Pet waste disposal apparatus and method

Abstract

The application discloses a pet excrement treatment device, which comprises a sand cabin and a filter screen arranged in the sand cabin; the sand cabin is used for containing pets so that pet excrement is left in the sand cabin; the filter screen is rotationally connected to the upper part of the sand cabin; a driving mechanism is further arranged in the sand cabin, and the driving mechanism is used for driving the filter screen to rotate in the sand cabin so as to level the padding in the sand cabin and / or clean the pet excrement in the sand cabin. The application further discloses a pet excrement treatment method; since the filter screen actively works, the padding cannot be attached to the inner wall of the chamber due to the drum-type rolling of the sand cabin in the process of cleaning the pet excrement, so that the secondary pollution problem of the padding in the process of treating the pet excrement is eliminated.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent pet products, and particularly relates to a pet excrement treatment device and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] For users who raise pets at home, cleaning pet excrement is a tedious and unpleasant work. In response to this, some pet excrement treatment devices appear on the market, which can automatically clean pet excrement, thereby relieving users from the annoyance of manual processing.

[0003] In the prior art, the pet excrement treatment device is generally of a roller type, and the sand cabin is provided in a roller shape. The user puts litter in the chamber of the sand cabin, and when the pet needs to excrete, the pet excretes excrement in the litter. When cleaning is needed, the roller-shaped sand cabin is rolled to make the litter fall into the filter screen in the sand cabin, and the filter screen allows the litter to pass through while filtering out solid pet excrement in the litter. Thus, the pet excrement in the litter is cleaned.

[0004] However, in the prior art, the inner wall of the chamber of the sand cabin is also covered with litter during rolling. When the pet enters the sand cabin again, the litter falls on the pet and is scattered into the home environment along with the movement of the pet. Although the pet excrement in the litter is cleaned, the litter itself causes new pollution problems.

[0005] Therefore, the above problems existing in the prior art still need to be solved. SUMMARY

[0006] The main purpose of the present application is to provide a pet excrement treatment device and method, which aims to solve the problem of litter pollution in the pet excrement treatment process.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose, the present application provides a pet excrement treatment device, which comprises a sand cabin and a filter screen arranged in the chamber of the sand cabin; wherein the sand cabin is used to accommodate a pet so that pet excrement remains in the chamber of the sand cabin; the filter screen is rotationally connected to the upper part of the sand cabin; a driving mechanism is further arranged in the sand cabin, and the driving mechanism is used to drive the filter screen to rotate in the sand cabin to level the litter in the sand cabin and / or to clean the pet excrement in the chamber of the sand cabin.

[0008] Preferably, the driving mechanism comprises a transmission shaft, a driving arm assembly and a hinge part, wherein the driving arm assembly is fixedly connected with the transmission shaft; the filter screen is hinged to the driving arm assembly and the sand cabin through the hinge part.

[0009] Preferably, the number of the driving arm assemblies is two, wherein the two driving arm assemblies are arranged on the two sides of the filter screen, and the two driving arm assemblies are drivingly connected through the transmission shaft.

[0010] Preferably, the driving arm assembly comprises a first driving arm and a second driving arm fixed to the transmission shaft; the hinged part comprises a first hinged part and a second hinged part independent of each other, wherein the first driving arm is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft; the second driving arm is hinged to the first driving arm; the filter screen is hinged to the second driving arm and the sand tank through the first hinged part and the second hinged part respectively.

[0011] Preferably, the driving mechanism further comprises a driving fixed block, wherein the filter screen is fixedly installed on the driving fixed block, and the filter screen is used to move under the driving of the driving fixed block; one end of the second driving arm is hinged to the driving fixed block through the first hinged part.

[0012] Preferably, the driving mechanism further comprises a rotating arm and a hinged arm, wherein the rotating arm is hinged to the sand tank through the second hinged part; the driving fixed block is hinged to the rotating arm through the hinged arm.

[0013] Preferably, the number of the hinged arms is two, wherein the two ends of the two hinged arms are hinged to the rotating arm and the driving fixed block through hinged shafts respectively, and the four hinged shafts at the two ends of the two hinged arms are arranged in a parallelogram shape.

[0014] Preferably, the first hinged part is located between the two hinged shafts at which the two hinged arms are hinged to the driving fixed block.

[0015] Preferably, the driving mechanism further comprises a motor and a gear set; wherein the gear set comprises a first gear sleeved on the output shaft of the motor, and a second gear sleeved on the transmission shaft, the first gear and the second gear are directly or indirectly engaged; when the output end of the motor rotates, the transmission shaft is driven to rotate in sequence through the first gear and the second gear, so as to move the driving arm assembly.

[0016] Preferably, the transmission shaft and the driving arm assembly are both arranged inside the cavity of the sand tank; or the transmission shaft is arranged inside the sand tank and located outside the cavity, one end of the driving arm assembly is connected to the transmission shaft, and the other end of the driving arm assembly extends into the cavity of the sand tank and is connected to the filter screen.

[0017] Preferably, the sand tank comprises an opening, and the cavity is formed in the opening.

[0018] Preferably, the sand tank is used to rotate between a first position and a second position; when the sand tank is located at the first position, the sand tank is used to collect pet excrement; when the sand tank rotates to the second position, the pet excrement collected by the sand tank falls into the filter screen.

