Intelligent cat litter box with lifting and dumping device

Abstract

The utility model discloses an intelligent cat litter basin adopting lifting and dumping device relates to cat litter basin technical field, and mainly includes: casing (A) and collect dung cylinder (D), and the cat litter groove (A1) of casing top contains and is located one top open, bottom and the filter screen of periphery side are equipped with excrement discharger (B), and one side is equipped with movable baffle (B1), is driven excrement discharger whole lifting and is around horizontal axis and is inclined through at least two bottom hinged drive part (C1), and the excrement entrance (A2) of casing side wall is opened to the baffle position, and its below is provided with collect dung cylinder (D). When working, the excrement discharger of lifting separates cat litter and excrement through the filter screen, and when tilting, the excrement falls into the collect dung cylinder through the entrance by the opening of baffle, realizes the automatic cleaning of high -efficient health. The present application overcomes the inherent defects of traditional drum type intelligent cat litter basin through mechanical structure design and electromechanical collaborative control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cat litter box technology, specifically to an intelligent cat litter box with a lifting and tilting device. Background Technology

[0002] With the improvement of people's living standards, pet ownership has become increasingly common, and the related market for smart pet products has also developed rapidly. Among them, smart litter boxes that can automatically clean up feces and reduce the burden on owners have received widespread attention. Currently, most mainstream automatic litter boxes on the market adopt a roller structure. Their working principle is as follows: after the cat uses the litter box, a motor drives the roller to rotate slowly. Using a filter screen installed on the roller wall, clean litter is forced through the mesh by gravity and falls back down, while larger feces are supported by the filter screen and rotated with the roller to a specific position before falling into the collection bin. Although this structure achieves a certain degree of automation, it has revealed a series of inherent defects in actual use. First, due to the assembly gap between the roller and the fixed housing, soft feces or small fecal fragments from the cat easily get stuck in these gaps. Long-term accumulation not only breeds bacteria and produces odors but is also difficult to clean thoroughly, seriously affecting the hygiene of the device and the user experience. Secondly, during the process of the rotating and tumbling of cat litter, litter inevitably splashes and dusts, which not only wastes litter and requires frequent refills, but also reduces the efficiency of fecal separation. Furthermore, the roller-type structure itself is relatively complex, involving many transmission components, which not only increases manufacturing costs but also raises the risk of mechanical failure, resulting in high maintenance costs and repair difficulties in the later stages. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this utility model proposes an intelligent cat litter box with a lifting and tilting device, comprising a shell and a collection cylinder. The top of the shell is provided with a litter trough for holding cat litter, and the side or rear of the shell is provided with an outlet for loading and unloading the collection cylinder. It also includes: A litter box is housed within the litter box. It is an open-top container structure with filters at the bottom and around the sides to hold the litter. At least one side wall of the litter box is configured as an openable and closable baffle. The lifting device includes at least two driving members, the fixed end of each driving member is connected to the housing, and the telescopic end of each driving member is hinged to the bottom of the sewage discharger; the driving members are configured to drive the sewage discharger as a whole to perform lifting and lowering movements, and to drive the sewage discharger to tilt about a horizontal axis through differential telescopic movement. The housing has a feces inlet inside, which is located on the side wall of the litter box and faces the movable baffle of the feces discharge device. The feces collection cylinder is removably installed at the outlet and positioned below the feces inlet, so that when the feces discharge device is tilted and the movable baffle is opened, feces can fall into the feces collection cylinder through the feces inlet.

[0004] Furthermore, the lifting device includes four driving components, which are arranged in a rectangular shape and connected to the four corner areas at the bottom of the manure discharge device.

[0005] Furthermore, the driving component is a multi-stage electric actuator.

[0006] Furthermore, the sewage discharge device (B) has a rotating shaft (B2) on one side of the movable baffle (B1) and is connected to the movable baffle (B1) via a connecting rod (B3). The sewage discharge device (B) also has a locking mechanism.

[0007] Furthermore, the locking mechanism is a torsion spring or a tension spring, which applies a pulling force to the movable baffle (B1) to keep it in a locked state. When the sewage discharger (B) is tilted to a preset angle under the action of the lifting device (C), the movable baffle (B1) overcomes the pulling force applied by the locking mechanism under the action of gravity and rotates around the pivot (B2).

