System toilet for pets

Abstract

A system toilet (1) according to an embodiment is provided with: an upper container (2) having a bottom wall section (21) provided with a liquid passage section (6) having a plurality of openings (H); and a lower container (3) that is disposed below the upper container (2) so as to overlap the upper container (2), and that has a placement surface (31) on which a pet sheet (5) that absorbs the liquid that has passed through the liquid passage part (6) is placed. The lower container (3) is provided with a side wall part (32) which is connected with the outer edge part (31a) of the carrying surface (31) and is configured along the edge part of the pet sheet (5), and the top part (32b) of the side wall part (32) is positioned above the lowest part of the liquid passing part (6).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a pet toilet system. Background Technology

[0002] As a pet toilet system, a structure is known that includes: an upper container having multiple holes for urine to pass downwards; a lower container disposed below the upper container and having an insertion port formed on its front surface along its long side; a tray received into the lower container from the insertion port; and a pet sheet (absorbent sheet) placed on the bottom surface of the tray to receive and absorb urine falling from the multiple holes of the upper container (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-158622 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In a tray-pull-out toilet system like the one described above, to prevent the pet sheet from getting caught in the upper container when the tray is pulled out of the lower container during sheet replacement, the bottom wall of the upper container (the part with multiple holes) needs to be fully separated from the tray. However, as mentioned above, if the distance from the bottom wall to the pet sheet is long, the possibility of urine leaking from the multiple holes in the upper container onto the outside of the pet sheet increases. Furthermore, since urine falling from the multiple holes in the upper container is difficult to transfer to the pet sheet, there is a possibility that residual urine that has not been absorbed by the pet sheet may produce a foul odor.

[0008] Therefore, one aspect of this disclosure is to provide a pet toilet system capable of suppressing urine leakage and odor generation to the outside of the pet sheet.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] One aspect of this disclosure is a pet toilet system comprising: an upper container having a bottom wall portion having a liquid passage portion having a plurality of openings; and a lower container disposed below the upper container in an overlapping manner and having a mounting surface on which a pet sheet for absorbing liquid passing through the liquid passage portion is mounted, the lower container having a sheet mounting portion for connecting to the outer edge of the mounting surface and being mounted along the edge of the pet sheet, the uppermost part of the sheet mounting portion being positioned above the lowermost part of the liquid passage portion.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to this disclosure, a pet toilet system capable of suppressing urine leakage and odor generation to the outside of the pet sheet can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of one embodiment of a pet toilet system.

[0014] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded 3D diagram of a pet toilet system.

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top view of the upper container of a pet toilet system.

[0016] Figure 4 Viewed from the bottom side Figure 1 A 3D diagram of the upper container of a pet toilet system.

[0017] Figure 5 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the VV line pet toilet system.

[0018] Figure 6 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the VI-VI line pet toilet system.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a pet toilet system of the first variant.

[0020] Figure 8 (A) is a perspective view of the second variation of the pet toilet system, and (B) is a perspective view of the lower container of the pet toilet system in (A).

[0021] Figure 9 This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the fitting portion of the upper and lower containers in a pet toilet system of a second variation.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a top view showing an example of the structure of the corner of the lower container. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Based on the description in this specification and the accompanying drawings, at least the following options 1 to 13 will become clear.

[0024] (Option 1)

[0025] A pet toilet system, wherein the pet toilet system comprises:

[0026] An upper container having a bottom wall portion having a liquid passage portion having multiple openings; and

[0027] The lower container is disposed below the upper container in a manner overlapping the upper container, and has a mounting surface on which a pet sheet for absorbing liquid passing through the liquid passage is mounted.

[0028] The lower container has a sheet configuration section for connecting to the outer edge of the mounting surface and configured along the edge of the pet sheet.

[0029] The uppermost part of the sheet arrangement section is located above the lowermost part of the liquid passage section.

[0030] In the aforementioned pet toilet system, the pet sheet is positioned in the lower container with its edge aligned with the sheet placement section. Since the uppermost part of the sheet placement section is located above the lowermost part of the liquid passage section (i.e., the part where urine falls through multiple openings into the lower container) on the bottom wall of the upper container, the height of the pet sheet's edge can be higher than the lowermost part of the liquid passage section. As a result, urine falling from the liquid passage section is less likely to leak to the outside of the pet sheet. Furthermore, since the distance between the absorbent and swollen pet sheet and the liquid passage section can be appropriately minimized, the transfer of urine from the liquid passage section to the pet sheet is promoted. Consequently, the amount of urine remaining unabsorbed by the pet sheet is reduced, and the generation of foul odors is suppressed.

[0031] (Option 2)

[0032] According to Option 1, the pet toilet system includes,

[0033] A liquid guiding portion is provided on the lower surface of the liquid passage portion, and the liquid guiding portion is continuously formed with multiple upward-facing arc-shaped arches.

[0034] The uppermost part of the sheet configuration section is located above the uppermost part of the arch.

[0035] According to Solution 2, the liquid guide can effectively transfer (drop) urine into the lower container. Furthermore, by setting the height of the uppermost part of the sheet placement section higher than the uppermost part (the uppermost recessed part) of the arch of the liquid guide, the effect of suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet can be further improved.

[0036] (Option 3)

[0037] According to option 1 or 2, the pet toilet system includes,

[0038] The area of ​​the liquid passage is smaller than the area of ​​the mounting surface.

[0039] The outer edge of the sheet configuration section is located outside the outer edge of the liquid passage section.

