Pet system toilet

Abstract

To provide a pet system toilet capable of suppressing urine leakage to the outside of a pet sheet and generation of unpleasant odors.SOLUTION: A system toilet 1 according to one embodiment includes: an upper container 2 including a bottom wall portion 21 provided with a liquid permeable portion 6 having a plurality of openings H; and a lower container 3 disposed under the upper container 2 so as to overlap the upper container 2 and having a placement surface 31 on which a pet sheet 5 for absorbing liquid having passed through the liquid permeable portion 6 is placed. The lower container 3 has a side wall portion 32 which is connected to the outer edge portion 31a of the placement surface 31 and along which the edges of the pet sheet 5 are to be disposed. The top portion 32b of the side wall portion 32 is positioned above the lowermost portion of the liquid permeable portion 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system toilet for pets. [Background technology]

[0002] A known system toilet for pets includes an upper container with multiple holes through which urine passes downward, a lower container positioned below the upper container and with an insertion port formed on its longitudinal front surface, a tray that is placed inside the lower container through the insertion port, and a pet sheet (absorbent sheet) that is placed on the bottom of the tray and receives and absorbs urine that falls through the multiple holes in the upper container (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-158622 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned tray-drawer type system toilet, in order to prevent the pet sheet from getting caught on the upper container when the tray is pulled out from the lower container during sheet replacement, it is necessary to keep the bottom wall part (where the multiple holes are provided) of the upper container sufficiently apart from the tray. However, if the distance from the bottom wall part to the pet sheet in the vertical direction is long as described above, there is a high possibility that urine dropping from the multiple holes of the upper container will leak outside the pet sheet. In addition, since it becomes difficult for urine dropping from the multiple holes of the upper container to transfer to the pet sheet, there is a possibility that the urine that is not absorbed by the pet sheet will generate a bad odor.

[0005] Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a system toilet for pets that can suppress urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet and the generation of bad odors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A pet system toilet according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an upper container having a bottom wall portion with a liquid passage portion having a plurality of openings, and a lower container arranged below the upper container so as to overlap the upper container and having a support surface on which a pet sheet that absorbs liquid that has passed through the liquid passage portion is placed, the lower container having a sheet placement portion connected to the outer edge of the support surface and for positioning the edge of the pet sheet along it, the top of the sheet placement portion being located above the bottom of the liquid passage portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a system toilet for pets can be provided that can suppress urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet and the generation of bad odors. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008]

Figure 1

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Figure 8

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Figure 10

[0009] At least the following aspects 1 to 13 will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] (Aspect 1) an upper container having a bottom wall portion provided with a liquid passage portion having a plurality of openings; a lower container disposed below the upper container so as to overlap the upper container, the lower container having a placement surface on which a pet sheet that absorbs the liquid that has passed through the liquid passing portion is placed; the lower container has a sheet placement portion connected to an outer edge of the placement surface and for placing the pet sheet along the edge of the pet sheet; In the system toilet for pets, an uppermost portion of the sheet placement portion is located above a lowermost portion of the liquid passing portion.

[0011] In the above-mentioned pet toilet system, the pet sheet is set in the lower container so that the edge of the pet sheet is aligned with the sheet placement section. The uppermost part of the sheet placement section is located above the lowermost part of the liquid passing section (i.e., the part where urine falls into the lower container through a plurality of openings) of the bottom wall of the upper container, so that the height position of the edge of the pet sheet can reach a position higher than the lowermost part of the liquid passing section. As a result, urine that falls from the liquid passing section is less likely to leak outside the pet sheet. In addition, the distance between the pet sheet that has absorbed and expanded and the liquid passing section can be suitably reduced, so that the transfer of urine from the liquid passing section to the pet sheet can be promoted. As a result, the amount of urine that remains unabsorbed in the pet sheet can be reduced, and the generation of bad odor can be suppressed.

[0012] (Aspect 2) a liquid guide portion having a plurality of upwardly oriented arc-shaped arch portions formed continuously on a lower surface of the liquid passing portion, The pet toilet system of aspect 1, wherein the top of the seat arrangement portion is located higher than the top of the arch portion.

[0013] According to the second aspect, the liquid guide portion can effectively transfer (drop) urine to the lower container. Furthermore, the height position of the top of the sheet placement portion is set to a position higher than the top of the arch portion of the liquid guide portion (the portion most recessed upward), thereby further enhancing the effect of suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet.

[0014] (Aspect 3) The area of ​​the liquid passing portion is smaller than the area of ​​the placement surface, 3. The system litter box for pets according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein an outer edge of the sheet placement section is positioned outside an outer edge of the liquid passage section.

[0015] According to the third aspect, the urine that falls from the liquid passing portion into the lower container can be guided to as central a portion of the pet sheet as possible, which further enhances the effect of preventing urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet.

[0016] (Aspect 4) The area of ​​the liquid passing portion is smaller than the area of ​​the placement surface, The system pet toilet according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein an outer edge of the mounting surface is positioned outside an outer edge of the liquid passing portion.

[0017] According to the fourth aspect, the effects described in the third aspect can be further improved.