[0019] The pet excrement treatment device provided by the present application comprises a sand cabin and a filter screen arranged in the sand cabin; the sand cabin is used for accommodating pets so that pet excrement is left in the chamber of the sand cabin; the filter screen is rotationally connected to the upper part of the sand cabin; a driving mechanism is further arranged in the sand cabin, and the driving mechanism is used for driving the filter screen to rotate in the sand cabin so as to level the litter in the sand cabin and / or clean the pet excrement in the chamber of the sand cabin. In this way, since the filter screen actively works, the litter will not stick to the inner wall of the chamber due to the drum-type rolling of the sand cabin in the process of cleaning the pet excrement. Thus, the secondary pollution problem of the litter in the process of treating the pet excrement is eliminated.

[0020] The present application provides a pet excrement treatment method, and the pet excrement treatment device provided by the first aspect of the present application comprises a sand cabin, a filter screen and a driving mechanism, and the chamber of the sand cabin contains litter; the method comprises the following steps: the chamber of the sand cabin accommodates pets and collects pet excrement; the sand cabin rotates from a first position to a second position, and the litter passes through the filter screen in the process of rotating the sand cabin from the first position to the second position; the filter screen screens out the pet excrement from the litter and makes the pet excrement roll off from the filter screen to the outside of the sand cabin.

[0021] Preferably, after the filter screen screens out the pet excrement from the litter, the method further comprises the following step: the driving mechanism drives the filter screen to move to the outside of the chamber of the sand cabin.

[0022] Preferably, after the driving mechanism drives the filter screen to move to the outside of the chamber of the sand cabin, the method further comprises the following steps: the sand cabin rotates from the second position to the first position; the driving mechanism drives the filter screen to move in the chamber of the sand cabin so as to level the litter contained in the chamber of the sand cabin.

[0023] The pet excrement treatment method provided by the present application is used for the pet excrement treatment device provided by the embodiments of the present application, and the pet excrement treatment device comprises a sand cabin, a filter screen and a driving mechanism, and the chamber of the sand cabin contains litter; the method comprises the following steps: the chamber of the sand cabin accommodates pets and collects pet excrement; the sand cabin rotates from a first position to a second position, and the litter passes through the filter screen in the process of rotating the sand cabin from the first position to the second position; the filter screen screens out the pet excrement from the litter and makes the pet excrement roll off from the filter screen to the outside of the sand cabin. In this way, since the filter screen actively works, the litter will not stick to the inner wall of the chamber due to the drum-type rolling of the sand cabin in the process of cleaning the pet excrement. Thus, the secondary pollution problem of the litter in the process of treating the pet excrement is eliminated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the cooperation between the filter screen and the drive mechanism in the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention, showing the cooperation between the filter screen and the drive mechanism.

[0028] Figure 4 An exploded view showing the interaction between the filter and the drive mechanism in the pet waste treatment device provided by the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5a This is a side view of an embodiment of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention, showing the cooperation between the filter and the drive mechanism.

[0030] Figure 5b This is a side view of another embodiment of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention, in which the filter screen and the drive mechanism cooperate.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the filter screen and drive mechanism in the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 This is another schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the filter screen and drive mechanism in the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the sand chamber in the first position of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the sand compartment in the second position of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention;

[0035] Figure 10 A flowchart of the pet excrement treatment method provided by the present invention;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention;

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another working process of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention;

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another working process of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention;

[0039] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another working process of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention;

[0040] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another working process of the pet excrement treatment device provided by the present invention.

[0041] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0042] Reference Name Reference Name 100 Sand compartment 110 Chamber 200 Filter screen 300 Drive mechanism 310 Drive shaft 320 Drive arm assembly 330 Hinge 321 First drive arm 322 Second drive arm 331 First hinge 332 Second hinge 340 Drive fixing block 350 Swivel arm 360 Hinged arm 361 Hinge shaft 370 Gear set 371 First gear 372 Second gear 101 Open mouth 10 Garbage can

[0043] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0046] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0047] For pet owners, cleaning up pet waste is a tedious and unpleasant task. In response, some pet waste disposal devices have appeared on the market that can automatically clean up pet waste, saving users the trouble of manual cleaning.

[0048] Currently, pet waste disposal equipment is generally roller-type, with the litter box shaped like a roller. Users place bedding inside the litter box, and when the pet needs to relieve itself, it excretes into the bedding. When cleaning is needed, the roller-shaped litter box rotates, causing the bedding to fall into a filter inside the box. This filter allows the bedding to pass through while filtering out solid pet waste from the bedding. This effectively cleans the pet waste from the bedding.

[0049] However, in this current method, the walls of the litter box also become covered in bedding material during the rolling process. When the pet re-enters the litter box, this bedding falls on the pet and is then scattered into the home environment as the pet moves around. This results in a new pollution problem caused by the bedding itself, even though the pet's excrement inside the bedding is cleaned up.

[0050] Therefore, to solve the above problems, this application provides a pet excrement treatment device and method, which solves the problem of bedding contamination during pet excrement treatment by setting an actively moving filter. Optionally, the pet excrement treatment device provided in this application can be a smart litter box, and the bedding in the litter compartment can be cat litter. Those skilled in the art can also set the pet excrement treatment device provided in this application as an excrement treatment device for other pets as needed, and this application does not limit this.

