Interlocking cat litter box
The interlocking cat litter box balances forces on the filtering shovel through dual drive mechanisms, improving cleaning efficiency and reducing complexity while lowering costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NINGBO SINGFUN ELECTRIC APPLIANCE
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
Conventional cat litter boxes experience imbalance in forces during the movement of the filtering shovel, leading to inefficient cleaning and structural complexity.
An interlocking cat litter box design featuring a litter box body with a filter shovel driven by a first and second drive mechanism, connected via an interlocking member, synchronous shaft, and sleeve, allowing for balanced rotation and reciprocation of the shovel.
The design achieves even force distribution, enhances cleaning efficiency, simplifies the structure, reduces volume, and lowers costs by eliminating the need for separation bars.
Smart Images
Figure 2026121251000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to an interlocking cat toilet and is applicable to the technical field of pet devices.
Background Art
[0002] With the continuous increase in the demand for pet breeding, the use of cat toilets is also gradually increasing. However, conventional cat toilets still have some problems. For example, the structure is complex, or the force received by the filtering shovel during the moving cleaning process is unbalanced, resulting in a low sand cleaning effect. In the prior art, Chinese Patent CN115581205A discloses a consolidated cat litter filtering device comprising a cat toilet, a separation bar, a filtering shovel, a moving mechanism and a rotating mechanism, and its usage method. The cat toilet includes a toilet body having a cat litter receiving space and a consolidated cat litter collection space, and a cushion. The separation bar is horizontally placed between the cushion and the bottom wall of the cat litter receiving space along the width direction of the toilet body and can travel along the length direction of the toilet body. The filtering shovel is horizontally placed above the cushion in the width direction of the collection space. The moving mechanism is for driving the separation bar and the consolidated cat litter filtering shovel to travel along the length direction of the toilet body, and the rotating mechanism is attached to the moving mechanism. In the solution designed in this patent, the inversion of the filtering shovel is independently realized by a rotating arm, and the forward and backward movement of the filtering shovel needs to be realized by the moving mechanism and the separation bar moving on the cat toilet. The structure is more complex, and due to the movement of the moving mechanism on the cat toilet, the balance of the force distribution received by the left and right ends of the filtering shovel is likely to be disrupted, and they cannot move in cooperation and synchronously, resulting in the phenomenon that the filtering shovel cannot move.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0003] The purpose of this invention is to design an interlocking cat litter box, which is intended to solve the problem of the imbalance in the forces experienced by the filter shovel during movement in conventional cat litter box structures. [Means for solving the problem]
[0004] This invention relates to an interlocking cat litter box, the cat litter box comprising a litter box body, a filter shovel, a drive mechanism, and an interlocking member, wherein a cavity is provided inside the litter box body, the filter shovel is installed inside the cavity, the drive mechanism is installed inside the litter box body and connected to the interlocking member, and the interlocking member is connected to the filter shovel, thereby driving the filter shovel to rotate and reciprocate.
[0005] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism includes a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism, the first drive mechanism being installed on one side of the toilet body and connected to an interlocking member to drive and rotate the filter shovel, and the second drive mechanism being installed on the other side of the toilet body and connected to an interlocking member to drive and move the filter shovel back and forth.
[0006] In some embodiments, the interlocking member includes a synchronous shaft and a sleeve, wherein the synchronous shaft is installed inside the sleeve, or the sleeve is installed inside the synchronous shaft, and the sleeve is connected to a filter shovel to drive and rotate the filter shovel, a first drive mechanism is connected to the sleeve by a connecting member to drive and rotate the sleeve, the synchronous shaft is connected to the filter shovel to drive and reciprocate the filter shovel, and a second drive mechanism is connected to the synchronous shaft by a transmission pair to drive and reciprocate the synchronous shaft.
