Method for manufacturing animal toilet and animal toilet
By performing a smoothing treatment after resin injection during the manufacturing process of animal litter boxes, the problem of urine accumulation caused by uneven resin surfaces is solved, achieving the effects of reducing urine odor and simplifying manufacturing.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- UNI CHARM CORP
- Filing Date
- 2021-12-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
Smart Images
Figure CN117440751B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a method for manufacturing an animal litter box and to the animal litter box itself. Background Technology
[0002] Animal litter boxes are traditionally known for use with animals such as cats. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an animal litter box comprising: an upper container having an opening for the animal to enter and exit and a permeable bottom surface allowing urine to pass through; a placement container in which an absorbent sheet is placed to absorb urine passing through the bottom surface; and a lower container located below the bottom surface and housing the placement container while supporting the upper container. In this type of litter box, multiple openings are provided in the bottom surface of the upper container in a mesh or drainage plate manner, through which urine passes and moves to the lower container side.
[0003] Existing technical documents
[0004] Patent documents
[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-11181 Summary of the Invention
[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve
[0007] In cases where at least a portion of the animal litter box, such as the aforementioned permeable bottom surface, is made of resin, there is a risk that urine may accumulate in the depressions of the surface if the surface of the resin-made portion has an uneven surface, leading to foul odor and dirt buildup.
[0008] The present invention was made in view of conventional problems such as those described above, and one aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an animal litter box that reduces the risk of resin unevenness occurring on the surface of the animal litter box.
[0009] Solution for solving the problem
[0010] A key aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objectives is a method for manufacturing an animal litter box, the litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and a top-bottom direction, the litter box comprising: a urine passage portion having a plurality of holes for urine passage; and an absorbent placement portion disposed below the urine passage portion, wherein an absorbent for absorbing urine that has passed through the urine passage portion is placed in the absorbent placement portion, at least a portion of the litter box being a resin-molded product having a urine contact portion having the possibility of contact with urine, the manufacturing method comprising: a mold preparation process for preparing a mold, the mold including an injection hole for injecting resin, and the mold for molding the resin-molded product; a resin injection process for injecting resin from the injection hole; and a smoothing process, after the resin injection process, smoothing the resin in the portion of the urine contact portion facing the inner opening of the injection hole.
[0011] Other features of the invention will become clear from reading this specification with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0012] The effects of the invention
[0013] According to the present invention, the odor of urine caused by urine collected or remaining in the uneven parts of the resin-molded product in the animal litter box can be reduced. Attached Figure Description
[0014] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 This is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of an animal litter box 1.
[0015] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 This is an exploded side view of animal litter box 1.
[0016] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 This is a three-sided view of the upper container 10.
[0017] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 It is illustrated along Figure 3 The diagram shows the cross-section taken by line AA in the figure.
[0018] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 This is a three-sided view of the lower container 20.
[0019] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 This is a three-sided view of tray 30.
[0020] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 Figure A is a diagram illustrating the conventional process of injecting resin into a mold. Figure 7Figure B is a diagram illustrating the conventional process of separating the fixed mold and the resin-molded product.
[0021] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the manufacturing process of the upper container 10.
[0022] [ Figure 9 ] Figure 9 yes Figure 3 An enlarged view of part D in the image.
[0023] [ Figure 10 ] Figure 10 A is a diagram illustrating the mold preparation process. Figure 10 B is a diagram illustrating the mold closing process.
[0024] [ Figure 11 ] Figure 11 A is a diagram illustrating the release process of the valve component. Figure 11 B is a diagram illustrating the resin injection process.
[0025] [ Figure 12 ] Figure 12 A is a diagram illustrating the resin injection stopping process. Figure 12 B is a graph illustrating the smoothing process.
[0026] [ Figure 13 ] Figure 13 A is a diagram illustrating the mold separation process. Figure 13 B is a diagram illustrating the process of removing the upper container.
[0027] [ Figure 14 ] Figure 14 A is a schematic perspective view of the bottom 11 when viewed from the side of the lower surface. Figure 14 B is illustrated along Figure 14 A diagram of the cross section taken by line XX in A. Detailed Implementation
[0028] The following will be clear from the description in this specification and the accompanying drawings.
[0029] A method for manufacturing an animal litter box, the litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and a top-bottom direction, the litter box comprising: a urine passage portion having a plurality of holes for urine to pass through; and an absorbent placement portion disposed below the urine passage portion, wherein an absorbent for absorbing urine that has passed through the urine passage portion is placed in the absorbent placement portion, at least a portion of the litter box being a resin-molded product, the resin-molded product having a urine contact portion having the possibility of contact with urine, the manufacturing method comprising: a mold preparation process for preparing a mold, the mold including an injection hole for injecting resin, and the mold for molding the resin-molded product; a resin injection process for injecting resin from the injection hole; and a smoothing process, after the resin injection process, smoothing the resin in the portion of the urine contact portion facing the inner opening of the injection hole.
[0030] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, the risk of resin irregularities forming in the urine contact area of the resin molded product is reduced during the manufacturing process of the animal litter box. This makes it easier to reduce urine odor caused by urine collected or remaining in the irregularities of the resin molded product.
[0031] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable that the resin-molded product is at least one of the urine passage portion, the absorbent placement portion, the support portion supporting the absorbent placement portion, and the cover disposed above the urine passage portion.
[0032] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, the risk of resin irregularities forming in at least one of the urine contact areas—the urine passage, the absorbent placement area, the support, and the lid—is reduced. This makes it easier to reduce urine odor caused by urine collected or remaining in the irregularities of the resin-molded product.
[0033] In this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, it is desirable that, after the resin injection process, the manufacturing method further includes a removal process for taking out the molded resin product from the mold, and a smoothing process is performed after the removal process.
[0034] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, it is easier and more reliable to smooth the unevenness of the urine contact area of resin molded products.
[0035] In this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, it is desirable that the smoothing process removes a portion of the resin molded product that protrudes from the surface of the resin molded product.
[0036] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, the urine contact area of resin molded products can be easily smoothed.
[0037] In this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, it is desirable that the smoothing process fills the recesses on the surface of the resin-molded product.
[0038] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, the urine contact area of resin molded products can be easily smoothed.