[0051] For ease of understanding, the specific implementation of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 ,like Figure 1 As shown, the pet excrement treatment device provided in this application embodiment includes a sand hopper 100 and a filter screen 200 disposed in the chamber 110 of the sand hopper 100; wherein, the sand hopper 100 is used to accommodate pets so that pet excrement remains in the chamber 110 of the sand hopper 100; the filter screen 200 is rotatably connected to the upper part of the sand hopper 100; a drive mechanism 300 is also provided in the sand hopper 100, the drive mechanism 300 is used to drive the filter screen 200 to rotate in the sand hopper 100 to level the bedding material in the sand hopper 100 and / or clean the pet excrement remaining in the chamber 110 of the sand hopper 100.

[0053] In this embodiment, the chamber 110 within the sand bin 100 is used to hold bedding. The upper end of the filter screen 200 is hinged to the upper part of the sand bin 100. When pet excrement needs to be cleaned, the drive mechanism 300 drives the filter screen 200 to rotate within the chamber 110 of the sand bin 100. When there is pet excrement in the bedding, the filter screen 200 can filter out the excrement in the sand bin 100. After filtering the excrement, the filter screen 200 can also rotate to flatten the bedding in the sand bin with its free end. Therefore, because the filter screen 200 works actively, the bedding will not stick to the inner wall of the chamber 110 due to the roller-like rolling of the sand bin 100 during the cleaning of pet excrement. This eliminates the problem of secondary pollution of the bedding during pet excrement treatment.

[0054] It should be noted that the drive mechanism can be implemented in various ways. For ease of understanding, this application provides a preferred implementation, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the pet excrement treatment device provided in this application, showing the cooperation between the filter and the drive mechanism. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the pet waste treatment device provided in this application, showing the cooperation between the filter and the drive mechanism. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the pet excrement treatment device includes a drive mechanism 300 comprising a drive shaft 310, a drive arm assembly 320, and a hinge portion 330. The drive arm assembly 320 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 310. The filter screen 200 is hinged to the drive arm assembly 320 and the sand chamber 100 via the hinge portion 330.

[0056] In this embodiment, the drive shaft 310 is connected to the component providing driving force and rotates under the action of the driving force. Since the drive arm assembly 320 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 310, when the drive shaft 310 rotates, it will drive the drive arm assembly 320 to move. The filter screen 200 is disposed between the drive arm assembly 320 and the inner wall of the chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100 through the hinge part 330. When the drive arm assembly 320 moves, it drives the filter screen 200 to move relative to the sand compartment 100. In this way, the drive mechanism 300 drives the filter screen 200, enabling the filter screen 200 to move actively inside the sand compartment 100 and filter pet excrement.

[0057] Optionally, the number of drive arm assemblies 320 is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the number of drive arm assemblies 320 can be set to one, which is disposed in the middle of the filter screen 200, so that the movement of the filter screen 200 can be driven by one drive arm assembly 320. Preferably, the number of drive arm assemblies 320 can also be set to multiple, for example, the number of drive arm assemblies 320 can be set to two, wherein the two drive arm assemblies 320 are respectively disposed on both sides of the filter screen 200, and the two drive arm assemblies 320 are connected by a drive shaft 310.

[0058] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, optionally, two drive arm assemblies 320 are disposed on the left and right sides of the filter screen 200. This allows both drive arm assemblies 320 to work simultaneously, resulting in more even force distribution on the filter screen 200 during operation and preventing swaying. Furthermore, since the two drive arm assemblies 320 are connected by the same drive shaft 310, when the drive shaft 310 rotates under the action of driving force, one drive shaft 310 can simultaneously drive the left and right drive arm assemblies 320. Therefore, only one driving force output source is needed to drive the filter screen 200 using both drive arm assemblies 320. Optionally, this driving force output source is a motor.

[0059] Optionally, the drive arm assembly 320 of the pet excrement handling device provided in this application embodiment can be configured as a single drive arm structure, or as a linkage structure in which multiple drive arms are hinged together. This application embodiment does not limit this. For ease of understanding, a preferred implementation is described in detail below.

[0060] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the drive arm assembly 320 includes a first drive arm 321 and a second drive arm 322 fixed to the drive shaft 310; the hinge portion 330 includes a first hinge portion 331 and a second hinge portion 332 that are independent of each other, wherein the first drive arm 321 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 310; the second drive arm 322 is hinged to the first drive arm 321; the filter screen 200 is hinged between the second drive arm 322 and the sand chamber 100 through the first hinge portion 331 and the second hinge portion 332 respectively.

[0061] In this embodiment, the drive arm assembly 320 includes a first drive arm 321 and a second drive arm 322 hinged together. The first drive arm 321 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 310. Therefore, when the drive shaft 310 rotates, it drives the first drive arm 321 to rotate, and the first drive arm 321 drives the second drive arm 322 to move. Since the filter screen 200 is hinged between the second drive arm 322 and the sand chamber 100 via the first hinge portion 331 and the second hinge portion 332, when the second drive arm 322 moves, it drives the filter screen 200 to move relative to the sand chamber 100. Thus, through a multi-link configuration, the filter screen 200 is driven to move within the chamber 110 of the sand chamber 100.

[0062] It should be noted that, to improve the range of motion between the filter screen 200 and the second drive arm 322, the filter screen 200 and the second drive arm 322 can be connected by a hinge. Optionally, the filter screen 200 can be directly hinged to the second drive arm 322, or it can be indirectly hinged to the second drive arm 322 through other components. For ease of understanding, a preferred implementation is provided below.