[0007] In some embodiments, the first drive mechanism includes a first motor, an arc-shaped toothed disc, and a first moving member, wherein the first moving member is slidably mounted horizontally on one side of the toilet body, the arc-shaped toothed disc is fixedly mounted on the first moving member, one end of a connecting member is connected to the first motor, the other end of the connecting member is connected to a sleeve, and the output terminal of the first motor is power-coupled to the arc-shaped toothed disc by a rotating gear.
[0008] In some embodiments, the second drive mechanism includes a second motor and a second moving member, the second moving member being slidably mounted horizontally on the other side of the toilet body, the second motor being mounted on the second moving member, a first rack being provided horizontally on one side of the toilet body, a second rack being provided horizontally on the other side of the toilet body, the output end of the second motor being connected to a synchronous shaft, one end of the synchronous shaft being further transmitted to the second rack by a second transmission pair, and the other end of the synchronous shaft being transmitted to the first rack by a first transmission pair.
[0009] In some embodiments, a wiring member is provided between the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism, a conductor is provided on the wiring member, and the conductor is electrically connected to the electrical elements on the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism, respectively.
[0010] In some embodiments, the wiring member is a wiring conduit and the conductor is installed inside the wiring conduit, or the wiring member is a wiring sleeve and the conductor is installed inside the wiring sleeve, or the wiring member is a wiring bar and the conductor is installed inside the wiring bar.
[0011] In some embodiments, guide rails are provided horizontally on both sides of the toilet body, a first drive mechanism is slidably mounted on one side of the guide rail of the toilet body, and a second drive mechanism is slidably mounted on the other side of the guide rail of the toilet body.
[0012] In some embodiments, the cat litter box further comprises an enclosure, which is removable and installed circumferentially around the cavity.
[0013] In some embodiments, the filtration shovel is detachably mounted on the interlocking member.
[0014] In some embodiments, the cat litter box further includes a feces collection chamber, which is detachably installed on the litter box body. [Effects of the Invention]
[0015] The interlocking cat litter box described in this application has the following technical advantages.
[0016] (1) By designing a single interlocking component to be connected to both the drive mechanism and the filtration shovel, rotation and movement of the filtration shovel are achieved, thereby more evenly balancing the forces on both ends of the filtration shovel, resulting in a higher sand cleaning effect and an improved product experience.
[0017] (2) By designing the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism on both sides of the toilet body, the weight on both sides of the toilet body is balanced, and the force received by the entire filtration shovel is more evenly distributed.
[0018] (3) By designing wiring components for laying conductors between the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism, a conductor distribution for different drive mechanisms is achieved, and the conductors are protected from damage.
[0019] (4) The present invention eliminates the need to design structures such as separation bars, simplifying the structure of the cat litter box, reducing the volume of the cat litter box, and lowering costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0020] [Figure 1] This is the first schematic diagram of the interlocking cat litter box related to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a second schematic diagram of the interlocking cat litter box according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the interlocking cat litter box according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along the AA direction in Figure 3 relating to the present application. [Figure 5] This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of area B in Figure 4 relating to the present application. [Figure 6] This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of area C in Figure 4 relating to the present application. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the drive mechanism according to the present invention coupled to a filtration shovel. [Figure 8] Internal schematic diagram of the drive mechanism according to the present application coupled to the filtering shovel. [Figure 9] First partial schematic diagram of the interlocking cat toilet according to the present application. [Figure 10] Second partial schematic diagram of the interlocking cat toilet according to the present application. [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view along the E-E direction in FIG. 10 according to the present application. [Figure 12] Partial enlarged schematic diagram of the F position in FIG. 11 according to the present application. [Figure 13] Cross-sectional view along the D-D direction in FIG. 10 according to the present application. [Figure 14] Partial enlarged schematic diagram of the G position in FIG. 13 according to the present application.
Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention
[0021] To make the object, technical solution and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that, unless they conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features of the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined with each other.
