and the like rapidly increase in recent times.

[4] However, some pets which are not well trained leave their evacuations at any places

(e.g., bedclothes, beds, etc.). Accordingly, training the pets to cautiously evacuate must be firstly done in order to raise the pets without inconvenience.

[5] The training of their evacuations needs constant concern, efforts, and time. Even if making every effort, it may unexpectedly take long time to train them or may fail to train them according to their intelligence quotients (IQs) and their types, so that it may be difficult to raise the pets without burden.

[6] As a method for cleaning pets evacuations cleanly and easily, several evacuation cleaning devices for pets such as pet lavatory which is registered in Utility Model No. 0311648) in Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) are being broadly developed and used.

[7] However, the evacuation cleaning devices for the pets as the previously patented as aforementioned simply collect the evacuations of the pets. Such devices do not separately carry out a function for training the pets to evacuate.

[8] Accordingly, in order to use the evacuation cleaning devices according to appropriate usages thereof, the pets must be previously trained to move themselves to a place where the evacuation cleaning devices are placed for their evacuations whenever the pets feel to evacuate. For pets which are not trained therefor, the evacuation cleaning devices are useless only to be adapted to limited usages.

[9] It is thus necessary to develop a new product to effectively restrict the evacuation of the pets and to train the pets to evacuate.

[10]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [11] Therefore, in order to solve the above problem in the incautious evacuation of the pets which are not trained, an object of the present invention is to provide an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate, wherein when the pets evacuate (particularly, urinate) at a designated place in a room, feed is automatically provided thereto in return to the cautious evacuation, so as to enable the training of the pets to cautiously evacuate.

[12] Another object of the present invention is to provide an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate, which is capable of improving a living environment which is unsanitary due to raising of the pets by cleanly collecting and disposing the pets evacuations.

[13] Still another object of the present invention is to provide an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate, which is capable of being efficiently used by stably inducing and disposing evacuations (particularly, urine) which are discharged irrespective of evacuating postures depending on a female-male division for the pets.

Technical Solution

[14] To achieve the above object, there is provided an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate, comprising a main body frame including an installation space, a container receiving groove, a controlling unit and an external equipment connecting hole, wherein a tray having a leakage preventing piece, a discharge inducing plate having a discharging groove and a urine detecting sensor, and a discharge treating container containing an antibiotic pad therein are sequentially installed within the installation space of the main body frame in a manner of being sequentially stacked on one another, and thereafter a feed supplying apparatus is electrically connected to the external equipment connecting hole of the main body frame.

[15]

Advantageous Effects

[16] As mentioned above, by using the evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate, when pets evacuate (pass urine) at a designated place in a room, the pets can be restricted or trained not to incautiously evacuate (discharge urine), resulting in an improvement of an unsanitary environment due to the raising of the pets by use of a function for cleanly treating (disposing) the pets evacuations.

[17] In addition, the evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate can be efficiently used such that the pets evacuations (urine) can stably be disposed (cleaned or treated) irrespectively of changes in their evacuating postures depending on a female-male division, thereby providing users with useful expected effects. [18]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[19] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention; [20] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention; [21] Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention; [22] Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a coupled state of a feed supplying apparatus applied to the present invention; and [23] Fig. 5 is a view showing another embodiment of an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention. [24]

[25] **** Explanation for the major reference numerals ****

[26] 1 : main body frame 2: discharge treating container 3: discharge induction plate 4: tray

[27] 5: control board 6: urination inducing plate

[28] 7: feed supplying apparatus 11: installation space

[29] 12: container receiving groove 13: auxiliary installation groove

[30] 14: controlling unit 15: external equipment connecting hole

[31] 22: antibiotic pad 31 : discharge groove

[32] 32: urine induction surface 33: urine detecting sensor

[33] 41 : leakage preventing piece 61 : inclined induction surface

[34] 62: coupling groove 71: support frame

[35] 72: storage container 73: supply container

[36] 74: rotary plate 75: blocking plate

[37]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [38] Hereinafter, explanation will now be given for preferred embodiments of an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to evacuate with reference to the attached drawings. [39] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention, Fig.

