A gear ring driven retractable combing ring and cat litter box

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gear ring driven retractable combing ring and cat litter box. The retractable combing ring includes a shell and a driving gear ring mounted on the shell. The shell is a hollow annular shell with front and back openings. The inner wall of the shell is provided with a plurality of slots distributed along the annular direction. The axis of the slot passes through the axis of the shell. A comb tooth assembly is provided in each slot. The comb tooth assembly is connected to the shell via a spring. The inner wall of the driving gear ring is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped protruding structures. The comb tooth assembly is in sliding contact with the arc-shaped protruding structures. When the driving gear ring rotates, the arc-shaped protruding structures drive the comb tooth assembly to move axially along the slots, thereby extending or retracting the comb tooth assembly toward the hollow portion of the shell. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantages of achieving automatic combing, a wide range of applications, and saving time and effort.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to pet products, in particular to a gear ring driven retractable combing ring and a cat litter box. Background Art

[0002] Pet cats and dogs have a very long history of companionship with humans. In recent years, more and more families have started to keep pet cats and dogs. Pets have a shed period every year. If you do not comb your pets' hair regularly, hair will fly all over the house, which is neither hygienic nor beautiful. Therefore, you should comb your pets' hair regularly.

[0003] Cats currently make up a significant portion of household pets. To address cat hair loss and skin health, various manufacturers have designed a variety of grooming products, primarily combs. These products require manual handling to remove shed hair, debris, and other foreign matter, which takes up considerable time and can only be removed approximately two to three times per week. This creates a significant amount of shed hair that accumulates throughout the home, on furniture, and on clothing, making cleanup more difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned prior art and provide a gear ring driven retractable combing ring and cat litter box that can realize automatic combing, has a wide range of applications, saves time and effort.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] A gear ring driven retractable combing ring comprises a housing and a driving gear ring sleeved on the housing. The housing is a hollow annular housing open at the front and rear. The inner wall of the housing is provided with a plurality of slots distributed along the annular direction. The axes of the slots pass through the axis of the housing. A comb tooth assembly is provided in each slot. The comb tooth assembly is connected to the housing via a spring. The inner wall of the driving gear ring is provided with a plurality of arcuate protrusions. The comb tooth assembly is in sliding contact with the arcuate protrusions.

[0007] When the driving gear ring rotates, the arc-shaped protruding structure drives the comb tooth assembly to move axially along the slot hole, thereby realizing the extension or retraction of the comb tooth assembly toward the hollow portion of the shell.

[0008] Furthermore, the comb tooth assembly includes a roller, a comb tooth seat and comb teeth. One end of the comb tooth seat is provided with a slot for installing the roller, and the other end is connected to the comb teeth. The roller is in tangential contact with the arc protruding structure, and the comb tooth seat matches the slot hole.

[0009] Furthermore, a first limiting buckle is provided on the comb tooth seat, and a second limiting buckle matching the first limiting buckle is provided on the slot hole. The first limiting buckle and the second limiting buckle form a limiting mechanism for the movement process of the comb tooth assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the comb tooth seat is provided with a comb tooth spring guide rod for installing the spring, and the slot hole is correspondingly provided with a shell spring guide rod.

[0011] Furthermore, one end of the comb tooth seat for mounting the roller is in the form of an arc-shaped surface, and the arc-shaped surface cooperates with the slot to form a limiting mechanism.

[0012] Furthermore, a hair removal stopper is provided in the slot, and the comb tooth assembly and the hair removal stopper are arranged from the outside to the inside along the axis of the shell. The hair removal stopper is provided with a comb tooth through hole for the comb tooth assembly to extend out. When the comb tooth assembly completes combing and retracts, the fallen hair is separated from the comb tooth assembly through the hair removal stopper.

[0013] Furthermore, the hair removal stopper is connected to the housing via a tension spring.

[0014] Furthermore, a tension spring hook is provided on the hair removal block.

[0015] Furthermore, a plurality of the slots are distributed on the inner walls on both sides of the shell.

[0016] Furthermore, the slots on the inner portions of the two sides are arranged in a staggered manner.

[0017] Furthermore, at least one distance measuring sensor is provided on the housing and can be connected to an external control device to control the extension length of the comb tooth assembly according to the measured distance.

[0018] The present invention also provides a cat litter box, comprising the gear ring driven retractable combing ring, wherein the combing ring forms an inlet and outlet passage of the cat litter box.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. The retractable combing ring designed by the present invention can automatically comb the pet's hair when it passes through the hollow structure of the shell. The comb teeth can comb the pet's body evenly and gently, thereby removing foreign matter such as fallen hair and debris, keeping the pet's skin healthy and reducing the chance of skin diseases, reducing the hair falling in the room, on furniture and clothing, and reducing the frequency and difficulty of cleaning.