[0018] (Aspect 5) The system pet toilet according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the distance between the lowermost portion of the liquid passing portion and the placement surface is 25 mm or less.

[0019] According to the fifth aspect, it is possible to bring the surface of the pet sheet, which has absorbed a certain amount of urine and expanded, into contact (or close to) the lowest part of the liquid passing section, thereby effectively promoting the transfer of urine from the liquid passing section to the pet sheet, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of bad odors.

[0020] (Aspect 6) The pet toilet system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the liquid passage portion has a thickness greater than a thickness of a portion of the bottom wall portion where the liquid passage portion is not provided.

[0021] According to aspect 6, by making the portion of the bottom wall where the liquid passage is provided thicker than other portions, it is possible to suppress bending of the liquid passage and more effectively promote the transfer of urine from the liquid passage to the pet sheet.

[0022] (Aspect 7) The system pet toilet according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the liquid passage portion has a thickness of 5 mm or more.

[0023] According to the seventh aspect, the effects described in the sixth aspect can be further improved.

[0024] (Aspect 8) The system pet toilet according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the opening of the liquid passage has a width of 2.5 mm or less.

[0025] According to aspect 8, when granular material such as litter is placed on the bottom wall of the upper container, the granular material can be properly supported in the liquid passage portion while allowing only urine to pass through to the lower container side.

[0026] (Aspect 9) an upper surface of the liquid passing portion is continuous with an upper surface of a portion of the bottom wall portion where the liquid passing portion is not provided, The pet toilet system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein a lower surface of the liquid passage portion protrudes downwardly beyond a lower surface of a portion of the bottom wall portion where the liquid passage portion is not provided.

[0027] According to the ninth aspect, by projecting the liquid passing portion downward, the lowermost portion of the liquid passing portion can be effectively brought closer to the pet sheet placed on the placement surface of the lower container, thereby realizing a configuration in which the uppermost portion of the sheet placement portion is positioned higher than the lowermost portion of the liquid passing portion without increasing the height of the sheet placement portion significantly.

[0028] (Aspect 10) The upper container has a first wall portion extending upward from an edge portion of the bottom wall portion, the seat placement section has a second wall portion extending upward from an edge portion of the placement surface, The system pet toilet according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the inner surface of the second wall portion is located more inward than the outer surface of the first wall portion.

[0029] According to the tenth aspect, the lower container is accommodated below the upper container, and the width dimension of the lower container can be made smaller than the width dimension of the upper container, so that the pet toilet system can be made compact.

[0030] (Aspect 11) The upper container has a support wall portion supported on a floor surface and arranged to surround the lower container, a third wall portion constituting at least one surface of the support wall portion is provided with a recess portion that forms a space between the third wall portion and the floor surface, The lower container has a handle portion disposed at a position corresponding to the recess, 11. The system pet toilet according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the handle portion is entirely disposed inside the third wall portion.

[0031] According to aspect 11, the upper container alone can be easily lifted upward 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 portion). This type of removal structure reduces the risk of the pet sheet getting caught on the upper container and being damaged when replacing the sheet. In addition, the above removal structure does not require the upper container to be slid laterally relative to the lower container, so even if the top of the sheet placement portion is positioned to a certain degree, interference between the liquid passing portion and the sheet placement portion can be avoided when replacing the sheet, etc.

[0032] (Aspect 12) A pet system toilet of any of aspects 1 to 11, wherein when in use with the upper container stacked on the lower container, 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.

[0033] According to aspect 12, when the upper container is placed on top of the lower container to be used, the first part of the upper container is aligned with the second part of the lower container, making it easy to properly install the upper container with respect to the lower container. As a result, in the used state, the positional relationship between the liquid passage part of the upper container and the sheet placement part of the lower container can be appropriately maintained, so that urine leakage to the outside of the sheet placement part (i.e., the outside of the pet sheet) can be suitably suppressed.

[0034] (Aspect 13) The placement surface of the lower container has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, the lower container has a pair of first side wall portions that rise upward from an outer edge of the mounting surface on both sides in a first direction perpendicular to a vertical direction and are provided along a second direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the first direction, and a pair of second side wall portions that rise upward from an outer edge of the mounting surface on both sides in the second direction and are provided along the first direction, A pet system toilet of any of aspects 1 to 12, wherein at each of the four corners of the mounting surface, a first displacement portion is formed at the second direction end of the first side wall portion, configured so that the first side wall portion is displaced outward in the first direction as it moves outward in the second direction, and a second displacement portion is formed at the first direction end of the second side wall portion, configured so that the second side wall portion is displaced outward in the second direction as it moves outward in the first direction.

[0035] According to the thirteenth aspect, when the pet sheet is placed on the lower container, the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion can mitigate the bending action applied from the first direction and the second direction to the corners of the pet sheet arranged at the corners where the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion of each of the four corners of the placement surface intersect. This can prevent the corners of the pet sheet from standing up, and prevent the occurrence 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 more effectively prevented.