[0040] According to Scheme 3, since urine falling from the liquid passage into the container can be guided as far as possible to the center of the pet sheet, the effect of suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet can be further improved.

[0041] (Option 4)

[0042] A pet toilet system based on any one of schemes 1-3, wherein,

[0043] The area of ​​the liquid passage is smaller than the area of ​​the mounting surface.

[0044] The outer edge of the mounting surface is located outside the outer edge of the liquid passage portion.

[0045] According to Option 4, the effect of the description of Option 3 can be further improved.

[0046] (Option 5)

[0047] According to any one of the schemes 1 to 4, in the pet toilet system, the distance between the lowest part of the liquid passage and the mounting surface is less than 25 mm.

[0048] According to Scheme 5, since the surface of the pet sheet, which expands upon absorbing a certain amount of urine, can contact (or approach) the lowest part of the liquid passage, the transfer of urine from the liquid passage to the pet sheet can be effectively promoted. As a result, the generation of foul odor can be appropriately suppressed.

[0049] (Option 6)

[0050] According to any one of the schemes 1 to 5, the thickness of the liquid passage section is greater than the thickness of the portion of the bottom wall where the liquid passage section is not provided.

[0051] According to Scheme 6, by making the portion of the bottom wall where the liquid passage is provided thicker than the other portion, it is possible to suppress the deflection of the liquid passage and further effectively promote the transfer of urine from the liquid passage to the pet sheet.

[0052] (Option 7)

[0053] According to any one of the schemes 1 to 6, the thickness of the liquid passage section is 5 mm or more.

[0054] According to Scheme 7, the effect of the description of Scheme 6 can be further improved.

[0055] (Option 8)

[0056] According to any one of the embodiments 1 to 7, the width of the opening of the liquid passage section is 2.5 mm or less.

[0057] According to Scheme 8, when granular material such as toilet sand is placed on the bottom wall of the upper container, the granular material can be properly supported in the liquid passage section, and urine can only pass through the lower container side.

[0058] (Option 9)

[0059] A pet toilet system based on any one of schemes 1-8, wherein,

[0060] The upper surface of the liquid passage portion is continuous with the upper surface of the portion of the bottom wall where the liquid passage portion is not provided.

[0061] The lower surface of the liquid passage protrudes downward compared to the lower surface of the portion of the bottom wall where the liquid passage is not provided.

[0062] According to embodiment 9, by making the liquid passage protrude downwards, the lowest part of the liquid passage can be effectively brought close to the pet sheet placed on the mounting surface of the lower container. Thus, even if the height of the sheet placement section is not very high, a structure can be achieved where the uppermost part of the sheet placement section is positioned above the lowest part of the liquid passage.

[0063] (Option 10)

[0064] A pet toilet system based on any one of schemes 1-9, wherein,

[0065] The upper container has a first wall portion extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion.

[0066] The sheet placement section has a second wall portion extending upward from the edge of the mounting surface.

[0067] The inner surface of the second wall portion is located on the inner side of the outer surface of the first wall portion.

[0068] According to Scheme 10, since the lower container is housed below the upper container and the width of the lower container is smaller than that of the upper container, the pet toilet system can be made more compact.

[0069] (Option 11)

[0070] A pet toilet system based on any of schemes 1-10, wherein,

[0071] The upper container has a supporting wall that is supported on the ground and configured to surround the lower container.

[0072] A recess is provided in the third wall portion constituting at least one side of the supporting wall portion, forming a space between the recess and the ground.

[0073] The lower container has a handle portion, which is positioned corresponding to the recess.

[0074] The handle is positioned more inward than the third wall portion.

[0075] According to Solution 11, by grasping the bottom surface of the upper container located outside the handle (e.g., the inner surface of the recess in the third wall), the upper container can be easily lifted upwards. This disassembly mechanism reduces the risk of the pet sheet getting caught in the upper container and breaking during sheet replacement. Furthermore, according to the above disassembly mechanism, since it is not necessary for the upper container to slide laterally relative to the lower container, even if the uppermost part of the sheet placement section is raised to a certain extent, interference between the liquid passage and the sheet placement section can be avoided during sheet replacement.

[0076] (Option 12)

[0077] According to any one of the schemes 1 to 11, the pet toilet system is configured such that, in the usage state where the upper container and the lower container overlap, a first part of the upper container and a second part of the lower container are positioned relative to each other, thereby suppressing lateral movement of the upper container relative to the lower container.

[0078] According to Solution 12, when the upper container is stacked on top of the lower container in the use state, the upper container can be easily and correctly positioned relative to the lower container by aligning the position of the first part of the upper container with respect to the second part of the lower container. As a result, the positional relationship between the liquid passage of the upper container and the sheet arrangement part of the lower container can be properly maintained in the use state, thus appropriately suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the sheet arrangement part (i.e., the outside of the pet sheet).

[0079] (Option 13)

[0080] A pet toilet system based on any of schemes 1-12, wherein,

[0081] The mounting surface of the lower container has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above.

[0082] The lower container has a pair of first sidewall portions and a pair of second sidewall portions. The pair of first sidewall portions rise upward from the outer edge of the mounting surface on both sides of a first direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and are arranged along a second direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the first direction. The pair of second sidewall portions rise upward from the outer edge of the mounting surface on both sides of the second direction and are arranged along the first direction.

[0083] In each of the four corners of the mounting surface, a first displacement portion is formed at the end of the first sidewall portion in the second direction, the first displacement portion being configured to displace the first sidewall portion outward in the first direction as it moves outward in the second direction, and a second displacement portion is formed at the end of the second sidewall portion in the first direction, the second displacement portion being configured to displace the second sidewall portion outward in the second direction as it moves outward in the first direction.