[0022] As shown in Figures 1-3, the interlocking cat litter box according to the present invention comprises a litter box body 1, a filter shovel 6, a drive mechanism, and an interlocking member. A cavity is provided inside the litter box body 1, allowing the cat to defecate and urinate inside the cavity. The filter shovel 6 is rotatably installed inside the cavity and can filter and clean solidified feces inside the cavity. Furthermore, the interlocking member is an integrated structure and is installed on the litter box body 1 along the left-right direction of the litter box body 1. By moving on the litter box body 1, the interlocking member drives the filter shovel 6 to perform cleaning. Furthermore, the drive mechanism is installed on the litter box body 1 and is driven to rotate the interlocking member by being connected to it. Furthermore, the interlocking member is connected to the filter shovel 6 to drive the filter shovel 6 to rotate and reciprocate, that is, the interlocking member can drive the filter shovel 6 to rotate, or it may drive the filter shovel 6 to reciprocate, and it also plays a role in balancing the movement of both ends of the filter shovel 6. The cat litter box according to this invention is designed so that a single interlocking member is connected to a filter shovel, which drives the filter shovel to rotate and move within the cavity. This allows for the cleaning of solidified feces within the cavity, balances the force received by both ends of the filter shovel, improves the litter cleaning effect, reduces the volume of the cat litter box, and thereby improves the product experience.
[0023] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 7, and 8, in some embodiments, the drive mechanism includes a first drive mechanism 4 and a second drive mechanism 5. The first drive mechanism 4 is installed on one side of the toilet body 1 and can reciprocate along the horizontal front-rear direction on that side of the toilet body 1. Specifically, the first drive mechanism 4 is connected to an interlocking member to drive the filter shovel 6, causing it to rotate around a horizontal axis within the cavity, thereby achieving filtration and cleaning. Furthermore, the second drive mechanism 5 is installed on the other side of the toilet body 1 and can reciprocate along the horizontal front-rear direction on that side of the toilet body 1. Specifically, the second drive mechanism 5 is connected to an interlocking member to drive the filter shovel 6, causing it to reciprocate along the horizontal direction within the cavity, thereby achieving position adjustment and filtration and cleaning. In the above solution, by installing the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5, which drive the filter shovel 6 to rotate and move back and forth, on the left and right sides of the toilet body, respectively, the weight and forces on both sides of the toilet body are more evenly balanced, and the drive mechanism can avoid shaking due to an imbalance in the forces it receives during the driving process. The cat litter box designed in this application is structurally more rational because it is designed with a drive mechanism that moves a filter shovel back and forth and a drive mechanism that simulates the action of manually scooping cat litter on both the left and right sides of the litter box body, and both mechanisms simulate the action of manually cleaning feces through a combination of program and sensors.
[0024] As shown in Figures 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11, in some embodiments, the interlocking member includes a synchronous shaft 7 and a sleeve 8, where the synchronous shaft 7 is installed inside the sleeve 8, or the sleeve 8 is installed inside the synchronous shaft 7. The synchronous shaft 7 and the sleeve 8 are installed coaxially, thereby enabling them to operate independently of each other and avoiding interference. Specifically, the sleeve 8 is connected to the filter shovel 6, driving the filter shovel 6 to rotate around its axis, i.e., the filter shovel 6 rotates together with the sleeve 8, thereby achieving a sand scooping operation. Furthermore, the first drive mechanism 4 is connected to the sleeve 8 by a connecting member 48, driving the sleeve 8 to rotate. Furthermore, the synchronous shaft 7 is connected to the filter shovel 6, driving the filter shovel 6 to move. Specifically, the second drive mechanism 5 is connected to the synchronous shaft 7 by a transmission pair, driving the synchronous shaft 7 to reciprocate, thereby achieving forward and backward movement. The interlocking member of this invention is designed to form an integrated structure by fitting the synchronous shaft 7 and the sleeve 8 together, and to achieve forward and backward movement of the filtration shovel 6 by driving the synchronous shaft 7 with the second drive mechanism 5, and rotational movement of the filtration shovel 6 by driving the sleeve 8 with the first drive mechanism 4. This design enables synchronization of forward and backward movement and rotational movement, satisfies the cleaning requirements of a cat litter box, and makes the structure more compact.