[0036] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0037] With reference to Figs. 1 to 6, a pet system toilet according to one embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "system toilet 1") will be described. The system toilet 1 is a toilet device for animals. An example of an animal that uses the system toilet 1 is a cat, but the animals that use the system toilet 1 are not limited to a specific animal. In the drawings, the up-down direction is represented as the Z-axis direction, the longitudinal direction of the system toilet 1 is represented as the X-axis direction, and the lateral direction of the system toilet 1 is represented as the Y-axis direction. Hereinafter, the above directions correspond to the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system shown in the drawings, and the up-down direction is represented as the "up-down direction Z", the longitudinal direction is represented as the "longitudinal direction X", and the lateral direction is represented as the "lateral direction Y".

[0038] As shown in Fig. 1, the system toilet 1 includes an upper container 2 and a lower container 3. The upper container 2 is a box-shaped container on which a plurality of granular objects (not shown), such as cat litter, are placed. The lower container 3 is a box-shaped container that is disposed below the upper container 2 so as to overlap with the upper container 2 in the vertical direction Z, and on which a pet sheet 5 (see Figs. 5 and 6) is placed. In this embodiment, the length of the lower container 3 in the vertical direction Z is shorter than the length of the upper container 2 in the vertical direction Z.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the upper container 2 has a bottom wall portion 21, a side wall portion 22 (first wall portion) connected to the edge of the bottom wall portion 21 and extending upward from the edge, and a support wall portion 23 connected to the edge of the bottom wall portion 21 and extending downward from the edge.

[0040] The bottom wall portion 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view seen from the up-down direction Z, with the length in the longitudinal direction X being longer than the length in the lateral direction Y. The bottom wall portion 21 has an upper surface 21a facing upward and a lower surface 21b facing downward. As shown in Fig. 3, a substantially rectangular liquid passage portion 6 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom wall portion 21.

[0041] The liquid passing section 6 is an area in which a plurality of openings H are formed, each penetrating in the up-down direction Z. In this embodiment, a plurality of openings H (340 in this embodiment) are arranged in the liquid passing section 6 such that 10 openings H are arranged in the longitudinal direction X and 34 openings H are arranged in the lateral direction Y. Each opening H has a substantially rectangular shape in which the length in the longitudinal direction X is longer than the length (width) in the lateral direction Y. The width (length in the lateral direction Y) of each opening H is, for example, 2.5 mm or less. This appropriately prevents granular matter (e.g., litter) placed on the upper surface 21a of the bottom wall 21 from slipping through the openings H and falling downward. That is, the liquid passing section 6 appropriately supports the granular matter while allowing only urine (liquid) to pass through to the lower container 3 side.

[0042] The upper surface 21a of the liquid passing section 6 (i.e., the upper surface of the portion of the liquid passing section 6 where the openings H are not provided) is continuous with the upper surface 21a of the portion of the bottom wall section 21 where the liquid passing section 6 is not provided (i.e., the portion surrounding the liquid passing section 6). Meanwhile, the lower surface 21b of the liquid passing section 6 (i.e., the lower surface of the portion of the liquid passing section 6 where the openings H are not provided) protrudes downward from the lower surface 21b of the portion of the bottom wall section 21 where the liquid passing section 6 is not provided. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower surface 21b side of the liquid passing section 6 is provided with a plurality of crosspieces 61 formed in a lattice shape so as to protrude downward from the lower surface 21b of the portion where the liquid passing section 6 is not provided, and arranged between the plurality of openings H. Each crosspiece 61 extends in the longitudinal direction X and is provided on both sides of each opening H in the lateral direction Y. The lower surface 21b of the liquid passing section 6 is constituted by the lower surfaces 61a of the plurality of crosspieces 61.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the liquid guide portion 62 is formed on the lower surface 21b of the liquid passage portion 6, in which a plurality of upwardly facing arc-shaped arch portions 63 are formed continuously. The liquid guide portion 62 is a portion configured to be able to suitably guide urine passing through the plurality of openings H from the upper surface 21a side to the lower surface 21b side. In this embodiment, the central portion of the lower surface 61a of each crosspiece 61 is formed in an upwardly concave arc shape to form the arch portion 63. That is, each arch portion 63 is formed by the lower surface 61a of each crosspiece 61. By forming such a plurality of arch portions 63 continuously in the longitudinal direction X, urine is easily collected in the portion 61b (i.e., the portion protruding downward from the central portion of the arch portion 63) between two adjacent arch portions 63 (the lower surfaces 61a of the two adjacent crosspieces 61) in the longitudinal direction X. As a result, urine collected in the portion 61b is easily dropped downward.

[0044] A recess 22a that functions as an entrance for allowing an animal to enter the upper container 2 is provided in a portion of the side wall 22 corresponding to one side (in this embodiment, one side extending in the longitudinal direction X). The recess 22a also functions as an exit for allowing an animal to exit from the upper container 2. The side wall 22 may have a function for arranging a member (e.g., a scoop) for putting in or scooping up a plurality of granular objects placed in the upper container 2. For example, the upper end of the side wall 22 may be configured to have a shape and thickness that allows a protrusion (locking portion) provided on a handle portion of the above-mentioned member to be hooked. Alternatively, a case or the like for storing the above-mentioned member may be attached to the outer surface 22b or the like of the side wall 22.