[0084] According to Solution 13, when the pet sheet is placed on the lower container, the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion can be used to mitigate the bending actions exerted on the corners of the pet sheet at the corners where the first and second sidewall portions intersect on the four corners of the placement surface from the first and second directions. This prevents the corners of the pet sheet from standing up and suppresses the formation of gaps between the pet sheet and the corners of the lower container. As a result, urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet placed on the lower container can be further effectively suppressed.

[0085] [Implementation Method]

[0086] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same or equivalent elements, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0087] Reference Figures 1-6 This document describes a pet toilet system (hereinafter referred to as "system toilet 1") according to one embodiment. System toilet 1 is a toilet device for animals. Cats can be cited as an example of animals that use system toilet 1, but the animals that use system toilet 1 are not limited to any specific animal. In the accompanying drawings, the vertical direction is represented by the Z-axis, the long side direction of system toilet 1 is represented by the X-axis, and the short side direction of system toilet 1 is represented by the Y-axis. Hereinafter, the vertical direction will be represented as "vertical direction Z", the long side direction as "long side direction X", and the short side direction as "short side direction Y" so that the above directions correspond to the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0088] like Figure 1As shown, the toilet system 1 includes an upper container 2 and a lower container 3. The upper container 2 is a box-shaped container for holding multiple granular materials (not shown) such as cat litter. The lower container 3 is positioned below the upper container 2, overlapping it in the vertical Z direction, and holds pet sheets 5 (see reference). Figure 5 and Figure 6 The lower container 3 is a box-shaped container. In this embodiment, the vertical length Z of the lower container 3 is shorter than the vertical length Z of the upper container 2.

[0089] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the upper container 2 has a bottom wall portion 21, a side wall portion 22 (first wall portion) connected to and extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 21, and a support wall portion 23 connected to and extending downward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 21.

[0090] The bottom wall portion 21, when viewed from above in the vertical direction Z, is roughly rectangular in shape, with its longer side (X) being longer than its shorter side (Y). The bottom wall portion 21 has an upper surface 21a facing upwards and a lower surface 21b facing downwards. (As shown...) Figure 3 As shown, a roughly rectangular liquid passage portion 6 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom wall portion 21.

[0091] The liquid passage section 6 is a region having a plurality of openings H extending through in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, a plurality of openings H (340 in this embodiment) are arranged in the liquid passage section 6 such that 10 openings H are arranged in the long side direction X and 34 openings H are arranged in the short side direction Y. Each opening H has a generally rectangular shape in which the length of the long side direction X is longer than the length (width) of the short side direction Y. The width (length of the short side direction Y) of each opening H is, for example, 2.5 mm or less. As a result, granular material (e.g., toilet sand) placed on the upper surface 21a of the bottom wall section 21 can be appropriately prevented from falling downward through the openings H. That is, the granular material can be properly supported in the liquid passage section 6, and only urine (liquid) can pass through to the lower container 3 side.

[0092] The upper surface 21a of the liquid passage portion 6 (i.e., the upper surface of the portion of the liquid passage portion 6 without the opening H) is continuous with the upper surface 21a of the portion of the bottom wall portion 21 where the liquid passage portion 6 is not located (i.e., the portion surrounding the liquid passage portion 6). On the other hand, the lower surface 21b of the liquid passage portion 6 (i.e., the lower surface of the portion of the liquid passage portion 6 without the opening H) protrudes downwards compared to the lower surface 21b of the portion of the bottom wall portion 21 where the liquid passage portion 6 is not located. In this embodiment, as... Figure 4As shown, a plurality of grid strips 61 are provided on the lower surface 21b side of the liquid passage section 6. These grid strips 61 are formed in a bamboo curtain shape, protruding downwards compared to the portion of the lower surface 21b where the liquid passage section 6 is not located, and are arranged between a plurality of openings H. Each grid strip 61 extends along its long side direction X and is positioned on both sides of each opening H in the short side direction Y. The lower surface 21b of the liquid passage section 6 is formed by the lower surfaces 61a of each of the plurality of grid strips 61.

[0093] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a liquid guiding portion 62 is formed on the lower surface 21b of the liquid passage portion 6, and the liquid guiding portion 62 is continuously formed with a plurality of upward-facing arc-shaped arches 63. The liquid guiding portion 62 is configured to appropriately guide urine after passing through the plurality of openings H from the upper surface 21a side to the lower surface 21b side. In this embodiment, the arches 63 are formed by forming the central portion of the lower surface 61a of each grid strip 61 into an upward-facing arc shape. That is, each arch 63 is formed by the lower surface 61a of each grid strip 61. By continuously forming such a plurality of arches 63 in the long side direction X, urine is easily collected in the portion 61b (i.e., the portion protruding downward compared to the central portion of the arch 63) between two adjacent arches 63 (the lower surfaces 61a of two adjacent grid strips 61) in the long side direction X. As a result, the urine collected in this portion 61b easily falls downward.

[0094] A recess 22a is provided in the side wall portion 22 corresponding to one side (in this embodiment, the side portion extending along the long side direction X) as an entry point for animals to enter the interior of the upper container 2. The recess 22a also functions as an exit point for animals to exit the interior of the upper container 2. In addition, the side wall portion 22 may also have the function of arranging a component (e.g., a shovel) for placing or retrieving multiple granular materials placed in the upper container 2. For example, the upper end of the side wall portion 22 may be configured to have a shape and thickness that can hook onto a protrusion (locking part) provided on the handle portion of the aforementioned component. Alternatively, a housing or the like for accommodating the aforementioned component may be installed on the outer surface 22b of the side wall portion 22.

