Pet sand basin with sand amount detection function

Abstract

The utility model discloses a pet sand basin with a sand amount detection function. The pet sand basin comprises a sand bin, a host, an excrement collecting bin and a sensor, the sand bin is arranged at the top of the main machine and provided with a sand groove, the excrement collecting bin is arranged at the bottom of the main machine, the main machine is connected with the sand bin and used for driving the sand bin to rotate, the excrement collecting bin is used for collecting sand balls falling downwards from the interior of the sand bin, and rotating shaft parts are arranged on the two opposite sides of the sand bin in a protruding mode. Rotating holes are formed in the two opposite sides of the main machine, the two rotating shaft parts and the two rotating holes are installed in a one-to-one correspondence mode, a through hole penetrating into the sand groove is formed in the outer wall of at least one rotating shaft part, and the sensor is fixed to the main machine and arranged at the position adjacent to the rotating shaft part provided with the through hole. The sensor is electrically connected with the host and detects the sand amount in the sand tank through the through hole; according to the scheme, a feeding owner can be reminded to supplement sand in time, the probability that excrement adheres to the bottom in the sand tank is reduced, and the cleaning frequency of the sand silo is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of pet litter boxes, and in particular to a pet litter box with a litter volume detection function. Background Technology

[0002] As people's living standards improve, their demands for spiritual enrichment also increase, leading to a rise in pet ownership (such as cats, rabbits, or dogs). Consequently, the demand for smart pet litter boxes for collecting feces and urine is also growing. Taking cat litter boxes as an example, these boxes, used with cat litter, serve as a toilet for cats. The litter bin holds the litter; the cat enters it to relieve itself. After the cat finishes and leaves, the main unit rotates the litter bin to a designated position, causing the litter clumps containing feces and urine to fall through an opening in the main unit's casing into the waste collection bin below. However, as cats use the litter box more frequently, the litter in the bin is gradually depleted. If there is too little litter, excrement can stick to the bottom, making the bin dirtier. Currently, owners need to frequently check the litter level and refill accordingly, which is difficult to do promptly. Therefore, existing pet litter boxes need optimization. Utility Model Content

[0003] This utility model provides a pet litter box with a litter volume detection function, which mainly solves the technical problem of how to detect the amount of litter inside the litter box under the premise that the litter box can rotate relative to the main unit.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0005] A pet litter box with litter volume detection function includes a litter box, a main unit, a waste collection box, and a sensor;

[0006] The sand chamber is located on the top of the main unit and has an outwardly open sand trough for collecting sand. The waste collection chamber is located at the bottom of the main unit. The main unit is connected to the sand chamber and is used to drive the sand chamber to rotate. The waste collection chamber is used to collect sand clumps falling downward from the sand chamber. The sand chamber has a rotating shaft protruding on both opposite sides. The main unit has rotating holes on both opposite sides. The two rotating shafts are installed in a one-to-one correspondence with the two rotating holes. At least one of the rotating shafts has a through hole on its outer wall that extends into the sand trough. The sensor is fixed to the main unit and arranged adjacent to one of the rotating shafts with the through hole. The sensor is electrically connected to the main unit and detects the amount of sand in the sand trough through the through hole.

[0007] In one of the technical solutions, the main unit has an upwardly protruding protrusion on the outside of one of the rotating holes, and the side of the protrusion facing the sand hopper has a receiving groove. The main unit includes a cover plate for covering the opening of the receiving groove, and the sensor is housed in the receiving groove and exposed outward relative to the cover plate.

[0008] In one of the technical solutions, a plasma generator and a fan are also provided in the accommodating groove. The cover plate has a through air outlet at the position corresponding to the fan. The air outlet communicates with the through hole. The outer wall of the protrusion has an air inlet that communicates with the accommodating groove. The plasma generator is exposed to the outside relative to the cover plate. Both the plasma generator and the fan are electrically connected to the main unit.

[0009] In one of the technical solutions, the bottom of the receiving slot has a cable channel that connects downward to the inside of the host.

[0010] In one of the technical solutions, the protrusion has an air inlet on the side facing away from the cover plate.

[0011] In one of the technical solutions, the pet litter box also includes two handle covers that are snapped together with the main unit. Each of the rotating holes has an upward-opening installation and removal opening above it. The two rotating shafts are inserted into the corresponding rotating holes through the corresponding installation and removal opening. The two handle covers cover the corresponding rotating shafts at the corresponding installation and removal opening. The main unit has an insertion hole below the handle cover. The protrusion has the insertion hole on the side facing away from the litter box.

