WO2013192498A1

WO2013192498A1 - Manual litter box

Info

Publication number: WO2013192498A1
Application number: PCT/US2013/046988
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlos Ojeda; Steve VERNAGLIA; Taryn SPROVIERO; Nathan FENWICK; Enrique PLAZARTE
Original assignee: Sunbeam Products, Inc
Priority date: 2012-06-21
Filing date: 2013-06-21
Publication date: 2013-12-27

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards a manual litter box. The manual litter box includes a litter tray having a bottom surface, a first and second side wall, a home end, and a waste end, where the bottom surface has an upwardly sloping ramp directed towards the discharge end. A carriage assembly is supported between the first and second side walls, and includes a rake positioned thereon. The carriage assembly can include an extended handle portion for allowing a user to mover the carriage assembly along a path between the home end and discharge end of the litter tray. A waste receptacle is positioned adjacent to the discharge end of the litter tray, the waste receptacle having a selectively openable lid.

Description

MANUAL LITTER BOX

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to eat litter boxes, and, more particularly, to manual litter box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

House cats are typically trained to use a litter box for elimination of both liquid and solid wastes. A cat litter box is normally made of a no absorbent material for supporting litter therein. The litter material may be one of any number of particulate litter materials that absorb moisture from the waste of the cat and that may also suppress odor from cat wastes. Some forms of litter material form clumps when wet.

The waste in the litter boxes must be discarded regularly, in some instance on a daily basis. However, ever after minimal use the waste may result in a strong, unpleasant odor. As such, the person cleaning litter box may find this to be an unpleasant task.

As such, a number of apparatus have been developed for the manual cleaning of litter boxes. These manual-cleaning cat litter boxes may include a rake or comb that is normally maintained in a storage position at one end of the litter box. This comb is moved through the litter material in the litter box, from the storage position at one end of the litter box to the opposite end, which constitutes a discharge end for the litter box. At the discharge end of the litter box the rake can move up, out of the litter material, discharging any clumps of waste collected by the rake into a disposal receptacle. Upon completion, the rake is moved back to the storage position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure provides a manual litter box. The manual litter box includes a litter tray having a bottom surface, a first and second side wall, a home end, and a waste end, where the bottom surface has an upwardly sloping ramp directed towards the discharge end. A carriage assembly is supported between the first and second side walls, and includes a rake positioned thereon. The carriage assembly can include an extended handle portion for allo wing a user to mover the carriage assembly along a path between the home end and discharge end of the litter tray. A waste receptacle is positioned adjacent to the discharge end of the litter tray, the waste receptacle having a selectively rotatable lid.

The carriage assembly can include a pivotal extender mount, where the extended handled is removable mountable to the pivotal extender mount. The pivotal extender mount can include a fhreadably connection, such that the extended handle can be threadab!y mounted to the pivotal extender mount. The extended handle permits a user to perform a cleaning cycle of the manual litter box without have to kneel next to the litter box.

The first and second side walls of the litter fray can each include a guide rail extending along the length of the litter tray. The guide rails are positioned for engagement by the carriage assembly, where the carriage assembly is moveably along the guide rails. The guide rails have a varying thickness along their length and can be divided into a first, second, third, fourth, and fifth rail section. The first rail section of the guide rails correspond to the hori zontal portion of the bottom wall. The second rail section of the guide rails correspond to a first transition zone between the horizontal portion and the upwardly sloping ramp portion of the bottom wall. The third rail section of the guide rails correspond to the upwardly sloping ramp portion of the bottom wall. The fourth rail section of the guide rails correspond to a second transition zone between the upwardly sloping ramp portion and the discharge end of the bottom wall, The fifth rail section of the guide rails correspond to the discharge end of the bottom wall.

Each of the rail sections can have the same or different rail thicknesses, for example, the second rail section can have a second rail thickness which is less than a rail thickness of the first rail section and the fourth rail section can a fourth rail thickness which is greater than a rail thickness of the first rail section. The varying thickness of the second and fourth rail sections can enable the pairs of upper and lower guide wheels of the carnage assembly maintain contact with the guide rails as the carriage assembly travels along the length of th e litter tray.

The waste receptacle can be positioned under the bottom of the litter tray, adjacent to the discharge end of the litter tray. A rotatable lid can be connected to the discharge end, covering the waste receptacle. The rotatable lid is rotatable from a closed position, covering the waste receptacle, to an opening position, allowing access to the waste receptacle through an open portion of the discharge end.