[0008] Furthermore, the locking mechanism is a miniature electromagnetic lock, which is configured to lock the movable baffle (B1) when energized, and to de-energize and release the movable baffle (B1) when the sewage discharger (B) tilts to a preset angle under the action of the lifting device (C), so that the movable baffle (B1) rotates around the pivot (B2) under the action of gravity.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes an infrared sensor for detecting whether there is a cat in the litter box, the infrared sensor being installed on the inner wall of the housing and facing the inside of the litter box.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the cat litter, the weight sensor being disposed at the bottom of the cat litter trough.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a main control circuit board, which is disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the drive component of the lifting device and the locking mechanism of the movable baffle, respectively.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: (1) The present invention proposes an intelligent cat litter box with a lifting and tilting device. The cat litter box adopts a mode of operation where the feces discharge device directly lifts and tilts in the cat litter box. With the filter structure at the bottom and around the perimeter, the cat litter and feces can be efficiently and quietly separated during the lifting process driven by the lifting device. The clean cat litter falls back to the bottom of the box through the mesh, while the feces are supported in the box. (2) By controlling the differential telescopic movement of the drive component, the feces discharger is precisely tilted around the horizontal axis. Combined with the clever correspondence between the movable baffle on its side wall and the feces inlet on the side wall of the shell, the collected feces can be smoothly and accurately guided into the feces collection cylinder below, eliminating the problem of small feces getting stuck in the gaps of the moving parts, improving the cleanliness and hygiene, and avoiding the splashing and unnecessary consumption of cat litter during the separation process. (3) With fewer moving parts and more direct transmission, manufacturing costs and failure rates are reduced, and maintenance is simplified. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a smart litter box; Figure 2 This is a front view of the smart litter box; Figure 3 Side view of a smart litter box; Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: A-shell, A1-litter box, A2-feces inlet, A3-outlet, A5-anti-slip rubber pad, A7-main control circuit board, B-feces discharge device, B1-movable baffle, B2-rotating shaft, B3-connecting rod, C-lifting device, C1-drive component, C2-motor, D-feces collection cylinder, E1-infrared sensor, E2-weight sensor, F-control panel. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0015] With the increasing popularity of pet ownership, smart litter boxes, as an important product for relieving pet owners of their labor, have received widespread attention and application in recent years. Currently, most mainstream automatic litter boxes on the market adopt a roller-type structure, which uses the rotation of the roller and a screen installed on the roller wall to separate cat litter from feces. Although this solution achieves a certain degree of automation, its inherent structural defects are becoming increasingly apparent in practical use: First, there is an unavoidable assembly gap between the roller and the fixed outer shell, allowing soft feces or small fecal fragments from cats to easily get stuck in this gap. This not only makes cleaning extremely difficult but also, over time, breeds bacteria and produces odors, posing a threat to pet health and the home environment. Second, during the rotation and tumbling of the litter, the roller easily causes litter to splatter and generate dust, wasting litter, reducing separation efficiency, and polluting the surrounding environment. Furthermore, the roller structure itself involves many transmission components and has a complex mechanical structure, resulting in higher manufacturing costs, as well as a relatively high failure rate and subsequent maintenance costs. Therefore, this utility model proposes a smart litter box with a lifting and tilting device.

[0016] The core design concept of this intelligent cat litter box lies in replacing the commonly used and problematic roller-type structure in existing technologies with an innovative lifting and tilting mechanical structure. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, specifically, this embodiment provides an intelligent cat litter box with a lifting and tilting device, mainly including a shell A, a feces discharge device B, a lifting device C, a feces collection cylinder D, and necessary sensors and control systems. The shell A, serving as the basic structural support and external covering of the entire device, is typically made of high-strength engineering plastics (such as polycarbonate PC, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer ABS, or their alloys) through injection molding, either integrally molded or assembled in parts, to ensure a lightweight yet robust and durable overall structure. A recessed litter trough A1 is located at the top of the shell A. The size and depth of the litter trough A1 are carefully designed to accommodate sufficient litter for the cat's use. Its front is typically designed with a low entrance for easy access for the cat. A feces inlet A2, penetrating the interior of the shell, is located on the rear side or upper part of one side wall of the litter trough A1. This inlet serves as a channel for feces discharge, and its position precisely corresponds to the movement trajectory of the movable baffle B1 of the feces discharge device B, which will be described later. On the side or rear of the housing A, below the feces inlet A2, there is an outlet A3 for taking out and putting in the feces collection cylinder D. The size of the outlet A3 matches the feces collection cylinder D, so that the feces collection cylinder D can be smoothly pushed in or pulled out like a drawer. To increase the stability of the device when placed and to prevent the cat from sliding on uneven ground, multiple anti-slip rubber pads A5 are also firmly attached to the bottom of the housing A.