[0063] Please see Figure 2 ,in, Figure 3 This is an exploded view showing the interaction between the filter and the drive mechanism in the pet waste treatment device provided in this embodiment of the application. Figure 2 to 4 As shown, the drive mechanism 300 also includes a drive fixing block 340, wherein the filter screen 200 is fixedly installed on the drive fixing block 340 and the filter screen 200 is used to move under the drive of the drive fixing block 340; one end of the second drive arm 322 is hinged to the drive fixing block 340 through the first hinge part 331.

[0064] In this embodiment, the filter screen 200 is fixedly connected to the drive fixing block 340; optionally, the filter screen 200 and the drive fixing block 340 are screwed together. The second drive arm 322 is hingedly connected to the drive fixing block 340, thereby achieving an indirect hinged connection between the filter screen 200 and the second drive arm 322. When the second drive arm 322 moves, it drives the drive fixing block 340 to move, thereby driving the filter screen 200 to move within the chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100.

[0065] It should be noted that the connection method between the filter screen 200 and the chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100 is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the filter screen 200 can be directly hinged to the chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100 via the second hinge portion 332. In this way, under the push of the drive arm assembly 320, the filter screen 200 can rotate relative to the chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100 around the second hinge portion 332. However, in addition to rotation, the filter screen 200 sometimes needs to extend or retract. For example, the filter screen 200 needs to extend while rotating to reach deeper into the chamber and clean the bedding. Or, when the filter screen 200 encounters solid pet excrement during its movement, it needs to extend relative to the second hinge portion 332 in advance to scoop up the pet excrement located deep in the bedding.

[0066] Optionally, in order to simultaneously realize the rotational and telescopic movements of the filter 200 relative to the second hinge portion 332, the embodiments of this application further provide the following implementation methods.

[0067] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 2 to 4 , Figure 2 to 5a This is a side view of one embodiment of the pet waste treatment device provided in this application, showing the cooperation between the filter and the drive mechanism. Figure 5b This is a side view of another embodiment of the pet waste treatment device provided in this application, showing the cooperation between the filter and the drive mechanism. Figure 5a and Figure 5b As shown, the drive mechanism 300 in the pet excrement treatment device provided in this application embodiment further includes a rotating arm 350 and a hinged arm 360, wherein the rotating arm 350 is hinged to the sand chamber 100 through a second hinge portion 332; the drive fixing block 340 is hinged to the rotating arm 350 through the hinged arm 360.

[0068] In this embodiment, the rotating arm 350 is hinged to the inner wall of the sand chamber 100 via the second hinge portion 332, allowing the rotating arm 350 to rotate relative to the sand chamber 100. The rotating arm 350 is hinged to the drive fixing block 340 via a hinge arm 360. On one hand, the hinge arm 360 connects the drive fixing block 340 and the rotating arm 350, allowing the filter screen 200 connected to the drive fixing block 340 to rotate relative to the second hinge portion 332. On the other hand, since the drive fixing block 340 and the rotating arm 350 are hinged by the hinge arm 360, the drive fixing block 340 can slide relative to the rotating arm 350. During the process of the drive arm assembly 320 driving the drive fixing block 340 to move, when the filter screen 200 encounters resistance from pet excrement during its rotational movement, the drive fixing block 340 will slide relative to the rotating arm 350, causing the filter screen 200 to extend away from the second hinge portion 332 (i.e., outward). Thus, the free end of the filter screen 200 can reach deeper into the sand chamber 100, achieving more thorough filtration of the bedding material in the sand chamber 100. In this way, by setting the hinge arm 360 between the drive fixing block 340 and the rotating arm 350, the drive arm assembly 320 forms a three-bar structure, satisfying the rotational and extensional movements of the filter screen 200 relative to the second hinge portion 332.

[0069] Preferably, the hinge arm 360 forms a parallelogram structure with the rotating arm 350 and the drive fixing block 340, thereby driving the filter screen 200 to achieve more stable rotational and telescopic movements. For ease of understanding, a detailed description follows.

[0070] like Figure 2 to 5a and Figure 5b As shown, there are two hinge arms 360. The two ends of the two hinge arms 360 are respectively hinged between the rotating arm 350 and the drive fixing block 340 through hinge shafts 361. The four hinge shafts 361 at both ends of the two hinge arms 360 are arranged in a parallelogram.

[0071] In this embodiment, the two hinge arms 360 are arranged in parallel, and the four hinge shafts 361 at both ends of the two hinge arms 360 are arranged in a parallelogram. It should be noted that the specific shapes of the hinge arms 360, the rotating arm 350, and the drive fixing block 340 are not limited in this embodiment. Preferably, the hinge arms 360, the rotating arm 350, and the drive fixing block 340 are each set as vertical strips, so that the four components form a parallelogram shape after being hinged.

[0072] The specific workflow of this parallelogram structure is as follows:

[0073] Please see Figure 5a , Figure 5bThis is a schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the filter and drive mechanism in the pet excrement treatment device provided in this application embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, in the initial stage, the parallelogram structure is in an unfolded state. The filter screen 200 is stored in a storage tank within the sand chamber 100.

[0074] When the machine starts working, the drive arm assembly 320 moves and the second drive arm 322 pushes the drive fixing block 340 downward. At this time, the drive fixing block 340 slides downward relative to the rotating arm 350, so that the filter screen 200 extends out of the storage slot.

