Animal toilet

Abstract

To provide a toilet for an animal capable of adjusting the height of a side part.SOLUTION: The animal toilet 1 includes a main body portion 10. The main body portion 10 has a bottom surface portion 12 and a side surface portion 14. The main body part 10 receives excreted urine. The height h1 of the side surface portion 14 is variable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an animal litter box. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a conventional animal litter box is described in Patent Document 1. The animal litter box described in this document includes a main body (tray) that receives excreted urine, and a partition (draft) that divides the interior space of the main body into an upper space and a lower space. The main body is box-shaped and has a bottom and side surfaces. The partition has a through-hole that allows urine to pass through. A plurality of granular materials with low water absorption are laid in the upper space. An absorbent sheet that absorbs urine is disposed in the lower space. Urine excreted in the main body passes through the gaps between the granular materials and then moves from the upper space to the lower space through the through-holes in the partition. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-180182 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described animal litter box, the height of the side portions of the main body is constant. However, the appropriate height of the side portions varies depending on the size of the animal using the animal litter box. Therefore, in conventional animal litter boxes, the height of the side portions can sometimes be too large or too small.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an animal litter box in which the height of the side portions can be adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The animal litter box according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a main body having a bottom and side portions, and configured to receive excreted urine, and the height of the side portions is variable.

[0007] In this animal litter box, the height of the side sections of the main body is adjustable, so that the height of the side sections can be adjusted to suit the size of the animal using the animal litter box. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an animal litter box is realized in which the height of the side portions can be adjusted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an animal litter box according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an end view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the main body 10. [Figure 4] 10 is an end view for explaining the operation of the side surface portion 14. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is an end view for explaining the operation of the side surface portion 14. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a side member 14a. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the side member 14b. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a granular material 30. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the animal litter box according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an end view taken along line XX in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the main body 50. [Figure 12] 10 is an end view for explaining the operation of the side surface portion 54. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is an end view for explaining the operation of the side surface portion 54. FIG. [Figure 14]FIG. 2 is an end view showing the main body 50. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the main body 50. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the partition section 60. [Figure 17] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. (First embodiment)

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an animal litter box according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an end view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. The animal litter box 1 comprises a main body 10, a fastener 20, and a plurality of granular bodies 30. The animal litter box 1 is, for example, a cat litter box. The main body 10 is box-shaped and has a bottom 12 and a side 14. The main body 10 receives excreted urine. The outer shape of the main body 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The main body 10 can be made of, for example, plastic. Examples of plastic include polypropylene and polyethylene.

[0012] The bottom surface portion 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. Here, substantially rectangular is not limited to a rectangle, but also includes shapes close to a rectangle, such as a rounded quadrangle. The side surface portion 14 is connected to the periphery of the bottom surface portion 12. The height h1 (see FIG. 2) of the side surface portion 14 is variable. In this embodiment, the height h1 is continuously variable. That is, the side surface portion 14 is configured so that the height h1 can be set to any value within a certain range. The height h1 is defined as the distance in the vertical direction (up and down directions in FIGS. 1 and 2) from the bottom end (the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 12) to the top end of the side surface portion 14. The difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the height h1 is preferably 5 cm or more, and more preferably 10 cm or more.

[0013] The side surface portion 14 has a side surface member 14a (first side surface member) and a side surface member 14b (second side surface member). The side surface member 14a and the side surface member 14b constitute the side surface portion 14. The side surface member 14a is connected to the bottom surface portion 12. Specifically, the side surface member 14a is connected to the peripheral edge of the bottom surface portion 12. It is preferable that the side surface member 14a is formed integrally with the bottom surface portion 12. The lower end of the side surface member 14a is equal to the lower end of the side surface portion 14.

[0014] The side surface member 14b covers both the inner and outer surfaces of the side surface member 14a. The side surface member 14b continuously covers the side surface member 14a from the inner surface to the outer surface. In other words, the side surface member 14b covers the side surface member 14a by sandwiching it from above. The upper end of the side surface member 14b is the same as the upper end of the side surface portion 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the side surface member 14b overlaps the entire upper end of the side surface member 14a in a plan view. This figure is a plan view showing the main body portion 10.