[0045] As shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5, the lower container 3 has a placement 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.

[0046] The placement surface 31 is a surface on which the pet sheet 5 is placed to absorb urine that has passed through the liquid passing portion 6. The placement surface 31 is disposed in a position facing the bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2 so as to overlap in the up-down direction Z with the entire liquid passing portion 6 provided on the bottom wall portion 21.

[0047] The side wall portion 32 is connected to the outer edge portion 31a of the placement surface 31 and extends upward from the outer edge portion 31a. The side wall portion 32 functions as a sheet placement portion along which the edge portion of the pet sheet 5 is placed. The side wall portion 32 is composed of a pair of side wall portions 32A facing each other in the longitudinal direction X and a pair of side wall portions 32B facing each other in the lateral direction Y. The side wall portions 32A and 32B adjacent to each other at the corners are integrally formed so as to be continuous with each other.

[0048] The pair of handles 33 are provided at approximately the center in the short direction Y of a pair of side wall portions 32A facing each other in the longitudinal direction X. Each handle portion 33 extends outward in the longitudinal direction X from the top portion 32b of each side wall portion 32A.

[0049] The pair of handles 34 are provided at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction X of a pair of side wall portions 32B facing each other in the short side direction Y. Each handle 34 extends outward in the short side direction Y from the top portion 32b of each side wall portion 32B.

[0050] 5 and 6, the outline of the pet sheet 5 placed on the lower container 3 is shown by a dashed line. As an example, the pet sheet 5 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape larger than the placement surface 31 in a plan view, and has a liquid-permeable top sheet 5a (a sheet placed on the upper side when placed on the lower container 3), a back sheet 5b (a sheet placed on the lower side when placed on the lower container 3), and an absorbent (not shown) placed between the top sheet 5a and the back sheet 5b. The absorbent includes an absorbent core containing pulp, SAP, etc. for absorbing urine, and is placed in the substantially central part of the pet sheet 5 in a plan view. In the part of the pet sheet 5 where the absorbent is not placed (i.e., the edge part outside the substantially central part of the pet sheet 5), a flap part 5c is formed which is thinner than the substantially central part of the pet sheet 5 where the absorbent is placed, and can be easily folded along the edge part of the absorbent.

[0051] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the pet sheet 5 is placed on the lower container 3 so that a pair of flap portions 5c1 (flap portions 5c provided on a pair of sides of the pet sheet 5 facing the longitudinal direction X) extending along the short-side direction Y of the pet sheet 5 are aligned with the inner surfaces 32a of a pair of side walls 32A. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the pet sheet 5 is placed on the lower container 3 so that a pair of flap portions 5c2 (flap portions 5c provided on a pair of sides of the pet sheet 5 facing the short-side direction Y) extending along the longitudinal direction X of the pet sheet 5 are aligned with the inner surfaces 32a of a pair of side walls 32B. As an example, the inner surfaces 32a of the side walls 32A and 32B are configured as inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z. However, the inner surfaces 32a of the side walls 32A and 32B may be formed in a curved shape or may be formed approximately parallel to the vertical direction Z.

[0052] In this way, the side walls 32A and 32B are provided on the lower container 3, and the pet sheet 5 (in this embodiment, the flap portion 5c) is arranged along the inner surface 32a of the side walls 32A and 32B, so that the maximum height position of the pet sheet 5 placed on the lower container 3 can reach the top 32b, which is the uppermost part of the side walls 32A and 32B. Also, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in a usage state in which the upper container 2 and the lower container 3 are stacked in the vertical direction Z, the top 32b of the side walls 32A and 32B is located above the bottom of the liquid passing section 6 (in this embodiment, the lower surface 61a of the part 61b between the bars 61 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X). As a result, in this embodiment, the maximum height position of the pet sheet 5 is configured to be able to reach above the bottom of the liquid passing section 6.

[0053] Hereinafter, some of the effects of the system toilet 1 will be described. In the system toilet 1, the pet sheet 5 is set in the lower container 3 so that the edge of the pet sheet 5 (in this embodiment, the flap portion 5c) is aligned with the side wall portions 32A and 32B (sheet placement portion). The uppermost portion (top portion 32b) of the side wall portions 32A and 32B is located above the lowermost portion (lower surface 61a of portion 61b) of the liquid passing portion 6 (i.e., the portion that allows urine to fall toward the lower container 3 through the multiple openings H) of the bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2, so that the height position of the edge of the pet sheet 5 can reach a position higher than the lowermost portion of the liquid passing portion 6. As a result, urine that has fallen from the liquid passing portion 6 is less likely to leak to the outside of the pet sheet 5. In addition, by configuring in this way, the distance in the vertical direction Z between the lowermost portion of the liquid passing portion 6 and the pet sheet 5 (pet sheet 5 that has absorbed liquid and expanded) placed on the lower container 3 can be suitably made close (or contacted), so that the transfer of urine from the liquid passing portion 6 to the pet sheet 5 can be promoted. As a result, the amount of urine that remains unabsorbed in the pet sheet 5 can be reduced, and the generation of bad odors can be suppressed.