[0095] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the lower container 3 has a mounting surface 31, a side wall portion 32 (sheet placement portion, second wall portion), a pair of handle portions 33 and a pair of handle portions 34.

[0096] The mounting surface 31 is the surface on which the pet sheet 5 absorbs urine after passing through the liquid passage 6. The mounting surface 31 is configured to overlap the liquid passage 6 provided on the bottom wall 21 in the vertical direction Z at a position facing the bottom wall 21 of the upper container 2.

[0097] The sidewall portion 32 is connected to the outer edge portion 31a of the mounting surface 31 and extends upward from the outer edge portion 31a. The sidewall portion 32 functions as a sheet arrangement portion for arrangement along the edge of the pet sheet 5. The sidewall portion 32 is composed of a pair of sidewall portions 32A facing each other in the long side direction X and a pair of sidewall portions 32B facing each other in the short side direction Y. The sidewall portions 32A and sidewall portions 32B adjacent at the corners are integrally formed in a continuous manner.

[0098] A pair of handle portions 33 are disposed approximately at the center of a pair of sidewall portions 32A facing each other in the long side direction X, in the short side direction Y. Each handle portion 33 extends outward from the top 32b of each sidewall portion 32A in the long side direction X.

[0099] A pair of handle portions 34 are disposed approximately at the center of a pair of sidewall portions 32B facing each other in the short-side direction Y, in the long-side direction X. Each handle portion 34 extends from the top 32b of each sidewall portion 32B toward the outer side in the short-side direction Y.

[0100] exist Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the diagram, the outline of the pet sheet 5 placed on the lower container 3 is schematically shown using dashed lines. As an example, the pet sheet 5, when viewed from above, is formed into a generally rectangular shape larger than the mounting surface 31, and has a liquid-permeable surface sheet 5a (the sheet positioned on the upper side when placed on the lower container 3), a back sheet 5b (the sheet positioned on the lower side when placed on the lower container 3), and an absorbent core (not shown) disposed between the surface sheet 5a and the back sheet 5b. The absorbent core includes an absorbent core containing pulp, SAP, etc., for absorbing urine, and is disposed approximately at the center of the pet sheet 5 when viewed from above. A flap portion 5c is formed in the portion of the pet sheet 5 where the absorbent core is not disposed (i.e., the edge portion outside the approximately center portion of the pet sheet 5). This flap portion 5c is thinner than the approximately center portion of the pet sheet 5 where the absorbent core is disposed and can be easily bent along the edge of the absorbent core.

[0101] In this embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the pet sheet 5 is arranged on the lower container 3 with a pair of flap portions 5c1 extending along the short side direction Y of the pet sheet 5 (flaps 5c provided on a pair of edges of the pet sheet 5 facing each other along the long side direction X) along the inner surface 32a of a pair of sidewall portions 32A. Additionally, as... Figure 6As shown, the pet sheet 5 is arranged on the lower container 3 with a pair of flaps 5c2 extending along the long side direction X of the pet sheet 5 (flaps 5c provided on a pair of edges of the pet sheet 5 facing each other along the short side direction Y) along the inner surfaces 32a of a pair of sidewall portions 32B. As an example, the inner surfaces 32a of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B are configured as inclined surfaces that are inclined relative to the vertical direction Z. However, the inner surfaces 32a of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B can be formed as curved surfaces or as surfaces that are approximately parallel to the vertical direction Z.

[0102] Thus, by providing sidewall portions 32A and 32B in the lower container 3, and arranging the pet sheet 5 (flap portion 5c in this embodiment) along the inner surface 32a of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B, the maximum height of the pet sheet 5 placed in the lower container 3 can reach the uppermost part, i.e., the top 32b, of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B. Furthermore, as... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in the usage state where the upper container 2 and the lower container 3 overlap in the vertical direction Z, the top 32b of the side wall portions 32A and 32B is located above the lowest part of the liquid passage portion 6 (in this embodiment, the lower surface 61a of the portion 61b between adjacent grid strips 61 in the long side direction X). Thus, in this embodiment, the configuration allows the maximum height of the pet sheet 5 to reach a position above the lowest part of the liquid passage portion 6.

[0103] The following describes some of the effects of the system toilet 1. In the system toilet 1, the pet sheet 5 is placed in the lower container 3 such that the edge of the pet sheet 5 (flap portion 5c in this embodiment) is along the side wall portions 32A and 32B (sheet placement portions). Since the uppermost part (top 32b) of the side wall portions 32A and 32B is located above the lowermost part (lower surface 61a of portion 61b) of the liquid passage portion 6 of the bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2 (i.e., the portion where urine falls into the lower container 3 side through multiple openings H), the height of the edge of the pet sheet 5 can reach a position higher than the lowermost part of the liquid passage portion 6. As a result, urine falling from the liquid passage portion 6 is less likely to leak to the outside of the pet sheet 5. Furthermore, by constructing it in this way, the lowermost part of the liquid passage 6 can be appropriately brought close to (or in contact with) the pet sheet 5 (the pet sheet 5 that absorbs liquid and expands) placed in the lower container 3 in the vertical direction Z, thus promoting the transfer of urine from the liquid passage 6 to the pet sheet 5. As a result, the amount of urine remaining unabsorbed by the pet sheet 5 can be reduced, and the generation of foul odor can be suppressed.

