Toilet for animals

Abstract

Provided is an animal toilet in which fresh urine can be easily collected. The toilet (1) for animals comprises a main body part (10). The main body section (10) has a bottom surface section (10a) and a side surface section (10b). A granular body (20) for treating urine of an animal is laid on the main body part (10). An opening (12) is formed in the side surface portion (10b). The opening (12) allows a urine collection tool (30) for collecting urine to be inserted above the granular body (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to animal litter boxes. Background Art

[0002] As a conventional animal toilet, there is a toilet described in Patent Document 1, for example. The animal toilet described in the document includes a box-shaped main body (toilet main body) having a bottom surface and side surfaces. Excrement disposal materials composed of a plurality of granular bodies are laid on the main body.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-88881 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] In addition, urine tests are sometimes performed to check the health of animals. In order to accurately perform urine tests, it is required to collect fresh urine (urine before it comes into contact with the main body and granules). In the above-mentioned animal toilet, fresh urine can be collected by inserting a urine collection device from above the main body to below the buttocks of the animal when the animal urinates. However, if there is not enough space between the animal's body and the side of the main body, it is difficult to insert the urine collection device under the animal's buttocks. Therefore, in previous animal toilets, it is difficult for users (animal owners, etc.) to collect fresh urine.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an animal toilet that allows easy collection of fresh urine.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] The animal toilet of the present invention is characterized in that the animal toilet has a main body, the main body has a bottom surface and a side surface, the main body is covered with granules for processing animal urine, and the side surface is formed with an opening for inserting a urine collection tool above the granules, and the urine collection tool is used to collect the urine.

[0011] In the animal litter box, an opening for inserting a urine collection tool above the granules is formed on the side surface of the main body. Therefore, even if the gap between the animal's body and the side surface is small, the urine collection tool can be easily inserted below the animal's buttocks (between the buttocks and the granules) through the opening of the side surface.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an animal toilet in which fresh urine can be easily collected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is an end view showing a first embodiment of the animal litter box of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 1 is a plan view showing the main body 10 .

[0016] Figure 3 1 is a front view showing the main body 10 .

[0017] Figure 4 It is a front view showing the opening 12 .

[0018] Figure 5 2 is a schematic diagram showing the granular body 20 .

[0019] Figure 6 It is a perspective view showing the urine collecting tool 30 .

[0020] Figure 7 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state where the urine collecting tool 30 is inserted into the opening 12 .

[0021] Figure 8 This is an end view showing a second embodiment of the animal litter box of the present invention.

[0022] Fig. 9 1 is a plan view showing the main body 40 .

[0023] Fig.10 1 is a front view showing the main body 40 .

[0024] Fig.11 1 is an end view showing the main body portion 40 .

[0025] Fig.12 1 is a plan view showing the partition 50 .

[0026] Fig.13 It is a perspective view of the drawer 80 .

[0027] Fig.14 It is a front view showing the opening 12 of a modified example.

[0028] Fig.15 It is a front view showing the opening 12 according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0030] (First Embodiment)

[0031] Figure 1 1 is an end view showing a first embodiment of an animal litter box of the present invention. The animal litter box 1 includes a main body 10, granules 20, and a urine collection tool 30. The animal litter box 1 is, for example, a cat litter box. The main body 10 is composed of a box-shaped container having a bottom portion 10a and a side portion 10b. The main body 10 receives excreted urine. A plurality of granules 20 for processing animal urine are laid on the main body 10. The main body 10 has a substantially rectangular shape. As a material for the main body 10, for example, plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene can be used.

[0032] Figure 2 and Figure 3 They are respectively a top view and a front view showing the main body 10. The bottom portion 10a is roughly rectangular when viewed from above. Here, the roughly rectangular shape is not limited to a rectangle, and also includes shapes that are close to a rectangle such as a rounded quadrilateral. The side portion 10b is composed of four parts respectively connected to the four sides of the bottom portion 10a. An opening 12 is formed in the side portion 10b. The opening 12 is used for inserting a urine collection tool 30 for collecting urine above the granular body 20. In the present embodiment, a plurality of openings 12 are formed in the side portion 10b. Specifically, two openings 12 are formed. One opening 12 is formed in a portion of the four portions of the side portion 10b that is connected to one short side of the bottom portion 10a. Another opening 12 is formed in a portion of the four portions of the side portion 10b that is connected to another short side of the bottom portion 10a.