[0015] The side surface member 14b is configured to be slidable along the side surface member 14a. This allows the side surface member 14b to be displaced up and down (vertically) relative to the side surface member 14a. As shown in FIG. 4, by displacing the side surface member 14b downward, the height h1 of the side surface portion 14 can be reduced. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 5, by displacing the side surface member 14b upward, the height h1 of the side surface portion 14 can be increased.

[0016] Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the side surface member 14a. Fig. 7 is a bottom view showing the side surface member 14b. The side surface member 14b has a cavity 15. The cavity 15 is connected to the outside of the side surface member 14b. In the side surface portion 14, the side surface member 14a is inserted into the cavity 15 of the side surface member 14b. As a result, the side surface member 14a and the side surface member 14b are fitted together.

[0017] 1 and 2, the fastener 20 is a fixing means for temporarily fixing the side member 14b to the side member 14a. In this embodiment, the fastener 20 is a bolt. A hole through which the bolt passes is provided in the side member 14b. Specifically, the hole is provided in a portion of the side member 14b that covers the outer surface of the side member 14a. A female thread is formed on the inner surface of the hole to be mated with the male thread of the bolt. By tightening the bolt and pressing the tip of the bolt against the side member 14a, the side member 14b can be fixed at any position relative to the side member 14a. Furthermore, by loosening the bolt and moving the tip of the bolt away from the side member 14a, the fixed state can be released. It is preferable that the fastener 20 can be tightened or loosened by hand without using a tool such as a wrench.

[0018] A plurality of granular bodies 30 for processing excrement (mainly urine) are laid on the bottom surface 12 of the main body 10. When the animal litter box 1 is in use, the animal defecates on the granular bodies 30 while standing directly on the granular bodies 30. Each granular body 30 has water-absorbing properties and absorbs excrement.

[0019] For the granular material 30 to be said to have water absorption, the liquid passage rate measured by the following test must be 40% or less. First, 50 g of the granular material 30 (sample) is placed on a sieve with an inner diameter of 10 cm and mesh openings of 1 mm. An empty beaker is placed below the sieve. Then, 30 ml of water is dripped onto the sample over 10 seconds using a syringe (a 60 ml syringe manufactured by Terumo Corporation) with an inner diameter of 3 cm in the outer barrel and an inner diameter of 4 mm at the tip. After leaving it for 1 minute, the amount of water in the beaker is measured. The liquid passage rate is the ratio of the measured amount of water to the amount of water dripped (30 ml). In other words, if the amount of water in the beaker is 12 ml or less, the liquid passage rate is 40% or less, and the granular material 30 can be said to have water absorption.

[0020] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing granular materials 30. The particle size of each granular material 30 is, for example, 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less. Here, the particle size of the granular material 30 is defined as the diameter of the smallest sphere that can contain the granular material 30. Each granular material 30 has a core 32 and a coating 34. The core 32 is granular. Examples of the granular shape include a sphere, a cylinder, and an ellipsoid. The core 32 has the function of absorbing and retaining excrement. The core 32 is preferably made primarily of an organic material. Here, the "main material of the core 32" refers to the material that accounts for the largest weight percentage of the core 32 among one or more materials that make up the core 32. Examples of organic materials include paper, plants, plastics, and organic sludge.

[0021] Papers refer to materials primarily composed of pulp. Examples of papers that can be used include ordinary paper (paper dust), fluff pulp, paper derived from PVC wallpaper (paper generated during the production or classification of PVC wallpaper), paper derived from gypsum board (paper generated during the production or classification of gypsum board), and paper derived from sanitary products (paper generated during the production or classification of sanitary products containing paper). Examples of sanitary products containing paper include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, urine absorption pads, and sanitary paper (tissue paper, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.). Examples of plants that can be used include wood flour, sawdust, or plant residues (tea leaves, soybean lees, etc.). Examples of plastics that can be used include ordinary plastics, plastics derived from PVC wallpaper (plastics generated during the production or classification of PVC wallpaper), and plastics derived from sanitary products (plastics generated during the production or classification of sanitary products containing plastic). Examples of sanitary products containing plastic include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, urine absorption pads, and sanitary masks. Examples of organic sludge that can be used include papermaking sludge and pulp sludge.