[0104] Furthermore, in the system toilet 1, it can be put into use simply by overlapping the upper container 2 and placing it on top of the lower container 3. Therefore, when changing the pet sheet 5, the tray removal operation required in conventional tray-type pet toilet systems is eliminated. Thus, when changing the sheet, accidental damage or deformation caused by the pet sheet 5 getting caught on the upper container 2 can be prevented, and urine leakage can also be avoided.

[0105] Furthermore, in the system toilet 1, a liquid guiding section 62 is provided on the lower surface 21b of the liquid passage section 6, and the liquid guiding section 62 is continuously formed with multiple upward-facing arc-shaped arches 63 (lower surface 61a of the grid strips 61). Additionally, as... Figure 5 As shown, the top 32b of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B is located above the uppermost part of the arch 63 (i.e., the approximately central portion of the uppermost recess of the arch 63 (the lower surface 61a of the grid 61)). According to this structure, urine can be effectively transferred (fallen) into the lower container 3 using the liquid guiding portion 62. Furthermore, by setting the height of the uppermost parts of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B above the uppermost part (the uppermost recessed portion) of the arch 63 of the liquid guiding portion 62, the effect of suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet 5 can be further improved.

[0106] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the area of ​​the liquid passage portion 6 (i.e., the area occupied by the liquid passage portion 6 when viewed from the vertical direction Z) is smaller than the area of ​​the mounting surface 31, and the outer edges of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B (the outermost portion of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B, which is the top 32b in this embodiment) are located further outward than the outer edge 6a of the liquid passage portion 6. According to the above structure, since urine falling from the liquid passage portion 6 to the container 3 can be guided as far as possible to the center of the pet sheet 5 (i.e., the area where the absorbent is disposed), the effect of suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet 5 can be further improved.

[0107] Furthermore, in the system toilet 1, the outer edge 31a of the mounting surface 31 (the edge that connects to the lower ends of the side wall portions 32A and 32B) is located further outward than the outer edge 6a of the liquid passage portion 6. That is, the liquid passage portion 6 is positioned further inward than the area (the inner surface 32a of the side wall portions 32A and 32B) where the pet sheet 5 is disposed. Based on this structure, the aforementioned effect (that is, guiding urine falling from the liquid passage portion 6 into the container 3 as far as possible to the center of the pet sheet 5) can be further improved.

[0108] As an example, the distance d between the lowest part of the liquid passage section 6 and the mounting surface 31 (refer to...) Figure 5The thickness is 25 mm or less. According to the above structure, since the surface of the pet sheet 5 (the upper surface of the surface sheet 5a) that expands after absorbing a certain amount of urine can come into contact (or approach) the lowermost part of the liquid passage 6 (the part 61b where urine easily accumulates), the transfer of urine from the liquid passage 6 to the pet sheet 5 can be effectively promoted. As a result, the generation of foul odor can be appropriately suppressed.

[0109] The thickness t1 of the liquid passing through part 6 (refer to) Figure 5 The thickness t2 of the portion of the bottom wall 21 where the liquid passage 6 is not provided (refer to) Figure 5 Large. As an example, the thickness t1 of the liquid passage portion 6 is 5 mm or more. According to the above structure, by making the portion of the bottom wall portion 21 in which the liquid passage portion 6 is provided thicker than other portions, it is possible to suppress the deflection of the liquid passage portion 6 and further effectively promote the transfer of urine from the liquid passage portion 6 to the pet sheet 5.

[0110] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the upper surface 21a of the liquid passage portion 6 is continuous with the upper surface 21a of the portion of the bottom wall portion 21 where the liquid passage portion 6 is not provided. On the other hand, the lower surface 21b of the liquid passage portion 6 protrudes downward compared to the lower surface 21b of the portion of the bottom wall portion 21 where the liquid passage portion 6 is not provided. That is, as described above, a plurality of downwardly protruding grid strips 61 are formed on the lower surface 21b of the liquid passage portion 6. According to the above structure, by making the liquid passage portion 6 protrude downward, the lowermost part (part 61b) of the liquid passage portion 6 can be effectively brought close to the pet sheet 5 placed on the mounting surface 31 of the lower container 3. Thus, even if the height of the side wall portions 32A and 32B is not so high, it is possible to achieve a structure in which the top 32b of the side wall portions 32A and 32B is located above the lowermost part (part 61b) of the liquid passage portion 6.

[0111] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the inner surface 32a of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B is located further inward than the outer surface 22b of the sidewall portion 22 of the upper container 2. That is, the system toilet 1 is not a structure in which the upper container 2A is housed inside the lower container 3A as in the first modified example system toilet 1A described later, but rather has a structure in which the entire lower container 3 is housed in the space below the upper container 2. As a result, since the width dimension (the dimension in the long side direction X or the short side direction Y) of the lower container 3 can be made smaller than the width dimension of the upper container 2, the system toilet 1 can be made more compact.