[0033] The opening 12 is separated from the upper ends of the bottom surface 10a and the side surface 10b. The distance d1 from the lower end of the opening 12 to the upper end of the granular body 20 (see Figure 1 ) is smaller than the distance d2 from the lower end of the opening 12 to the upper end of the side portion 10b. The distance d1 is preferably as small as possible, and specifically preferably less than 2 cm. The opening 12 is slit-shaped. The opening 12 is horizontally long. Here, horizontal length refers to, Figure 4 As shown, when the smallest rectangle R1 that can contain the opening 12 in the front view is considered, the length of its long side is more than twice the length of its short side. However, the long side and the short side of the rectangle R1 are respectively opposite to the left and right directions of the opening 12 ( Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 ) and up and down directions ( Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 In the left-right direction of the opening 12, the length d3 of the opening 12 is preferably the inner dimension d4 of the main body 10 (refer to Figure 2 ) is 1 / 2 or more, more preferably 4 / 5 or more. The length d3 is, for example, 10 cm or more and 30 cm or less. In addition, the length d3 is equal to the length of the long side of the rectangle R1.

[0034] In the front view, the upper ends of the left and right ends 12a of the opening 12 are located at a higher position than the upper end of the middle portion 12b of the opening 12. The middle portion 12b is a portion between the left and right ends 12a. The height difference h1 between the upper ends of the left and right ends 12a and the upper end of the middle portion 12b is, for example, greater than 1 cm and less than 5 cm. The opening 12 extends horizontally in the middle portion 12b and extends upward at the left and right ends 12a. In the present embodiment, the opening 12 extends vertically upward at the left and right ends 12a, but the opening 12 may also extend obliquely upward at the left and right ends 12a. The widths w1 and w2 of the opening 12 are preferably greater than 5 mm and less than 10 mm. The width w1 and the width w2 are the widths of the opening 12 at the left and right ends 12a and the middle portion 12b, respectively. The width w1 and the width w2 may be equal to or different from each other. Of course, the opening 12 will not allow animals using the animal toilet 1 to pass through.

[0035] The granules 20 are laid on the bottom surface 10a of the main body 10. When the animal toilet 1 is used, the animal excretes in a state of directly stepping on the granules 20. The granules 20 are water-absorbent and process urine by absorbing the urine. That is, the granules 20 take in urine and retain it inside. In order to make the granules 20 water-absorbent, the liquid permeability measured by the following test needs to be less than 60%. First, put 50g of granules 20 (sample) in a sieve with an inner diameter of 10cm and a mesh of 1mm. Set an empty beaker under the sieve. Then, for the sample, use a syringe with an inner diameter of 3cm and an inner diameter of 4mm at the front end of the barrel (60ml syringe made by Terumo Co., Ltd.), and add 30ml of water in 10 seconds. After leaving it for 1 minute, measure the amount of water in the beaker. The ratio of the measured amount of water to the amount of water dripped (30ml) is used as the liquid permeability. That is, if the amount of water in the beaker is less than 18 ml, the liquid permeability is less than 60%, so it can be said that the granular body 20 has water absorption.

[0036] Figure 5 : is a schematic diagram showing the granular body 20. The granular body 20 is granular. Examples of the shape of the granular body include a sphere, a cylinder, or an ellipsoid. The particle size of the granular body 20 is, for example, not less than 5 mm and not more than 20 mm. Here, the particle size of the granular body 20 is defined as the diameter of the smallest sphere that can enclose the granular body 20. The granular body 20 is made mainly of organic matter. Here, the main material of the granular body 20 refers to the material that accounts for the largest weight proportion in the granular body 20 among one or more materials constituting the granular body 20. The granular body 20 may be composed of only organic matter, or may be composed of organic matter and inorganic matter. Examples of the organic matter include paper, plants, plastics, or organic sludge.