[0039] In this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, it is desirable that the manufacturing method further include a removal process of taking out the molded resin product from the mold, and the removal process is performed after the smoothing process.
[0040] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, a smoothing process can be performed within the mold, making the manufacturing process easier and simpler.
[0041] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable to prepare a valve member that moves relative to the injection port by receiving a driving force from a drive source, inject the resin during the resin injection process with the front end face of the valve member positioned closer to the outer opening than the inner opening, and smooth the resin during the smoothing process by blocking the inner opening with the valve member and aligning the front end face with the edge of the inner opening.
[0042] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, a smoothing process can be performed within the mold, making the manufacturing process easier and simpler.
[0043] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable to prepare a valve member that is spring-supported and movable relative to the injection port; during the resin injection process, the resin is injected while the inflow pressure of the resin causes the front end face of the valve member to protrude from the inner opening into the mold; and during the smoothing process, the inner opening is blocked by the valve member using the restoring force of the spring, and the resin is smoothed by aligning the front end face with the edge of the inner opening.
[0044] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, a smoothing process can be performed within the mold, making the manufacturing process easier and simpler.
[0045] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable to prepare a valve member that is supported by a spring and moves relative to the injection port; during the resin injection process, the resin is injected in a state where the inflow pressure of the resin causes the front end face of the valve member to be positioned closer to the outer opening than the inner opening; and during the smoothing process, the inner opening is blocked by the valve member using the restoring force of the spring, and the resin is smoothed by aligning the front end face with the edge of the inner opening.
[0046] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, a smoothing process can be performed within the mold, making the manufacturing process easier and simpler.
[0047] In this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, it is desirable that the mold has a protrusion in the portion facing the inner opening, the protrusion protruding toward the inner opening.
[0048] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, the risk of residual cavitation in the part facing the injection hole can be reduced during the resin injection process.
[0049] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable that the resin-molded product is the urine passage, and that the resin on the upper surface of the urine passage is smoothed during the smoothing process.
[0050] When an animal defecates, urine flows from top to bottom through the urinary passage. Therefore, according to this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, by smoothing the unevenness on the upper surface of the urinary passage, the risk of foul odor caused by urine accumulating in the unevenness of the upper surface of the urinary passage can be reduced.
[0051] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable that the mold has: a fixed mold for forming at least the upper end of the urinary passage; and a movable mold for forming at least the lower end of the urinary passage, the fixed mold including the injection holes, the removal process being performed after the resin injection process during the removal process of the formed urinary passage from the mold, wherein the movable mold includes a release rod for separating the movable mold and the urinary passage, and the number of the injection holes is less than the number of the release rods.
[0052] In the portion of the urine passage that contacts the injection hole and ejector pin, traces such as unevenness may remain due to resin injection and separation from the mold. According to this animal litter box manufacturing method, the number of unevennesses formed on the upper surface of the urine passage due to subsequent resin injection traces is less than the number of unevennesses formed on the lower surface of the urine passage due to contact with the ejector pin. This reduces the risk of foul odor caused by urine accumulating in the unevenness on the upper surface of the urine passage.
[0053] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable that the mold has: a fixed mold for forming at least the upper end of the urination passage; and a movable mold for forming at least the lower end of the urination passage, the fixed mold including: the injection hole; and a release rod for separating the movable mold and the urination passage during a removal process, in which the formed urination passage is removed from the mold after the resin injection process.
[0054] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, the unevenness formed on the upper surface of the urine passage due to the traces of subsequent resin injection can be reduced. This reduces the risk of foul odor caused by urine accumulating in the unevenness on the upper surface of the urine passage.
[0055] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable that the resin-molded product is the urine passage, and that the resin on the lower surface of the urine passage is smoothed during the smoothing process.
[0056] According to the method for manufacturing the animal litter box, by reducing the unevenness on the lower surface of the urine passage, the risk of foul odor caused by increased urine concentration due to urine passing through the holes of the urine passage, remaining on the unevenness of the lower surface, and the evaporation of water in the urine can be reduced.
[0057] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable that the mold has: a fixed mold for forming at least the lower end of the urinary passage; and a movable mold for forming at least the upper end of the urinary passage, the fixed mold including the injection holes, the removal process being performed after the resin injection process during the removal process of the formed urinary passage from the mold, wherein the movable mold includes a release rod for separating the movable mold and the urinary passage, and the number of the injection holes is less than the number of the release rods.
[0058] In the portion of the urine passage that contacts the injection hole and the mold release rod, traces such as unevenness may remain due to resin injection and separation from the mold. According to this animal litter box manufacturing method, the number of unevennesses formed on the lower surface of the urine passage due to subsequent resin injection marks is less than the number of unevennesses formed on the upper surface of the urine passage due to contact with the mold release rod. This reduces the risk of foul odor caused by increased urine concentration due to urine passing through the urine passage hole, remaining unevenness on the lower surface, and evaporation of water from the urine.
[0059] An animal litter box has a front-to-back direction, a left-to-right direction, and a top-to-bottom direction. The litter box includes: a urine passage portion having a plurality of holes for urine to pass through; and an absorbent placement portion disposed below the urine passage portion, wherein an absorbent that absorbs urine that has passed through the urine passage portion is placed in the absorbent placement portion. At least a portion of the litter box is a resin-molded product having a urine contact portion that has the possibility of contact with urine. The litter box is manufactured by: preparing a mold having an injection hole for injecting resin, and the mold being used to mold the resin-molded product; injecting resin through the injection hole; and after the resin injection, smoothing the resin on the portion of the urine contact portion facing the inner opening of the injection hole.
[0060] According to this animal litter box, the risk of resin bumps forming in the urine contact area of the litter box is reduced, which makes it easier to reduce urine odor caused by urine collected or remaining in the bumps of the resin molded product.
[0061] In this method of manufacturing an animal litter box, it is desirable that the mold has: a fixed mold for forming at least the lower end of the urination passage; and a movable mold for forming at least the upper end of the urination passage, the fixed mold including: the injection hole; and a release rod for separating the movable mold and the urination passage during removal, in which the formed urination passage is removed from the mold after the resin injection process.