[0022] The coating 34 covers the core 32. The coating 34 may cover the entire surface of the core 32, or may cover only a portion of the surface of the core 32. The coating 34 functions to adhere the granular materials 30 that have absorbed excrement together to form a mass. The coating 34 is preferably made primarily of an organic material. The definition of the primary material of the coating 34 is the same as that of the primary material of the core 32. The coating 34 contains an adhesive material. Examples of adhesive materials include water-absorbent polymers, starch, CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), and dextrin. Examples of water-absorbent polymers that can be used include acrylic water-absorbent polymers such as sodium polyacrylate. Each granular material 30 may be made solely of organic materials, or may be made of both organic and inorganic materials.

[0023] The granules 30 can be formed, for example, as follows. First, a granulation device is used to granulate the core material (material that constitutes the core 32), thereby forming the core 32. As the granulation device, for example, an extrusion granulator can be used. Prior to granulation, the core material is subjected to pretreatment such as pulverization, kneading, and addition of water, as necessary. Next, a coating device or the like is used to attach a powdered coating material (material that constitutes the coating 34) to the surface of each core 32, thereby forming the coating 34. The coating material can be attached by, for example, scattering or spraying. Thereafter, post-treatment such as sieving (sizing), drying, etc. is performed as necessary. In this manner, a plurality of granules 30 are formed.

[0024] The effects of the animal litter box 1 will now be explained. In the animal litter box 1, the height of the side sections 14 of the main body 10 is variable. In this case, the height of the side sections 14 can be adjusted by changing the height of the side sections 14 to match the size of the animal using the animal litter box 1. Therefore, an animal litter box 1 has been realized in which the height of the side sections 14 can be adjusted.

[0025] In addition, the height of the side surface portion 14 is continuously variable, which allows for finer adjustment of the height of the side surface portion 14 compared to when the height of the side surface portion 14 is variable in steps.

[0026] Increasing the height of the side portion 14 is advantageous in preventing the granular material 30 from scattering outside the main body 10. However, on the other hand, if the height of the side portion 14 is too high, it becomes difficult for small animals to enter and exit the main body 10. Therefore, from the perspective of balancing the prevention of scattering of the granular material 30 with the ease with which animals can enter and exit, the appropriate height of the side portion 14 varies depending on the size of the animal using the animal litter box 1. Specifically, it is preferable to make the height of the side portion 14 relatively large for relatively large animals and relatively small for relatively small animals. According to this embodiment, the height of the side portion 14 can be adjusted according to the size of the animal.

[0027] In order to flexibly accommodate animals of various sizes, it is advantageous for the height of the side portion 14 to have a large range of variation. From this perspective, it is preferable that the difference between the maximum and minimum heights of the side portion 14 be 5 cm or more, and more preferably 10 cm or more. On the other hand, if the range of variation in the height of the side portion 14 is too large, it may not be possible to sufficiently reduce the height of the side portion 14. This is because in order to increase the range of variation in the height of the side portion 14, it is necessary to increase the height of each side member 14a, 14b. From this perspective, it is preferable that the difference between the maximum and minimum heights of the side portion 14 be 20 cm or less.

[0028] The side surface portion 14 has a side surface member 14a and a side surface member 14b. The side surface member 14b is displaceable up and down relative to the side surface member 14a. This allows the height-adjustable side surface portion 14 to be realized with a simple configuration.

[0029] The side surface member 14a and the side surface member 14b are fitted together. This configuration is advantageous for ensuring sufficient strength of the side surface portion 14.

[0030] The side surface member 14b has a cavity 15. The side surface member 14a is inserted into the cavity 15. This makes it easy to realize a configuration in which the side surface member 14a and the side surface member 14b fit together.