[0037] Paper refers to a material with pulp as the main body. As paper, for example, in addition to ordinary paper (paper powder), paper from fluff pulp, vinyl chloride wallpaper (paper produced during the manufacture or classification of vinyl chloride wallpaper), paper from gypsum board (paper produced during the manufacture or classification of gypsum board), or paper from sanitary products (paper produced during the manufacture or classification of sanitary products containing paper). As sanitary products containing paper, for example, diapers, sanitary napkins, urine-absorbing pads or sanitary paper (facial tissue, toilet paper, napkins, etc.) can be cited. As plants, for example, wood powder, sawdust or plant residues (tea dregs, bean dregs, etc.) can be used. As plastics, for example, in addition to ordinary plastics, plastics from vinyl chloride wallpaper (plastics produced during the manufacture or classification of vinyl chloride wallpaper) or plastics from sanitary products (plastics produced during the manufacture or classification of sanitary products containing plastics) can be used. As sanitary products containing plastics, for example, diapers, sanitary napkins, urine-absorbing pads or sanitary masks can be cited. As the organic sludge, for example, papermaking sludge or pulp sludge can be used.

[0038] The granular body 20 has a core 22 and a covering 24. The core 22 is a granulated material formed into a granular shape. The core 22 has the function of absorbing and retaining urine. The core 22 is mainly made of organic matter. Here, the main material of the core 22 refers to the material that has the largest weight proportion in the core 22 among one or more materials (core materials) constituting the core 22.

[0039] The covering portion 24 covers the core portion 22. The covering portion 24 may cover the entire surface of the core portion 22, or may cover only a portion of the surface of the core portion 22. The covering portion 24 has the function of causing the granular bodies 20 that have absorbed urine to adhere to each other and solidify when in use. The covering portion 24 is also made mainly of organic matter. Here, the main material of the covering portion 24 refers to the material that has the largest weight proportion in the covering portion 24 among one or more materials (covering materials) constituting the covering portion 24. The covering portion 24 contains an adhesive material. Examples of the adhesive material include water-absorbent polymers, starch, CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) or dextrin. Examples of water-absorbent polymers include acrylic acid-based water-absorbent polymers such as sodium polyacrylate.

[0040] The granular body 20 can be formed, for example, as follows. First, the core material is granulated by using a granulating device to form a plurality of granules that become the core 22. As the granulating device, for example, an extrusion granulator can be used. Before granulation, the core material is subjected to pre-treatments such as crushing, kneading, and adding water as needed. Next, a coating device is used to adhere a powdery covering material to the surface of each core 22, thereby forming a covering 24. The adhesion of the covering material can be performed, for example, by scattering or spraying. Thereafter, post-treatments such as screening (granulation) and drying are performed as needed. Thus, a plurality of granular bodies 20 are formed.

[0041] Figure 6 3 is a perspective view showing a urine collecting tool 30. The urine collecting tool 30 is provided separately from the main body 10. The urine collecting tool 30 has a urine collecting part 32 and a handle 34. The urine collecting part 32 is a part for collecting urine. The urine collecting part 32 is formed of a plate-like member, and has a bottom part 32a and a side part 32b. The bottom part 32a is substantially rectangular in a plan view. The side part 32b is formed of three parts connected to three of the four sides of the bottom part 32a. That is, the side parts 32b are provided on three sides of the bottom part 32a, while the side part 32b is not provided on the remaining side. The side without the side part 32b is the side on the front end side of the bottom part 32a (the side opposite to the handle 34). The thickness of the urine collecting part 32 is smaller than the widths w1 and w2 of the opening 12. The thickness of the urine collecting part 32 is, for example, not less than 2 mm and not more than 5 mm. The handle 34 is a part for the user to hold with his hand. The handle 34 is in a rod shape so that it is easy to hold.

[0042] The urine collecting tool 30 can be inserted and removed relative to the main body 10 through the opening 12. Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the bottom surface portion 32a passes through the middle portion 12b of the opening 12, and the side surface portion 32b passes through the left and right end portions 12a of the opening 12. The urine collecting tool 30 can be inserted and removed from the main body 10 through the opening 12 without contacting the side surface portion 10b (the inner surface of the opening 12). The opening 12 allows the urine collecting portion 32 to pass through, but does not allow the handle portion 34 to pass through. When the urine collecting tool 30 is inserted into the main body 10, the urine collecting portion 32 is located above the granules 20 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 ) As a material of the urine collecting tool 30, for example, plastic or metal can be used.