2 is a perspective view showing the evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a coupled state of a feed supplying apparatus applied to the present invention.

[40] Considering a series of constructions, an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to evacuate may comprise a main body frame 1, a discharge treating container 2, a discharge induction plate 3, a tray 4, a control board 5, a urine induction plate 6, and a feed supplying apparatus 7.

[41] First, the main body frame 1 has a rectangular shape to construct an external appearance of the present invention. Regarding the main body frame 1, as shown in Fig. 1, an installation space 11 having a certain length is formed at an inner surface of the main body frame 1, and a container receiving groove 12 is protrudingly formed at a bottom of a front portion of the main body frame 1. Consecutively, an auxiliary installation groove 13 having a coupling protrusion D is formed, as shown in the partially enlarged view of Fig 1, at an upper portion of one side of a circumference of the main body frame 1 in the rectangular shape. As an integrally coupled shape as shown in Fig. 1, a controlling unit 14 including a plurality of handling switches S (e.g., on/off control, sensor control, an operation display lamp, etc.) is preferably coupled to an external equipment connecting hole 15, which is constructed as a type of connector, at one side of a lateral surface of the main body frame 1.

[42] Here, the installation space 11 indicates a coupling space in which a series of components to be explained later are installed. A slide-guiding piece 111 protrudes to have a certain length from a lower circumference of an inner lateral surface of the installation space 11. The installation space is further provided with an induction plate support 112 and a tray support 113 which are sequentially stacked on the slide-guiding piece 111 by being spaced from each other by a certain interval, as shown in Fig. 1.

[43] Also, the discharge treating container 2 is constructed to stably collect evacuations of the pets (particularly, urine thereof), and has a structure of a rectangular container as shown in Fig. 1. The discharge treating container 2 is integrally provided with a grip 21 at a front central portion thereof. Preferably, a removable antibiotic pad 22 is disposed at an inner surface discharge treating container 2.

[44] In addition, the discharge induction plate 3 indicates a types of evacuation (urine) induction unit. The discharge induction plate 3 is, as shown in Fig. 1 or 2, preferably constructed by symmetrically forming a pair of urine induction surfaces 32, each of which is inclined upwardly, at both left and right lateral surfaces based upon a discharge groove 31 having a particular length, and mounting a urine detecting sensor 33 at a front end portion of the discharge groove 31.

[45] Here, in particular, the discharge groove 31 is formed to be inclined downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, in order for the evacuation (urine) to flow smoothly. In addition, for smoothly detecting the flowing evacuation (urine), the front end portion of the discharge groove 31 at which the urine detecting sensor 33 is mounted is preferably formed to have a bottleneck structure as shown in Fig. 1.

[46] The tray 4 indicates a type of support means to allow the pets to evacuate in a stable condition. The tray 4 has a rectangular grill net structure as shown in Fig. 1. Preferably, the tray 4 is integrally formed with a means for preventing the evacuation from being leaked to the exterior, namely, with a leakage blocking piece 41 which is inclined downwardly at a bottom of a front end surface of the tray 4.

[47] The control board 5 indicates a typical printed circuit board for controlling operations of various electrical equipment in a state that electrical components such as integrated circuits, resistors or switches are mounted therein. Preferably, the control board 5 applied to the present invention uses the printed circuit board to control the operation of the urine detecting sensor 33 and also to control other electrical operations and operations in terms of circuits.

[48] Especially, the control board 5 applied to the present invention is, as shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 3, additionally provided with a melody reproduction chip 51 and a speaker 52. The melody reproduction chip 51 is a typical component in which stereophonic sound selected according to a user's preference is programmed and then stored. A stereophonic sound outputting method of the melody reproduction chip 51 may be determined according to a program supported by a manufacturer for the melody reproduction chip.

