Cat toilet

Abstract

To reduce workload during cleaning a toilet.SOLUTION: A cat toilet 100 comprises a pair of trays 50A and 50B, and a frame 10. A mesh 30 is provided on at least one side of the frame 10. The frame 10 is further provided with a pair of side plates 18 and 18, which are disposed on both sides of the mesh 30 along one extending side of the frame 10. The pair of side plates 18 and 18 each has an outer end portion 19 formed in a curved shape. The pair of side plates 18 and 18 is further provided with a slide guide 20 (first slide member) and a slide guide 22 (second slide member). The slide guide 20 allows one tray 50A to be mounted in parallel with the frame 10, while the slide guide 22 allows the other tray 50B to be mounted to the frame 10 at an acute angle relative to the mesh 30 and in an orientation vertically opposite to the one tray 50A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification discloses a cat litter box. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose cat litter boxes. These cat litter boxes are provided with a mesh. By passing cat litter through the mesh, clumps of cat litter that have absorbed urine and feces can be separated from clean cat litter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-174819 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-61498 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When passing cat litter through a mesh or when cleaning, it may be necessary to lift the tray containing the cat litter and then turn it upside down. As the tray containing cat litter is heavy, there is room for reducing the workload. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This specification discloses a cat litter box. The litter box includes a pair of trays and a frame. The pair of trays are capable of holding cat litter. The frame is polygonal and can be attached to the pair of trays. A mesh is provided on at least one side of the polygonal frame. The frame is further provided with a pair of side plates. The pair of side plates are provided on both sides of the mesh along the extension direction of one side of the frame. The pair of side plates are perpendicular to the mesh. The pair of side plates also have curved outer ends. The pair of side plates are further provided with a first slide member and a second slide member. The first slide member can attach one tray parallel to the frame. The second slide member is provided between the first slide member and the mesh. The second slide member can attach the other tray to the frame at an acute angle to the mesh and upside down relative to the one tray.

[0006] According to the above configuration, a pair of trays are attached to the frame, sandwiching the frame in a V-shape in side view. In this state, by rotating the litter box along the curved outer edge of the side plate, cat litter stored in one tray passes through the mesh and flows into the other tray. In this process, clumps of cat litter that have absorbed feces and urine are separated from clean cat litter.

[0007] In the above configuration, the pair of trays may have an entrance / exit area and a terminal area. The entrance / exit area overlaps the mesh in the vertical direction. The terminal area faces the entrance / exit area. The bottom walls of the pair of trays have a curved structure. That is, the bottom walls of the trays become shallower from the terminal area toward the entrance / exit area.

[0008] With this configuration, when cat litter is moved from one tray to the other, the curved shape (slide shape) of the tray bottom allows the cat litter to flow into the other tray with force, which allows the cat litter to move smoothly even when the tray tilt angle is shallow.

[0009] In the above configuration, an entrance to the toilet may be formed by the pair of side plates and the mesh, and in this case, the inner region of the mesh along the direction of entry from the entrance to the toilet interior has a finer mesh than the outer region of the mesh.

[0010] In addition to its role as a screener, separating clumps of cat litter that have absorbed feces and urine from clean cat litter, the mesh also acts as a grate, removing cat litter that has stuck to the paws of cats trying to get out of the litter box. Cats generally have a tendency to dislike passing through coarse mesh members. With the above-mentioned configuration, the mesh can fulfill both roles by dividing it into sections according to function.

[0011] In the above configuration, an entrance to the toilet may be formed by a pair of side plates and a mesh. In this case, the mesh may have a T-shaped region in a plan view and two side regions. The T-shaped region includes an inner region along the direction of entry from the entrance to the toilet. The two side regions are arranged on either side of the axis of the T. Compared to the two side regions, the T-shaped region has a finer mesh.

[0012] According to the above configuration, it is possible to screen cat litter while ensuring a path for cats to get to the litter box.