[0031] The side surface member 14a is connected to the bottom surface portion 12. In this case, the side surface member 14a, which is part of the side surface portion 14, can be formed integrally with the bottom surface portion 12. Forming the side surface member 14a integrally with the bottom surface portion 12 in this way helps reduce the manufacturing costs of the main body portion 10 and, ultimately, the animal litter box 1.

[0032] The side surface member 14b covers both the inner and outer surfaces of the side surface member 14a. In this case, both surfaces (inner and outer surfaces) of the side surface member 14a are sandwiched between the side surface members 14b, so that the position of the side surface member 14b relative to the side surface member 14a can be stabilized.

[0033] The side surface member 14b continuously covers the inner and outer surfaces of the side surface member 14a, thereby making it difficult for urine and dust to enter the gap between the side surface member 14a and the side surface member 14b.

[0034] The animal litter box 1 is provided with a fastener 20. This makes it possible to prevent the side surface member 14b from being unexpectedly displaced when the animal litter box 1 is in use.

[0035] When each granule 30 is made primarily of organic matter, it is possible to obtain granules 30 that are suitable for incineration. This contributes to the convenience of disposing of used granules 30. In particular, when each granule 30 is made solely of organic matter, it is possible to obtain granules 30 that are even more suitable for incineration.

[0036] Unlike other animals such as dogs, cats have the habit of hiding their excrement in granular materials after excretion. Therefore, the animal litter box 1 having a plurality of granular materials 30 laid inside the main body 10 is particularly suitable for use as a cat litter box. (Second embodiment)

[0037] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of an animal litter box according to the present invention. Figure 10 is an end view taken along line XX in Figure 9. The animal litter box 2 comprises a main body 50, a fastener 20, a partition 60, a plurality of granular bodies 70, an absorbent sheet 80, and a drawer 90. The configuration of the fastener 20 is as described in the first embodiment. The animal litter box 2 is, for example, a cat litter box. The main body 50 is box-shaped and has a bottom 52 and side 54. The main body 50 receives excreted urine. The outer shape of the main body 50 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped. The main body 50 can be made of, for example, plastic.

[0038] The bottom surface portion 52 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The side surface portion 54 is connected to the periphery of the bottom surface portion 52. The height h2 (see FIG. 10) of the side surface portion 54 is variable. In this embodiment, the height h2 is continuously variable. That is, the side surface portion 54 is configured so that the height h2 can be set to any value within a certain range. The height h2 is defined as the distance in the vertical direction (the up-and-down direction in FIGS. 9 and 10) from the lower end (the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 52) of the side surface portion 54 to the upper end. The difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the height h2 is preferably 5 cm or more, and more preferably 10 cm or more.

[0039] The side surface portion 54 has a side surface member 54a (first side surface member) and a side surface member 54b (second side surface member). The side surface member 54a and the side surface member 54b constitute the side surface portion 54. The side surface member 54a is connected to the bottom surface portion 52. Specifically, the side surface member 54a is connected to the periphery of the bottom surface portion 52. It is preferable that the side surface member 54a is formed integrally with the bottom surface portion 52. The lower end of the side surface member 54a is equal to the lower end of the side surface portion 54.

[0040] The side surface member 54b covers both the inner and outer surfaces of the side surface member 54a. The side surface member 54b continuously covers the side surface member 54a from the inner surface to the outer surface. In other words, the side surface member 54b covers the side surface member 54a by sandwiching it from above. The upper end of the side surface member 54b is equal to the upper end of the side surface portion 54. As shown in FIG. 11, the side surface member 54b overlaps the entire upper end of the side surface member 54a in a plan view. This figure is a plan view showing the main body portion 50.

[0041] The side surface member 54b is configured to be slidable along the side surface member 54a. This allows the side surface member 54b to be displaced up and down (vertically) relative to the side surface member 54a. However, the side surface member 54b can be displaced up and down within a range where its lower end does not reach a support portion 58, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 12, by displacing the side surface member 54b downward, the height h2 of the side surface portion 54 can be reduced. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 13, by displacing the side surface member 54b upward, the height h2 of the side surface portion 54 can be increased.