[0012] In one of the technical solutions, the sensor is a distance sensor, which is used to measure the distance between itself and the upper surface of the sand in the sand trough through the through hole.

[0013] In one of the technical solutions, the sensor is a TOF sensor, an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a radar sensor.

[0014] In one of the technical solutions, the sand bin has a gear on one of its rotating shafts, the main unit includes a drive gear that meshes with the gear, and the top of the main unit is provided with freely rotatable rollers, and multiple rollers together support the sand bin.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the pet litter box with litter volume detection function provided by this utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0016] This solution is based on the structural design of a litter bin that, driven by a main unit, rotates to pour litter containing urine and feces into a collection bin. A sensor powered by the main unit is installed on the main unit, and a through-hole is provided on the outer wall of the litter bin's rotating shaft, extending into the litter trough. This allows the sensor to detect the amount of litter inside the trough regardless of the litter bin's rotation angle. The litter level data can be used to alert the owner via light color, alarm, or wireless transmission to a mobile device, enabling the owner to replenish litter promptly. This reduces the probability of excrement sticking to the bottom of the litter trough, thus reducing the frequency of litter bin cleaning and improving the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pet litter box with litter volume detection function provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 An exploded view of the structure of a pet litter box with litter volume detection function provided in this application embodiment;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure after the cover plate is hidden.

[0022] Figure 5 An exploded view of the structure of a pet litter box with litter volume detection function provided in this application embodiment from another angle;

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a section at point B.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] 1. Sand chamber; 111. Sand trough; 114. Gear section; 118. Rotating shaft section; 119. Through hole; 122. Guide plate; 123. Filter screen; 2. Main unit; 20. Cover plate; 201. Air outlet; 2113. Rotation hole; 2114. Assembly / disassembly opening; 2115. Insertion hole; 2117. Protrusion block; 2118. Receiving groove; 2119. Air inlet; 2110. Cable channel; 22. Drive gear; 23. Roller; 3. Waste collection chamber; 6. Handle cover; 62. Handle component; 7. Plasma generator; 8. Fan; 9. Sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0028] It should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0029] In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise expressly and specifically defined.

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 4This utility model embodiment provides a pet litter box with litter volume detection function, mainly including a litter box 1, a main unit 2, and a waste collection box 3. The litter box 1 is located on the top of the main unit 2, and the waste collection box 3 is located at the bottom of the main unit 2. The main unit 2 is connected to the litter box 1 and is used to drive the litter box 1 to rotate. The litter box 1 is provided with a litter trough 111 that opens outward and is used to collect litter. The waste collection box 3 is used to collect litter clumps that fall downward from the litter box 1. Taking cat use as an example, after the cat finishes urinating or defecating in the litter box 1, the feces and urine will mix with the litter to form a litter clump. After the cat leaves, the main unit 2 drives the litter box 1 to rotate. During the rotation of the litter box 1, the internal filter screen 123 will rotate with the litter clump, while other cat litter that has not clumped will not be carried away by the filter screen 123 and will always remain at the bottom of the litter box 1 due to its own gravity. When the litter box 1 rotates to the specified angle, the litter clump will slide down the surface of the guide plate 122 inside the litter box 1 due to its own weight and fall into the waste collection tank 3 below. Then the main unit 2 drives the litter box 1 to return to the initial position, completing the automatic cleaning function for the cat's feces and urine.

[0032] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 5 The pet litter box in this embodiment also includes a sensor 9. The litter box 1 has a rotating shaft portion 118 protruding on both opposite sides. The main unit 2 has a rotating hole 2113 on both opposite sides. The two rotating shaft portions 118 are installed in a one-to-one correspondence with the two rotating holes 2113. At least one rotating shaft portion 118 has a through hole 119 on its outer wall that extends into the litter trough 111. The sensor 9 is arranged at an adjacent position to one of the rotating shaft portions 118 with the through hole 119. The sensor 9 is electrically connected to the main unit 2, so that the main unit 2 can allocate the required power to the sensor 9. The sensor 9 detects the amount of litter in the litter trough 111 through the through hole 119.