[0075] After the filter screen 200 extends out of the storage slot, the pushing force of the second drive arm 322 is transmitted to the rotating arm 350 through the drive fixing block 340 and the hinge arm 360 in sequence, so that the drive fixing block 340 and the rotating arm 350 move in parallel. As a result, the filter screen 200 rotates relative to the second hinge part 332.

[0076] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is another schematic diagram illustrating the working process of the filter and drive mechanism in the pet excrement treatment device provided in this application embodiment. Figure 7 As shown, during the rotational movement, when the filter screen 200 encounters resistance from solid pet excrement, this resistance hinders the movement of the filter screen 200 in the rotational direction. At this time, because the second drive arm 322 continuously pushes the drive fixing block 340 to move, but the movement of the drive fixing block 340 in the rotational direction is hindered, the drive fixing block 340 slides downward relative to the rotating arm 350 under the drive of the second drive arm 322. At this time, the parallelogram structure gradually compresses downward. During the downward compression of the parallelogram, the drive fixing block 340 drives the filter screen 200 to move downward, moving away from the second hinge 332, causing the filter screen 200 to extend. The filter screen 200 scoops into a deeper part of the sand chamber 100, thereby more thoroughly filtering out the solid pet excrement that is currently hindering the movement of the filter screen 200.

[0077] After the filter screen 200 filters out solid pet excrement from the bedding, the second drive arm 322 continuously drives the filter screen 200 to move outwards from the sand chamber 100, thereby clearing the solid pet excrement outside the sand chamber 100. When the filter screen 200 moves outwards to its maximum extent, the parallelogram structure reaches the desired position. Figure 7 The compression state shown.

[0078] Through the above process, the parallelogram structure formed by the hinge arm 360, the rotating arm 350, and the drive fixing block 340 enables the filter screen 200 to achieve telescopic movement relative to the second hinge part 332 while rotating. It should be noted that the above describes a preferred implementation. In actual operation, since the shapes of the hinge arm 360, the rotating arm 350, and the drive fixing block 340 are not limited, the structural shape they form does not necessarily have to be a parallelogram, but the hinge axes 361 between the four components are arranged in a parallelogram.

[0079] Preferably, since the second drive arm 322 is hinged to the drive fixing block 340 through the first hinge portion 331, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first hinge part 331 is located between the two hinge shafts 361 that are hinged to the two hinge arms 360 and the drive fixing block 340.

[0080] In this embodiment, since the first hinge part 331 is located in the middle of the drive fixing block 340 and between the hinge shafts 361 of the two hinge arms 360, the movement of the drive fixing block 340 will be more stable and will not flip relative to a certain drive shaft under the drive of the second drive arm 322, causing the filter screen 200 to move to a non-preset path and cause a working error.

[0081] Alternatively, the first hinge portion 331 can also be shared with the hinge shaft 361, for example... Figure 7 and 5b As shown, the second drive arm 322 is hinged to the drive fixing block 340 via a shaft, which is both the first hinge part 331 and the hinge shaft 361.

[0082] The three-bar linkage structure of the drive mechanism 300 in this embodiment has been described in detail above. This three-bar linkage structure includes a first drive arm 321, a second drive arm 322, and a parallelogram structure connected to the second drive arm 322. Thus, the three-bar linkage structure simultaneously realizes the rotational and telescopic movements of the filter screen 200 relative to the sand chamber 100. It should be noted that this three-bar linkage mechanism is driven by power output from a drive force output source. This embodiment does not limit the specific type and arrangement of the drive force output source. For ease of understanding, this embodiment provides a preferred implementation method, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0083] like Figure 2 to 7 and Figure 3As shown, the driving force output source includes a combination of a motor and a gear set 370. Specifically, the drive mechanism 300 also includes a motor (not shown in the figure) and a gear set 370. The gear set 370 includes a first gear 371 sleeved on the output shaft of the motor and a second gear 372 sleeved on the transmission shaft 310. The first gear 371 and the second gear 372 mesh directly or indirectly. When the output end of the motor rotates, the transmission shaft 310 is driven to rotate in sequence through the first gear 371 and the second gear 372, so that the drive arm assembly 320 moves.

[0084] In this embodiment, preferably, the first gear 371 is fixedly sleeved on the end of the motor output shaft, and the second gear 372 is fixedly sleeved on the end of the transmission shaft 310. Further, the first drive arm 321 is fixedly sleeved on the transmission shaft 310. During operation, when the motor output shaft rotates, it drives the first gear 371 to rotate. Since the first gear 371 and the second gear 372 mesh directly or indirectly, the rotation of the first gear 371 will drive the rotation of the second gear 372. At this time, since the transmission shaft 310 is fixedly connected to the second gear 372, the transmission shaft 310 rotates accordingly, thereby driving the first drive arm 321 to rotate. Since the second drive arm 322 is hinged to the first drive arm 321, when the first drive arm 321 rotates, the first drive arm 321 drives the second drive arm 322 to move. Thus, through the coordinated operation of the motor and gear set 370, the drive arm assembly 320 is driven to move, thereby pushing the filter screen 200 to work.

[0085] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the drive shaft 310 is disposed within the sand chamber 100. Specifically, the drive shaft 310 can be disposed inside the chamber 110 of the sand chamber 100 or outside the chamber 110 of the sand chamber 100; this embodiment does not limit the location of the drive shaft 310. For ease of understanding, these two scenarios will be described in detail below.