[0042] 14 and 15 are an end view and a front view, respectively, of the main body 50. An opening 56 for inserting and removing the drawer 90 is formed in the side surface 54 of the main body 50. Of the side surface members 54a and 54b, the opening 56 is formed only in the side surface member 54a. The opening 56 is located near the bottom surface 52 and has a horizontally long rectangular shape. The length of the opening 56 in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 15) is approximately equal to the width (inner dimension) of the main body 50, and is, for example, 20 cm to 40 cm. The length of the opening 56 in the vertical direction (up-down direction in FIG. 15) is, for example, 2 cm to 5 cm. In addition, the side surface member 54b is provided with a hole 57 through which a bolt passes.

[0043] The main body 50 has a support portion 58. The support portion 58 protrudes from the side surface portion 54 toward the inside of the main body 50. Of the side surface members 54a and 54b, the support portion 58 is connected only to the side surface member 54a. The support portion 58 supports the partition portion 60 from below. As can be seen from FIG. 11 , the support portion 58 is provided along the entire inner periphery of the side surface portion 54 (side surface member 54a) in a plan view. That is, the support portion 58 is formed as a ring-shaped protrusion along the inner periphery of the side surface portion 54. The protruding length of the support portion 58 (the length perpendicular to the inner surface of the side surface portion 54 on which the support portion 58 is provided) is, for example, 10 mm to 25 mm. The support portion 58 may be formed integrally with the side surface member 54a, or may be formed separately from the side surface member 54a and then attached to the side surface member 54a. The remaining configuration of the main body 50 is similar to that of the main body 10 described in the first embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 16 is a plan view showing the partition 60. The partition 60 is placed on the support 58. The partition 60 is not fixed to the main body 50. The partition 60 is detachable from the main body 50. The partition 60 can be disposed within the main body 50 with its entire periphery spaced apart from the side surface 54. The partition 60 is made of a plate-like member. The partition 60 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The partition 60 is disposed parallel to the bottom surface 52. The partition 60 is also disposed at a position spaced apart from both the upper end of the side surface member 54a and the absorbent sheet 80. As a result, the partition 60 divides the internal space of the main body 50 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. The upper space S1 is located above the partition 60 and is a space in which a plurality of granular materials 70 are laid. The lower space S2 is a space where urine collects, and is located below the partition 60. The partition 60 may be made of a material such as plastic.

[0045] The partition section 60 has through holes 62 that allow urine to pass through. The through holes 62 allow urine to pass through while not allowing the granular bodies 70 to pass through. The partition section 60 has a plurality of through holes 62. The plurality of through holes 62 are arranged in a lattice pattern in the partition section 60. The planar shape of each through hole 62 is circular. The diameter of each through hole 62 is, for example, 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0046] A plurality of granular materials 70 for treating excrement are laid in the upper space S1 of the main body 50. The plurality of granular materials 70 are laid directly on the partition 60. When using the animal litter box 2, the animal defecates on the granular materials 70 while standing directly on them. Each granular material 70 is hydrophobic. That is, the granular materials 70 have the property of not absorbing liquids such as urine at all, or absorbing very little if any. For the granular materials 70 to be considered hydrophobic, the liquid permeability measured by the above-mentioned test must be 60% or more.

[0047] Each granular body 70 is in a granular shape. The particle size of each granular body 70 is, for example, 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less. Each granular body 70 is preferably made primarily of organic matter. Examples of such organic matter include paper, plants, plastics, and organic sludge. Each granular body 70 may be made solely of organic matter, or may be made of organic and inorganic matter.

[0048] In addition to the above, photographic paper or release paper may be used as the paper. In addition to the above, aluminum vapor deposition film may be used as the plastic. When a non-hydrophobic material is used as the material for the granules 70, the material may be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment (water-repellent treatment) in advance.

[0049] The granular material 70 may be made of only one material, or may be made of two or more materials. In the former case, the material making up the granular material 70 is only the main material described above. In the latter case, the granular material 70 is made up of a mixture of the main material and other materials. Examples of other materials include gypsum or baking soda. Adding gypsum or baking soda makes it easier to impart hydrophobicity to the granular material 70. The proportion of gypsum or baking soda is, for example, 5% by weight or more and less than 50% by weight of the entire granular material 70.