[0112] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figures 4-6As shown, the upper container 2 has a support wall 23 that is supported on the ground and configured to surround the lower container 3. A recess 23a is provided in at least one surface of the support wall 23 (the third wall portion, or in this embodiment, four portions corresponding to all surfaces), forming a space between the recess 23a and the ground. The lower container 3 has a pair of handle portions 34 positioned corresponding to the recesses 23a in the portion 23A of the support wall 23 along the long side direction X. Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, each handle portion 34 is positioned on the inner side of portion 23A in the short side direction Y. According to this structure, by grasping the bottom surface of the upper container 2 located outside the handle (handle portion 34) (e.g., the inner surface of the recess 23a of portion 23A), the upper container 2 can be easily lifted upwards. This disassembly structure reduces the risk of the pet sheet 5 getting caught on the upper container 2 and breaking when changing the sheet. Furthermore, according to the disassembly structure, since it is not necessary for the upper container 2 to slide laterally relative to the lower container 3 (in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction Z), even if the uppermost part (top 32b) of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B is raised to a certain extent, interference between the liquid passage portion 6 and the sidewall portions 32A and 32B can be avoided when changing the sheet, etc.

[0113] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a portion (including the outer end portion) of a pair of handle portions 33 located at a position corresponding to the recess 23a of the portion 23B provided in the support wall portion 23 along the short side direction Y is positioned further outward than the portion 23B in the long side direction X. Therefore, the user of the toilet system 1 can easily carry the upper container 2 and the lower container 3 together by lifting the pair of handle portions 33. Thus, the pair of handle portions 33 arranged facing each other in one direction (long side direction X) is configured to protrude outward compared to the support wall portion 23 (part 23B), while the pair of handle portions 34 arranged facing each other in a direction intersecting the aforementioned direction (short side direction Y) is configured not to protrude outward compared to the support wall portion 23 (part 23A), thereby improving user convenience. That is, when the upper container 2 is detached from the lower container 3 (i.e., when only the upper container 2 is lifted), the user can easily lift only the upper container 2 by placing their hand in the portion provided with the pair of handle portions 34 (the portion further outward than the pair of handle portions 34). On the other hand, when it is desired to move the entire system toilet 1 (i.e., the upper container 2 and the lower container 3), the entire system toilet 1 can be easily moved by lifting a pair of handles 33.

[0114] Furthermore, the shape of the handle portion of the lower container 3 is not limited to the structure of this embodiment (i.e., having a pair of handle portions 33 that are configured to protrude outwards compared to the support wall portion 23 (part 23B) and a pair of handle portions 34 that are configured not to protrude outwards compared to the support wall portion 23 (part 23A)). For example, contrary to this embodiment, the pair of handle portions 33 may be configured not to protrude outwards compared to the support wall portion 23 (part 23B), and the pair of handle portions 34 may be configured to protrude outwards compared to the support wall portion 23 (part 23A). In addition, both handle portions 33 and 34 (all four handle portions in total) may be configured to protrude outwards compared to the support wall portion 23, and conversely, both handle portions 33 and 34 (all four handle portions in total) may be configured not to protrude outwards compared to the support wall portion 23. Alternatively, the lower container 3 may only have one of the handle portions 33 and 34 (two handle portions in total). In this case, the handle pair can be configured to protrude outwards relative to the support wall portion 23, or it can be configured not to protrude outwards relative to the support wall portion 23. Additionally, as described later in the second variation (see...), Figure 8 In that case, the handle can be omitted from the lower container 3.

[0115] When the upper container 2 and the lower container 3 are overlapping ( Figure 1 The upper container 2 is configured such that by positioning the first part of the upper container 2 (the recess 23a of part 23B in this embodiment) and the second part of the lower container 3 (a pair of handles 33 in this embodiment) relative to each other, lateral (at least in the short side direction Y in this embodiment) movement of the upper container 2 relative to the lower container 3 is suppressed. That is, in this embodiment, by embedding a part of the handle 33 into the recess 23a of part 23B of the support wall 23, the upper container 2 is properly positioned relative to the lower container 3 without offset. According to the above structure, when the upper container 2 is stacked on the lower container 3 and put into use, by aligning the position of the first part of the upper container 2 (the recess 23a of part 23B) relative to the second part (the pair of handles 33) of the lower container 3, the upper container 2 can be easily and correctly positioned relative to the lower container 3. As a result, in use, the positional relationship between the liquid passage 6 of the upper container 2 and the side wall portions 32A and 32B of the lower container 3 can be properly maintained, thus appropriately suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the side wall portions 32A and 32B (i.e., the outside of the pet sheet 5).

[0116] Furthermore, the height (height from the mounting surface 31) of the uppermost part (top 32b) of the sheet placement section (side wall section 32 in this embodiment) can be measured, for example, using a ruler. Similarly, the height of the lowermost part of the liquid passage section 6 from the mounting surface 31 can also be measured using a ruler. However, in cases where it is difficult to directly measure the height of the lowermost part of the liquid passage section 6 from the mounting surface 31, it can be measured, for example, as follows: A ruler is inserted above the opening H of the liquid passage section 6 to measure the length (first length) from the mounting surface 31 to the uppermost part (upper surface 21a) of the liquid passage section 6. The thickness of the liquid passage section 6 (the length of the liquid passage section 6 from the uppermost to the lowermost part) is also measured using the same method. By subtracting the thickness of the liquid passage section 6 from the first length measured as described above, the height of the lowermost part of the liquid passage section 6 from the mounting surface 31 can be determined. However, the above measurement method is just one example; different dimensions can also be measured using different methods.

[0117] [Variation Example]

[0118] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, but this disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. The materials and shapes of each structure are not limited to the materials and shapes described above, and various materials and shapes can be used. In addition, some of the structures included in the structures of the above embodiments can be changed or omitted, and other structures can be added. For example, in the above embodiments, an example is shown in which the side wall portion 32 with the maximum height position (upper end) located on the same plane is set as the sheet material placement portion, but the upper end of the sheet material placement portion may not be constant. In addition, a structure for fixing a part (e.g., a corner) of the pet sheet 5 may be provided on the upper end surface of the sheet material placement portion (side wall portion 32) (e.g., a hole for inserting and hooking the corner of the pet sheet 5 so that it protrudes to the outside of the lower container). Hereinafter, some other specific modifications are described.