[49] In addition, the urination induction plate 6 indicates a auxiliary component which can appropriately correspond to changes in evacuating postures according to a female- male division of the pets. The urination induction plate 6, as shown in Fig. 1, is formed as an upright plate body. An inclined induction surface 61 is formed at a lower surface of the urination induction plate 6, and a coupling groove 62 is formed at a rear side of the inclined induction surface 61.

[50] Here, the size and shape of the urination induction plate 6 can be variably designed according to the pets types (or sizes) for applying thereof, and thus it can be noted that it comes within the scope of the present invention.

[51] The feed supplying apparatus 7 indicates an independent component for supplying feed to the pets in return to their evacuation. The feed supplying apparatus 7 is basically provided with, as shown in Fig. 4, a support frame 71 including a power source connecting opening 711 and a switching portion 712 (e.g., an on/off switch, an automatic/manual controlling switch, etc.). A cylindrical storage container 72 having an opening/closing lid 721 and a discharge induction tube 722 is formed at an upper surface of the support frame 71. A supply container 73 in a concave shape is formed at one side of the storage container 72, namely, under a protrusion of the discharge induction tube 722. Preferably, the storage container 72 further includes a rotary plate 74 rotated by operating a motor M, and a blocking plate 75 which is fixed to support the rotary plate 74, both of which are disposed at an inner side surface of the storage container 72, as shown in Fig. 4.

[52] Here, in such construction, as shown in the partially enlarged view of Fig. 4, feed outlets 741 each of which has a stepped through hole shape and a difference size from one another is formed at an upper surface of the rotary plate 74. In addition, an opened groove 751 which is opened by a certain size is formed at one side surface of the blocking plate 75.

[53] Therefore, explanations will now be made for the coupled state of the components provided to the evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention having such construction.

[54] Regarding the basic construction of the main body frame 1, the discharge treating container 2 is received within the container receiving groove 12 according to an induction operation by the slide-guiding piece 111.

[55] Then, the discharge induction plate 3 is disposed at the upper surface of the received discharge treating container 2, namely, at the central portion of the installation space 11 to be supported by the induction plate support 112, wherein the installed discharge induction plate 3 and the discharge treating container 2 are in a stacked structure with being spaced from each other by a certain interval.

[56] Continuously, the tray 4 is installed at the upper surface of the discharge induction plate 3 by being supported by the tray support 113. The tray 4 and the discharge induction plate 3 are sequentially stacked with being spaced from each other by a certain interval.

[57] In addition, in the state, a power source connecting opening 711 is inserted into the external equipment connecting hole 15 of the main body frame 1 to thus electrically connect the feed supplying apparatus 7 with the main body frame 1. At last, the urine induction plate 6 is uprightly installed in the auxiliary installation groove 13 of the main body frame 1. Accordingly, the evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets for training the pets to cautiously evacuate according to the present invention can be implemented.

[58] Here, the urine induction plate 6 can induce different evacuating postures according to the female-male division for the pets (e.g., a male pet raises his one leg to pass urine), so as to appropriately cope with different evacuating postures.

[59] Accordingly, the urine induction plate 6 can be installed for use by a user's selection according to the female-male division of the pets they raise.

[60] The present invention having such coupled construction can clean the pet's evacuation with being provided indoors and simultaneously can train the pets to cautiously evacuate (e.g., pass urine) only at a designated area. Now, explanations will be made for usage relation between the cleaning and the training and interaction therebetween.

[61] First, when the pet evacuates (e.g., passes urine) with positioning on the tray 4, the urine of the pet is dropped onto the discharge induction plate 3 installed below the tray 4 according to the structure feature (i.e., a reticular formation) of the tray 4 having the grill net structure. The evacuation (urine) of the pet dropped onto the discharge induction plate 3 is gathered to the discharge groove 31 along the pair of urine induction plates 32 which are inclined upwardly. The gathered urine of the pet flows along the discharge groove 31 which is inclined downwardly to thus be collected within the discharge treating container 2 through a front end portion of the discharge groove 31 having a bottleneck structure.