In operation, as the carriage assembly is manually moved from the home end to the discharge end, during a cleaning stroke, the rake will engage the cat waste in the litter material, moving it towards the discharge end, A portion of the carriage assembly engages the rotatable lid to rotate it to the open position, allowing for the deposit of the cat waste into the waste receptacle. As the carriage assembly is moved from the discharge end to the home end, the caniage assembly disengages the rotatable lid, allowing the rotatable lid to close, covering the waste receptacle. The carriage assemble can then be stored at the home end,

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an isometric view of the manual litter box of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the manual litter box of FIG. I ; FIG. 3 depicts a top view of the manual litter box of FIG. I ;

FIG. 4 depicts a side sectional view showing the guide wheels of manual litter box of

FIG. I :

FIG. 5 depicts a front view of the manual litter box of FIG, 1 ; FIG. 6 depicts a front sectional view of the manual litter box of FIG, 1 ; FIG, 7 depicts an isometric view of the caniage assembly of the manual litter box of FIG. l;

FIG. 9 depicts a side sectional view of the carriage assembly of manual litter box of FIG. i;

FIG. 10 depicts a second side sectional view of the carriage assembly of manual litter box of FIG. I ;a.nd FIG. 1 1 depicts an isometric view of the manual litter box of FIG. 1 including a extended handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference designators refer to like elements, there is shown in FIGs. 1-3 a manual litter box 10 of the present disclosure. The manual litter box 10 includes a litter tray 12, a carnage assembly 14, and a waste receptacle 16, where the waste receptacle 16 is positioned at a discharge end of the litter tray 12. The carriage assembly 14, including a rake 18, positioned in the litter tray 12. The carriage assembly 14 is manually moveable with respect to the litter tray 12, such that the rake 18 can be moved through litter material in the litter tray 12 to remove cat. waste from the litter material and into the waste receptacle 16 at the discharge end.

The litter tray 12 can be rectangular in shape, having a pair of parallel side walls 22, 24, a bottom wall 26, a first end 28, home end, and a second end 30, discharge end. The waste receptacle 16 can be removable positioned adjacent to, under, the second end 30, discharge end, of the litter tray 12. In this manner, to remove cat waste from the litter tray 12 a cleaning cycle is performed by the user where the user manually moves carriage assembly 14 from a storage position at the home end 28 to the discharge end 30 during a cleaning stroke, and then from the discharge end 30 to the home end 28 during a return stroke. The waste receptacle 16 can be positioned under the bottom 32 of the litter tray 12, adjacent to an open portion 34 of the discharge end 30 of the litter tray 12, providing support to the litter tray 12. A rotatable lid 36 can be connected to the discharge end 30, covering the open portion 34 of the discharge end 30 of the litter tray 12. The rotatable lid 36 is rotatable from a closed position, covering the waste receptacle 16, to an opening position, allowing access to the waste receptacle 16 through the open portion 34 of the discharge end 30, The rotatable lid 36 can include a bias member, which biases the receptacle lid 36 in the closed position.

Alternatively, a sliding lid (not shown) can be connected to the discharge end 30, covering the open portion 34 of the discharge end 30 of the litter tray 12. The sliding lid moves in a linear manner from a closed position, covering the waste receptacle 16, to an opening position, allowing access to the waste receptacle 16 the open portion 34 of the discharge end 30.

The sliding lid can include a bias member, which biases the receptacle lid 36 in the closed position.

The bottom wall 26 of the litter tray 12 includes a substantially horizontal portion 38, forming a base support surface of the litter tray 12, and an upw ardly sloped ( linear) porti on 40 extending between the horizontal portion 38 and the discharge end 30. The discharge end 30 forming a second substantially horizontal portion. The horizontal portion 38 of the litter tray 12 can be sufficiently deep to accommodate a sufficient depth of litter material, for example, at least 3 inches of litter material.

The bottom wall 26 of the litter tray 12 further includes a first curved transition zone 43 between the horizontal portion 38 and the upwardly portion 40. The first curved transition zone 43 is shaped to maintain, an equal distance between the rake 18 and the bottom wall 26 as the carriage assembly 14 is moved between the horizontal portion 38 and the upwardly sloped portion 40 of the bottom wall 26 litter tray 12.