[0021] 2. The combing ring of the present invention drives the gear ring to extend or retract the comb teeth assembly, and the rotational displacement of the gear ring can be controlled to conveniently achieve different extension lengths, so that pets of different age groups can achieve better combing effects.

[0022] 3. The present invention does not require people to spend time and energy to make it specially. As long as the pet passes through the hollow part of the shell, the hair removal effect will be achieved.

[0023] 4. The hair removed by the combing method of the present invention will be collected on the comb teeth, which is convenient for regular cleaning.

[0024] 5. The present invention is provided with a hair removal block, and foreign matter such as fallen hair accumulated on the comb teeth is blocked outside the hair removal block, so that the fallen hair is completely separated from the combing ring and can be collected and processed more conveniently. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a side view of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at AA;

[0028] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the housing of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the comb tooth assembly of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 It is a front view of the comb tooth assembly of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 A top view of the comb assembly of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of the hair removal block of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 9 A bottom view of the hair removal block of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 10 This is a front view of the hair removal block of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the comb assembly of the present invention when it is halfway through movement;

[0036] Figure 12 It is a cross-sectional view taken at AA when the comb assembly of the present invention moves to the middle;

[0037] Figure 13 It is a cross-sectional view taken at AA when the comb assembly of the present invention moves to its maximum stroke;

[0038] Among them, 1-gear ring, 101-arc protruding structure, 2-comb tooth assembly, 201-roller, 202-comb tooth seat, 203-comb teeth, 204-comb tooth spring guide rod, 205-first limit buckle, 3-shell, 301-slot hole, 302-shell spring guide rod, 4-hair removal block, 401-comb tooth through hole, 402-tension spring hook. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. This embodiment is implemented based on the technical solution of the present invention, and provides a detailed implementation method and specific operation process, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0040] Example 1

[0041] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a gear ring driven retractable combing ring, comprising a housing 3 and a driving gear ring 1 sleeved on the housing 3. The housing 3 is a hollow annular housing open at the front and back. The inner wall of the housing 3 is provided with a plurality of slots 301 distributed along the annular direction. The inner wall corresponds to the end face of the annular housing. The axis of the slots 301 passes through the axis of the housing 3, that is, on the axial cross-section of the combing ring, the slots 301 are evenly distributed along the center of the combing ring. A comb tooth assembly 2 is provided in each slot 301. The inner wall of the driving gear ring 1 is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped protruding structures 101. The comb tooth assembly 2 is in sliding contact with the arc-shaped protruding structures 101. The comb tooth assembly can move up and down along the inner wall of the slot under the action of an external force. In order to facilitate the comb teeth to return from the highest point of the arc to the lowest point, the comb tooth assembly 2 is connected to the housing 3 by a spring 5.

[0042] The drive ring gear 1 can be connected to an external control device to achieve forward or reverse rotation of the drive ring gear at a set rotational displacement. In this embodiment, the external control device includes a control board, a motor, and a gear connected in sequence. The control board controls the operation of the motor based on a manual input signal or sensor information. The motor drives the gear to rotate, and the gear engages with the drive ring gear 1, thereby driving the drive ring gear 1 to rotate. When the drive ring gear 1 rotates, the arc-shaped protrusion structure 101 thereon drives the comb assembly 2 to move axially along the slot 301, causing the comb assembly 2 to extend or retract toward the hollow portion of the housing 3, and conveniently achieve a pet combing effect when extended.

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, the housing 3 in this embodiment is an annular structure with a side opening for mounting the drive ring gear 1. The center is hollow, serving as a passage for pets to enter and exit. Multiple slots 301 are provided on both inner walls of the housing 3. These slots 301 are staggered, allowing for the arrangement of two layers of comb tooth assemblies 2, achieving faster and more efficient combing. In this embodiment, the slots 301 are square.

[0044] In another embodiment, the housing 3 may be configured to wrap the driving ring gear 1 , and the housing 3 may have a through hole for the driving ring gear 1 to mesh with the gear.

[0045] like Figure 5-Figure 7As shown, the comb tooth assembly 2 of this embodiment includes a roller 201, a comb tooth seat 202 and comb teeth 203. One end of the comb tooth seat 202 is provided with a slot for mounting the roller 201, and the other end is connected to a certain number of comb teeth 203. The roller 201 is in tangential contact with the arc protruding structure 101, and the comb tooth seat 202 is matched with the slot hole 301. Both ends of the comb tooth assembly 2 can pass through the slot hole 301.

[0046] In order to limit the travel of the comb tooth assembly 2, a first limit buckle 205 is provided on the comb tooth seat 202 of this embodiment, and a second limit buckle matching the first limit buckle 205 is provided on the slot 301. The first limit buckle 205 and the second limit buckle form a limiting mechanism for the movement process of the comb tooth assembly 2.