[0054] Furthermore, the system toilet 1 can be used by simply placing the upper container 2 on top of the lower container 3. This eliminates the need to pull out the tray when replacing the pet sheet 5, as was necessary in conventional pet system toilets with a pull-out tray. This prevents the pet sheet 5 from getting caught on the upper container 2 or the like and causing unintended tearing or deformation when replacing the sheet, and also prevents urine leakage caused by these.

[0055] Furthermore, in the system toilet 1, the lower surface 21b of the liquid passage portion 6 is provided with a liquid guide portion 62 in which a plurality of upwardly facing arc-shaped arch portions 63 (lower surface 61a of the crosspiece 61) are continuously formed. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the apex 32b of the side wall portions 32A, 32B is located above the top of the arch portion 63 (i.e., the approximately central portion of the arch portion 63 (lower surface 61a of the crosspiece 61) that is recessed most upward). According to the above configuration, the liquid guide portion 62 can effectively transfer (drop) urine to the lower container 3. Furthermore, the height position of the top of the side wall portions 32A, 32B is set to a position higher than the top of the arch portion 63 of the liquid guide portion 62 (the portion recessed most upward), so that the effect of suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet 5 can be further enhanced.

[0056] 5 and 6, the area of ​​the liquid passing portion 6 (i.e., the area of ​​the area occupied by the liquid passing portion 6 when viewed from the up-down direction Z) is smaller than the area of ​​the placement surface 31, and the outer edges of the side walls 32A, 32B (the outermost parts of the side walls 32A, 32B, which are the tops 32b in this embodiment) are located outside the outer edges 6a of the liquid passing portion 6. According to the above configuration, urine dropping from the liquid passing portion 6 into the lower container 3 can be guided as close to the center as possible of the pet sheet 5 (i.e., the area where the absorbent is arranged), thereby further enhancing the effect of suppressing urine leakage to the outside of the pet sheet 5.

[0057] Furthermore, in the system toilet 1, the outer edge 31a of the mounting surface 31 (the edge to which the lower ends of the side walls 32A, 32B are connected) is located outside the outer edge 6a of the liquid passing portion 6. In other words, the liquid passing portion 6 is located inside the area where the flap portion 5c of the pet sheet 5 is located (the inner surface 32a of the side walls 32A, 32B). With the above configuration, the above-mentioned effect (i.e., the effect of directing urine dropping from the liquid passing portion 6 into the lower container 3 to as central a position as possible of the pet sheet 5) can be further enhanced.

[0058] As an example, the distance d (see FIG. 5) between the bottom of the liquid passing section 6 and the placement surface 31 is 25 mm or less. With the above configuration, it is possible to bring the surface of the pet sheet 5 (the upper surface of the top sheet 5a) that has absorbed a certain amount of urine and expanded into contact (or close to) the bottom of the liquid passing section 6 (the part 61b where urine tends to collect), which effectively promotes the transfer of urine from the liquid passing section 6 to the pet sheet 5. As a result, the generation of bad odors can be suitably suppressed.

[0059] The thickness t1 of the liquid passing portion 6 (see FIG. 5) is greater than the thickness t2 of the bottom wall 21 where the liquid passing portion 6 is not provided (see FIG. 5). As an example, the thickness t1 of the liquid passing portion 6 is 5 mm or more. According to the above configuration, by making the portion of the bottom wall 21 where the liquid passing portion 6 is provided thicker than the other portions, it is possible to suppress bending of the liquid passing portion 6 and more effectively promote the transfer of urine from the liquid passing portion 6 to the pet sheet 5.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the upper surface 21a of the liquid passing section 6 is continuous with the upper surface 21a of the bottom wall section 21 where the liquid passing section 6 is not provided. On the other hand, the lower surface 21b of the liquid passing section 6 protrudes downward from the lower surface 21b of the bottom wall section 21 where the liquid passing section 6 is not provided. That is, as described above, the lower surface 21b of the liquid passing section 6 is formed with a plurality of bars 61 protruding downward. According to the above configuration, by making the liquid passing section 6 protrude downward, the lowermost portion (portion 61b) of the liquid passing section 6 can be effectively brought close to the pet sheet 5 placed on the placement surface 31 of the lower container 3. This makes it possible to realize a configuration in which the tops 32b of the side walls 32A and 32B are located above the lowermost portion (portion 61b) of the liquid passing section 6, even if the heights of the side walls 32A and 32B are not so high.