[0033] Specifically, this solution is based on the structural design of the litter box 1, which, driven by the main unit 2, rotates to pour litter containing urine and feces into the feces collection box 3. A sensor 9 powered by the main unit 2 is installed on the main unit 2, and a through hole 119 is provided on the outer wall of the rotating shaft 118 of the litter box 1, which extends into the litter trough 111. This allows the sensor 9 to detect the amount of litter inside the litter trough 111 through the through hole 119, regardless of the angle at which the litter box 1 rotates. The litter amount data can be used to remind the owner through light color, alarm, or wireless transmission to a mobile terminal, so that the owner can replenish litter in time. This reduces the probability of excrement sticking to the bottom of the litter trough 111, thereby reducing the frequency of cleaning the litter box 1 and improving the user experience.

[0034] Among them, sensor 9 can be a ranging sensor, that is, sensor 9 measures the distance between itself and the upper surface of sand in sand tank 111 through through hole 119. Sensor 9 can specifically be a TOF sensor, infrared sensor, laser sensor, ultrasonic sensor or radar sensor, etc. Among them, TOF (Time of Flight) sensor is a 3D sensor device that calculates distance by measuring the time difference between the emission and reflection of light or signal.

[0035] Please refer to the following: Figure 2 and Figure 5 The sand hopper 1 has a gear 114 on one of the rotating shafts 118. The main unit 2 includes a drive gear 22 that meshes with the gear 114. When the drive gear 22 rotates, it can drive the entire sand hopper 1 to rotate. The top of the main unit 2 is provided with a freely rotating roller 23. Multiple rollers 23 together support the sand hopper 1. During the rotation of the sand hopper 1, it will drive the rollers 23 below to rotate, so as to solve the problem of large friction between the sand hopper 1 and the main unit 2 during rotation.

[0036] Please refer to the following: Figures 2 to 6The main unit 2 has an upwardly protruding protrusion 2117 on the outside of one of the rotating holes 2113. The side of the protrusion 2117 facing the sand chamber 1 has a receiving groove 2118. The main unit 2 includes a cover plate 20 for covering the opening of the receiving groove 2118. The aforementioned sensor 9 is housed within this receiving groove 2118 and protrudes outward relative to the cover plate 20. This design allows part of the sensor 9 to be concealed inside the main unit 2, improving both the appearance and extending the lifespan of the sensor 9. Furthermore, a plasma generator 7 and a fan 8 are also installed within the receiving groove 2118. The plasma generator 7 protrudes outward relative to the cover plate 20 and is electrically connected to the main unit 2, which provides the necessary power to both. The plasma generator 7 is existing technology; it generates plasma (positive and negative ion clusters) through high-voltage discharge. This plasma is used to destroy the molecular structure of pollutants, thereby purifying the gas. Based on the above design, the cover plate 20 is provided with a through air outlet 201 at the position corresponding to the fan 8. The air outlet 201 communicates with the through hole 119 mentioned above. The outer wall of the protrusion 2117 is provided with an air inlet 2119 that communicates with the receiving groove 2118. The air inlet 2119 is preferably located on the side of the protrusion 2117 facing away from the cover plate 20. By providing the air inlet 2119 and the air outlet 201, it is ensured that the fan 8 can blow the ionized material from the plasma generator 7 into the sand tank 111. Through the above design, the sand chamber 1 can reliably rotate relative to the main unit 2, and the sand chamber 1 can rotate to any position without hindering the fan 8 from blowing the ionized material into the sand tank 111. That is, during the automatic cleaning of urine and feces, the air in the sand tank 111 can also be continuously purified, which is conducive to further improving the freshness of the surrounding air.

[0037] Please see Figure 4 The bottom of the receiving slot 2118 has a cable channel 2110 that connects downward to the inside of the host 2. By setting this cable channel 2110, the cables on the plasma generator 7, fan 8 and sensor 9 can pass through the cable channel 2110 and establish an electrical connection with the host 2, so that the host 2 can provide the required power to the plasma generator 7, fan 8 and sensor 9 respectively. By integrating the plasma generator 7, fan 8 and sensor 9 into the inside of the protrusion 2117, the difficulty of wiring each device is simplified.