[0062] According to this method of manufacturing animal litter boxes, the unevenness formed on the lower surface of the urine passage due to the traces of subsequent resin injection can be reduced. This reduces the risk of foul odor caused by increased urine concentration due to urine passing through the holes of the urine passage, residue on the unevenness of the lower surface, and evaporation of water in the urine.
[0063] ===Implementation Methods===
[0064] <Overall Structure>
[0065] The following describes animal litter box 1 using an example of an animal litter box according to this embodiment. Figure 1 This is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of an animal litter box 1. Figure 2 This is an exploded side view of animal litter box 1. Furthermore, in the following description, "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are defined as follows: Figure 1The three directions shown are orthogonal to each other. The front-to-back direction is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the animal litter box 1, and the front side is the side where the animal entrance / exit is located. The left-to-right direction is aligned with the width direction of the animal litter box 1. The up-down direction is aligned with the vertical direction. Note that the components of the animal litter box 1 each have a predetermined thickness, and relative to the thickness of each component, the upper side in the up-down direction is called the "upper surface," and the lower side in the up-down direction is called the "lower surface."
[0066] The animal litter box 1 has an upper container 10, a lower container 20, a tray 30, and a lid 40, and these four components constitute... Figure 1 The animal litter box 1 shown is in use. Figure 2 As shown, these four components can be freely attached to and detached from each other. Specifically, the lower container 20 is placed stacked below and attached to the upper container 10. The lower container 20 houses a tray 30, in which an absorbent 220 (described later) for absorbing excrement such as urine can be placed. The lid 40 is attached to the upper part of the upper container 10. Because the components can be detached from each other in this manner, cleaning is easier.
[0067] Note that each of the upper container 10, lower container 20, tray 30, and lid 40 is formed of a polyolefin-based thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate. However, the materials constituting the components are not limited to these. It is sufficient for at least one component to be made of resin; for example, it can be made of other resins, or it can also be a component made of metal sheet such as stainless steel or aluminum.
[0068] Figure 3 This is a three-sided view of the upper container 10. Figure 4 It is illustrated along Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-section taken by line AA. The upper container 10 is a generally box-shaped member with an open upper side and multiple holes 101 for urine passage. The upper container 10 is also referred to as the "urine passage section". Animals such as cats defecate on the upper surface side of the upper container 10 (corresponding to the inside of the box). The upper container 10 includes a bottom 11, an edge portion 12, a stepped portion 13, and an inclined portion 14.
[0069] The bottom 11 is the portion that forms the bottom surface of the upper container 10, and is located at the lowest point in the vertical direction of the upper container 10 (see [reference]). Figure 4 Multiple holes (also called "slits") 101 are provided on the bottom 11, through which animal excrement, such as urine, passes vertically from top to bottom. The holes 101 are continuous vertically. Excreted urine passes through the holes 101 and moves downward in the upper container 10.
[0070] When using the litter box 1, pellets such as cat litter are placed on the upper surface of the bottom 11, and animals such as cats defecate onto the pellets from above. In this embodiment, excrement treatment material 210 is placed as pellets, such as... Figure 4 As shown. The excrement treatment material 210 is a porous granular material such as zeolite or silica gel, and exhibits dehumidification and deodorization effects by absorbing ammonia components when in contact with animal excrement such as urine. Furthermore, by placing the granular excrement treatment material 210 in the bottom 11, animals can more easily identify the bottom 11 as the location for excretion. Note that in order to prevent the particles of the excrement treatment material 210 from falling through the holes 101 in the bottom 11, it is desirable that the holes 101 have a shape and size that allows urine to pass through but does not allow the excrement treatment material 210 to pass through. In this embodiment, the holes 101 are as follows... Figure 3 The slit shown is long in the front-to-back direction.
[0071] Edge portion 12 is the portion that forms the outer edge of the upper container 10 in both the front-rear and left-right directions. This edge portion 12 has a shape that folds outward at the upper end of the upper container 10 and can be stacked vertically on the edge portion 22 of the lower container 20 (described later). Step portion 13 is the portion where there is a height difference between the edge portion 12 and the bottom 11 on the front side. Inclined portion 14 is formed as an inclined portion between the edge portion 12 and the bottom 11, thereby causing the upper container 10 to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The shape shown is roughly box-shaped.
[0072] Figure 5 These are three side views of the lower container 20. The lower container 20 is a generally box-shaped member with an open upper side, and is placed stacked below and attached to the upper container 10 when the animal litter box 1 is used, as shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown. The lower container 20 is a "support portion" that supports the upper container 10 and the tray 30. The lower container 20 includes a bottom 21, an edge portion 22, a side wall portion 23, and a tray receiving portion 25. The bottom 21 is the portion that forms the bottom surface of the lower container 20. The edge portion 22 is the portion that forms the outer edge in the front-back direction and the left-right direction on the upper part of the lower container 20. When the lower container 20 and the upper container 10 are attached to each other, the edge portion 12 of the upper container 10 and the edge portion 22 of the lower container 20 are stacked. The side wall portion 23 is a wall member that rises upward from the end edge of the bottom 21.
[0073] The tray receiving section 25 is the part that receives the tray 30. For example... Figure 5 As shown, an opening 25f is provided on the front side and below the edge portion 22. By sliding the tray 30 backward along the tray receiving portion 25 in the front-rear direction from the opening 25f, the tray 30 can be received inside the lower container 20. Figure 5 The middle part is enclosed by a dotted line.
[0074] Figure 6 This is a three-side view of the tray 30. The tray 30 is a shallow, flat, box-shaped container in which an absorbent for absorbing urine, etc., is placed. The tray 30 is also referred to as the "absorbent placement section". The tray 30 includes a side wall portion 31, an absorbent placement area 32, and a handle portion 33. The side wall portion 31 is a wall surrounding the outer periphery of the tray 30. In this embodiment, the tray 30 is formed as a rectangle symmetrical in the front-back direction. Then, the absorbent placement area 32 for placing the absorbent is formed in the inner region surrounded by the side wall portion 31.
[0075] Figure 6 The diagram shows the absorbent 220 (the shaded portion in the figure) placed in the absorbent placement area 32. The absorbent 220 is a liquid absorbent sheet component for absorbing urine excreted by animals such as cats, and is formed from a liquid absorbent material such as pulp fiber or a highly absorbent polymer. Additionally, deodorizing microcapsules and antibacterial agents can be provided in the absorbent 220 to seal in the odor of the absorbed urine and prevent bacterial growth. Although the absorbent 220... Figure 6 The absorber 220 is represented as a rectangular sheet component, but there are no restrictions on its shape, as long as it can be held within the absorber placement area 32.