A second curved transition zone 45 is provided between the upwardly portion 40 and the discharge end 30 of the bottom wall 26 litter tray 12. The second curved transition zone 44 is shaped to maintain an equal distance between the rake i 8 and the bottom wall 26 as the carriage assembly 14 is moved between upwardly sloped portion 40 and the discharge end 30 of the bottom wall 26 litter tray 12,

Referring to FIGs. 1 , 4-6, the side walls 22, 24, of the litter tray 12 can include guide rails 42, 44 extending outwardly from, and along, a top edge 47, of the side walls 22, 24. The guide rails 42, 44 can extend from the home end 28 to the discharge end 30 of the litter tray 12. The guide rails 42, 44 are formed by a closed top 46 and open bottom 48 and are divided into five continuous sections having varying channel thicknesses.

The first rail section 50, corresponding to the horizontal portion 38 of the bottom wall 26 of the litter tray 12, is substantially straight and has a first channel thickness. The second rail section 52, corresponding to the first transition zone 43 between the horizontal portion 38 and upwardly sloped portion 40 of the of the bottom wall 26, is upwardly curved and ha s a second thickness, where the second thickness is less than the first thickness. The third rail section 54, corresponding to the slopped portion 40 of the bottom wall 26 of the litter tray 12, is

substantially straight and has a channel thickness equal to the first channel thickness. The angle of slope of the third rail section 54 and the slopped portion 40 of die bottom wall 26 can. be the same.

Alternatively, the angle of the slope of the third rail section 54 and the slopped portion 40 of the bottom wall 26 can be the different. The use of differing slope angles between the third rail section 54 and the sloped portion 40 of the bottom wall 26 can enable the rake 18 to remain a constant distance from the bottom wall 26 as the carriage assemblyl4 travel along the third rail section 54 of the guide rails 42, 44.

The fourth rail section 56, corresponding to the second transition zone 45 between the upwardly slopped portion 40 and the discharge end 30, is curved and has a third thickness, where the third thickness is greater than the first thickness. The fifth rail section 58, corresponding to the discharge end 30 of the litter tray 12, is substantially straight and has a channel thickness equal to the first channel thickness,

The carriage assembly 14 is positioned within the litter tray 12 and operably connected to the guide rails 42, 44 of the litter tray 12. The carriage assembly 14 includes a handle portion 60 having a pair of carriage travel member 62, 64 positioned on opposite sides thereof. The carriage travel members 62, 64 include upper and lower pairs guide wheels 66, 68 positioned in and about the guide rail s 42, 44 of the side walls 22, 24. The upper guide wheels 66 travel along an outside surface 70 of the top 46 of the guide rails 42, 44. The lower guides wheels 68 are positioned through, the open bottom 48 of the guide rails 43, 44, and travel along an inside surface 72 of the top 46 of the guide rails 42, 44. In this manner, the guide wheels 66. 68 secure to the carriage assembly 14 to the litter tray 12, such that the carriage assembly 14 can be translated along the length of the litter tray 12.

To move the carriage assembly 14 in a cleaning stroke, a user grasps the handle portion 60 of the carriages assembly 14 and translates the carriages assembly 14 from the home end 28, storage position, to the discharge end 30. To move the carriage assembly 14 in a return stroke, a user grasps the handle portion 60 of the carriages assembly 14 and translates the carriages assembly 14 from the discharge end 30 to the home end 28.

Referring to Figs, 7-8, the rake 18 is connected to a carriage assembly 14. The rake 18 includes a olurality of tines 80 which extend downward towards the bottom wall 26 of the litter tray 12, where the bottom ends 82 of the tines 80 are adjacent to, but not in contact with, the bottom wall 26 of the litter tray 12. The tines 80 of the rake 18 cart have a circular cross section. Alternatively, the tines 80 can have a polygon cross section, for example, a rectangular cross section, triangular cross section, rhombus cross section, and the like. The rake 18 can be made of a rigid material, for example, metal, plastic, and the like.

During a cleaning stroke, as the carriage assembly 14 travels from the home end 28, storage position, to the discharge end 30, the guide wheels 66, 68 travel along the guide rails 42,

44 of the litter tray 12, with the top 46 of the guide rails 42, 44 being captured between the upper and lower guide wheels 66, 68 such that the upper guide wheels 66 are in contact with the outside surface 70 of the top 46 of the channel potions 42, 44 and the lower guide wheels 68 are in contact with the inside surface 72 of the top 46 of the guide rails 42, 44. As the guide wheels 66, 68 travel along the first, third, and fifth sections 50, 54, 58 of the guide rails 52, 44 the ends 82 of the rake tines 80 will remain a substantially constant distance from, the bottom wall 26.