[0086] Method 1: The drive shaft 310 is installed inside the sand chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100.

[0087] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the fit between the drive shaft 310 and the sand chamber 100 in Method 1, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the drive shaft 310 and the drive arm assembly 320 are both located inside the chamber 110 of the sand chamber 100.

[0088] In this embodiment, the drive shaft 310 is connected to a motor outside the chamber 110 via a gear set 370. This configuration has a high degree of integration, and the drive shaft 310, located inside the chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100, is less likely to interfere with other components of the sand compartment 100.

[0089] Method 2: The drive shaft 310 is located outside the sand chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100.

[0090] Please refer to the figure. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the fit between the drive shaft 310 and the sand chamber 100 in Method 2, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the drive shaft 310 is disposed inside the sand chamber 100 and located outside the chamber 110. One end of the drive arm assembly 320 is connected to the drive shaft 310, and the other end of the drive arm assembly 320 extends into the chamber 110 of the sand chamber 100 and is connected to the filter screen 200.

[0091] In this embodiment, the drive shaft 310 is located outside the chamber 110. One end of the first drive arm 321 is fixedly sleeved on the drive shaft 310, and the other end of the first drive arm 321 extends into the chamber 110 and is hinged to the second drive arm 322. In this way, although the drive shaft 310 is located outside the chamber 110 of the sand chamber 100, it can still drive the filter screen 200 inside the chamber 110 to move.

[0092] It should be noted that both Method 1 and Method 2 described above can achieve the purpose of this invention. In the other accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this invention, Method 2 is mainly used as an example for illustration to facilitate understanding. In specific work, those skilled in the art can replace it with Method 1 as needed, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0093] It should be further explained that in a traditional sand chamber 100, since the filter 200 operates passively, the sand chamber 100 needs to be set up in a roller shape, with the bedding material being poured into the filter 200 for filtration by the rolling of the sand chamber 100. This method also has a problem: the inlet and chamber 110 of the roller-shaped sand chamber 100 are relatively small, creating a claustrophobic feeling that discourages pets from entering the sand chamber 100, causing inconvenience. In contrast, since the filter 200 provided in this embodiment is actively moving, there is greater flexibility in the sand chamber 100's design, and the sand chamber 100 no longer needs to be set up in a traditional roller shape. Therefore, this embodiment provides a preferred implementation as follows.

[0094] Please see Figure 3 ,like Figure 3 As shown, the sand chamber 100 includes an opening 101, within which a cavity 110 is formed.

[0095] In this embodiment, preferably, as follows: Figure 1As shown, the sand hopper 100 is configured in a bucket shape, with the opening 101 forming a chamber 110. Optionally, the chamber 110 refers to the entire space formed within the opening 101 of the sand hopper 110. Therefore, the chamber 110 of the sand hopper 100 has a large opening, facilitating pet entry and exit. Simultaneously, because the opening 101 occupies a larger proportion of the sand hopper 100 in this configuration, it helps to reduce the volume of the sand hopper 100, making the device more compact.

[0096] It should be noted that during the operation of the filter 200, the sand chamber 100 can remain stationary, allowing the filter 200 to scoop into the chamber 110 of the sand chamber 100 to filter the bedding material. However, in this method, the bedding material creates significant resistance to the movement of the filter 200. Simultaneously, the filter 200 may, during operation, flush some bedding material along with pet excrement outside the sand chamber 100, causing contamination and waste. Therefore, to address this issue, this embodiment further employs the following solution: the movement of the sand chamber 100 works in conjunction with the filter 200 to achieve bedding material filtration.

[0097] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 1 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the sand chamber in the first position of the pet excrement treatment device provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the sand compartment in the second position of the pet waste treatment device provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the sand chamber 100 is used to rotate between a first position and a second position; as Figure 8 As shown, when the sand hopper 100 is in the first position, the sand hopper 100 is used to collect pet excrement; as Figure 9 As shown, when the sand hopper 100 rotates to the second position, the pet excrement collected by the sand hopper 100 falls into the filter screen 200.

[0098] In this embodiment, optionally, the first position is a horizontal or near-horizontal position of the sand chamber 100, and the second position is a vertical or near-vertical position of the sand chamber 100. In specific working processes, such as... Figure 8As shown, the filter 200 is located inside the chamber 110 of the sand compartment 100. During operation, the filter 200 moves from the inside of the chamber 110 towards the opening 101. Simultaneously, the sand compartment 100 rotates from a horizontal to a vertical position. As the sand compartment 100 rotates, the bedding material falls into the chamber 110 where the filter 200 is located, passing directly through the filter 200 during its fall. This allows the filter 200 to filter pet excrement from the bedding. Thus, through the cooperation of the sand compartment 100, the bedding material falls towards the filter 200 while the filter 200 is working, solving the problem of stationary bedding material creating resistance to the movement of the filter 200.

[0099] It should be noted that the difference between the above method and the prior art is that the sand chamber 100 does not rotate 180° or 360° like a roller, but only needs to rotate alternately in the horizontal and vertical directions. The opening 101 of the bucket-shaped sand chamber 100 will not be contaminated with the pad material during the rotation, so there will be no problem of the inner wall of the chamber 110 being contaminated by the pad material due to the rotation of the sand chamber 100.