[0047] A comb tooth spring guide rod 204 for mounting the spring 5 is provided on the comb tooth seat 202 , and a housing spring guide rod 302 is provided corresponding to the slot 301 .

[0048] One end of the comb tooth seat 202 for mounting the roller 201 is in the form of an arc-shaped surface, the width of which is greater than the width of the slot hole. The arc-shaped surface can cooperate with the end of the slot hole 301 to form a limiting mechanism.

[0049] In another embodiment, a hair removal stopper 4 is further provided in the slot 301, and the comb assembly 2 and the hair removal stopper 4 are arranged from outside to inside along the axis direction of the housing. Figures 8-10 As shown, the hair removal block 4 is provided with comb holes 401 for the comb tooth assembly 2 to extend. The comb hole 401 is a plurality of parallel elongated holes whose width matches the diameter of the comb teeth 203. When the comb tooth assembly 2 completes combing and retracts, the hair removal block 4 separates the fallen hair from the comb tooth assembly 2, achieving the purpose of more convenient and regular centralized cleaning of accumulated fallen hair. To increase the stroke of the comb tooth assembly 2 and enable the hair removal block 4 to be reset, each independent hair removal block 4 is connected to the housing 3 via a tension spring 6, and the hair removal block 4 is provided with a tension spring hook 402. The width of the area where the hair removal block 4 is located within the slot 301 is greater than the width of the area where the comb tooth assembly 2 is located, preventing the hair removal block 4 from moving outward and failing to perform its function of blocking fallen hair.

[0050] The specific working process of the above-mentioned retractable combing loop is as follows:

[0051] Taking the combing loop in the initial state as an example, the roller 201 at the top of the comb assembly 2 is at the lowest point position (i.e., the outermost position) of the inner arc protrusion structure 101 of the driving gear ring 1, and the comb assembly 2 is lifted to the highest position by the spring 5. Figure 3As shown, this highest position is controlled by a limiting mechanism arranged in the slot hole 301 and cooperating with the comb tooth assembly 2, and the hair removal stopper 4 below the comb tooth assembly 2 is controlled by the tension spring 6 to be in a position close to the combing ring shell 3; when the driving gear ring 1 starts to rotate forward, the relative position between the arc protruding structure 101 on the inner wall of the driving gear ring 1 and the comb tooth assembly 2 moves from the lowest point of the arc to the highest point, and the pressure from the increased elevation of the gear ring arc causes the comb tooth assembly 2 to overcome the elastic force of the spring and move downward along the inner wall of the slot hole 301 (here the downward movement points to the direction of the hollow part of the shell), and the comb teeth 203 gradually pass through the comb tooth through-hole 401 of the hair removal stopper 4. After the comb teeth 203 are exposed to a certain height, a combing effect can be produced, as shown in FIG. Figure 11-12 As shown; at this time, the driving gear ring 1 continues to rotate forward, the comb tooth assembly 2 continues to move downward, the lower end of the comb tooth assembly 2 contacts the hair removal stopper 4, and gradually overcomes the tension of the tension spring 6, driving the hair removal stopper 4 to separate from the combing ring housing, and move toward the center of the circle together with the comb tooth assembly. The hair removal stopper and the comb tooth assembly move together to control the maximum length of the comb teeth to be within a reasonable range, and a part of the comb tooth length is located in the hair removal stopper 4 to avoid the comb teeth extending too long, the strength of the comb teeth weakening, and affecting the comfort of the cat passing through the combing ring. When the comb teeth 203 and the hair removal stopper 4 move to the designed maximum stroke, as shown Figure 13 As shown, the downward limit mechanism formed by the arc surface at the top of the comb tooth assembly interferes with the shell, and the comb teeth and the hair removal block will no longer move downward. At the same time, the stall current of the motor driving the ring gear 1 increases. After reaching the predetermined value, the control board will stop the motor input signal, causing the driving ring gear 1 to stop rotating.

[0052] After the combing ring has been working for a period of time, a certain thickness of fallen hair, debris and other foreign matter has accumulated in the comb teeth. At this time, the combing ring can be controlled to remove the accumulated foreign matter. The working principle is as follows:

[0053] When the control panel receives the command to clear the accumulated foreign matter, the driving gear ring 1 in the combing ring starts to reverse under the drive of the motor, and the relative position between the arc protruding structure 101 on the inner wall of the driving gear ring 1 and the comb tooth assembly 2 moves from the highest point of the arc to the lowest point. At this time, under the action of the elastic force of the spring 5, the comb tooth assembly 2 moves upward along the inner wall of the slot 301, the comb teeth 203 retract, and the hair removal block 4 moves in the same direction under the action of the tension spring 6, gradually returning to its initial position close to the combing ring shell; at this time, the comb tooth assembly 2 continues to move upward, and the comb teeth 203 gradually shrink into the shell 3 along the comb tooth through-hole 401 of the hair removal block 4, and foreign matter such as fallen hair accumulated on the comb teeth 203 is blocked outside the hair removal block 4 and is in a state of being completely separated from the combing ring, which can be conveniently collected and processed.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] This embodiment provides a cat litter box, comprising a gear-ring-driven retractable combing ring as in Example 1, the combing ring forming an inlet and outlet passage for the litter box. Multiple distance measuring sensors are disposed within the inlet and outlet passage, and the distance measuring sensors may be disposed on the combing ring or on a separate passage connected to the combing ring.