[0043] Next, a method for collecting urine from an animal in the animal litter box 1 is described. First, when the animal climbs onto the granular body 20 to urinate, the urine collection tool 30 is inserted between the animal's buttocks and the granular body 20 through the opening 12. The timing for inserting the urine collection tool 30 may be before urination or in the middle of urination. At this time, in order to prevent the urine received by the urine storage part 32 from spilling, it is preferred to slightly tilt the urine collection tool 30 with the front end facing upward. After checking that the required amount of urine is accumulated in the urine storage part 32, the urine collection tool 30 is pulled out from the main body 10. The timing for pulling out the urine collection tool 30 may be after urination or in the middle of urination. In this way, fresh urine of the animal can be collected. Urine not collected by the urine collection tool 30 is absorbed by the granular body 20.

[0044] The effect of the animal litter box 1 will be described. In the animal litter box 1, the opening 12 for inserting the urine collection tool 30 above the granules 20 is formed in the side surface 10b of the main body 10. Therefore, even when the gap between the animal's body and the side surface 10b is small, the urine collection tool 30 can be easily inserted below the animal's buttocks (between the buttocks and the granules 20) through the opening 12 of the side surface 10b. Therefore, the animal litter box 1 that allows easy collection of fresh urine is realized.

[0045] In addition, as a means to facilitate the insertion of the urine collection tool 30 under the buttocks of the animal, it is also possible to lower the side portion 10b (shorten the distance from the upper end of the granules 20 to the upper end of the side portion 10b). However, in this case, the granules 20 and the urine of the animal are likely to overflow from the side portion 10b and overflow to the outside of the main body 10. In this regard, in the animal litter box 1, by providing the opening 12, the urine collection tool 30 can be easily inserted under the buttocks of the animal without lowering the side portion 10b.

[0046] The opening 12 is slit-shaped. The opening 12 of this shape allows the urine collecting portion 32 formed of a plate-shaped member to pass through, while making it difficult for the granules 20 to pass through. Therefore, it is advantageous to prevent the granules 20 from overflowing from the opening 12 to the outside of the main body 10.

[0047] The larger the width w1 and w2 of the opening 12, the easier it is to insert and remove the urine collecting tool 30. From this point of view, the widths w1 and w2 are preferably 5 mm or more. On the other hand, if the widths w1 and w2 are too large, the granules 20 are likely to overflow from the opening 12 to the outside of the main body 10. From this point of view, the widths w1 and w2 are preferably 10 mm or less.

[0048] The opening 12 is horizontally long. The opening 12 of this shape is suitable for passing the horizontally long urine collection tool 30 (urine collection part 32). The horizontally long urine collection tool 30 has the advantage of being easily inserted between the buttocks of the animal and the granular body 20.

[0049] The larger the length d3 of the opening 12 is, the more advantageous it is for receiving the urine of the animal over a wide range. From this viewpoint, the length d3 is preferably at least 1 / 2 of the inner dimension d4 of the main body 10, and more preferably at least 4 / 5.

[0050] The upper ends of the left and right ends 12a of the opening 12 are located higher than the upper end of the middle portion 12b of the opening 12. Thus, the urine collecting tool 30 (urine collecting portion 32) having the same shape can be inserted into the main body 10 through the opening 12. The urine collecting tool 30 of this shape has the advantage that urine is unlikely to overflow from the left and right ends.

[0051] The opening 12 extends horizontally in the middle portion 12b and extends upward at the left and right end portions 12a. Thus, the urine collecting tool 30 (urine collecting portion 32) having the same shape can be inserted into the main body 10 through the opening 12. The urine collecting tool 30 of this shape has the advantage of collecting urine widely and shallowly in the horizontal portion (bottom portion 32a). By collecting urine shallowly in this way, when the urine collecting tool 30 is pulled out from the main body 10, it is possible to prevent urine from coming into contact with the side portions 10b (inner surface of the opening 12).

[0052] A plurality of openings 12 are formed on the side surface 10b. In this case, the opening 12 close to the buttocks of the animal that urinates can be selected. This makes it easier to more reliably insert the urine collection tool 30 under the buttocks of the animal. However, it is not necessary to form a plurality of openings 12 on the side surface 10b. Only one opening 12 may be formed on the side surface 10b.

[0053] The urine collecting tool 30 includes a urine collecting portion 32 and a handle 34. By providing the handle 34 in addition to the urine collecting portion 32, the urine collecting tool 30 can be easily inserted and removed from the main body 10.

[0054] The opening 12 allows the urine collecting portion 32 to pass through, but does not allow the handle 34 to pass through. Thus, when the urine collecting tool 30 is inserted into the main body 10, the handle 34 can be prevented from entering the main body 10.