[62] Here, the evacuation (urine) flowing in the discharge groove 31 is liquid with a certain temperature. When the pet's evacuation flows through the front end portion of the discharge groove 31 having the bottleneck structure, the urine detecting sensor 33 installed in the front end portion of the discharge groove 31 senses the flow of the evacuation (urine) to send a sensed signal (i.e. sensing signal) to a control board 5. The control board 5 receiving the sensing signal operates a feed supplying apparatus 7 which is electrically connected to the main body frame 1 by controlling the feed supplying apparatus 7 electrically and in terms of a circuit according to the received signal to thus automatically supply a certain amount of feed filled in a storage container 72 to the pet in return to the evacuation.

[63] In addition, stereophonic sound stored in a melody reproduction chip is reproduced

(outputted) for a set time through a speaker 52 under the control of the control board 5 by the urine sensing signal. Accordingly, it is also effective to arouse auditory curiosity of the pet which evacuates (passes urine).

[64] On the other hand, the feed supplying apparatus 7 by which the certain amount of feed is automatically supplied according to the electrical sensing signal and the signal in terms of the circuit is designed to selectively adjust the amount of feed to be supplied according to the sizes of the pets. The amount of feed to be supplied can be adjusted by controlling the rotary plate 74 having the feed outlets 741 with stepped sizes, as shown in the partially enlarged view of Fig. 4, by operating the motor M according to the operation of the switching portion 712 using a rotary scheme and thus by matching the feed outlets 741 having the stepped sizes with the opened groove 651 of the blocking plate 75.

[65] Here, the feed supplying apparatus 7 for supplying the feed according to the series of controlling processes can be separated from the main body frame 1 to thus be used as a simple feed supply means with an independent shape. Also, the feed supplying apparatus 7 can be manually controlled by the operation of the switching portion 712, which is not departed from the scope of the present invention accordingly.

[66] Furthermore, the present invention which has such usage relation is partially limited on the function for automatically supplying feed to the pet only by sensing his urine of his all evacuation. Accordingly, in terms of feces, not the urine, evacuated on the tray, the user checks the pet's evacuating act in real time, and thereafter directly supplies the feed to the pet from the feed supplying apparatus by a manual operation (by operating the switching portion) so as to train the pet to cautiously evacuate.

[67] Finally, the pet's evacuation (urine) collected within the discharge treating container

2 is absorbed into the antibiotic pad 22 to thus prevent pathogen leakage and offensive odor. After a certain period for use, the antibiotic pad 22 can be replaced for a new one by separating the discharge treating container 2 from the container receiving groove 12, washing the discharge treating container 2 according to the user's selection, and then disposing a new antibiotic pad 22 within the washed discharge treating container 2.

[68] Fig. 5, on the other hand, is another embodiment illustrating an evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to cautiously evacuate in accordance with the present invention. In the another embodiment according to the present invention, in addition to the construction of the aforementioned embodiment, a limit switch L which is operated by pushing a certain button is protrudingly formed at an upper surface of one side of the tray support 113 disposed in the installation space 11, and then the pro- trudingly-formed limit switch L is electrically connected to the control board 5 through a power-line W. Preferably, the tray 4 is then stacked on an upper surface of the limit switch L.

[69] Here, the limit switch L formed at the upper surface of the one side of the tray support 113 protrudes by a certain length upwardly. Accordingly, when the tray 4 is stacked thereon, the tray 4 may be inclined out of balance. Considering the condition, as shown in Fig. 5, mounting induction protrusions T in a manner of a push-button way are additionally formed at upper surfaces of three other sides of the tray support 113, wherein the mounting induction protrusions T have the same structure as the limit switch L but are not connected to the power-line W. Hence, the tray 4 can stably be stacked.