[0017] The litter box B is the core component of this solution for separating cat litter from feces. It is directly housed within the litter trough A1 of the housing A. The litter box B is essentially a completely open container structure with densely packed filters on its bottom and surrounding walls. The design principle for the mesh size of these filters is that the mesh must be larger than the maximum diameter of commonly used cat litter granules (such as tofu litter, bentonite litter, etc.) to ensure that clean, unclumped cat litter can pass freely under gravity; simultaneously, the mesh must be smaller than the minimum cross-sectional size of formed cat feces to effectively support the feces and prevent it from falling off prematurely. The litter box B is preferably made of a smooth, non-adhesive, and corrosion-resistant plastic material (such as polypropylene PP), which not only facilitates cleaning but also effectively extends its service life. An openable and closable baffle B1 is provided on at least one side wall of the litter box B, preferably located on the side directly opposite the feces inlet A2 on the housing. The sewage discharger B has a rotating shaft B2 on one side of the movable baffle B1, and is connected to the movable baffle B1 through a connecting rod B3, so that the movable baffle B1 can rotate within a certain angle range with the rotating shaft B2 as the axis.

[0018] To achieve automatic closing and locking of the movable baffle B1, a locking mechanism is also provided inside the feces discharger B. This locking mechanism can be implemented in different ways depending on the specific implementation requirements. In a preferred mechanical implementation, the locking mechanism can be a torsion spring or a tension spring. When the feces discharger B is in a horizontal position, the spring provides a continuous closing force to the movable baffle B1, keeping it tightly closed and preventing litter leakage. When the feces discharger B is tilted to a specific angle, the weight of the feces is sufficient to overcome the closing force of the spring, thus pushing the movable baffle B1 open. In another electrically controlled implementation, the locking mechanism can be a miniature electromagnetic lock. When energized, the electromagnetic lock generates magnetic attraction or mechanical latching to firmly lock the movable baffle B1; when feces discharge is needed, the main control circuit board A7 controls the electromagnetic lock to de-energize, the magnetic force disappears, and the movable baffle B1 naturally opens under gravity or fecal pressure. Both solutions have their advantages: the spring mechanism is simple, reliable, and inexpensive, while the electromagnetic lock solution offers more precise control.

[0019] The lifting device C is the power actuator that drives the sewage discharger B to complete a series of complex actions. It consists of at least two, preferably four, independent drive components C1 and their matching motors C2. These drive components C1 are preferably small electric actuators, especially multi-stage electric actuators capable of multi-stage extension and retraction to meet the needs of a large lifting stroke. The four electric actuators C1 are rectangularly distributed, fixed to the bottom of the housing A, and connected to the four corner areas of the bottom of the sewage discharger B. Specifically, the fixed end (i.e., the bottom of the cylinder) of each electric actuator C1 is rigidly connected to the bottom of the housing A by screws or clips, while its telescopic end (i.e., the top of the actuator) is hinged to the corresponding connection point on the bottom of the sewage discharger B by ball joints or pins. This hinged method is crucial, as it allows the sewage discharger B to adaptively adjust its angle during lifting and tilting, avoiding structural interference or internal forces. The motor C2 (usually a small DC motor) driving the electric actuators C1 converts the rotational motion into the linear extension and retraction motion of the actuators by driving a worm gear or lead screw and nut mechanism. By coordinating the extension and retraction of the four electric actuators C1 via the main control circuit board A7, the complex movement trajectory of the feces discharge device B can be achieved. For example, when lifting is required, the main control circuit board A7 sends a synchronization command to the four electric actuators C1, causing them to extend synchronously at the same speed and stroke, thereby vertically lifting the entire feces discharge device B and detaching it from the litter bed in the litter trough A1. During the lifting process, the filters at the bottom and sides of the feces discharge device B begin to function, allowing clean litter particles to continuously pass through the mesh and be collected at the bottom of the litter trough A1, while feces remain inside the feces discharge device B. Subsequently, during the tilting phase, the main control circuit board A7 can control two electric actuators C1 on one side (e.g., the side closer to the movable baffle B1) to maintain their current position, while the two electric actuators C1 on the other side continue to extend, or control the actuators on the same side to create a difference in extension and retraction, thereby driving the feces discharge device B to tilt around a virtual horizontal axis. The tilt angle needs to be precisely controlled to ensure that the feces can slide smoothly towards the movable baffle B1 under the action of gravity and eventually be discharged, while avoiding the possibility that residual cat litter will be poured out due to an excessively large angle.