[0055] The urine collecting tool 30 can be inserted and removed from the main body 10 through the opening 12 without contacting the side surface 10b. In this case, since there is a margin in the left-right direction and the up-down direction of the opening 12, the urine collecting tool 30 can be smoothly inserted and removed from the main body 10.

[0056] The animal litter box 1 is provided with a urine collection tool 30. Therefore, the user can collect urine of the animal using the urine collection tool 30 without preparing the urine collection tool 30 separately from the animal litter box 1. However, the animal litter box 1 does not necessarily need to include the urine collection tool 30.

[0057] Water-absorbent granules 20 are laid on the bottom surface 10a of the main body 10. In this case, urine is absorbed by the granules 20, so it is difficult to collect urine after contact with the granules 20. Therefore, the animal litter box 1 that can collect urine before contact with the granules 20 is particularly useful.

[0058] The granules 20 have a covering portion 24 containing an adhesive material in addition to the core portion 22. Thus, a mass consisting of a plurality of granules 20 that have absorbed urine is obtained, so that only the used granules 20 can be easily removed from the main body 10. However, it is not essential that the granules 20 have a multilayer structure (two-layer structure) consisting of the core portion 22 and the covering portion 24. The granules 20 may also have a single-layer structure consisting of only the core portion 22.

[0059] The granules 20 are mainly made of organic matter. In this case, the granules 20 suitable for incineration can be obtained. This helps to facilitate the disposal of the used granules 20. In particular, when the granules 20 are composed only of organic matter, the granules 20 more suitable for incineration can be obtained. However, the granules 20 do not necessarily have to be mainly made of organic matter. The granules 20 can also be mainly made of inorganic matter.

[0060] The main body 10 is composed of one container. In this case, the animal litter box 1 can be realized with a simple structure compared to the case where the main body 10 is composed of a plurality of containers.

[0061] However, cats, unlike other animals such as dogs, have the habit of hiding excrement with granules after excretion. Therefore, the animal litter box 1 in which the granules 20 are laid on the main body 10 is particularly suitable as a cat litter box.

[0062] (Second Embodiment)

[0063] Figure 8 1 is an end view showing a second embodiment of the animal litter box of the present invention. The animal litter box 2 has a main body 40, a partition 50, granules 60, a water-absorbent sheet 70, a pull-out portion 80, and a urine collection tool 30. The structure of the urine collection tool 30 is as described in the first embodiment. The animal litter box 2 is, for example, a cat litter box. The main body 40 is composed of a box-shaped container, and has a bottom portion 40a and a side portion 40b. The main body 40 receives excreted urine. A plurality of granules 60 for processing animal urine are laid on the main body 40. The outer shape of the main body 40 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped. As a material for the main body 40, for example, plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene can be used.

[0064] Fig. 9 , Fig.10 as well as Fig.114 and 5. They are a top view, a front view, and an end view of the main body 40, respectively. The bottom portion 40a is roughly rectangular when viewed from above. The side portion 40b is composed of four parts respectively connected to the four sides of the bottom portion 40a. An opening 42 is formed in the side portion 40b. The opening 42 is used for inserting the urine collection tool 30 above the granular body 60. In the present embodiment, a plurality of openings 42 are formed in the side portion 40b. Specifically, two openings 42 are formed. One opening 42 is formed in a portion of the four parts of the side portion 40b that is connected to a short side of the bottom portion 40a. Another opening 42 is formed in a portion of the four parts of the side portion 40b that is connected to another short side of the bottom portion 40a. The structure of the opening 42 is the same as that of the opening 12.

[0065] The side surface 40b is also provided with an opening 44 for inserting and removing the pull-out portion 80. Only one opening 44 is formed in the side surface 40b. The opening 44 is formed in a portion of the four portions of the side surface 40b that is connected to a short side of the bottom surface 40a. Therefore, both the opening 42 and the opening 44 are formed in this portion of the side surface 40b. However, the opening 42 is located at a higher position than the opening 44. The opening 44 is located near the bottom surface 40a and is in a horizontally long rectangular shape. In the left and right directions ( Fig.10 In the left-right direction of the opening 44, the length of the opening 44 is substantially equal to the internal dimension of the main body 40, for example, greater than 20 cm and less than 40 cm. Fig.10 In the up-down direction), the length of the opening 44 is, for example, greater than 2 cm and less than 5 cm.