[0025] As shown in Figures 8, 9, 10, and 12, in some embodiments, the first drive mechanism 4 includes a first motor 45, an arc-shaped toothed disc 46, and a moving member 47, the moving member 47 of the first drive mechanism 4 being the first moving member, which is slidably installed on one side of the toilet body 1 along the horizontal direction, thereby enabling forward and backward movement. The arc-shaped toothed disc 46 is fixedly installed on the first moving member and can move together with the first moving member. Furthermore, one end of the connecting member 48 is connected to the first motor 45, and the other end of the connecting member 48 is connected to the sleeve 8, thereby forming an interlocking structure. Furthermore, the output end of the first motor 45 is power-driven to the arc-shaped toothed disc 46 by a rotating gear. Specifically, a rotating gear is provided on the output shaft of the first motor 45, and the rotating gear and the arc-shaped toothed disc 46 mesh with each other. The circular motion on the arc-shaped toothed disc 46 drives the filtration shovel 6 to rotate, thereby simulating the action of manually scooping sand. The radian designed for the arc-shaped toothed disc 46 is for controlling the width of the sand-scooping motion, enabling the achievement of an optimal sand-scooping width.
[0026] As shown in Figures 7-8 and 13-14, in some embodiments, the second drive mechanism 5 includes a second motor 55 and a second moving member, the second moving member being slidably installed on the other side of the toilet body 1 along the horizontal direction, thereby enabling forward and backward movement. The second motor 55 is installed on the second moving member and moves together with the second moving member. Furthermore, a first rack 41 is provided horizontally on one side of the toilet body 1, and a second rack 51 is provided horizontally on the other side of the toilet body 1, and the output end of the second motor 55 is connected to one end of the synchronous shaft 7 to drive and rotate the synchronous shaft 7. One end of the synchronous shaft 7 is transmitted to the second rack 51 by a second transmission pair, and the other end of the synchronous shaft 7 is transmitted to the first rack 41 by a first transmission pair, thereby enabling synchronous movement. As shown in Figure 14, the second transmission pair includes a drive gear 52, a first drive gear 53, and a second drive gear 54. The drive gear 52 is fixedly installed at one end of the synchronous shaft 7 and meshes with the first drive gear 53. The first drive gear 53 meshes with the second drive gear 54, and the second drive gear 54 meshes with the second rack 51, thereby achieving a drive connection. Correspondingly, the first transmission pair includes a driven gear 42, a first transmission gear 43, and a second transmission gear 44. The driven gear 42 is fixedly installed at the other end of the synchronous shaft 7 and meshes with the first transmission gear 43. The first transmission gear 43 meshes with the second transmission gear 44, and the second transmission gear 44 meshes with the first rack 41, thereby achieving a drive connection. Specifically, the second motor 55 drives the second drive gear 54 via the drive gear 52 and the first drive gear 53 to move on the second rack 51, and also drives the synchronous shaft 7 to transmit this motion to the first transmission pair on the other side, thereby maintaining the synchronization of the forward and backward movements of the power mechanisms on both sides.
[0027] As shown in Figures 6-8, in some embodiments, a wiring member is provided between the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5, a conductor 10 is provided on the wiring member, and the conductor 10 is electrically connected to the electrical elements on the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5, thereby realizing power supply. Specifically, the wiring member is installed at the bottom of the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5 and moves back and forth together with the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5, thereby protecting the conductors of the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5 and protecting the conductors from damage during the movement process.