[0056] When a cat enters the entrance and exit channel of a litter box with an integrated combing ring, the distance measuring sensor in the channel will transmit the data of each point to the control board, which will estimate the maximum diameter of the cat's body and convert the data into the rotational displacement of the gear ring and transmit it to the motor, so as to adjust the extension length of the comb teeth in the combing ring and obtain better combing effect.

[0057] The gear ring driven retractable combing ring described in Example 1 can also be used for combing the hair of other pets.

[0058] The above describes in detail the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concepts of the present invention without inventive effort. Therefore, any technical solutions that can be derived by those skilled in the art through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation based on the concepts of the present invention and the prior art should be within the scope of protection defined by the present invention.

Claims

1. A gear ring driven retractable combing ring, characterized in that: The invention comprises a housing (3) and a driving gear ring (1) sleeved on the housing (3), wherein the housing (3) is a hollow annular housing with front and rear openings, wherein the inner wall of the housing (3) is provided with a plurality of slots (301) distributed along the annular direction, wherein the axis of the slots (301) passes through the axis of the housing (3), wherein a comb tooth assembly (2) is provided in each slot hole (301), wherein the comb tooth assembly (2) is connected to the housing (3) via a spring (5), and wherein the inner wall of the driving gear ring (1) is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped protruding structures (101), wherein the comb tooth assembly (2) is in sliding contact with the arc-shaped protruding structures (101); When the driving gear ring (1) rotates, the arc-shaped protruding structure (101) drives the comb tooth assembly (2) to move axially along the slot (301), thereby enabling the comb tooth assembly (2) to extend or retract toward the hollow portion of the housing (3); The plurality of slots (301) are distributed on the inner walls of both sides of the housing (3); The slots (301) on the inner portions of the two sides are arranged in a staggered manner, and at least two layers of comb tooth assemblies (2) can be arranged; At least one distance measuring sensor is provided on the housing (3); The distance measuring sensor is arranged on the combing loop or on a channel connected to the combing loop; The application process of the distance measuring sensor includes: When a cat enters the entrance and exit channel of a litter box with an integrated combing ring, the distance measuring sensor in the channel will transmit the data of each point to the control board, which will estimate the maximum diameter of the cat's body and convert the data into the rotational displacement of the gear ring and transmit it to the motor to adjust the extension length of the comb teeth in the combing ring.

2. The gear ring driven retractable combing ring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The comb tooth assembly (2) comprises a roller (201), a comb tooth seat (202) and comb teeth (203); one end of the comb tooth seat (202) is provided with a slot for mounting the roller (201); the other end is connected to the comb teeth (203); the roller (201) is in tangential contact with the arc-shaped protruding structure (101); and the comb tooth seat (202) matches the slot hole (301).

3. The gear ring driven retractable combing ring according to claim 2, characterized in that: The comb tooth seat (202) is provided with a first limiting buckle (205), and the slot hole (301) is provided with a second limiting buckle matching the first limiting buckle (205); the first limiting buckle (205) and the second limiting buckle form a limiting mechanism for the movement process of the comb tooth assembly (2).

4. The gear ring driven retractable combing ring according to claim 2, characterized in that: One end of the comb tooth seat (202) for mounting the roller (201) is in the form of an arc-shaped surface, and the arc-shaped surface cooperates with the slot hole (301) to form a limiting mechanism.

5. The gear ring driven retractable combing ring according to claim 1, characterized in that: A hair removal stopper (4) is also provided in the slot (301), and the comb tooth assembly (2) and the hair removal stopper (4) are arranged from the outside to the inside along the axis direction of the housing. The hair removal stopper (4) is provided with a comb tooth through hole (401) for the comb tooth assembly (2) to extend out. When the comb tooth assembly (2) completes combing and retracts, the hair removal stopper (4) allows the fallen hair to be separated from the comb tooth assembly (2).

6. The gear ring driven retractable combing ring according to claim 5, characterized in that: The hair removal stopper (4) is connected to the housing (3) via a tension spring (6).

7. A cat litter box, characterized in that: It comprises a gear ring driven retractable combing ring as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and the combing ring forms an inlet and outlet channel of the cat litter box.

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