[0076] The handle portion 33 is formed at both ends of the tray 30 in the front-rear direction. When inserting or pulling the tray 30 into the lower container 20, the tray 30 can be slid in the front-rear direction by grasping and operating the handle portion 33.
[0077] The lid 40 includes an opening 41, a side wall portion 42, and an edge portion 43. The lid 40 is located above the upper container 10 and the lower container 20 (see [reference]). Figure 1 The inlet / outlet opening 41 is a front-wide opening in the front-rear direction, through which animals can enter and exit the litter box 1. In other words, the inlet / outlet opening 41 corresponds to the entrance and exit of the litter box 1. A side wall portion 42 is formed around the inlet / outlet opening 41. The side wall portion 42 is provided to prevent the granular absorbent 220 and excrement from overflowing or scattering outside the litter box 1 (upper container 10). In addition, the edge portion 43 is the part that forms the outer edge and is located below the cover 40. By engaging the edge portion 43 with the edge portion 22 of the lower container 20, the cover 40 can be attached and fixed to the litter box 1.
[0078] When an animal, such as a cat, defecates, it enters the litter box 1 through the inlet / outlet opening 41 and urinates onto the upper surface of the upper container 10, depositing urine into the bottom 11 where granular waste treatment material 210 is placed. The excreted urine falls through multiple holes 101 in the bottom 11 as it comes into contact with the waste treatment material 210. The urine is then absorbed by the absorbent 220 located below the bottom 11 and stored in the tray 30. The user can cleanly use the litter box 1 by periodically replacing the urine-absorbing absorbent 220.
[0079] Note that the upper container 10, lower container 20, tray 30, and lid 40 of the animal litter box 1 in this embodiment are all made of thermoplastic resin, and each has a urine contact portion that may come into contact with urine. The "urine contact portion" is the part of the resin-molded product that may come into contact with urine when the animal litter box 1 is used. Specifically, in the bottom 11, step 13, and inclined portion 14 of the upper container 10, the urine contact portion of the upper container 10 is the upper surface side (inner side) and the lower surface side (outer side), excluding the edge portion 12 in the portion that contacts the stacked lower container 20 and the portion that contacts the stacked lid 40. The urine contact portion of the lower container 20 is the upper surface side (inner side) of the lower container 20, excluding the portion that contacts the stacked upper container 10. The urine contact portion of the tray 30 is the upper surface side (inner side). The urine contact portion of the lid 40 is the lower surface side (outer side) of the lid 40, excluding the portion that contacts the upper container 10.
[0080] <Manufacturing of Resin Molded Products>
[0081] The resin-molded product constituting at least a portion of the animal litter box 1 is a plastic product molded using an injection molding die. Figure 7 Figure A is a diagram illustrating the conventional process of injecting resin into a mold. Figure 7 Figure B is a diagram illustrating the conventional process of separating the fixed mold from the resin-molded product. (See diagram for reference.) Figure 7 As shown in Figure A, resin rp is injected into the interior of mold 2Cp through injection hole 3p located in fixed mold 2Ap. After resin rp cures and resin-molded product Rp is formed, as shown in Figure A... Figure 7 As shown in B, the injection hole 3p is separated from the resin-molded product Rp. Conventionally, there is a risk that a protrusion N may form in the portion Tp of the resin-molded product Rp facing the inner opening 3up of the injection hole 3p. The formation of a protrusion N at the urine contact portion of the resin-molded product Rp may result in residual urine from the animal's excrement remaining in the recess of the protrusion N, and the residual urine may produce a foul odor.
[0082] On the other hand, in this embodiment, a smoothing process is performed during manufacturing to smooth the urine contact portion of the resin-molded product, reducing the risk of forming unevenness due to resin in the portion of the resin-molded product facing the injection hole. This makes it less likely to produce foul odor due to residual animal urine. In other words, at least a portion of the animal litter box 1 having an upper container 10 (the upper container 10 has a plurality of holes 101) and a tray 30 disposed below the upper container 10 is a resin-molded product with a urine contact portion. The resin-molded product is manufactured as follows: a mold is prepared having an injection hole for injecting resin and for molding the resin-molded product; resin is injected from the injection hole; and after resin injection, the resin in the urine contact portion, which is located on the inner opening facing the injection hole, is smoothed. This reduces the risk of resin unevenness forming in the urine contact portion of the animal litter box 1, making it easier to reduce urine odor caused by urine collected or remaining in the unevenness of the resin-molded product.
[0083] The resin-molded product of the animal litter box 1 is at least one of the upper container 10, lower container 20, tray 30, and lid 40. This reduces the risk of urine contact areas forming unevenness in the resin at at least one of these components, and makes it easier to reduce urine odor caused by urine collected or remaining in the unevenness of the resin-molded product. The following describes a method for manufacturing the upper container 10, using the upper container 10 as an example of a resin-molded product made of a polyolefin-based thermoplastic resin.
[0084] The upper container 10 is formed by injection molding, where resin is injected and molded into a mold. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the upper container 10 is manufactured through the following processes: mold preparation process (S1); mold closing process (S2); valve component release process (S3); resin injection process (S4); resin injection stop process (S5); smoothing process (S6); mold separation process (S7); and upper container removal process (S8). Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the manufacturing process of the upper container 10.
[0085] As described above, the bottom 11 of the upper container 10 has a plurality of holes 101, thus the bottom 11 of the upper container 10 has a fine and complex structure. In the injection molding of the upper container 10 having this complex structure, in order to diffuse the resin throughout the mold, it is preferable that the resin r injected from the injection hole 3 is injected from a position corresponding to the upper surface side of the bottom 11. On the other hand, in the animal litter box 1, the upper container 10 allows urine received from above to pass through the holes 101 provided in the bottom 11 and move the urine to the tray 30 below. Therefore, in the upper container 10, the upper surface of the bottom 11 is the urine contact portion, especially the portion where urine will accumulate. Therefore, it is preferable to smooth the resin on the upper surface of the bottom 11 of the upper container 10 and reduce unevenness. In this embodiment, a method for forming the upper container 10 by injection molding will be described, wherein the resin is injected from a position corresponding to the upper surface of the bottom 11 of the upper container 10.