[0013] In the above configuration, a partition wall may be provided on the bottom wall of the tray in an area that overlaps the axis of the T-shape in the vertical direction.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the partitions guide the cat litter to both side areas. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The cat litter box disclosed in this specification makes it possible to reduce the workload when cleaning the litter box. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of a cat litter box according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a cat litter box during normal use. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the cat litter box in normal use when cat litter is added. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the cat litter box when cleaning cat litter. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state when the cat litter box is tilted during cat litter cleaning. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a first alternative example of a frame. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a second modified example of the frame. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a first alternative example of the tray. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a frame provided with a sand-retaining sealing member. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a second modified example of the tray and a third modified example of the frame. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the cat litter box when cleaning cat litter when using the tray according to the second modified example and the frame according to the third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The cat litter box 100 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The shapes, materials, quantities, and values ​​described below are examples for the purpose of explanation. These shapes, etc. can be changed as appropriate depending on the specifications of the cat litter box 100. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used to designate equivalent elements in all of the drawings below.

[0018] 1 to 10, the longitudinal direction of the cat litter box 100 is indicated by the L axis, the lateral direction of the cat litter box is indicated by the W axis, and the height direction of the cat litter box is indicated by the U axis.

[0019] As will be described later, cat litter box 100 is provided with entrance / exit 15 (see FIG. 2). The axis along the direction of entry through entrance / exit 15 and the direction of exit through entrance / exit 15 is the L-axis. In other words, the depth direction axis of cat litter box 100 is the L-axis. The width direction axis of cat litter box 100 is the W-axis.

[0020] 1. Overall structure 1 discloses a cat litter box 100 according to this embodiment. The cat litter box 100 includes a frame 10 and a pair of trays 50A and 50B. The frame 10 and the pair of trays 50A and 50B are formed from a resin material such as plastic.

[0021] The trays 50A and 50B have the same shape. The following describes the structure of the tray 50A, but by changing the suffix "A" to "B," the following description can be replaced with a description of the structure of the tray 50B.

[0022] The tray 50A can hold cat litter 80 (see FIG. 3). As illustrated in FIG. 3, the frame 10 is attached onto the tray 50A. The tray 50A has a polygonal shape, similar to the frame 10. For example, the tray 50A is rectangular and includes side walls 52A, 52A, a rear wall 54A, and a front wall 56A. For example, when the tray 50A is viewed from above, the side walls 52A, 52A are longer than the rear wall 54A and the front wall 56A. Furthermore, a bottom wall 58A is connected to the lower ends of the side walls 52A, 52A, the rear wall 54A, and the front wall 56A.

[0023] 3, during normal use of the cat litter box 100, the side walls 52A, 52A and rear wall 54A of the tray 50A are flush with the side walls 12, 12 and rear wall 14 of the frame 10. A width W5 between the side walls 52A, 52A of the tray 50A is equal to a width W6 between the side walls 12, 12 of the frame 10.

[0024] 5, the front wall 56A of the tray 50A is disposed below the mesh frame 32 of the frame 10. The rear wall 54A of the tray 50A is flush with the rear wall 14 of the frame 10. Therefore, using the distance L1 (see FIG. 1) between the front wall 56A and the rear wall 54A of the tray 50A, the distance L2 from the front end of the mesh frame 32 of the frame 10 to the rear wall 14, and the width L3 (see FIG. 2) of the mesh frame 32, the depth L1 of the trays 50A and 50B has the relationship L2 > L1 > L2-L3.

[0025] The tray 50A also includes an entrance / exit area 55A and a terminal area 53A. The entrance / exit area 55A overlaps the mesh 30 in the vertical direction. The terminal area 53A faces the entrance / exit area 55A.

[0026] Sliders 62A are provided on the side walls 52A. The sliders 62A are provided on the side walls 52A closer to the front wall 56A. The sliders 62A can be inserted into the slide guide 20 (first slide member) and the slide guide 22 (second slide member). The sliders 62A are installed parallel to, for example, the flat surface 59A of the bottom wall 58A.