[0050] The granules 70 can be manufactured, for example, by the following method. First, a granulation device is used to granulate the granulation material (the material that constitutes the granules 70) to form a granule that will become the granules 70. The granules may be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment, if necessary. The hydrophobic treatment can be performed, for example, by coating the surface of the granules with a hydrophobic agent (water repellent). If the hydrophobic treatment is not performed, it is preferable to minimize the formation of gaps within the granules by increasing the pressure applied to the granulation material during granulation. This is because such gaps can serve as paths for liquids such as urine to penetrate into the granules 70. Prior to granulation, the granule material is subjected to pre-treatment such as pulverization, kneading, and hydration, if necessary. After granulation, post-treatment such as sieving (sizing) and drying is performed, if necessary.

[0051] A water-absorbent sheet 80 is disposed in the lower space S2 of the main body 50. The water-absorbent sheet 80 absorbs urine that has passed through the through-holes 62 of the partition 60. That is, the urine that has passed through the through-holes 62 is absorbed by the water-absorbent sheet 80 and accumulates in the lower space S2.

[0052] FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the drawer 90. The drawer 90 has a bottom plate 90a, a front plate 90b, a tip plate 90c, and a pair of side plates 90d. The size of the bottom plate 90a is approximately equal to the size of the bottom surface 52 of the main body 50. The front plate 90b has approximately the same shape and size as the opening 56. A handle 92 is attached to the front plate 90b. The drawer 90 can be inserted into and removed from the main body 50 through the opening 56. The drawer 90 contains the absorbent sheet 80. That is, the absorbent sheet 80 is disposed inside the main body 50 while contained in the drawer 90. The drawer 90 can be made of a material such as plastic, for example.

[0053] When the animal litter box 2 is in use, urine excreted into the main body 50 passes through the gaps between the granular materials 70 and then moves from the upper space S1 to the lower space S2 through the through-holes 62 of the partition 60. The urine that moves to the lower space S2 is absorbed by the absorbent sheet 80.

[0054] The effects of the animal litter box 2 will now be explained. In the animal litter box 2, the height of the side sections 54 of the main body 50 is variable. In this case, the height of the side sections 54 can be adjusted by changing the height of the side sections 54 to match the size of the animal using the animal litter box 2. Therefore, an animal litter box 2 has been realized in which the height of the side sections 54 can be adjusted.

[0055] The animal litter box 2 is provided with a partition 60. This allows urine to collect in the space below the partition 60 (lower space S2), thereby reducing the foul odor generated by urine from drifting around the animal litter box 2.

[0056] The granules 70 are hydrophobic. In this case, most of the urine excreted on the granules 70 passes through the gaps between the granules 70 without being absorbed by the granules 70. This allows the urine to be quickly guided to the lower space S2.

[0057] The partition 60 is not fixed to the main body 50. In this case, the partition 60 can be easily attached to and detached from the main body 50.

[0058] The partition 60 rests on the support 58. This allows the partition 60 to be held in place within the main body 50 without being fixed to the main body 50.

[0059] In plan view, the support portion 58 is provided on the entire inner periphery of the side surface portion 54. This makes it easier to prevent the partition portion 60 from falling into the lower space S2.

[0060] The partition 60 can be disposed within the main body 50 with its entire periphery spaced apart from the side surface 54. By providing a margin between the partition 60 and the side surface 54 in this manner, the partition 60 can be smoothly attached to and detached from the main body 50.

[0061] The lower space S2 is provided with a water-absorbent sheet 80. This allows urine that has accumulated in the lower space S2 to be trapped within the water-absorbent sheet 80. This reduces the occurrence of bad odors from the urine.