[0028] As shown in Figures 6-8, in some embodiments, the wiring member may be designed as a wiring conduit 9, and in this way, the conductor 10 can be protected by being installed inside the wiring conduit 9. Alternatively, the wiring member may be designed as a wiring sleeve, and the conductor 10 can be protected by being installed inside the wiring sleeve. Alternatively, the wiring member may be designed as a wiring bar, and the conductor 10 can be attached to the wiring bar to provide traction and protection.
[0029] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 10, in some embodiments, the toilet body 1 of the present invention includes two parts: a main toilet structure and a toilet base 11. The main toilet structure serves as the overall support and power mechanism, while the toilet base 11 prevents fecal adhesion and prevents scratches that can easily accumulate when cats scratch the litter. Furthermore, guide rails 12 are provided on both sides of the toilet body 1, extending horizontally. Specifically, a first drive mechanism 4 is slidably mounted on one side of the guide rail 12 of the toilet body 1, and a second drive mechanism 5 is slidably mounted on the other side of the guide rail 12 of the toilet body 1, and together with the first drive mechanism 4, they achieve synchronous movement.
[0030] As shown in Figures 1-3, in some embodiments, the cat litter box according to the present invention further comprises an enclosure 3, which is removablely installed in the circumferential direction of the cavity to prevent cat litter from flying out of the cavity when the cat scratches at it. As shown in Figures 7-9, in some embodiments, a filter shovel 6 is removablely installed on an interlocking member, which may be specifically installed on a synchronous shaft 7 or a sleeve 8, thus making the filter shovel 6 replaceable and easy to clean.
[0031] As shown in Figures 1-3, in some embodiments, the cat litter box according to the present invention further includes a feces collection chamber 2, which is removablely installed on the litter box body 1 and located on one side of the cavity. In this way, when the filter shovel 6 cleans solidified feces, the feces can fall into the feces collection chamber 2, thereby achieving collection. Furthermore, the feces collection chamber 2 is further provided with a seal cover, and the feces collection chamber 2 is precisely coupled to the seal cover to prevent the odor of feces from overflowing, and can be independently removed and washed. The feces collection chamber 2 is designed to be separate from the litter box body 1, effectively reducing storage space and making it easier to wash the feces collection chamber.
[0032] This invention enables the rotation and movement of the filter shovel by designing a single interlocking member to transmit power to both the drive mechanism and the filter shovel, thereby balancing the forces received by both ends of the filter shovel, improving the sand cleaning effect and enhancing the product experience. By designing the first and second drive mechanisms on both sides of the toilet body, the weight on both sides of the toilet body is balanced, resulting in a more balanced force received by the entire filter shovel as it is driven. By designing a wiring member for laying wires between the first and second drive mechanisms, wire distribution for different drive mechanisms is achieved, protecting the wires from damage. This invention eliminates the need to design structures such as separation bars, simplifying the structure of the cat litter box, reducing the volume of the cat litter box, and lowering costs.
[0033] The above describes embodiments disclosed herein, but these embodiments are used to facilitate understanding of the present application and are not intended to limit it. Those skilled in the art may make any modifications and changes to the forms and details without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein, but the scope of patent protection of the present application should still be limited to the scope defined in the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0034] 1. Toilet unit 11 Toilet base 12 Guide rails 2 Feces collection room 3. Enclosure 4. First drive mechanism 41. Rack 1 42 Driven gear 43 First transmission gear 44 Second transmission gear 45 First Motor 46 Arc-shaped toothed discs 47 Movable member 48 Tie Bar 5. Second drive mechanism 51. Rack 2 52 drive gears 53 First drive gear 54 Second drive gear 55 Second motor 6. Filtration shovel 7 Synchronous axis 8 sleeves 9 Raceway 10 conductors
Claims
1. It is a linked cat litter box, The aforementioned cat litter box comprises a litter box body (1), a filter shovel (6), a drive mechanism, and an interlocking member, wherein a cavity is provided inside the litter box body (1), the filter shovel (6) is installed inside the cavity, the drive mechanism is installed in the litter box body (1) and connected to the interlocking member, and the interlocking member is connected to the filter shovel (6) to drive the filter shovel (6) to rotate and reciprocate.