[0027] The bottom wall 58A includes a curved portion 57A and a flat portion 59A. The flat portion 59A is provided on the terminal region 53A side. The curved portion 57A is provided in the entrance / exit region 55A. The depth of the bottom wall 58A becomes shallower from the terminal region 53A toward the entrance / exit region 55A. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the curved structure of the curved portion 57A causes the depth of the bottom wall 58A to gradually become shallower.

[0028] The curved surface portion 57A has a rear portion that is convex downward and a front portion that is convex upward. This curved slide shape allows the cat litter 80 to be smoothly transferred from one tray 50A to the other tray 50B, as shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later.

[0029] 1, the frame 10 is a frame body that can be attached to a pair of trays 50A and 50B. The frame 10 has a polygonal shape similar to the trays 50A and 50B. For example, the frame 10 has a rectangular shape.

[0030] The frame 10 has a doorway 15 and a main body behind it. The main body is surrounded by side walls 12, 12 and a rear wall 14. The doorway 15 is formed by a mesh 30 and a pair of side plates 18, 18.

[0031] A mesh 30 is provided on one side of the polygonal frame 10. The mesh 30 is surrounded by a mesh frame 32. The mesh 30 and mesh frame 32 are made of a resin material such as plastic. The mesh 30 is rigid enough to maintain its shape even if a cat sits on it. In other words, the mesh 30 functions as the floor of the entrance / exit 15. The mesh 30 and mesh frame 32 are arranged perpendicular to the side walls 12, 12 and the rear wall 14.

[0032] A pair of side plates 18, 18 are provided on both sides of the mesh 30 along the extension direction of one side of the frame (W-axis direction). The outer ends 19 of the side plates 18, 18 are curved. When cleaning the cat litter 80 (see FIG. 6), the cat litter box 100 is tilted along the curved surface of the outer ends 19. By simply lifting a portion of the cat litter box 100, the cat litter 80 can be moved from one tray 50A to the other tray 50B, which reduces the workload compared to lifting the entire cat litter box 100, which is a heavy object, from the floor 90.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, a slide guide 20 (first slide member) and a slide guide 22 (second slide member) are provided on the inner surfaces (opposing surfaces) of the side plates 18, 18, respectively.

[0034] The slide guides 20 and 22 have guide grooves. A stop wall is provided at the front end of the guide groove. Sliders 62A and 62B of the trays 50A and 50B are inserted into the slide guides 20 and 22. More specifically, protrusions 65 (see FIG. 1) of the sliders 62A and 62B are inserted into the slide guides 20 and 22.

[0035] The slide guide 20 (first slide member) can mount one of the trays 50A, 50B in parallel with the frame 10. The slide guide 20 extends in parallel with the mesh 30.

[0036] The slide guide 22 (second slide member) is provided on the side plate 18 with the mesh 30 sandwiched between them. The slide guide 22 can mount the other of the trays 50A, 50B at an acute angle to the mesh 30 of the frame 10. At this time, the other of the trays 50A, 50B is oriented upside down relative to the one of the trays 50A, 50B. In other words, the trays 50A, 50B face each other with the mesh 30 sandwiched between them. The slide guide 22 is extended so as to form an acute angle with the mesh 30.

[0037] The side plates 18, 18 protrude in the width direction beyond the side walls 12, 12. The rear ends of the side plates 18, 18 and the front ends of the side walls 12, 12 are connected by a connecting portion 16. The width W1 of the connecting portion 16 is equal to the sum of the thickness W2 of the side wall 12, the height W3 of the slide guide 22, and the thickness W4 of the flange 67 of the sliders 62A, 62B. By determining the protruding width of the side plates 18, 18 as described above, when the sliders 62A, 62B are inserted into the slide guide 20, the side walls 52A, 52A and rear wall 54A of the tray 50A are positioned flush with the side walls 12, 12 and rear wall 14 of the frame 10.

[0038] In the above example, slide guide 20 is provided as the first slide member of frame 10. Alternatively, slider 62 may be provided on frame 10 as the first slide member. Similarly, in the above example, slide guide 22 is provided as the second slide member of frame 10. Alternatively, slider 62 may be provided on frame 10 as the second slide member.