[0119] (First variation)

[0120] Reference Figure 7The first modified pet toilet system (hereinafter referred to as "system toilet 1A") will be described. The main difference between system toilet 1A and system toilet 1 is that the upper container 2A is disposed inside the lower container 3A. The lower container 3A is a box-shaped (bathtub-shaped) container. In the lower container 3A, the side wall portion 35, including the portion 35a (sheet placement portion) along the edge of the pet sheet 5 (e.g., the flap portion 5c), extends upward from the outer edge of the mounting surface 31. As an example, the upper container 2A is configured to be supported on the lower container 3A by hooking onto the upper end of the side wall portion 35, with the bottom wall portion 21 disposed in a position separated upward from the mounting surface 31 of the lower container 3A. The bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2A is provided with a liquid passage portion 6, which is the same as the bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2 described above. Furthermore, the structure of supporting the upper container 2A on the lower container 3A is not limited to Figure 7 For example, a support platform (e.g., a portion integrally formed with a portion of the side wall portion 35 and protruding inward) for supporting a part of the bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2A may also be provided on the inner side of the lower container 3A.

[0121] As an example, portion 35a of the sidewall 35 of the lower container 3A is a portion of the sidewall 35 having an inclined surface that slopes along the edge of the pet sheet 5. The inclined surface may also be curved. In any case, portion 35a is a portion of the sidewall 35 intended to slope along the edge of the pet sheet 5, as long as it is configured to be distinguishable from other portions of the sidewall 35 by means of abrupt changes in curvature, etc. Figure 7 In this example, the upper portion of the sidewall portion 35, which is configured as an inclined surface, is formed to extend approximately parallel to the vertical direction. In this case, the uppermost portion 35b of the portion 35a is defined as the upper end of the inclined surface (i.e., the boundary between the portion extending upward from the edge of the mounting surface 31 in an inclined manner relative to the vertical direction and the portion extending approximately parallel to the vertical direction).

[0122] In the system toilet 1A, similar to system toilet 1, in the usage state where the upper container 2A and the lower container 3A overlap in the vertical direction, the uppermost part 35b of the side wall portion 35a (sheet arrangement portion) of the lower container 3A (located in...) Figure 7 The portion shown on line L2 is also located at the lowest part of the liquid passage section 6 (located at...). Figure 7 The portion shown on line L1) is positioned above the bottom. With this structure, similar to the system toilet 1, the maximum height of the pet sheet 5 can be positioned above the bottom of the liquid passage 6. Therefore, the same effect as the system toilet 1 can be obtained (i.e., urine falling from the liquid passage 6 is less likely to leak to the outside of the pet sheet 5 and urine is easily transferred from the liquid passage 6 to the pet sheet 5).

[0123] (Second variation)

[0124] Reference Figure 8 and Figure 9 The second modified pet toilet system (hereinafter referred to as "system toilet 1B") will be described. The difference between system toilet 1B and system toilet 1 is that, in use, the upper container 2B is more securely fixed to the lower container 3B. More specifically, in the upper container 2B of system toilet 1B, instead of the recess 23a, the opposing portions 23B in the support wall 23 in the long side direction X are provided with an elliptical opening 23b that is horizontally elongated in the short side direction Y. Furthermore, instead of the pair of handle portions 33, the lower container 3B of system toilet 1B is provided with a protrusion 36 that protrudes outward from the side wall portion 32A in a manner that fits into the opening 23b. Figure 9 As shown, by pressing the upper container 2B from above to below the lower container 3B, the protrusion 36 is fitted into the opening 23b of the portion 23B of the support wall portion 23. This is achieved by... Figure 9 In the state shown, by pressing the outer surface of the protrusion 36 into the inward side in the direction of arrow A, the engagement of the protrusion 36 with the opening 23b is released, allowing the upper container 2B to be pulled upward relative to the lower container 3B (i.e., the upper container 2B is detached from the lower container 3B). According to the toilet system 1B, by positioning and fixing (engaging) the first part (opening 23b) of the upper container 2B with the second part (protrusion 36) of the lower container 3B, lateral (long side direction X and short side direction Y) movement of the upper container 2B relative to the lower container 3B can be suppressed, as well as vertical (vertical) movement in the Z direction can also be suppressed.

[0125] In addition, various other modifications can be made. For example, if more urine than can be absorbed by the pet sheet 5 flows from the upper container 2 to the lower container 3, urine may sometimes accumulate on the mounting surface 31 of the lower container 3. A recessed portion can also be provided in the side wall portion 32 of the lower container 3 (e.g., the corner where side wall portion 32A and side wall portion 32B are connected) to facilitate the drainage of such urine.