[0100] In summary, the pet excrement treatment device provided in this application includes a sand hopper and a filter screen disposed within the sand hopper chamber. The sand hopper is used to accommodate pets so that pet excrement remains within its chamber. A drive mechanism is also provided within the sand hopper to drive the filter screen to move within the sand hopper, thereby cleaning the pet excrement remaining within the chamber. As a result, because the filter screen operates actively, the bedding material will not stick to the inner wall of the chamber due to the rolling motion of the sand hopper during the cleaning process. This eliminates the problem of secondary contamination of the bedding material during pet excrement treatment.

[0101] The above provides a detailed description of the pet excrement treatment device provided in the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the embodiments of this application also provide a pet excrement treatment method for the pet excrement treatment device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0102] For ease of understanding, the following detailed explanation is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0103] Please see Figure 9 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a pet excrement treatment method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 10 to 15 These are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the pet waste treatment device provided in the embodiments of this application. As described above, the pet waste treatment device includes a sand chamber, a filter, and a drive mechanism; the sand chamber contains bedding material. Figure 10 As shown, the method includes:

[0104] 101. The sand hopper's chambers accommodate pets and collect their excrement.

[0105] In this embodiment, the litter box has an opening that forms a chamber within the litter box. This design allows pets easy access to the chamber and to defecate there, enabling the chamber to collect the pet's excrement. The chamber contains bedding material; after the pet defecates, the excrement is enveloped and mixed with the bedding material.

[0106] 102. The sand chamber rotates from the first position to the second position.

[0107] In this embodiment, the sand chamber rotates from the first position to the second position, and the padding material passes through the filter screen during the rotation of the sand chamber from the first position to the second position.

[0108] 103. The filter screen sifts pet excrement out of the bedding.

[0109] In this embodiment, pet excrement rolls off the filter screen and falls to the outside of the sand compartment. Optionally, this step can be implemented by a drive mechanism that moves the filter screen to the outside of the sand compartment.

[0110] In this embodiment, when the bedding needs to be cleaned, the user can start the filter by pressing a button on the device or remotely controlling it via an app. At this time, the filter moves within the sand chamber under the drive of the drive mechanism, thereby enabling the filter to work actively and filter pet excrement in the bedding.

[0111] Alternatively, the following embodiment, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, provides an example of a sand chamber working in conjunction with a filter screen.

[0112] 1. For example Figure 11 to 15 As shown, the first position is when the sand hopper is horizontal or nearly horizontal. At this time, the filter screen is stored in the storage slot of the sand hopper, which is used to collect pet excrement.

[0113] 2. For example Figure 10 As shown, when cleaning begins, the filter extends from the collection tank and remains inside the sand chamber. At this time, the sand chamber begins to rotate to the second position. During this process, the filter remains at the bottom of the sand chamber, and the padding material inside the sand chamber begins to fall towards the position of the filter as the sand chamber rotates.

[0114] 3. For example Figure 11 As shown, the second position is the vertical or near-vertical position of the litter box. When the litter box is rotated to the second position, all the bedding material inside the litter box falls through the filter screen to the bottom of the litter box. At this time, the filter screen completes the filtration of the bedding material, collecting the pet excrement in the bedding material on its upper surface.

[0115] 4. For example Figure 12 As shown, the filter screen that filters out pet excrement moves along the sand chamber towards the opening of the sand chamber under the drive of the drive mechanism.

[0116] 5. For example Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15 As shown, the filter moves to its maximum range under the drive of the drive mechanism, emptying pet excrement into the open trash can 10, thus completing the automatic cleaning of pet excrement.

[0117] In this way, the sand chamber works in conjunction with the filter screen, causing the bedding material to fall towards the filter screen while the filter screen is working, thus solving the problem of stationary bedding material causing resistance to the filter screen's movement. After completing the filtration, the drive mechanism further drives the filter screen to move to the outside of the sand chamber, so that the filter screen can empty pet excrement into the trash can outside the sand chamber, achieving fully automatic cleaning of pet excrement in the sand chamber.

[0118] During the above steps, the sand chamber does not rotate 180° or 360° like a roller, but only needs to rotate alternately in the horizontal and vertical directions. The opening of the bucket-shaped sand chamber will not be contaminated with the pad material during rotation, thus avoiding the problem of the inner wall of the chamber being contaminated by the pad material due to the rotation of the sand chamber.

[0119] 104. The sand chamber rotates from the second position to the first position.

[0120] In this embodiment, after the bedding is cleaned, the litter box returns from the second position to the first position, optionally rotating from a vertical position to a horizontal position. This returns the litter box from the bedding-cleaning state to its normal working state, continuing to collect pet excrement.

[0121] It should be noted that when the sand chamber returns from the second position to the first position, the sand material inside the sand chamber has rolled, and the rolling amplitude is small, so the surface of the sand material may not be parallel to the horizontal plane. The stacked sand material will create a slope, which will cause inconvenience to use. In this regard, the following step 105 is further performed.

[0122] 105. The drive mechanism drives the filter screen to move within the sand chamber.

[0123] In this embodiment, after the sand chamber completes the bedding cleaning step and returns to its initial position, the drive mechanism drives the filter screen to move within the sand chamber's cavity, so that the free end of the filter screen levels the bedding material contained within the sand chamber's cavity. The filter screen can move once or reciprocate multiple times within the sand chamber according to the user's settings. In this way, the free end of the filter screen acts like a shovel, pushing the bedding material within the sand chamber's cavity flat, thus achieving a leveling effect and facilitating the continued use of the bedding material.