[0066] The main body 40 has a support portion 46. The support portion 46 protrudes from the side surface portion 40b toward the inside of the main body 40. The support portion 46 supports the partition portion 50 from below. The support portion 46 is provided on the entire inner periphery of the side surface portion 40b in a plan view (see FIG. 2 ). Fig. 9 ). That is, the support portion 46 is composed of a protrusion provided in an annular shape along the inner periphery of the side portion 40b. The protruding length of the support portion 46 (the length in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the side portion 40b provided with the support portion 46) is, for example, not less than 5 mm and not more than 15 mm. The support portion 46 may be integrally formed with the side portion 40b, or may be separately formed from the side portion 40b and then mounted on the side portion 40b.

[0067] Fig.12: is a top view showing the partition 50. The partition 50 is placed on the support 46. The partition 50 is not fixed to the main body 40. The partition 50 can be loaded and unloaded relative to the main body 40. The partition 50 can be arranged in the main body 40 in a state where the entire periphery thereof is separated from the side surface 40b. The partition 50 is composed of a plate-like member. The partition 50 is roughly rectangular in a top view. The partition 50 is arranged parallel to the bottom surface 40a. In addition, the partition 50 is arranged at a position away from both the upper end of the main body 40 (side surface 40b) and the absorbent sheet 70. Thus, the partition 50 divides the internal space of the main body 40 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. The upper space S1 exists above the partition 50 and is a space where the granular body 60 is laid. The lower space S2 exists below the partition 50 and is a space where urine that is not collected by the urine collection device 30 is accumulated. As a material of the partition 50 , for example, plastic such as polypropylene and polyethylene can be used.

[0068] The partition 50 has a through hole 52 through which urine passes. The through hole 52 allows urine to pass but does not allow the granules 60 to pass. The partition 50 has a plurality of through holes 52. The plurality of through holes 52 are arranged two-dimensionally in the partition 50. The planar shape of each through hole 52 is circular. The diameter of each through hole 52 is, for example, 2 mm or more and 4 mm or less.

[0069] The granules 60 are laid in the upper space S1 of the main body 40. When the animal litter box 2 is used, the animal excretes directly on the granules 60. The granules 60 are hydrophobic and treat urine by allowing urine to pass through the gaps between the granules 60. That is, the granules 60 have the property of not absorbing liquid such as urine at all or absorbing almost nothing even if absorbing it. In order to make the granules 60 hydrophobic, the liquid permeability measured by the above test needs to be 60% or more.

[0070] The granular body 60 is granular. The particle size of the granular body 60 is, for example, not less than 5 mm and not more than 20 mm. The granular body 60 is mainly made of organic matter. The granular body 60 may be composed of only organic matter, or may be composed of organic matter and inorganic matter. Examples of organic matter include paper, plants, plastics, or organic sludge. As paper, in addition to the above-mentioned paper, for example, photographic paper or peeling paper may also be used. As plastic, in addition to the above-mentioned substances, for example, aluminum vapor-deposited film may also be used. In the case of using a non-hydrophobic material as the material of the granular body 60, the material may also be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment (water-repellent treatment) in advance.

[0071] The material constituting the granular body 60 may be only one or more than two. In the former case, the material constituting the granular body 60 is only the above-mentioned main material. In the latter case, the granular body 60 is composed of a mixture of the main material and other materials. Examples of other materials include gypsum and sodium bicarbonate. By adding gypsum or sodium bicarbonate, it is easy to give hydrophobicity to the granular body 60. The proportion of gypsum or sodium bicarbonate is, for example, 5% by weight or more and less than 50% by weight relative to the whole of the granular body 60. The granular body 60 has a single-layer structure consisting only of uncovered granulated materials.

[0072] The granules 60 can be manufactured, for example, by the following method. First, the granulating material (the material constituting the granules 60) is granulated by using a granulating device to form granules that become the granules 60. As the granulating device, for example, an extrusion granulator can be used. The granules can be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment as needed. The hydrophobic treatment can be performed, for example, by coating the surface of the granules with a hydrophobic agent (water repellent). In the case where the hydrophobic treatment is not performed, it is preferred to increase the pressure applied to the granulating material during granulation so as not to generate gaps in the granules as much as possible. This is because the gaps become paths for liquids such as urine to penetrate into the interior of the granules 60. Before granulation, the granulating material is subjected to pre-treatments such as pulverization, kneading, and adding water as needed. In addition, after granulation, post-treatments such as screening (granulation) and drying are performed as needed. Thus, a plurality of granules 60 are formed.