[0020] The waste collection cylinder D is a collection unit independent of the main structure, typically made of opaque or semi-transparent plastic, allowing users to easily observe the filling status without compromising aesthetics. It is housed within a dedicated waste collection chamber via outlet A3 on the outer shell A. Its top opening tightly connects to the waste inlet A2 inside the outer shell, forming a continuous, well-sealed discharge channel that ensures dumped waste falls into the cylinder without deviation. To further enhance the user experience, disposable biodegradable garbage bags or activated carbon deodorizing boxes can be pre-installed inside the waste collection cylinder D, simplifying the cleaning process and effectively suppressing odor diffusion.

[0021] To achieve true automation and intelligence, the intelligent litter box proposed in this invention also integrates a sensor system. This system includes at least one infrared sensor E1 and one weight sensor E2. The infrared sensor E1 (including E11 and E12), typically employing a through-beam or reflective infrared probe, is mounted on the inner wall of the housing A, ensuring its detection beam covers the main area of ​​the litter box A1. Its core function is to detect the presence of a cat in the litter box. When a cat enters the litter box, its body blocks or reflects the infrared beam, and the sensor outputs a signal; when the cat leaves, the beam returns, and the sensor's state changes. The weight sensor E2, typically a high-precision weighing sensor or pressure sensor, is mounted on the bottom structure of the litter box A1 to monitor the total weight of the litter box A1 (including the litter inside, the excrement dispenser B, and any feces present) in real time. After the user adds new litter, a weighing recalibration operation can be performed via the control panel, at which point the main control circuit board A7 records the current weight as the initial baseline value. With repeated use by the cat, feces accumulate in the feces dispenser B, causing the total weight to continuously increase.

[0022] All these electronic components, including the motor C2 of the lifting device C, sensors E1 and E2, the miniature electromagnetic lock of the movable baffle B1 (if used), and the user interface, are connected to a core main control circuit board A7. The main control circuit board A7 integrates a microprocessor (MCU), memory, a motor drive chip, a power management module, and various interface circuits. It is installed inside the housing A in a dustproof and moisture-proof location. The firmware of the main control circuit board A7 pre-stores control logic and weight thresholds. Its operating logic is as follows: it continuously monitors the signals of the infrared sensor E1 and the weight sensor E2. Only when both conditions are met—that "the infrared sensor E1 detects no cat in the basin for a continuous period of time (e.g., 3 minutes)" and "the weight detected by the weight sensor E2 increases by a preset threshold (e.g., 100 grams) compared to the initial value"—will the main control circuit board A7 determine that a cleaning cycle is needed and automatically start the defecation program.

[0023] In addition, a control panel F is located on the outer wall of housing A. Control panel F integrates a low-power LCD or LED touchscreen display. This display clearly and intuitively shows users several key device status information, such as the estimated weight of the litter box, the remaining percentage of the waste collection tank, the device's network connection status, and error alarm information. Simultaneously, users can also perform interactive operations such as manually initiating waste disposal, forced reset, and device settings via virtual buttons on the touchscreen.

[0024] In summary, the intelligent litter box described in this embodiment has the following complete automatic operation process, which can be summarized into the following consecutive stages: In the detection stage, after the cat leaves the litter box, the infrared sensor and the weight sensor jointly confirm that the cleaning conditions are met; in the lifting stage, four electric push rods lift synchronously, driving the feces discharge device to rise and complete the litter sieving; in the tilting stage, the push rods extend and retract differentially to tilt the feces discharge device, and the movable baffle opens under gravity or electromagnetic control, allowing feces to slide along the baffle into the feces inlet and finally fall into the feces collection cylinder; in the reset stage, the push rods retract to restore the feces discharge device to a horizontal position, the movable baffle closes, and the entire mechanism descends to the initial position, ready for the next use.