As the carriage assembly 14 travel along the second, curved, section 52 of the guide rails 42, 44, the decreased thickness of the guide rails 42, 44 allows the upper guide wheels 66 to remain in contact with the outside surface 70 of the top 46 of the guide rails 42, 44 and the lower guide wheels 68 to remain in contact with the inside surface 72 of the top 46 of the guide rails 42, 44. Additionally, the shape of the first curved transition zone 43 maintains the ends 82 of the rake tines 80 at the substantially constant distance from the bottom wall 26.

As the carriage assembly 14 travel along the forth, curv ed, section 56 of the guide rails 42, 44, the increased thickness of the guide rails 42. 44 allows the upper guide wheels 66 to remain in contact with the outside surface 70 of the top 46 of the guide rails 42, 44 and the lower guide wheels 68 to remain in contact with the inside surface 72 of the top 46 of the guide rails 42, 44. Additionally, the shape of the second curved transition zone 45 maintains the ends 82 of the rake tines 80 at the substantially constant distance from, the bottom wall 26. Referring to FIGs. 8-10, the rake 18 can be pivotally 84 attached to the carriage assembly

14 su ch that the angular position Θ of the rake 18 with respect to the carnage assembly 14 can change. As the carriage assembly 14 is moved from the home end 28 to the discharge end 30, the cleaning stroke, the angular position Θ remain constant with the rake 18 being in a "down" position during the cleaning stroke. As the carriage assembly ] 4 is moved from the discharge end 30 to the home position 38, the return stroke, the force of the litter material on the rake 18 can change the angular position Θ of the rake 18 with respect to the carriage assembly 14, where the rake 18 is tilted away, in an "up" position, from the direction of travel as the carriage assembly 14 travels from the discharge end 28 to the home end 30. Thereafter, upon initiating the travel of the rake 18 from the home end 28 to the di scharge end 30, a cleaning stroke, the rake 18 will be placed back in the "down" position.

The pivotal attachment 84 of the rake 1 8 to the carriage assembly 14 can include a bias member (not shown), which forces the rake 18 in the "down" position. If on the return stroke, the force applied to the rake 18 by the litter material is sufficient to overcome the force of the bias member, the rake 18 will tilt to the "up" position. Upon completion of the return stroke, and once in the home end 28, the bias member will bias the rake 18 to the "down" position.

Referring also to FIG. 1, the carriage assembly 14 further includes a lid actuator 86. As the carriage assemply^'14 travels from the home end 28 to the discharge end 30, the lid actuator 86 engage an extended, lip 88 on the rotatable lid 36 to rotate the rotatable lid 36 to an open position. Specifically, as the carriage assembly 14 travels up the upwardly sloped portion 54 of the guide rails 42, 44, the lid actuator 86 engage the extended lip 88 on the rotatable lid 36 rotating the rotatable lid 36 to the open position. As the carriage assembly 14 travels from the discharge end 30 to the home end 28, the carriage assembly 14 travels down the upward!}' sloped portion 54 of the guide rails 42, 44, the lid actuator 86 disengage the extended lip 88 on the rotatable lid 36 allowing the rotatable lid 36 to rotate to the closed position.

The litter box 10 can further include a extended handle 90 removeably mountable to the carriage assembly 14. The extended handle 90 linearly extends up from the carriage assembly 14, allowing a user to grasp the extended handle 90 and move the carriage assembly 14 without having to be in a kneeling position adjacent, to the litter box 10,

Referring to FIGs.8 and 11 , the carriage assembly 14 can include an extender mount 92, where the extended handle 90 can be threadably 94 connected to the extender mount 90. In use, a user connects the extended handle 90 to the extender mount 92. The user then uses the extended handle 90 to move the carriage assembly 14 from the home end 28 to the discharge end 30, and from the discharge end 30 to the home end 28. Upon completion, the extended handle 90 can be removed and placed away for storage.

The extender mount 92 can be pivotally 96 connected to the carriage assembly 14, such that the angular position of the extended handle 90 can be changed with respect to the carriage assembly 14. n the manner, as a user utilizes the extended handle 90 to mo ve carriage assembly 14 for a cleaning stroke and return stroke, the angular position of the extended handle 90 with respect to the carriage assembly 14 can change as the carriage assembly 14 travels the different sections of the guide rails 42, 44 of the litter tray 12. Additionally, a user can pivotally position the extended handle 90 away from the litter tray 12 upon placement in the home end 28, thus negating need for the removal of the extended handle 90 from the litter tray 12.