[0073] The absorbent sheet 70 is disposed in the lower space S2. The absorbent sheet 70 absorbs urine that has passed through the through-holes 52 of the partition 50. That is, urine that has passed through the through-holes 52 is stored in the lower space S2 in a state of being absorbed by the absorbent sheet 70.

[0074] Fig.13 : is a three-dimensional view showing the pull-out portion 80. The pull-out portion 80 has a bottom plate 80a, a front plate 80b, a rear plate 80c and a pair of side plates 80d. The size of the bottom plate 80a is substantially equal to the size of the bottom surface portion 40a of the main body 40. The front plate 80b has a shape and size substantially the same as the opening 44. A handle 82 is mounted on the front plate 80b. The pull-out portion 80 can be inserted and removed from the main body 40 through the opening 44 formed in the side portion 40b. The water-absorbent sheet 70 is accommodated in the pull-out portion 80. That is, the water-absorbent sheet 70 is arranged in the main body 40 in a state of being accommodated in the pull-out portion 80. As the material of the pull-out portion 80, for example, plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene can be used.

[0075] Next, a method for collecting urine of an animal in the animal litter box 2 is described. First, when the animal urinates on the granular body 60, the urine collecting tool 30 is inserted between the buttocks of the animal and the granular body 60 through the opening 42. After checking that the required amount of urine is accumulated in the urine accumulation part 32, the urine collecting tool 30 is pulled out from the main body 40. In this way, fresh urine of the animal can be collected. Urine that is not collected by the urine collecting tool 30 passes through the gaps between the granular bodies 60, passes through the through hole 52 of the partition 50, and moves from the upper space S1 to the lower space S2. The urine that moves to the lower space S2 is absorbed by the absorbent sheet 70.

[0076] The effect of the animal litter box 2 will be described. In the animal litter box 2, the opening 42 for inserting the urine collection tool 30 above the granules 60 is formed in the side surface portion 40b of the main body 40. Therefore, even when the gap between the animal's body and the side surface portion 40b is small, the urine collection tool 30 can be easily inserted below the animal's buttocks (between the buttocks and the granules 60) through the opening 42 of the side surface portion 40b. Therefore, the animal litter box 2 that makes it easy to collect fresh urine is realized.

[0077] A partition 50 having a through hole 52 for passing animal urine is provided to divide the internal space of the main body 40 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. Thus, urine can be accumulated in the lower space S2, so that the foul smell of urine is less likely to leak out of the animal litter box 2.

[0078] The hydrophobic granules 60 are laid in the upper space S1 of the main body 40. In this case, urine that has passed through the granules 60 can also be collected for inspection, but the components of the granules 60 may affect the inspection results. Therefore, in this case, an animal litter box 2 that can collect urine before contact with the granules 60 is also useful.

[0079] The partition part 50 is not fixed to the main body part 40. In this case, attachment and detachment of the partition part 50 to the main body part 40 become easy.

[0080] The partition part 50 is placed on the support part 46. Thus, the partition part 50 can be fixed at a predetermined position in the main body part 40 without being fixed to the main body part 40.

[0081] The support portion 46 is provided on the entire inner periphery of the side surface portion 40b in a plan view, thereby easily preventing the partition portion 50 from falling into the lower space S2.

[0082] The partition 50 can be disposed in the main body 40 in a state where the entire periphery thereof is separated from the side surface 40b. By providing a margin between the partition 50 and the side surface 40b in this way, the partition 50 can be smoothly attached to and detached from the main body 40.

[0083] The water-absorbent sheet 70 is disposed in the lower space S2. Thus, urine accumulated in the lower space S2 can be sealed in the water-absorbent sheet 70. Therefore, the bad smell of urine can be made less likely to leak outside the animal litter box 2.

[0084] A pull-out portion 80 is provided that can be inserted and removed from the main body 40. This makes it easy to replace the used water-absorbent sheet 70 with a new one. Other effects of the animal litter box 2 are the same as those of the animal litter box 1.