[0039] 2. Cat litter box during normal use 1 and 2, one of the trays 50A, 50B (tray 50A in FIG. 2) is placed on the floor. Next, the slider 62A is inserted into the slide guide 20 (first slide guide) of the frame 10. When the slider 62A hits the stop wall at the front end of the slide guide, the side walls 52A, 52A and rear wall 54A of the tray 50A become flush with the side walls 12, 12 and rear wall 14 of the frame 10. Furthermore, the front wall 56A of the tray 50A does not protrude from the side plate 18 but remains within the side plate 18. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 3, cat litter 80 is supplied to the bottom wall 58A of the tray 50A, particularly the flat portion 59A. This completes the setup of the cat litter box 100.

[0040] 3. Cat litter box when cleaning cat litter 1, 4, and 5, when separating clean cat litter 80 from waste 82, the other of trays 50A and 50B (tray 50B in FIGS. 4 to 6) is attached to frame 10. The waste 82 refers to clumps of cat litter that have absorbed cat feces and urine.

[0041] The tray 50B is attached to the frame 10 in an upside-down state. That is, the opening of the tray 50B faces downward. The slider 62B of the tray 50B is inserted into the slide guide 22 (second slide member). The slider 62B is inserted into the slide guide 22 until it hits the stop wall of the slide guide 22. At this time, the front wall 56B of the tray 50B does not protrude from the side plate 18 and remains within the side plate 18.

[0042] 4 and 5, trays 50A and 50B face each other with mesh 30 interposed therebetween. In this state, the rear end of tray 50A is lifted, as shown in Fig. 6. The front end (outer end 19) of tray 50A remains in contact with floor surface 90.

[0043] The cat litter box 100 is tilted along the outer edge 19 of the side plate 18. As the cat litter box 100 tilts, the cat litter 80 moves toward the front wall 56A. At this time, due to the slide shape of the curved surface portion 57A, some of the cat litter 80 passes through the mesh 30 and enters the tray 50B before reaching the front wall 56A of the tray 50A. In this way, the cat litter 80 moves to the tray 50B from a wide area extending along the length of the mesh 30. Compared to when the cat litter 80 accumulates near the front wall 56A, for example, the cat litter 80 moves to the tray 50B more efficiently.

[0044] For example, the cat litter box 100 is rotated 180° from the state shown in Figure 5 through the tilted state shown in Figure 6. For example, the tray 50B is placed on the lower side, and the tray 50A is placed on the side. Then, the waste 82 remains on the mesh 30. In other words, the waste 82 is separated from the clean cat litter 80.

[0045] In this state, the tray 50A is removed from the frame 10. As a result, the cat litter box 100 in normal use as shown in Fig. 3 becomes available. However, the tray 50A in Fig. 3 is replaced with the tray 50B.

[0046] In this way, according to the cat litter box 100 according to this embodiment, it is possible to clean the cat litter 80 without lifting the entire cat litter box 100 off the floor surface 90.

[0047] 4. First example of frame (two-stage mesh) Fig. 7 shows a first alternative example of the frame 10. This frame 10 differs from the frame 10 in the structure of the mesh 30. Other structures have already been explained, so explanations will be omitted below as appropriate.

[0048] 7, the mesh 30 is divided into an inner region 31 and an outer region 33. The inner region 31 is provided on the inner side (rear side) along the direction of entry from the entrance 15 into the toilet interior (L-axis direction). The outer region 33 is provided on the outer side (front side) along the direction of entry from the entrance 15 into the toilet interior.

[0049] The inner region 31 has a finer mesh than the outer region 33. As described above, the mesh 30 serves to screen the cat litter 80. The mesh 30 also serves as a drain to remove cat litter from the cat's feet when the cat exits the cat litter box 100.