[0126] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mounting surface 31 of the lower container 3 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above (when viewed from the vertical direction Z). Additionally, the lower container 3 has a pair of sidewall portions 32A (first sidewall portions) and a pair of sidewall portions 32B (second sidewall portions). The pair of sidewall portions 32A (first sidewall portions) rise upwards from the outer edge 31a (outer edge along the short side direction Y) of the mounting surface 31 on both sides in the long side direction X (first direction) orthogonal to the vertical direction Z and are arranged along the short side direction Y (second direction). The pair of sidewall portions 32B (second sidewall portions) rise upwards from the outer edge 31a (outer edge along the long side direction X) of the mounting surface 31 on both sides in the short side direction Y and are arranged along the long side direction X. Alternatively, based on the above structure, the lower container 3 may also include... Figure 10 The structure shown. Figure 10 This is a top view including one corner of the lower container 3. (Example) Figure 10 As shown, alternatively, in each of the four corners of the mounting surface 31, a first displacement portion 32Aa is formed at the end of the sidewall portion 32A in the short side direction Y. The first displacement portion 32Aa is configured to move outward toward the short side direction Y (in... Figure 10 In the example shown above), the side wall portion 32A (inner surface 32a) extends outward in the long side direction X (in... Figure 10 In the example shown on the left), the displacement is such that a second displacement portion 32Ba is formed at the end of the side wall portion 32B in the long side direction X. The second displacement portion 32Ba is configured such that the side wall portion 32B (inner surface 32a) is displaced outward in the short side direction Y as it moves outward in the long side direction X.

[0127] according to Figure 10 The structure shown above, when the pet sheet is placed on the lower container 3, can mitigate the bending action exerted on the corners of the pet sheet at the intersection of the sidewall portions 32A and 32B at the four corners of the placement surface 31 by the first displacement portion 32Aa and the second displacement portion 32Ba from the long side direction X and the short side direction Y. This prevents the corners of the pet sheet from standing up and suppresses the formation of gaps between the pet sheet and the corners C of the lower container 3. As a result, urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet placed on the lower container 3 can be further effectively suppressed.

[0128] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0129] 1, 1A, 1B…System toilet (pet system toilet); 2, 2A, 2B…Upper container; 3, 3A, 3B…Lower container; 5…Pet sheet; 6…Liquid passage section; 6a…Outer edge; 21…Bottom wall; 21a…Upper surface; 21b…Lower surface; 22…Side wall (first wall); 22b…Outer surface; 23…Support wall; 23a…Recess; 31…Placement surface; 31a…Outer edge; 32…Side wall (sheet placement section); 32A…Side wall (sheet placement section, first side wall); 32B…Side wall (sheet placement section, second side wall); 32Aa…First displacement section; 32Ba…Second displacement section; 32a…Inner surface; 33, 34…Handle; 35a…Part (sheet placement section); 62…Liquid guide section; 63…Arch; H…Opening.

Claims

1. A pet toilet system, wherein, The pet toilet system features: An upper container having a bottom wall portion having a liquid passage portion having multiple openings; and The lower container is disposed below the upper container in a manner overlapping the upper container, and has a mounting surface on which a pet sheet for absorbing liquid passing through the liquid passage is mounted. The lower container has a sheet configuration section for connecting to the outer edge of the mounting surface and configured along the edge of the pet sheet. The uppermost part of the sheet arrangement section is located above the lowermost part of the liquid passage section.

2. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, A liquid guiding portion is provided on the lower surface of the liquid passage portion, and the liquid guiding portion is continuously formed with multiple upward-facing arc-shaped arches. The uppermost part of the sheet configuration section is located above the uppermost part of the arch.

3. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The area of ​​the liquid passage is smaller than the area of ​​the mounting surface. The outer edge of the sheet configuration section is located outside the outer edge of the liquid passage section.

4. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The area of ​​the liquid passage is smaller than the area of ​​the mounting surface. The outer edge of the mounting surface is located outside the outer edge of the liquid passage portion.

5. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The distance between the lowest part of the liquid passage and the mounting surface is less than 25 mm.

6. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the liquid passage portion is greater than the thickness of the portion of the bottom wall portion where the liquid passage portion is not provided.

7. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the liquid passage section is 5 mm or more.

8. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The width of the opening of the liquid passage is 2.5 mm or less.

9. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The upper surface of the liquid passage portion is continuous with the upper surface of the portion of the bottom wall where the liquid passage portion is not provided. The lower surface of the liquid passage protrudes downward compared to the lower surface of the portion of the bottom wall where the liquid passage is not provided.

10. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The upper container has a first wall portion extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion. The sheet placement section has a second wall portion extending upward from the edge of the mounting surface. The inner surface of the second wall portion is located on the inner side of the outer surface of the first wall portion.

11. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The upper container has a supporting wall that is supported on the ground and configured to surround the lower container. A recess is provided in the third wall portion constituting at least one side of the supporting wall portion, forming a space between the recess and the ground. The lower container has a handle portion, which is positioned corresponding to the recess. The handle is positioned more inward than the third wall portion.

12. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The pet toilet system is configured such that, in the usage state where the upper container and the lower container overlap, the first part of the upper container and the second part of the lower container are positioned relative to each other, thereby suppressing lateral movement of the upper container relative to the lower container.

13. The pet toilet system according to claim 1, wherein, The mounting surface of the lower container has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above. The lower container has a pair of first sidewall portions and a pair of second sidewall portions. The pair of first sidewall portions rise upward from the outer edge of the mounting surface on both sides of a first direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and are arranged along a second direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the first direction. The pair of second sidewall portions rise upward from the outer edge of the mounting surface on both sides of the second direction and are arranged along the first direction. In each of the four corners of the mounting surface, a first displacement portion is formed at the end of the first sidewall portion in the second direction, the first displacement portion being configured to displace the first sidewall portion outward in the first direction as it moves outward in the second direction, and a second displacement portion is formed at the end of the second sidewall portion in the first direction, the second displacement portion being configured to displace the second sidewall portion outward in the second direction as it moves outward in the first direction.

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