[0086] In the upper container 10 of this embodiment, part T( of the upper surface of the bottom 11) Figure 3 and Figure 9 This refers to the portion of the inner opening 3u facing the injection hole 3 when the upper container 10 is formed. Additionally, Figure 3 and Figure 9 The portion E shown is the part that contacts the mold-lifting rod P during the upper container removal process (S8) described later. Portion E is located on the lower surface side of the upper container 10, but for convenience, it is not shown on the lower surface side. Figure 3 and Figure 9 In the middle, part of E is represented by a solid line.
[0087] Figure 9 yes Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of part D, and specifically an enlarged view of a portion of the bottom 11. The multiple holes 101 of the bottom 11 are formed by longitudinal ribs 111 arranged along the front-back direction and transverse ribs 115 arranged along the left-right direction. The multiple holes 101 formed in this way are regularly arranged in both the front-back and left-right directions. Note that, for convenience, in... Figure 9 In the middle, longitudinal rib 111 is shown as a diagonal line. For example... Figure 9 As shown, it is preferable to place part T at the intersection of the longitudinal rib 111 and the transverse rib 115, that is, at the part located on both the longitudinal rib 111 and the transverse rib 115. Compared to placing part T at the part where only the longitudinal rib 111 exists or the part where only the transverse rib 115 exists, this makes it easier for the resin r to diffuse throughout the mold and easier to inject the resin r in a stable state.
[0088] The following is for reference Figure 10 A to Figure 13 The steps for forming the upper container 10 are explained in section B. Figure 10 A to Figure 13B is a schematic diagram used to explain the molding of the upper container 10; dimensions, etc., may not be accurate.
[0089] First, perform the mold preparation process (S1). Figure 10 Figure A illustrates the mold preparation process (S1). The mold is a metal mold used to shape the molding material into a specific shape, and consists of a fixed mold 2A and a movable mold 2B. Furthermore, the set of fixed mold 2A and movable mold 2B is referred to as a "mold," and during the mold closing process (S2), a cavity 2C (also referred to as "mold 2C") is formed between the fixed mold 2A and movable mold 2B, described later. The fixed mold 2A side is defined as the "upper side," and the movable mold 2B side is defined as the "lower side." Additionally, the fixed mold 2A at least shapes the upper end of the upper container 10, and the movable mold 2B at least shapes the lower end of the upper container 10.
[0090] The fixed mold 2A is a mold that does not perform opening and closing actions and has injection holes 3. Each injection hole 3 is a component for injecting resin r and is a hollow cylindrical shape. In the injection hole 3, resin r is injected into the chamber 2C from the outer opening 3s through the inner opening 3u. The outer opening 3s is the inlet for injecting resin r into the injection hole 3. The inner opening 3u is the outlet for injecting resin r from the injection hole 3 into the chamber 2C and is the portion facing the corresponding part T after the resin injection process. In addition, the fixed mold 2A includes valve members 4. Each valve member 4 is generally cylindrical, and its front end face 4t on the inner opening 3u side (lower side) of the injection hole 3 is flat. By receiving driving force from a drive source, the valve member 4 can move relative to the injection hole 3. Specifically, the valve member 4 can move in the vertical direction along the hollow inside the injection hole 3. The movable mold 2B is a mold that performs opening and closing actions and has a mold release rod P. Preferably, the injection hole 3, valve member 4, and mold release rod P are all made of metal. In addition, the configuration, quantity, shape, and size of the injection hole 3 and the mold release rod P can be changed according to the shape and size of the resin molded product.
[0091] Next, the mold closing process (S2) is executed. Figure 10 Figure B illustrates the mold closing process. The mold closing process (S2) is the process of closing the mold; in this process, the cavity 2C becomes a closed space by moving the movable mold 2B relative to the fixed mold 2A. In the mold closing process, well-known mold closing devices can be used, for example, electric devices, hydraulic devices, etc. can be used as mold closing devices.
[0092] In the mold closing process (S2), such as Figure 10As shown in B, the fluid resin r can be stored in the hollow portion of the injection hole 3. For example, during continuous molding of the upper container 10, by storing the resin r in the hollow portion of the injection hole 3 during the mold preparation process (S1) and the mold closing process (S2), the upper container 10 can be molded efficiently. Note that... Figure 10 Figure A shows a state where the injection hole 3 does not contain resin r. During the mold closing process (S2) of this embodiment, the front end face 4t of the valve member 4 is aligned with the edge of the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3, and the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3 is blocked by the front end face 4t of the valve member 4. Therefore, at this stage, the resin r remains inside the injection hole 3. By heating and melting the granular plastic material stored in a hopper (not shown) located outside the injection hole 3, the resin r in the injection hole 3 is made into a fluid state (starch syrup-like). Furthermore, the injection hole 3 is equipped with a heater (not shown) to maintain the fluid state of the resin r and pour it into the chamber 2C.
[0093] Then, the valve component release process is executed (S3). Figure 11 Figure A illustrates the valve member release process. During the valve member release process (S3), by moving the front end face 4t of the valve member 4 to the outer opening 3s side of the injection hole 3, the valve member 4 enters a state where the front end face 4t of the valve member 4 is closer to the outer opening 3s than the inner opening. In other words, the front end face 4t of the valve member 4 that blocks the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3 separates from the inner opening 3u. As a result, the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3 is opened, allowing resin r to be injected. The valve member 4 can be moved by receiving a driving force from a drive source using electricity, or by receiving a driving force from a drive source using hydraulic force.
[0094] Next, the resin injection process (S4) is performed. Figure 11 Figure B illustrates the resin injection process. In the resin injection process (S4), resin r in injection hole 3 is poured into chamber (mold) 2C through inner opening 3u of injection hole 3. In the resin injection process (S4), resin r is injected by applying pressure from injection hole 3 toward chamber 2C. In the resin injection process (S4) of this embodiment, resin r is injected into chamber 2C when the front end face 4t of valve member 4 is located closer to outer opening 3s than inner opening 3u. Furthermore, in the resin injection process (S4), resin injection stop process (S5), and smoothing process (S6), it is desirable to perform these processes while applying a predetermined pressure to the inside of the mold (inside chamber 2C).