[0050] Generally, cats dislike mesh that digs into their paws, so when using mesh 30 as a drain, it is better for the mesh to be finer. On the other hand, to fulfill the screening role, it is better for the mesh to be coarser to prevent clogging. Therefore, in the frame 10 according to the first modified example, the inner region 31 plays the role of the drain, and the outer region 33 plays the role of the screening.

[0051] 5. Second example of frame (T-shaped dense mesh) Fig. 8 shows a second example of the frame 10. This frame 10 also differs from the frame 10 in the structure of the mesh 30. The rest of the structure has already been explained, so explanations will be omitted below as appropriate.

[0052] The mesh 30 includes a T-shaped region 35 and side regions 37, 37. The T-shaped region 35 is a region that has a T shape in a plan view and includes the inner region 31 (see FIG. 7) described above. Side regions 37, 37 are provided on both sides of the shaft portion 36 of the T-shaped region 35. These are collectively referred to as both side regions 37, 37. Compared to both side regions 37, 37, the T-shaped region 35 has a finer mesh.

[0053] By providing the T-shaped region 35, a relatively fine mesh is provided over the entire length in the front-to-rear direction at the center in the width direction of the mesh 30. The T-shaped region 35 and both side regions 37, 37 allow the cat to enter and exit the litter box while also improving the efficiency of cleaning the cat litter 80.

[0054] 6. First Alternative to the Tray Figure 9 shows a first alternative example of tray 50. In Figure 9, tray 50 is oriented in the opposite front-to-back direction to trays 50A and 50B in Figure 1. A partition wall 66 is provided upright on bottom wall 58 of tray 50. Since the configuration other than partition wall 66 is the same as that of trays 50A and 50B in Figure 1, the description below will be omitted where appropriate.

[0055] The partition 66 is provided on the curved surface portion 57. More specifically, the partition 66 is provided in a region that overlaps in the up-down direction with the shaft portion 36 of the T-shaped region 35 in FIG. 8. For example, the width W11 of the partition 66 is equal to the width W10 of the shaft portion 36 of the T-shaped region 35. The partition 66 extends in the L-axis direction from the front wall 56. The partition 66 then extends to the boundary where the curved surface portion 57 transitions to the flat surface portion 59.

[0056] By providing the partition wall 66 below the shaft portion 36, the cat litter 80 can be easily moved to both side regions 37, 37. By the cat litter 80 moving to both side regions 37, 37 with larger mesh, the cat litter 80 can be smoothly transferred from the tray 50A to the tray 50B.

[0057] 7. Sand retaining seal Referring to FIG. 6, if a gap occurs between the front wall 56B of the tray 50B and the mesh frame 32, there is a risk that some of the cat litter 80 may spill onto the floor surface 90 through the gap when the cat litter 80 is transferred.

[0058] 10, a sealing member 39 may be provided on the mesh frame 32. For example, the sealing member 39 is made of a flexible material such as rubber. For example, the sealing member 39 extends across the width of the mesh frame 32. The sealing member 39 abuts against the front wall 56B of the tray 50B, thereby preventing the cat litter 80 from leaking out.

[0059] 8. Second Variant of Tray and Third Variant of Frame In the example of Fig. 4, tray 50B is upside down with the front and rear orientations aligned with tray 50A, but the cat litter box 100 according to this embodiment is not limited to this embodiment. Fig. 11 shows an example of a cat litter box 100 including trays 50A and 50B according to a second modified example and a frame 10 according to a third modified example.

[0060] Trays 50A and 50B have the same shape. The structure of tray 50A will be described below, but by changing the suffix "A" to "B," the following description will be replaced with a description of the structure of tray 50B. Furthermore, parts with the same reference numerals as those in Figures 1 to 6 have the same functions, and therefore descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

[0061] Sliders 62A and 63A are provided on the side walls 52A of the tray 50A. The sliders 62A are provided on the side walls 52A, closer to the front wall 56A. The sliders 63A are provided on the side walls 52A, closer to the rear wall 54A.

[0062] The sliders 62A, 62A can be inserted into the slide guide 20 (first slide member), and the sliders 63A, 63A can be inserted into the slide guide 22 (second slide member).