[0025] The proposed intelligent litter box with a lifting and tilting device effectively overcomes the inherent defects of traditional roller-type intelligent litter boxes through its unique mechanical structure design and electromechanical coordinated control, demonstrating significant technological progress and superior performance. Its core lies in abandoning the easily trapped and structurally complex roller-type separation method, instead employing a method where the waste discharger directly lifts and tilts within the litter box. Thanks to its bottom and perimeter filter structure, the waste discharger achieves efficient and silent separation of litter and feces during its ascent driven by the lifting device. Clean litter falls back to the bottom of the box through the mesh, while feces are collected within the box. Subsequently, the differential telescopic control of the drive component precisely tilts the waste discharger around a horizontal axis, and combined with its openable side baffles and pre-set feces inlets on the side walls of the casing, the collected feces are smoothly and accurately guided into the collection cylinder below. This integrated process not only fundamentally eliminates the problem of small feces getting stuck in the gaps between moving parts, greatly improving cleanliness and hygiene, but also avoids litter splattering and unnecessary waste during the separation process. Furthermore, the solution features a compact and rational structure, significantly reducing moving parts and ensuring direct and reliable transmission, thus lowering manufacturing costs and failure rates, and simplifying subsequent maintenance. Combined with the infrared sensor, weight sensor, and main control circuit board integrated into the system, it achieves safe, precise, and fully automatic intelligent control.

[0026] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in this utility model embodiment are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0027] Furthermore, in this utility model, the use of terms such as "first," "second," and "a" is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixing" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of this utility model can be combined with each other, but only if they are based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the protection scope claimed by this utility model.

Claims

1. A smart litter box with a lifting and tilting device, comprising a shell (A) and a collection cylinder (D), wherein the top of the shell (A) is provided with a litter trough (A1) for holding cat litter, and the side or rear of the shell (A) is provided with an outlet (A3) for loading and unloading the collection cylinder (D), characterized in that, Also includes: A litter box (B) is housed within the litter box (A1). It is an open-top container structure with filters at the bottom and around the perimeter for holding the litter. At least one side wall of the litter box (B) is configured as an openable and closable baffle (B1). The lifting device (C) includes at least two driving members (C1), the fixed end of each driving member (C1) is connected to the housing (A), and the telescopic end of each driving member (C1) is hinged to the bottom of the sewage discharger (B); the driving member (C1) is configured to drive the sewage discharger (B) as a whole to perform lifting and lowering movements, and to drive the sewage discharger (B) to tilt about a horizontal axis through differential telescopic movement; The housing (A) has a feces inlet (A2) inside. The feces inlet (A2) is located on the side wall of the litter box (A1) and faces the movable baffle (B1) of the feces discharge device (B). The feces collection cylinder (D) is removably disposed at the outlet (A3) and positioned below the feces inlet (A2), so that when the feces discharge device (B) is tilted and the movable baffle (B1) is opened, feces can fall into the feces collection cylinder (D) through the feces inlet (A2).

2. The intelligent cat litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting device (C) includes four drive components (C1), which are arranged in a rectangular shape and connected to the four bottom corners of the manure discharge device (B).

3. The intelligent cat litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit (C1) is a multi-stage electric actuator.

4. The intelligent cat litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sewage discharge device (B) has a rotating shaft (B2) on one side of the movable baffle (B1) and is connected to the movable baffle (B1) via a connecting rod (B3). The sewage discharge device (B) also has a locking mechanism.

5. A smart litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The locking mechanism is a torsion spring or a tension spring. It maintains the locked state by applying a pulling force to the movable baffle (B1). When the sewage discharger (B) is tilted to a preset angle under the action of the lifting device (C), the movable baffle (B1) overcomes the pulling force applied by the locking mechanism under the action of gravity and rotates with the pivot (B2) as the axis.

6. A smart litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The locking mechanism is a miniature electromagnetic lock, which is configured to lock the movable baffle (B1) when energized, and to de-energize and release the movable baffle (B1) when the sewage discharger (B) is tilted to a preset angle under the action of the lifting device (C), so that the movable baffle (B1) rotates around the pivot (B2) under the action of gravity.

7. A smart litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an infrared sensor (E1) for detecting whether there is a cat in the litter box, the infrared sensor (E1) being mounted on the inner wall of the housing (A) and facing the inside of the litter box (A1).

8. A smart litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a weight sensor (E2) for detecting the weight of the cat litter, the weight sensor (E2) being disposed at the bottom of the cat litter trough (A1).

9. A smart litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a main control circuit board (A7), which is disposed inside the housing (A) and electrically connected to the drive component (C1) of the lifting device (C) and the locking mechanism of the movable baffle (B1).

10. A smart litter box with a lifting and tilting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the housing (A) is provided with an anti-slip rubber pad (A5).

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