[0061] 5 and 6, inner surfaces 32a of side walls 32A, 32B are located inside outer surfaces 22b of side walls 22 of upper container 2. In other words, the system toilet 1 is not configured to house upper container 2A inside lower container 3A like the system toilet 1A of a first modified example described below, but rather has a configuration in which the lower container 3 is housed entirely in the space below the upper container 2. This allows the width dimension (dimension in the longitudinal direction X or lateral direction Y) of the lower container 3 to be smaller than the width dimension of the upper container 2, making it possible to make the system toilet 1 compact.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the upper container 2 has a support wall portion 23 that is supported on the floor surface and is arranged to surround the lower container 3. A recess 23a that forms a space between the floor surface and a portion constituting at least one surface of the support wall portion 23 (a third wall portion. In this embodiment, four portions corresponding to all surfaces) is provided. The lower container 3 has a pair of handle portions 34 that are arranged at positions corresponding to the recess 23a provided in the portion 23A along the longitudinal direction X of the support wall portion 23. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, the entirety of each handle portion 34 is arranged inside the portion 23A in the short direction Y. According to the above configuration, only the upper container 2 can be easily lifted upward by gripping the bottom surface of the upper container 2 that is located outside the handle (handle portion 34) (for example, the inner surface of the recess 23a of the portion 23A). Such a removal structure reduces the risk that the pet sheet 5 will be caught on the upper container 2 and damaged when replacing the sheet. Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned removal structure, there is no need to slide the upper container 2 laterally (in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction Z) relative to the lower container 3, so even if the position of the top part (top 32b) of the side wall portions 32A, 32B is raised to a certain degree, interference between the liquid passing portion 6 and the side wall portions 32A, 32B can be avoided when replacing the sheet, etc.

[0063] In addition, in the present embodiment, a part (including the outer end portion) of the pair of handle portions 33 disposed at a position corresponding to the recess 23a provided in the portion 23B along the short side direction Y of the support wall portion 23 is disposed outside the portion 23B in the longitudinal direction X. Therefore, the user of the system toilet 1 can easily carry the upper container 2 together with the lower container 3 by lifting the pair of handle portions 33. Thus, with respect to the pair of handle portions 33 disposed to face each other in one direction (longitudinal direction X), they are configured to protrude outside the support wall portion 23 (portion 23B), and with respect to the pair of handle portions 34 disposed to face each other in the direction (short side direction Y) intersecting the above one direction, they are configured not to protrude outside the support wall portion 23 (portion 23A), whereby the convenience for the user can be improved. That is, when removing the upper container 2 from the lower container 3 (that is, when lifting only the upper container 2), one can put a hand into the portion where the pair of handle portions 34 are provided (the portion outside the pair of handle portions 34) and easily lift only the upper container 2. On the other hand, when wanting to carry the entire system toilet 1 (that is, the upper container 2 and the lower container 3), the entire system toilet 1 can be easily carried by lifting the pair of handle portions 33.

[0064] The shape of the handle portion of the lower container 3 is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment (i.e., a configuration including a pair of handle portions 33 provided so as to protrude outward from the support wall portion 23 (part 23B) and a pair of handle portions 34 provided so as not to protrude outward from the support wall portion 23 (part 23A)). For example, contrary to this embodiment, the pair of handle portions 33 may be provided so as not to protrude outward from the support wall portion 23 (part 23B), and the pair of handle portions 34 may be provided so as to protrude outward from the support wall portion 23 (part 23A). In addition, both of the handle portions 33, 34 (all of the four handle portions in total) may be provided so as to protrude outward from the support wall portion 23, or conversely, both of the handle portions 33, 34 (all of the four handle portions in total) may be provided so as not to protrude outward from the support wall portion 23. In addition, only one of the pair of handle portions 33 and the pair of handle portions 34 (two handle portions in total) may be provided on the lower container 3. In this case, the pair of handles may be provided so as to protrude outward beyond the support wall portion 23, or may be provided so as not to protrude outward beyond the support wall portion 23. Furthermore, as in a second modified example (see FIG. 8) described later, the lower container 3 may not be provided with handles.

[0065] In a usage state (FIG. 1) in which the upper container 2 is stacked on the lower container 3, a first portion of the upper container 2 (in this embodiment, the recess 23a of the portion 23B) and a second portion of the lower container 3 (in this embodiment, the pair of handle portions 33) are positioned relative to each other, so that the movement of the upper container 2 in the lateral direction (at least the short direction Y in this embodiment) relative to the lower container 3 is suppressed. That is, in this embodiment, a part of the handle portion 33 fits into the recess 23a of the portion 23B of the support wall portion 23, so that the upper container 2 is appropriately positioned so as not to be shifted relative to the lower container 3. According to the above configuration, when the upper container 2 is stacked on the lower container 3 to be in a usage state, the position of the first portion of the upper container 2 (the recess 23a of the portion 23B) is aligned with the second portion of the lower container 3 (the pair of handle portions 33), so that the upper container 2 can be easily installed correctly relative to the lower container 3. As a result, when in use, the positional relationship between the liquid passage 6 of the upper container 2 and the side wall portions 32A, 32B of the lower container 3 can be properly maintained, thereby effectively preventing urine leakage to the outside of the side wall portions 32A, 32B (i.e., the outside of the pet sheet 5).

[0066] The height (height from the placement surface 31) of the top (top 32b) of the above-mentioned sheet placement section (side wall 32 in this embodiment) can be measured using, for example, a ruler. The height of the bottom of the liquid passing section 6 from the placement surface 31 can also be measured using a ruler. However, if it is difficult to directly measure the height of the bottom of the liquid passing section 6 from the placement surface 31, the measurement may be performed, for example, as follows. That is, a ruler is inserted from above the opening H of the liquid passing section 6 to measure the length (first length) from the placement surface 31 to the top (upper surface 21a) of the liquid passing section 6. The thickness of the liquid passing section 6 (length from the top to the bottom of the liquid passing section 6) is also measured using the same method. The height of the bottom of the liquid passing section 6 from the placement surface 31 can be obtained by subtracting the thickness of the liquid passing section 6 from the first length measured as described above. However, the above measurement method is only an example, and each dimension may be measured using a method different from the above.