[0063] 1, the shape of the side plates 18, 18 of the frame 10 is different. That is, the side plates 18, 18 protrude in the height direction beyond the side walls 12, 12. Furthermore, the region of the outer end 19 of the side plates 18, 18 above the mesh 30 has a straight portion and a curved portion. That is, the outer end is composed of a pair of curved portions and a straight portion sandwiched between them.

[0064] 12, when clean cat litter 80 and waste 82 are to be separated, the other of trays 50A and 50B (tray 50B in FIG. 12) is attached to frame 10. As shown in FIG.

[0065] The tray 50B is attached to the frame 10 in a state in which it is inverted not only upside down but also front to back. The slider 63B of the tray 50B is inserted into the slide guide 22 (second slide member). The slider 62B is inserted into the slide guide 22 until it hits the stop wall of the slide guide 22.

[0066] 11, the trays 50A and 50B are configured so that the rear side is deeper than the front side. In other words, the rear side of the trays 50A and 50B has a larger volume than the front side. That is, when cat litter is transferred from the tray 50A, the tray 50B receives the cat litter at the rear side, which has a larger volume.

[0067] As described above, the portions of the side plates 18 of the frame 10 above the mesh 30 protrude more than the portions below. As a result, even when the rear side of the relatively deep tray 50B is attached to the side plates 18, the rear end of the tray 50B does not protrude beyond the side plates 18. Therefore, the cat litter box 100 can be tilted along the outer edge 19 of the side plate 18. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10 frame, 12 side wall of frame, 14 rear wall of frame, 15 entrance / exit of frame, 16 connecting portion of frame, 18 side plate, 19 outer end of side plate, 20 slide guide (first slide member), 22 slide guide (second slide member), 30 mesh, 31 inner area of ​​mesh, 32 mesh frame, 33 outer area of ​​mesh, 35 T-shaped area of ​​mesh, 36 shaft portion, 37 both side areas, 39 sealing member, 50A, 50B tray, 52A side wall of tray, 53A end area of ​​tray, 54A rear wall of tray, 55A entrance / exit area of ​​tray, 56A, 56B front wall of tray, 57A, 57B curved portion of tray, 58A, 58B bottom wall of tray, 59A, 59B flat portion of tray, 62A, 62B slider, 66 partition wall, 80 Cat litter, 82 mess, 100 cat litter.

Claims

1. A pair of trays that can hold cat litter, a polygonal frame that can be attached to the pair of trays; Equipped with a mesh is provided on at least one side of the polygonal frame; Furthermore, the frame is provided with a pair of side plates on both sides of the mesh along the extension direction of the one side, the side plates being perpendicular to the mesh, The pair of side plates have curved outer end portions, Furthermore, the pair of side plates are a first slide member capable of mounting one of the trays parallel to the frame; a second slide member that is provided on either side of the mesh and that is at an acute angle to the mesh and that allows the other tray to be attached to the frame upside down relative to the one tray; A cat litter box is provided.

2. 2. The cat litter box according to claim 1, The pair of trays each include an entrance / exit area that overlaps the mesh in the vertical direction, and an end area that faces the entrance / exit area, The bottom walls of the pair of trays have a curved structure that becomes shallower from the end region toward the entrance / exit region. Cat litter box.

3. 3. The cat litter box according to claim 2, The pair of side plates and the mesh form an entrance to the toilet, The inner region of the mesh along the direction of entry from the entrance to the toilet interior has a finer mesh than the outer region of the mesh; Cat litter box.

4. 3. The cat litter box according to claim 2, The pair of side plates and the mesh form an entrance to the toilet, The mesh has a T-shaped area in a plan view, including an inner area along the direction of entry from the entrance to the toilet, and both side areas provided on either side of the axis of the T, The T-shaped region has a finer mesh than the side regions. Cat litter box.

5. 5. The cat litter box according to claim 4, a partition wall is provided upright in an area of ​​the bottom wall of the tray that overlaps with the axis portion of the T in the vertical direction; Cat litter box.

Images