2. The aforementioned drive mechanism includes a first drive mechanism (4) and a second drive mechanism (5), The first drive mechanism (4) is installed on one side of the toilet body (1), and the first drive mechanism (4) is connected to the interlocking member to drive and rotate the filter shovel (6), The interlocking cat litter box according to claim 1, characterized in that the second drive mechanism (5) is installed on the other side of the toilet body (1), and the second drive mechanism (5) is connected to the interlocking member to drive the filter shovel (6) to move back and forth.
3. The interlocking member includes a synchronous shaft (7) and a sleeve (8), wherein the synchronous shaft (7) is installed inside the sleeve (8), or the sleeve (8) is installed inside the synchronous shaft (7), as described in claim 2.
4. The sleeve (8) is connected to the filter shovel (6) to drive and rotate the filter shovel (6), and the first drive mechanism (4) is connected to the sleeve (8) by the connecting member (48) to drive and rotate the sleeve (8), The interlocking cat litter box according to claim 3, characterized in that the synchronous shaft (7) is connected to the filtration shovel (6) to drive and move the filtration shovel (6), and the second drive mechanism (5) is connected to the synchronous shaft (7) by a transmission pair to drive the synchronous shaft (7) to move it back and forth.
5. The interlocking cat litter box according to claim 4, characterized in that the first drive mechanism (4) includes a first motor (45), an arc-shaped toothed disc (46), and a first moving member, the first moving member being slidably installed on one side of the toilet body (1) along the horizontal direction, the arc-shaped toothed disc (46) being fixedly installed on the first moving member, one end of the connecting member (48) being connected to the first motor (45), the other end of the connecting member (48) being connected to the sleeve (8), and the output end of the first motor (45) being power-driven to the arc-shaped toothed disc (46) by a rotating gear.
6. The interlocking cat toilet according to claim 4, characterized in that the second drive mechanism (5) includes a second motor (55) and a second moving member, the second moving member is slidably installed on the other side of the toilet body (1) along the horizontal direction, the second motor (55) is installed on the second moving member, a first rack (41) is provided on one side of the toilet body (1) along the horizontal direction, a second rack (51) is provided on the other side of the toilet body (1) along the horizontal direction, the output terminal of the second motor (55) is connected to the synchronous shaft (7), one end of the synchronous shaft (7) is further transmitted to the second rack (51) by a second transmission pair, and the other end of the synchronous shaft (7) is transmitted to the first rack (41) by a first transmission pair.
7. The interlocking cat litter box according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that a wiring member is provided between the first drive mechanism (4) and the second drive mechanism (5), a conductor (10) is provided on the wiring member, and the conductor (10) is electrically connected to an electrical element on the first drive mechanism (4) and the second drive mechanism (5), respectively.
8. The interlocking cat litter box according to claim 7, characterized in that the wiring member is a wiring conduit (9) and the conductor (10) is installed inside the wiring conduit (9), or the wiring member is a wiring sleeve and the conductor (10) is installed inside the wiring sleeve, or the wiring member is a wiring bar and the conductor (10) is installed on the wiring bar.
9. The interlocking cat toilet according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that guide rails (12) are provided horizontally on both sides of the toilet body (1), the first drive mechanism (4) is slidably installed on one side guide rail (12) of the toilet body (1), and the second drive mechanism (5) is slidably installed on the other side guide rail (12) of the toilet body (1).
10. The interlocking cat litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 6, 8, characterized in that the cat litter box further comprises an enclosure (3), the enclosure (3) being removablely installed in the circumferential direction of the cavity, and / or the cat litter box further comprises a feces collection chamber (2), the feces collection chamber (2) being removablely installed on the litter box body (1).