In the above embodiment, the extended handle 90 is disclosed as being threadably 94 attached to the extender mount 92 of the carriage assembly 12. However, is it contemplated that other attachment mechanisms may be utilized which allow for the removable attachment of the extended handle 90 to the carriage assembly 14.

All references cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above, in addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A manual li ter box. comprising

a. litter tray including a bottom surface, a first and second side wall, a home end ,and a discharge end , the bottom surface having a. substantially horizontal portion and an upwardly sloping ramp portion directed towards the discharge end;

a carnage assembly supported between the first and second side walls, and including a rake positioned thereon;

a extended handle remo able mounted to the carriage, assembly; and

a waste receptacle positioned adjacent to the discharge end of the litter tray, the waste receptacle includes a selectively openable lid.

2. A manual litter box as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the carriage assembly includes a pivotal extender mount, wherein the extended handled is removable mounted to the pivotal extender mou t.

3. A manual litter box as set forth in claim 2, where the extended handle is threadably mounted to the pivotal extender mount,

4. A manual litter box as set. forth in claim 1 , wherein the first and second side wails each include a guide rail, where the carriage assembly moveably engages the guide rails,

5. A manual l tter box as set forth in claim 4, wherein in the guide rails have a varying thickness,

6. A manual litter box as set forth, in claim 5, wherein the guides rails each comprises a first, second, third, fourth, and fifth rail section, the first rail section corresponding to the horizontal portion of the bottom wall, the second rail section corresponding to a first transition zone betwee the horizontal portion and the upwardly sloping ramp portion of the bottom wall, the third rail section corresponding to the upwardly sloping ramp portion of the bottom wail, the fourth rail section corresponding to a second transition zone between the upwardly sloping ramp portion and the discharge end of the bottom wall, and the fifth rail section corresponding to the discharge end.

7. A manual litter box as set forth i claim 6, wherein the second rail section has a second rail thickness which is less than a rail thickness of the first rail section.

8. A manual litter box as set forth in claim 6, wherein the fourth rail section has a fourth rail thickness which is greater than a rail thickness of the first rail section.

9. A manual litter box as set ^"forth in claim 6, wherein a slope angle of the upwardly sloping ramp portion of the bottom wall is different from a slope angle of the third rail section.

10. A manual assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the carriage assembly includes a pairs of upper and lower guide wheels which engage the guide rails of the first and second side walls.

11. A manual litter box as set forth in claims 1 1 , wherein at least a portion of the waste receptacle is position under the discharge end of the litter tray.

12. A manual litter bo comprising

a litter tray including a bottom surface, a first and second side wall a home end .and a discharge end, the bottom surface having a substantially horizontal portion and an upwardly sloping ramp portion directed towards the discharge end. wherein the first and second side walls each include a guide rail having varying thickness;

a carnage assembly supported between the first and second side walls, and including rake positioned thereon and pairs of upper and lower guide wheels which engage the guide rails of the first and second side walls; and

13. A manual litter box as set forth in claim 12, wherein the guides rails each comprises a first, second, third, fourth, and fifth rail section, the first rail section corresponding to the horizontal portion of the bottom wall, the second rail section corresponding to a first transition zone between the horizontal portion and the up wardly sl oping ramp portion of the bottom wall, the third rail section corresponding to the upwardly sloping ramp portion of the bottom wall, the fourth rail section corresponding to a second transition zone between the upwardly sloping ramp portion and the discharge end of the bottom wall, and the fifth rail section corresponding to the discharge end of the bottom wall.

14. A manual litter box as set forth in claim 13, where thai second rail section as a second rail thickness which is less than a rail thickness of the first rail section.

15. A manual litter box as set forth n claim 13, where that fourth rail section has a fourth rail thickness which is gi-eater than a rail thiclaiess of the first rail section.

16. A manual litter box as set forth in claim 13, wherein a slope angle of the upwardly sloping ramp portion of the bottom wall is different from a slope angle of the third rail section of the guide rails.

17. A manual litter box as set. forth in claim 12, further comprising an extended handle removable mounted to the carriage assembly.

18. A manual litter box as set forth in claim 17, wherein the carriage assembly include a pivotal extender mount, wherein the extended handled is removable mounted to the pivotal extender mount.

19. A manual litter box as set forth in claim 18, where the extended handle is threadably mounted to the pivotal extender mount.