[0067] [Variations] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. The material and shape of each component are not limited to the above-mentioned material and shape, and various materials and shapes can be adopted. In addition, some of the components included in the components of the above-mentioned embodiment may be changed or omitted, or other components may be added. For example, in the above embodiment, the side wall portion 32 whose maximum height position (upper end portion) is located on the same plane is exemplified as an example of the sheet arrangement portion, but the upper end portion of the sheet arrangement portion does not necessarily have to be constant. In addition, the upper end surface of the sheet arrangement portion (side wall portion 32) may be provided with a structure for fixing a part (e.g., a corner portion) of the pet sheet 5 (e.g., a hole portion for inserting the corner portion of the pet sheet 5 so as to be inserted and hooked so as to come out to the outside of the lower container, etc.). Other specific modified examples will be described below.

[0068] (First Modification) A pet system toilet according to a first modified example (hereinafter, referred to as "system toilet 1A") will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The system toilet 1A is mainly different from the system toilet 1 in 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, a side wall portion 35 including a portion 35a (sheet disposition portion) along which the edge portion of the pet sheet 5 (e.g., the flap portion 5c) is aligned extends upward from the outer edge of the mounting surface 31. As an example, the upper container 2A is configured to be supported by the lower container 3A in a state in which the bottom wall portion 21 is disposed at a position spaced apart above the mounting surface 31 of the lower container 3A by being hooked onto the upper end portion of the side wall portion 35 of the lower container 3A. The bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2A is provided with a liquid passage portion 6 similar to the bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2 described above. Note that the configuration for supporting the upper container 2A with respect to the lower container 3A is not limited to the example of FIG. 7. For example, a support stand (for example, a portion formed integrally with a portion of the side wall portion 35 and protruding inward) for supporting a portion of the bottom wall portion 21 of the upper container 2A may be provided inside the lower container 3A.

[0069] As an example, the portion 35a of the side wall 35 of the lower container 3A is a portion of the side wall 35 having an inclined surface that is inclined to allow the edge of the pet sheet 5 to fit thereon. The inclined surface may be formed in a curved shape. In any case, the portion 35a is a portion of the side wall 35 intended to allow the edge of the pet sheet 5 to fit thereon, and may be a portion that is configured to be distinguishable from other portions of the side wall 35 by a sudden change in curvature or the like. In the example of FIG. 7, the portion of the side wall 35 above the portion 35a 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 that extends upward from the edge of the placement surface 31 at an incline with respect to the vertical direction and the portion that extends approximately parallel to the vertical direction).

[0070] In the system toilet 1A, similarly to the system toilet 1, when the upper container 2A and lower container 3A are stacked vertically in use, the uppermost part 35b (the part located on line L1 shown in FIG. 7) of part 35a (sheet placement part) of side wall 35 of lower container 3A is located above the lowermost part (the part located on line L2 shown in FIG. 7) of the liquid passing section 6. With this configuration, similarly to the system toilet 1, it is possible to make the maximum height position of the pet sheet 5 reach above the lowermost part of the liquid passing section 6, thereby obtaining the same effect as the system toilet 1 (i.e., urine that falls from the liquid passing section 6 is less likely to leak outside the pet sheet 5, and urine is more likely to transfer from the liquid passing section 6 to the pet sheet 5).

[0071] (Second Modification) A pet system toilet according to a second modified example (hereinafter, referred to as "system toilet 1B") will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. The system toilet 1B differs from the system toilet 1 in that the upper container 2B is more firmly fixed to the lower container 3B in the use state. More specifically, in the upper container 2B of the system toilet 1B, a horizontally elongated elliptical opening 23b is provided in the short direction Y, instead of the recess 23a, in the portion 23B of the support wall portion 23 facing the longitudinal direction X. Also, in the lower container 3B of the system toilet 1B, instead of the pair of handle portions 33, a protrusion 36 is provided that protrudes outward from the side wall portion 32A so as to fit into the opening 23b. As shown in Fig. 9, by pushing the upper container 2B downward from above the lower container 3B, the protrusion 36 fits into the opening 23b of the portion 23B of the support wall portion 23. 9, by pushing the outer surface of the protrusion 36 inward in the direction of arrow A, the protrusion 36 is released from engagement with the opening 23b, and the upper container 2B can be pulled upward relative to the lower container 3B (i.e., the upper container 2B can be removed from the lower container 3B). According to the system toilet 1B, the first part (opening 23b) of the upper container 2B and the second part (protrusion 36) of the lower container 3B are positioned and fixed (engaged) to each other, thereby making it possible to suppress lateral movement (longitudinal direction X and lateral direction Y) of the upper container 2B relative to the lower container 3B, as well as vertical movement Z.