[0095] When a predetermined amount of resin r is injected into the chamber 2C and the resin r expands seamlessly into the entire mold 2C, the resin injection stop process (S5) is executed to stop the injection of resin r. Figure 12Figure A illustrates the resin injection stopping process. Specifically, the pressure applied to the resin r from the injection port 3 toward the chamber 2C is stopped.
[0096] Next, the smoothing process (S6) is performed. Figure 12 Figure B illustrates the smoothing process. In this embodiment, the smoothing process (S6) is performed after the resin injection stop process (S5) and before the resin r hardens. In the smoothing process (S6), the valve member 4 is moved downward (towards the inner opening 3u) and blocks the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3, and the front end face 4t of the valve member 4 is aligned with the edge of the inner opening 3u. Until the resin r is cured and the upper container 10 is formed, the front end face 4t of the valve member 4, aligned with the edge of the inner opening 3u, is maintained in the state of blocking the inner opening 3u. As a result, the portion T of the upper container 10 facing the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3 is flattened and cured by the flat portion of the front end face 4t of the valve member 4. This makes it possible to reduce the formation of unevenness in the portion T of the upper container 10 facing the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3 (see Figure 16). Figure 7 Risk of B). In addition, by performing a smoothing process (S6) in the mold after the resin injection process (S4) and before the upper container removal process (S8), the manufacturing process of the upper container 10 is more easily simplified.
[0097] After the smoothing process (S6), when the resin r has cured and the upper container 10 has been formed, the mold separation process (S7) is performed. Figure 13 Figure A illustrates the mold separation process. The mold separation process (S7) is the process of opening the mold. The movable mold 2B moves relative to the fixed mold 2A to release the closed space of the cavity 2C. The mold separation process (S7) can be performed by the same mold closing device used in the above-described mold closing process (S2). Figure 13 As shown in A, the upper surface of the upper container 10 is separated from the fixed mold 2A during the mold separation process (S7).
[0098] Finally, the upper container removal process is executed (S8). Figure 13 Figure B illustrates the upper container removal process. The upper container removal process (S8) is the process of removing the formed upper container 10 from the mold. In this embodiment, the upper container removal process (S8) is the process of separating the movable mold 2B from the upper container 10. Figure 13 As shown in B, in this embodiment, the upper container 10 can be removed from the movable mold 2B by pushing the upper container 10 upward from the lower surface side using the mold-removing rod P provided in the movable mold 2B.
[0099] As in this embodiment, when resin is injected from the upper surface of the upper container 10 through the injection holes 3 and removed from the lower surface of the upper container 10 using the mold release rods P, it is preferable that the number of injection holes 3 is less than the number of mold release rods P. In the upper container 10, urine received from above is transferred to the tray 30 located below through the holes 101 provided in the bottom 11 of the upper container 10, thus urine easily accumulates in the unevenness of the upper surface of the upper container 10. Therefore, even if the upper container 10, as a resin-molded product, is made of a relatively soft material, and even after molding, there is still some residue in the lower surface due to contact with the mold release rods P. Figure 3 and Figure 9 Despite the risk of leaving marks such as unevenness, the number of unevennesses formed on the upper surface of the upper container 10 in the portion facing the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3 is still less than the number of unevennesses formed on the lower surface of the upper container 10 in the portion contacting the mold release rod P. This reduces the risk of foul odor caused by urine accumulating in the unevennesses on the upper surface of the upper container 10.
[0100] Furthermore, preferably, the mold has a protrusion b in the portion facing the inner opening 3u that protrudes toward the inner opening 3u. During the resin injection process (S4), if the inflow pressure of the resin r to be injected creates cavitation in the portion facing the injection hole 3, there is a risk that resin r will not be injected into the cavitation. In this respect, in this embodiment, relative to the injection hole 3 located on the fixed mold 2A side, the movable mold 2B has a protrusion b in the portion facing the inner opening 3u, such as... Figure 10 A to Figure 13 As shown in B. By providing a protrusion b protruding towards the inner opening 3u, the risk of cavitation caused by the inflow pressure of the resin r to be injected in the portion facing the injection hole 3 can be reduced during the resin injection process (S4). This makes it easier for the resin r to diffuse throughout the entire chamber 2C, reducing the risk of localized damage to the shape of the upper container 10. This makes it easier to mold the upper container 10 into the desired shape. Note that due to the protrusion b of the movable mold 2B, a recess 110 is formed on the lower surface of the bottom 11 of the molded upper container 10, as shown in B. Figure 14 A and Figure 14 As shown in B. Figure 14 A is a schematic perspective view of the bottom 11 when viewed from the lower surface side. Figure 14 B is illustrated along Figure 14 A diagram of the cross section taken by line XX in A.
[0101] In the above embodiment, a valve member 4 that moves by receiving driving force from a drive source is used, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a valve member (not shown) supported by a spring and movable relative to the injection hole 3 can be used. In this case, the following method can be adopted: during the resin injection process (S4), resin r is injected in a state where the inflow pressure of resin r causes the front end face 4t of the valve member 4 to protrude from the inner opening 3u into the chamber 2C (within the mold), and in the subsequent smoothing process (S6), the inner opening 3u is blocked by the valve member 4 (front end face 4t) using the spring restoring force, and the resin r is smoothed by aligning the front end face 4t with the edge of the inner opening 3u. Even when using such a valve member 4, performing the smoothing process (S6) within the mold makes it easier to simplify the manufacturing process of the upper container 10. Furthermore, the smoothed upper container 10 can reduce the risk of foul odor caused by urine accumulating in the uneven parts.
[0102] Alternatively, as a variation using a valve member 4 supported by a spring and movable relative to the injection hole 3, the following method can be employed: During the resin injection process (S4), resin r is injected with the front end face 4t of the valve member 4 positioned closer to the outer opening 3s than the inner opening 3u due to the inflow pressure of the resin r. In the subsequent smoothing process (S6), the inner opening 3u is blocked by the valve member 4 (front end face 4t) using the spring restoring force, and the resin r is smoothed by aligning the front end face 4t with the edge of the inner opening 3u. Even with this valve member 4, performing the smoothing process (S6) within the mold simplifies the manufacturing process of the upper container 10. Furthermore, the smoothed upper container 10 reduces the risk of foul odor caused by urine accumulating in the uneven areas.