[70] Therefore, according to the another embodiment of the present invention, when the pet positions on the tray 4 to evacuate, the tray 4 is pushed down, as shown in Fig. 5, by the pet's load (weight) to thus be in contact with (grounded on) the limit switch L. Accordingly, a ground signal is delivered to the control board 5 to turn power on to control the series of functions for sensing the urine and the feed supplying apparatus 7. Conversely, when the pet finishes his evacuating act and leaves away from the tray 4, the limit switch L is elastically back to its original state (un-pushed state) to be electrically disconnected (i.e., a short-circuit), thereby turning power off.

[71] Thus, according to the another embodiment of the present invention, without any separate switching operation through the controlling unit 14, the electrical operation can be automatically controlled by the load (weight) based upon the pet's evacuating act, which may not thusly be departed from the scope of the present invention.

[72]

Claims

[1] 1. An evacuation cleaning apparatus for pets to train the pets to evacuate comprising: a main body frame 1 provided with a container receiving groove 12 formed through a front portion of one side of an installation space 11 and with a controlling unit 14 and an external equipment connecting hole 15 disposed at one lateral side; a discharge treating container 2 slidably coupled into the container receiving groove 12 of the main body frame 1, and provided with an antibiotic pad 22 di sposed thereon; a discharge induction plate 3 provided with a discharge groove 31 stacked on the slidably-coupled discharge treating container 2 by being spaced therefrom with a certain interval, and having a urine detecting sensor 33; a tray 4 having a grill net structure and having a leakage preventing piece 41, wherein the tray 4 is stacked on the discharge induction plate 3 by being spaced therefrom with a certain interval; and a feed supplying apparatus 7 having a power source connecting opening 711 and a switching portion 712 which are electrically attached to or detached from the external equipment connecting hole 15 of the main body frame 1.

[2] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the main body frame, an auxiliary installation groove 13 provided with a coupling protrusion D is formed at an upper portion of one side of a circumference of the main body frame 1 ; and a urine induction plate 6 provided with an inclined induction surface 61 and a coupling groove 62 is coupled to the auxiliary installation groove 13 to be attachable or detachable, to thus correspond to changes in evacuating postures according to a female-male division of pets.

[3] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installation space of the main body frame

1 is provided with a slide-guiding piece 111, an induction plate support 112 and a tray support 113 at a circumference of an inner surface thereof, wherein the slide-guiding piece 111, the induction plate support 112 and the tray support 113 are sequentially stacked on one another with a certain interval therebetween.

[4] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling unit 14 of the main body frame

1 is connected in terms of a circuit to the control board 5 for sensing the evacuation and integratively controlling electrical operations among equipment.

[5] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge induction plate 3 is provided with a pair of urine induction surfaces 32 which are symmetrically inclined upwardly at both left and right lateral surfaces based upon the discharge groove

31. [6] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the feed supplying apparatus 7 includes: a storage container 72 filled with feed; a discharge induction tube 722 for externally supplying the feed filled in the storage container 72; and a supply container 73 for receiving the feed discharged through the discharge induction tube 722, wherein a rotary plate 74 rotated by operating a motor M and a blocking plate 75 are further provided at an inner surface of the storage container 72. [7] The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the tray support 113 includes a limit switch L operated in a manner of pushing a button and a mounting induction protrusions

T, wherein the tray 4 is stacked on the limit switch L and the mounting induction protrusions T, and thus power is controlled to be turned on and/or off by a grounding operation of the limit switch L according to a pet's load or weight. [8] The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control board 5 further includes a melody reproduction chip 51 and a speaker 52, and outputs stereophonic sound stored for a set time according to a urine sensing signal. [9] The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the rotary plate 74 has feed discharge holes in a structure of stepped through holes which have different sizes from one another at an upper surface thereof, and the blocking plate 75 has an opened groove 751 formed through at one lateral surface thereof with a certain size, to thus adjust an amount of feed to be supplied by controlling the rotation of the rotary plate 74.