[0085] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the opening 12 extends horizontally in the middle portion 12b and extends upward at the left and right end portions 12a is illustrated. However, for example, Fig.14 as well as Fig.15 As shown, the opening 12 may be formed in a shape in which the position of the upper end gradually increases as it moves from the center of the opening 12 toward both ends in the left-right direction of the opening 12. Fig.14 In the embodiment, the opening 12 is V-shaped in the front view. Fig.15 In the embodiment, the opening 12 is in a downwardly convex curved shape in the front view. In these cases, as the urine collecting tool 30, a structure corresponding to the shape of the opening 12 is used. That is, a urine collecting tool 30 is used in which the cross section of the urine collecting part 32 (a cross section perpendicular to the insertion direction of the urine collecting tool 30) is V-shaped or in a downwardly convex curved shape. Similarly, the opening 42 may be formed in a shape in which the position of the upper end gradually increases as it moves from the center of the opening 42 toward both ends in the left-right direction of the opening 42.

[0086] Description of symbols

[0087] 1: animal toilet; 10: main body; 10a: bottom; 10b: side; 12: opening; 12a: left and right ends; 12b: middle; 20: granules; 22: core; 24: cover; 30: urine collection tool; 32: urine storage; 32a: bottom; 32b: side; 34: handle; 40: main body; 40a: bottom; 40b: side; 42: opening; 44: opening; 46: support; 50: partition; 52: through hole; 60: granules; 70: absorbent sheet; 80: pull-out portion; 82: handle.

Claims

1. A toilet for animals, characterized in that: The animal toilet has a main body having a bottom surface and side surfaces, and the main body is provided with granules for treating animal urine. The side surface portion has an opening formed therein, and the opening is used for inserting a urine collecting tool above the granular body, and the urine collecting tool is used for collecting the urine.

2. The animal litter box according to claim 1, wherein: The opening is formed in a slit shape.

3. The animal litter box according to claim 2, wherein: The width of the opening is greater than or equal to 5 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm.

4. The animal litter box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The opening is horizontally elongated.

5. The animal litter box according to claim 4, wherein: In the left-right direction of the opening, the length of the opening is equal to or greater than 1 / 2 of the inner dimension of the main body.

6. The animal litter box according to claim 5, wherein: The length of the opening is greater than or equal to 4 / 5 of the inner dimension of the main body.

7. The animal litter box according to claim 4, wherein: In the front view, upper ends of both left and right end portions of the opening are located at positions higher than an upper end of a middle portion of the opening.

8. The animal litter box according to claim 7, wherein: The opening extends horizontally at the middle portion and extends upward at the left and right end portions.

9. The animal litter box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A plurality of the openings are formed in the side surface portion.

10. The animal litter box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The animal toilet comprises the urine collecting device.

11. The animal litter box according to claim 10, wherein: The urine collecting tool includes a urine collecting portion for collecting the urine and a handle for holding by hand.

12. The animal litter box according to claim 11, wherein: The opening allows the urine collecting portion to pass therethrough, but does not allow the handle to pass therethrough.

13. The animal litter box according to claim 10, wherein: The urine collecting tool can be inserted into and removed from the main body through the opening without contacting the side surface portion.

14. The animal litter box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The animal litter box includes the water-absorbent granular body laid on the bottom surface portion.

15. The animal litter box according to claim 14, wherein: The granules comprise: a core formed into a pellet shape; and The covering part includes an adhesive material and covers the core part.

16. The animal litter box according to claim 14, wherein: The granular body is mainly made of organic matter.

17. The animal litter box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The animal litter box includes a partition having a through hole through which the urine passes, the partition dividing the internal space of the main body into an upper space and a lower space.

18. The animal litter box according to claim 17, wherein: The animal litter box includes the hydrophobic granular body laid in the upper space.

19. The animal litter box according to claim 17, wherein: The partition portion is not fixed to the main body portion.

20. The animal litter box according to claim 19, wherein: The main body has a support portion protruding from the side portion toward the inside of the main body. The partition portion is placed on the support portion.

21. The animal litter box according to claim 20, wherein: The support portion is provided on the entire inner circumference of the side surface portion in a plan view.

22. The animal litter box according to claim 17, wherein: The partition portion may be disposed in the main body portion in a state where the entire periphery of the partition portion is separated from the side portion.

23. The animal litter box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The main body is composed of a container.

24. The animal litter box according to claim 17, wherein: The animal litter box includes a water-absorbent sheet disposed in the lower space and configured to absorb the urine.

25. The animal litter box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The animal litter box is a cat litter box.

Images