[0072] In addition, various other modifications may be made. For example, when urine flows from the upper container 2 to the lower container 3 in an amount exceeding the amount that can be absorbed by the pet sheet 5, urine may accumulate on the placement surface 31 of the lower container 3. A recess for easily draining such urine may be provided in the side wall 32 of the lower container 3 (for example, a corner where the side wall 32A and the side wall 32B are connected).

[0073] In the above embodiment, the mounting surface 31 of the lower container 3 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view (when viewed from the vertical direction Z). The lower container 3 has a pair of side walls 32A (first side walls) that rise upward from the outer edge 31a (outer edge along the short-side direction Y) of the mounting surface 31 on both sides of the longitudinal direction X (first direction) perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and are provided along the short-side direction Y (second direction), and a pair of side walls 32B (second side walls) that rise upward from the outer edge 31a (outer edge along the long-side direction X) of the mounting surface 31 on both sides of the short-side direction Y and are provided along the long-side direction X. The lower container 3 may further have a configuration shown in FIG. 10 on the premise of the above-mentioned configuration. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a portion including one corner of the lower container 3. As shown in FIG. 10, at each of the four corners of the support surface 31, a first displacement portion 32Aa may be formed at the end of the side wall portion 32A in the short direction Y, such that the side wall portion 32A (inner surface 32a) is displaced outward in the longitudinal direction X (to the left in the example of FIG. 10) as it moves outward in the short direction Y (upward in the example of FIG. 10), and a second displacement portion 32Ba may be formed at the end of the side wall portion 32B in the longitudinal direction X, such that the side wall portion 32B (inner surface 32a) is displaced outward in the short direction Y as it moves outward in the longitudinal direction X.

[0074] 10, when the pet sheet is placed on the lower container 3, the first displacement portion 32Aa and the second displacement portion 32Ba can mitigate the bending action applied from the longitudinal direction X and the lateral direction Y to the corners of the pet sheet arranged at the corners C where the side wall portions 32A and 32B at the four corners of the placement surface 31 intersect. This can prevent the corners of the pet sheet from standing up, and prevent the occurrence of a gap 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 more effectively prevented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1,1A,1B...system toilet (system toilet for pets), 2,2A,2B...upper container, 3,3A,3B...lower container, 5...pet sheet, 6...liquid passage portion, 6a...outer edge portion, 21...bottom wall portion, 21a...upper surface, 21b...lower surface, 22...side wall portion (first wall portion), 22b...outer surface, 23...support wall portion, 23a...recess, 31...placing surface, 31a...outer edge portion, 32...side wall portion (sheet placement portion), 32A...side wall portion (sheet placement portion, first side wall portion), 32B...side wall portion (sheet placement portion, second side wall portion), 32Aa...first displacement portion, 32Ba...second displacement portion, 32a...inner surface, 33,34...handle portion, 35a...portion (sheet placement portion), 62...liquid guide portion, 63...arch portion, H...opening.

Claims

1. An upper container having a bottom wall portion provided with a liquid passage portion having a plurality of openings, A lower container disposed below the upper container so as to overlap the upper container and having a placement surface on which a pet sheet for absorbing the liquid that has passed through the liquid passage portion is placed, The lower container has a sheet placement portion that is connected to the outer edge portion of the placement surface and is arranged along the edge portion of the pet sheet, The topmost part of the sheet placement portion is located above the lowermost part of the liquid passage portion, a pet system toilet.

2. On the lower surface of the liquid passage portion, a liquid guiding portion in which a plurality of upwardly facing arc-shaped arch portions are continuously formed is provided, The topmost part of the sheet placement portion is located above the topmost part of the arch portion, the pet system toilet according to Claim 1.

3. The area of the liquid passage portion is smaller than the area of the placement surface, The outer edge portion of the sheet placement portion is located outside the outer edge portion of the liquid passage portion, the pet system toilet according to Claim 1.

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

5. The distance between the lowermost part of the liquid passage portion and the placement surface is 25 mm or less, the pet system toilet according to Claim 1.

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

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

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

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

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

11. The upper container has a support wall portion that is supported on the floor surface and arranged to surround the lower container. A recess that forms a space between the floor surface is provided in a third wall portion that constitutes at least one surface of the support wall portion. The lower container has a handle portion arranged at a position corresponding to the recess. The entire handle portion is arranged inside the third wall portion. The pet system toilet according to claim 1.

12. In a use state where the upper container is stacked on the lower container, the first part of the upper container and the second part of the lower container are positioned relative to each other, so that lateral movement of the upper container relative to the lower container is suppressed. The pet system toilet according to claim 1.

13. The placement surface of the lower container has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The lower container has a pair of first side wall portions provided along a second direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the first direction, rising upward from the outer edge portion of the placement surface on both sides in the first direction; and a pair of second side wall portions provided along the first direction while rising upward from the outer edge portion of the placement surface on both sides in the second direction. At each of the four corners of the placement surface, a first displacement portion is formed at an end portion of the first side wall portion in the second direction, configured such that the first side wall portion is displaced outward in the first direction as it goes outward in the second direction; and a second displacement portion is formed at an end portion of the second side wall portion in the first direction, configured such that the second side wall portion is displaced outward in the second direction as it goes outward in the first direction. The pet system toilet according to claim 1.

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