[0103] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the fixed mold 2A at least forms the upper end of the upper container 10, and the movable mold 2B at least forms the lower end of the upper container 10. An injection hole 3 is provided on the fixed mold 2A side, and the movable mold 2B has a release rod P. However, the injection hole 3 and the release rod P can be provided on the fixed mold 2A side. Even in this case, by smoothing the resin r of the portion facing the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3, the risk of unevenness in the portion T, leading to foul odor due to urine accumulation in the unevenness, can be reduced.
[0104] In the above embodiment, the resin on the upper surface side of the upper container 10 is smoothed, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A method can be used whereby resin r is injected from a position corresponding to the lower surface side of the upper container 10, and the resin in the portion of the lower surface side of the upper container 10 facing the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3 is smoothed. By smoothing the resin on the lower surface of the upper container 10 and thereby reducing the unevenness on the lower surface, urine passing through the hole 101 of the upper container 10 remains on the unevenness of the lower surface. If urine passing through the hole 101 of the upper container 10 remains on the lower surface, the water in the urine evaporates, thereby increasing the urine concentration and making it easier for foul odor to occur. Therefore, by reducing the unevenness on the lower surface of the upper container 10, thereby reducing the amount of urine remaining on the lower surface, the risk of foul odor can be reduced. Note that as a method for smoothing the resin on the lower surface side of the upper container 10, a method for smoothing the resin on the upper surface side of the upper container 10 can also be used.
[0105] Alternatively, an acceptable configuration is that a fixed mold 2A located on the side where the injection holes 3 are provided at least shapes the lower end of the upper container 10, and a movable mold 2B including the mold release rods P shapes at least the upper end of the upper container 10. In this case, it is preferable that the number of injection holes 3 facing the position corresponding to the lower surface of the upper container 10 is less than the number of mold release rods P contacting the upper surface of the upper container 10. This allows the number of irregularities already formed on the lower surface of the upper container 10 in the portion facing the inner opening 3u of the injection holes 3 to be less than the number of irregularities already formed on the upper surface of the upper container 10 in the portion contacting the mold release rods P. This reduces the amount of urine remaining in the irregularities on the lower surface of the upper container 10, thereby reducing the risk of foul odor.
[0106] Furthermore, if the fixed mold 2A at least forms the lower end of the upper container 10 and the movable mold 2B at least forms the upper end of the upper container 10, an injection hole 3 and a mold release rod P can be provided on the side of the fixed mold 2A. Even in this case, by smoothing the resin r on the portion facing the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3, the risk of unevenness in the portion facing the inner opening 3u of the injection hole 3, and the resulting foul odor due to urine accumulation in the unevenness, can be reduced.
[0107] In the above embodiment, the smoothing process (S6) is performed after the resin injection process (S4) and before the upper container removal process (S8), but the present invention is not limited thereto. The smoothing process can be performed in any order. For example, the smoothing process can be performed after the upper container removal process (S8), instead of after the resin injection process (S4) and before the upper container removal process (S8). After the upper container removal process (S8), the resin can be smoothed while the unevenness of the upper container 10 is visible, so that a smooth surface can be reliably produced.
[0108] During the smoothing process performed after the upper container removal process (S8), protrusions from the surface of the upper container 10 or recesses on the surface of the upper container 10 can be removed or filled. As a method for removing protrusions from the surface of the upper container 10, physical removal methods such as cutting, grinding, or melting can be employed. As a method for filling recesses on the surface of the upper container 10, the recesses can be filled with other components such as resin. By using such methods, the unevenness of the surface of the upper container 10 can be easily reduced. Alternatively, the smoothing process (S6) can be performed after the resin injection process (S4) and before the upper container removal process (S8), and a further smoothing process can be performed after the upper container removal process (S8). This can more reliably reduce the unevenness of the surface of the upper container 10.
[0109] ===Other Implementation Methods===
[0110] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, these embodiments are merely for the purpose of facilitating understanding and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Furthermore, it is self-evident that the invention can be modified or varied in different ways without departing from its spirit and encompasses its equivalents. For example, the following modifications can be made.
[0111] In the above embodiments, the manufacturing method of the upper container 10 is described as a method for manufacturing a resin-molded product, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the animal litter box 1, the manufacturing method of the present invention can be applied to the manufacture of resin-molded products having a urine contact portion. For example, it can be used to manufacture a lower container 20, a tray 30, or a lid 40 including a urine contact portion. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper container 10 is entirely a resin-molded product. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the manufacturing method can be used for resin-molded products in which a portion of the upper container 10, lower container 20, tray 30, or lid 40 includes a urine contact portion.
[0112] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the animal litter box 1 includes a lid 40. However, the invention is not limited to this, and a lid 40 is not necessarily required. Additionally, in the animal litter box 1, the lower container 20 supports the upper container 10 and the tray 30. However, the invention is not limited to this, and a lower container 20 is not necessarily required. It is sufficient for the animal litter box to include at least the upper container 10 and the tray 30.
[0113] In the above embodiment, excrement treatment material 210, which is in the form of granules such as cat litter, is placed in the bottom 11 of the upper container 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other granules may be placed therein. Furthermore, it is not necessary to place granules.
[0114] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures
[0115] 1 Animal litter box 10. Upper container (urine passage) 11 bottom
[0116] 12. Edges
[0117] 13 Steps
[0118] 14 Inclined section 20 Lower container (support section)
[0119] 21 Bottom
[0120] 22 Edge
[0121] 23 Side wall portion
[0122] 25. Pallet Storage Section 25f opening 30 trays (absorbent placement section) 31 Side wall portion 32 Absorber Placement Area
[0123] 33 handle
[0124] 40 lids
[0125] 41. Entrance / Exit Opening
[0126] 42 Side wall portion
[0127] 43. 101 holes (slits) at the edge.