[0038] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6The pet litter box also includes two handle covers 6 that are snapped together with the main unit 2. Each rotating hole 2113 has an upward-opening mounting and disassembly opening 2114 above it. Two rotating shafts 118 are inserted into the corresponding rotating hole 2113 through the corresponding mounting and disassembly opening 2114. One handle cover 6 covers one of the rotating shafts 118 of the litter box 1 at one of the mounting and disassembly openings 2114, and the other handle cover 6 covers the other rotating shaft 118 of the litter box 1 at the other mounting and disassembly opening 2114. The main unit 2 has a socket 2115 below each handle cover 6. The socket 2115 is preferably located on the side of the protrusion 2117 facing away from the litter box 1. When the handle cover 6 is inserted downward into the socket 2115, the handle cover 6 is in a locked state that cannot be removed from the main unit 2. When the handle cover 6 is disengaged upward from the socket 2115, the handle cover 6 is in an unlocked state that can be removed from the main unit 2. By providing the installation and removal opening 2114, the litter box 1 is detachable from the main unit 2, facilitating the installation, disassembly, and cleaning of the entire litter box 1. The handle cover 6 prevents the pet from being caught in the rotating shaft 118 of the litter box 1 during rotation, improving the pet's safety when using the litter box. In addition to covering the rotating shaft 118 of the litter box 1, the handle cover 6 also features an outer handle 62, allowing the user to easily lift the entire litter box and move it to a desired location.

[0039] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model, and only specifically describe the technical principles of the present utility model. These descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present utility model in any way. Based on this explanation, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model, as well as other specific embodiments of the present utility model that can be conceived by those skilled in the art without creative effort, should be included within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A pet litter box with litter volume detection function, characterized in that, The sand bin, the main machine, the excrement collecting bin and the sensor are included. The sand bin is arranged on the top of the main machine, and the sand bin is provided with a sand groove which is open to the outside and used for accommodating sand. The excrement collecting bin is arranged on the bottom of the main machine, and the main machine is connected with the sand bin and used for driving the sand bin to rotate. The excrement collecting bin is used for collecting sand balls which fall down from the sand bin. The sand bin is provided with a rotating shaft part on each of the opposite sides. The main machine is provided with a rotating hole on each of the opposite sides. The rotating shaft parts and the rotating holes are one-to-one corresponding and mounted. At least one of the rotating shaft parts is provided with a through hole which penetrates into the sand groove. The sensor is fixed on the main machine and arranged at the position adjacent to the rotating shaft part provided with the through hole. The sensor is electrically connected with the main machine and detects the amount of sand in the sand groove through the through hole.

2. The pet litter box with a litter amount detection function according to claim 1, characterized by The main machine is provided with a protruding block which protrudes upward on the outside of one of the rotating holes. One side of the protruding block which faces the sand bin is provided with a containing groove. The main machine includes a cover plate which is used for covering the slot of the containing groove. The sensor is accommodated in the containing groove and exposed outward relative to the cover plate.

3. The pet litter box with a litter amount detection function according to claim 2, characterized by The containing groove is further provided with a plasma generator and a fan. The cover plate is provided with a through air outlet hole at the position corresponding to the fan. The air outlet hole is communicated with the through hole. The outer wall of the protruding block is provided with an air inlet hole which is communicated with the containing groove. The plasma generator is exposed outward relative to the cover plate. The plasma generator and the fan are electrically connected with the main machine.

4. The pet litter box with a litter amount detection function according to claim 3, characterized by The bottom of the containing groove is provided with a cable channel which is communicated downward to the inside of the main machine.

5. The pet litter box with a litter amount detection function according to claim 3, characterized in that, One side of the protruding block which faces away from the cover plate is provided with the air inlet hole.

6. The pet litter box with a litter amount detection function according to claim 2, characterized by The pet sand basin further includes two handle covers which are buckled with the main machine. The upper part of each of the rotating holes is communicated with a dismounting opening which is open upward. The two rotating shaft parts are mounted into the corresponding rotating hole from the corresponding dismounting opening. The two handle covers cover the corresponding rotating shaft part at the corresponding dismounting opening. The main machine is provided with a plug hole below the handle cover. One side of the protruding block which faces away from the sand bin is provided with the plug hole.

7. The pet litter box with a litter amount detection function according to claim 1, characterized by The sensor is a distance measuring sensor. The sensor is used for measuring the distance between itself and the upper surface of the sand in the sand groove through the through hole.

8. The pet litter box with a litter amount detection function according to claim 7, characterized by The sensor is a TOF sensor, an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or a radar sensor.

9. The pet litter box with a litter amount detection function according to claim 1, characterized by The sand bin is provided with a gear part on one of the rotating shaft parts. The main machine includes a driving gear which is engaged with the gear part. The top of the main machine is provided with a freely rotatable roller. The plurality of rollers jointly bear the sand bin.

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