[0124] In summary, the pet excrement treatment method provided in this application embodiment is used in the pet excrement treatment equipment provided in this application embodiment. The pet excrement treatment equipment includes a sand chamber, a filter screen, and a drive mechanism. The sand chamber contains bedding material. The method includes: the sand chamber accommodating a pet and collecting pet excrement; the sand chamber rotating from a first position to a second position, with the bedding material passing through the filter screen during the rotation; the filter screen sieving out the pet excrement from the bedding material and causing it to roll off the filter screen to the outside of the sand chamber. Therefore, because the filter screen works actively, the bedding material will not stick to the inner wall of the chamber due to the rolling motion of the sand chamber during the cleaning of pet excrement. This eliminates the problem of secondary pollution of the bedding material during pet excrement treatment.

[0125] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pet excrement processing apparatus characterized by comprising: The sand compartment is used for containing pets so that pet excrement remains in the chamber of the sand compartment. The filter screen is rotationally connected to the upper portion of the sand compartment. The sand compartment is further provided with a driving mechanism for driving the filter screen to rotate in the sand compartment to level the litter in the sand compartment and / or to clean the pet excrement in the chamber of the sand compartment. The driving mechanism comprises a transmission shaft, a driving arm assembly and a hinged portion, the driving arm assembly is fixedly connected with the transmission shaft, and the filter screen is hinged to the driving arm assembly and the sand compartment through the hinged portion. The driving arm assembly comprises a first driving arm and a second driving arm which are fixed to the transmission shaft, the hinged portion comprises a first hinged portion and a second hinged portion which are independent of each other, the first driving arm is fixedly connected with the transmission shaft, the second driving arm is hinged to the first driving arm, and the filter screen is hinged to the second driving arm and the sand compartment through the first hinged portion and the second hinged portion respectively, the sand compartment is used for rotating between a first position and a second position, the sand compartment is used for collecting pet excrement when the sand compartment is located at the first position, and the pet excrement collected by the sand compartment falls into the filter screen during the rotation of the sand compartment to the second position. The number of the driving arm assemblies is two, wherein, 2. The pet waste treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein The two driving arm assemblies are arranged on two sides of the filter screen respectively, and the two driving arm assemblies are drivingly connected through the transmission shaft. The driving mechanism further comprises a driving fixed block, wherein, 3. The pet waste treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein The filter screen is fixedly installed on the driving fixed block, and the filter screen is used for moving under the driving of the driving fixed block; One end of the second driving arm is hinged to the driving fixed block through the first hinged portion. The driving mechanism further comprises a rotating arm and a hinged arm, wherein, 4. The pet waste treatment apparatus of claim 3, wherein The rotating arm is hinged to the sand compartment through the second hinged portion; The driving fixed block is hinged to the rotating arm through the hinged arm. The number of the hinged arms is two, wherein, 5. The pet waste disposal apparatus of claim 4, wherein The two ends of the two hinged arms are hinged to the rotating arm and the driving fixed block through hinged shafts respectively, and the four hinged shafts at the two ends of the two hinged arms are arranged in a parallelogram shape. The first hinged portion is located between the two hinged shafts at which the two hinged arms are hinged to the driving fixed block.

6. The pet waste treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein The driving mechanism further comprises a motor and a gear set; wherein, 7. The pet waste disposal apparatus of claim 1 wherein, The gear set comprises a first gear sleeved on the output shaft of the motor and a second gear sleeved on the transmission shaft, and the first gear and the second gear are directly or indirectly engaged with each other; When the output end of the motor rotates, the transmission shaft is driven to rotate through the first gear and the second gear in sequence, so that the driving arm assembly moves.

8. The pet excrement treatment device according to claim 1, wherein, The transmission shaft and the driving arm assembly are arranged inside the chamber of the sand compartment; or, ​ The transmission shaft is arranged in the sand chamber and outside the cavity, one end of the driving arm assembly is connected with the transmission shaft, and the other end of the driving arm assembly extends into the cavity of the sand chamber and is connected with the filter screen.

9. The pet waste treatment apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The sand chamber comprises an opening, and the cavity is formed in the opening.

10. A pet excrement disposal method for the pet excrement disposal apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the pet excrement disposal apparatus including a sand chamber, a filter screen, and a driving mechanism, the sand chamber having a chamber in which a litter is contained; characterized by, The method comprises: The cavity of the sand chamber contains the pet and collects pet excrement; The sand chamber rotates from the first position to the second position, and the litter passes through the filter screen during the rotation of the sand chamber from the first position to the second position; The filter screen screens the pet excrement from the litter and makes the pet excrement roll from the filter screen to the outside of the sand chamber.

11. The pet waste disposal method of claim 10 wherein, The filter screen screens the pet excrement from the litter, comprising: The driving mechanism drives the filter screen to move outside the cavity of the sand chamber.

12. The pet waste disposal method of claim 11 wherein, After the driving mechanism drives the filter screen to move outside the cavity of the sand chamber, further comprising: The sand chamber rotates from the second position to the first position; The driving mechanism drives the filter screen to move in the cavity of the sand chamber to flatten the litter contained in the cavity of the sand chamber.

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