[0128] 110 recess
[0129] 111 Longitudinal Ribs
[0130] 115 transverse ribs 210 excrement treatment materials
[0131] 220 Absorber
[0132] 2A Fixed mold
[0133] 2B Movable mold
[0134] 2C Chamber (Mold)
[0135] 3 Injection Holes
[0136] 3s outer opening
[0137] 3u inner opening
[0138] 4 valve components
[0139] 4t front face
[0140] P mold lifting rod
[0141] T-section (urine contact portion facing the inner opening 3u of injection hole 3)
Claims
1. A method for manufacturing an animal litter box, wherein the litter box has a front-to-back direction, a left-to-right direction, and a top-to-bottom direction, and the litter box comprises: The urine passage section has multiple orifices for urine to pass through; and An absorbent placement section is provided below the urine passage section, and an absorbent that absorbs urine that has passed through the urine passage section is placed in the absorbent placement section. At least a portion of the animal litter box is a resin-molded product. The resin-molded product has a urine contact portion, which has the potential to come into contact with urine. The manufacturing method includes: The process of preparing the mold. The mold has a fixed mold and a movable mold. The fixed mold includes an injection hole for injecting resin, and the movable mold has a protrusion in a portion facing the inner opening of the injection hole that protrudes toward the inner opening. The mold is used to mold the resin-molded product; The resin injection process of injecting resin from the injection hole; and Following the resin injection process, a smoothing process is performed to smooth the resin in the portion of the urine contact facing the inner opening, wherein... The manufacturing method further includes a removal process for taking out the molded resin product from the mold, and The removal process is performed after the smoothing process. Prepare a valve component that moves relative to the injection orifice by receiving a driving force from a drive source. During the resin injection process, the resin is injected while the front end face of the valve member is positioned closer to the outer opening than the inner opening. During the smoothing process, the resin is smoothed by blocking the inner opening with the valve member and aligning the front end face with the edge of the inner opening.
2. The method for manufacturing an animal litter box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resin-molded product is at least one of the urine passage portion, the absorbent placement portion, the support portion supporting the absorbent placement portion, and the cover disposed above the urine passage portion.
3. The method for manufacturing an animal litter box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resin-molded product is the urine passage portion, and During the smoothing process, the resin on the upper surface of the urine passage is smoothed.
4. The method for manufacturing an animal litter box according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fixed mold is used to form at least the upper end of the urine passage portion. The movable mold is used to form at least the lower end of the urine passage portion. The movable mold includes a mold-lifting rod for separating the movable mold and the urine passage portion during the removal process, and The number of injection holes is less than the number of mold-lifting rods.
5. The method for manufacturing an animal litter box according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fixed mold is used to form at least the upper end of the urine passage portion. The movable mold is used to form at least the lower end of the urine passage portion, and The fixed mold includes a mold-lifting rod for separating the movable mold and the urine passage during the removal process.
6. The method for manufacturing an animal litter box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resin-molded product is the urine passage portion, and During the smoothing process, the resin on the lower surface of the urine passage is smoothed.
7. The method for manufacturing an animal litter box according to claim 6, characterized in that, The fixed mold is used to form at least the lower end of the urine passage portion. The movable mold is used to form at least the upper end of the urine passage portion. The movable mold includes a mold-lifting rod for separating the movable mold and the urine passage portion during the removal process, and The number of injection holes is less than the number of mold-lifting rods.
8. The method for manufacturing an animal litter box according to claim 6, characterized in that, The fixed mold is used to form at least the lower end of the urine passage portion. The movable mold is used to form at least the upper end of the urine passage portion, and The fixed mold includes a mold-lifting rod for separating the movable mold and the urine passage during the removal process.
9. A method for manufacturing an animal litter box, wherein the animal litter box has a front-to-back direction, a left-to-right direction, and a top-to-bottom direction, and the animal litter box comprises: The urine passage section has multiple orifices for urine to pass through; and An absorbent placement section is provided below the urine passage section, and an absorbent that absorbs urine that has passed through the urine passage section is placed in the absorbent placement section. At least a portion of the animal litter box is a resin-molded product. The resin-molded product has a urine contact portion, which has the potential to come into contact with urine. The manufacturing method includes: The process of preparing the mold. The mold has a fixed mold and a movable mold. The fixed mold includes an injection hole for injecting resin, and the movable mold has a protrusion in a portion facing the inner opening of the injection hole that protrudes toward the inner opening. The mold is used to mold the resin-molded product; The resin injection process of injecting resin from the injection hole; and Following the resin injection process, a smoothing process is performed to smooth the resin in the portion of the urine contact facing the inner opening, wherein... The manufacturing method further includes a removal process for taking out the molded resin product from the mold, and The removal process is performed after the smoothing process. Prepare a valve component that is spring-supported and movable relative to the injection port. During the resin injection process, the resin is injected while the inflow pressure of the resin causes the front end face of the valve member to protrude from the inner opening into the mold. During the smoothing process, the inner opening is blocked by the valve member using the restoring force of the spring, and the resin is smoothed by aligning the front end face with the edge of the inner opening.
10. A method for manufacturing an animal litter box, wherein the animal litter box has a front-to-back direction, a left-to-right direction, and a top-to-bottom direction, and the animal litter box comprises: The urine passage section has multiple orifices for urine to pass through; and An absorbent placement section is provided below the urine passage section, and an absorbent that absorbs urine that has passed through the urine passage section is placed in the absorbent placement section. At least a portion of the animal litter box is a resin-molded product. The resin-molded product has a urine contact portion, which has the potential to come into contact with urine. The manufacturing method includes: The process of preparing the mold. The mold has a fixed mold and a movable mold. The fixed mold includes an injection hole for injecting resin, and the movable mold has a protrusion in a portion facing the inner opening of the injection hole that protrudes toward the inner opening. The mold is used to mold the resin-molded product; The resin injection process of injecting resin from the injection hole; and Following the resin injection process, a smoothing process is performed to smooth the resin in the portion of the urine contact facing the inner opening, wherein... The manufacturing method further includes a removal process for taking out the molded resin product from the mold, and The removal process is performed after the smoothing process. Prepare a valve component that is spring-supported and movable relative to the injection port. During the resin injection process, the resin is injected while the inflow pressure of the resin causes the front end face of the valve member to be positioned closer to the outer opening than the inner opening. During the smoothing process, the inner opening is blocked by the valve member using the restoring force of the spring, and the resin is smoothed by aligning the front end face with the edge of the inner opening.