[0062] A drawer section 90 is provided that can be inserted into and removed from the main body section 50. This makes it easy to replace a used water-absorbent sheet 80 with a new one. Other effects of the animal litter box 2 are the same as those of the animal litter box 1.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the above embodiment, the planar shape of the through-hole 62 is circular. However, the planar shape of the through-hole 62 is arbitrary, and may be, for example, an ellipse or a polygon such as a rectangle.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the case where the drawer section 90 is provided has been exemplified. However, providing the drawer section 90 is not essential. If the drawer section 90 is not provided, the water-absorbent sheet 80 is disposed directly on the bottom surface section 52. In that case, naturally, the opening 56 is not provided in the side surface section 54.

[0065] In the above embodiment, an example has been given of a case in which the absorbent sheet 80 is provided on the main body 50. However, it is not essential to provide the absorbent sheet 80 on the main body 50. If the absorbent sheet 80 is not provided, the drawer 90 will not be provided either. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1. Animal toilet 2. Animal toilet 10 Main body 12 Bottom part 14 Side part 14a Side member (first side member) 14b Side member (second side member) 15 Cavity 20 Fasteners (fixing means) 30 Granules 32 Core 34 Covering part 50 Main body 52 Bottom part 54 Side part 54a Side member (first side member) 54b Side member (second side member) 56 Aperture 57 holes 58 Support part 60 Partition 62 Through hole 70 Granules 80 Water-absorbent sheet 90 Drawer section 92 Handle S1 upper space S2 lower space

Claims

1. a body portion having a bottom surface portion and a side surface portion and configured to receive excreted urine; An animal litter box, wherein the height of the side portion is variable.

2. The animal litter box according to claim 1, An animal litter box, wherein the difference between the maximum and minimum heights of the side portions is 5 cm or more.

3. The animal litter box according to claim 2, An animal litter box, wherein the difference between the maximum and minimum heights of the side portions is 10 cm or more.

4. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, An animal litter box wherein the height of the side portion is continuously variable.

5. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the side surface portion has first and second side surface members that constitute the side surface portion, The animal litter box, wherein the second side member is displaceable up and down relative to the first side member.

6. The animal litter box according to claim 5, The first and second side members are fitted to each other.

7. The animal litter box according to claim 5, The animal litter box, wherein the first side member is connected to the bottom portion.

8. The animal litter box according to claim 7, The animal litter box, wherein the first side member is integrally formed with the bottom portion.

9. The animal litter box according to claim 7, The animal litter box, wherein the second side member covers both the inner and outer surfaces of the first side member.

10. The animal litter box according to claim 9, The animal litter box wherein the second side member continuously covers the first side member from the inner surface to the outer surface.

11. The animal litter box according to claim 5, the second side member has a cavity communicating with an exterior of the second side member, An animal litter box, wherein the first side member is inserted into the cavity of the second side member.

12. The animal litter box according to claim 5, The animal litter box includes a fastening means for temporarily fastening the second side member to the first side member.

13. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The animal litter box has a through hole that allows the urine to pass through and a partition that divides the internal space of the main body into an upper space and a lower space.

14. The animal litter box according to claim 13, An animal litter box comprising a plurality of hydrophobic granular materials laid in the upper space.

15. The animal litter box according to claim 14, The granular materials are animal litter boxes made primarily of organic matter.

16. The animal litter box according to claim 15, The granular materials are made of organic matter only.

17. The animal litter box according to claim 13, The partition is not fixed to the main body.

18. The animal litter box according to claim 17, the main body portion has a support portion protruding from the side surface portion toward the inside of the main body portion, The partition portion is placed on the support portion.

19. The animal litter box according to claim 18, The animal litter box has a support portion that is provided over the entire inner periphery of the side portion in a plan view.

20. The animal litter box according to claim 13, The partition can be disposed within the main body with the entire periphery of the partition separated from the side surface.

21. The animal litter box according to claim 13, The animal litter box is provided with an absorbent sheet disposed in the lower space for absorbing the urine.

22. The animal litter box according to claim 21, a drawer portion in which the water-absorbent sheet is housed, An opening is formed in the side surface of the main body, The drawer portion can be inserted into and removed from the main body portion through the opening.

23. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The animal litter box is a cat litter box.

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