Pet toilet

Abstract

To provide a pet toilet that makes it possible to easily pull out a tray when excrement is checked or disposed of.SOLUTION: A pet toilet 1 has a substantially rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction and a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The pet toilet 1 has: a toilet body 10; a partition part 20 that divides the toilet body 10 into the upper layer and lower layer; and a tray 30 that is housed in the lower layer of the toilet body 10 so that the tray can be freely put in and taken out. The partition part 20 has: a liquid-passage-possible part 21 that allows passage of urine; and a liquid-passage-impossible part 22 that lies around the liquid-passage-possible part 21 and disallows passage of urine. The liquid-passage-possible part 21 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, its longitudinal direction matching the longitudinal direction of the pet toilet 1. A total length of the liquid-passage-impossible part 22 along the longitudinal direction is greater than a length of the liquid-passage-possible part 21 along the longitudinal direction. The direction in which the tray 30 is put int and taken out matches the width direction of the tray.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Pet toilets used indoors to treat the waste of pets such as cats typically include a main container and a urine passage portion that divides the main container into an upper portion and a lower portion.

[0003] As an example of a pet toilet having such a configuration, Patent Document 1 discloses an animal toilet in which an absorbent placement section for placing an absorbent that absorbs excrement is provided on the lower side in the height direction, and the center position of the absorbent placement section is offset from the center position of the internal space in the longitudinal direction.

[0004] Patent document 2 also discloses an animal litter box in which an opening for accommodating the tray is provided at the lower end of one side of the main body in the front-to-rear direction, the length of the opening is longer than the length of the tray, and the bottom of the main body and the bottom of the tray are each in contact with the ground when in the accommodated state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-83792 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-188696 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In recent years, pet species with relatively large head and body lengths have come to be kept indoors, and pet toilets with a larger excretion space are desired so that large pets can excrete comfortably. However, if the dimensions of the pet toilet are increased to meet such demands, the size of the tray must also be increased to correspond to the increased dimensions, which makes it difficult to pull out the tray when disposing of excrement such as urine, etc. The technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not address this issue at all.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pet toilet whose tray can be easily pulled out when checking and disposing of excrement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a toilet for pets. The pet toilet preferably has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view having a longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The pet toilet preferably comprises a toilet body, a partition that divides the toilet body into an upper portion and a lower portion, and a tray that is accommodated in the lower portion and can be inserted and removed from the toilet body. The partition preferably has a liquid-passing portion through which urine can pass, and a liquid-impermeable portion which is positioned around the liquid-passing portion and through which urine cannot pass. It is preferable that, when viewed in a plane, the liquid-passing portion has a generally rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and that the longitudinal direction of the liquid-passing portion and the longitudinal direction of the pet toilet coincide with each other. In a plan view, it is preferable that the total length along the longitudinal direction of the liquid-non-passing portions located outward in the longitudinal direction of the liquid-passing portions is longer than the length along the longitudinal direction of the liquid-passing portions. The tray preferably has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view having a longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. It is preferable that the direction in which the tray is inserted and removed coincides with the width direction of the tray. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a pet toilet is provided in which the tray can be easily pulled out when checking and disposing of excrement. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a typical embodiment of a pet toilet of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic exploded state of the pet toilet shown in FIG. 1, and also shows the granular excrement treating material placed in the storage section. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the lower portion of the pet toilet in an embodiment in a housed state of the toilet body and the tray, as viewed from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a partition portion as viewed from above. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of one embodiment of a tray as viewed from above, and also shows the planned positions of the liquid passing parts. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view that illustrates a pet toilet according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present invention will be described below based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings. The pet toilet of the present invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as a toilet) can be used for treating or collecting excrement from pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and hamsters. The pet toilet of the present invention is particularly useful as a toilet for pets kept indoors by placing it indoors. In this specification, the head and body length is the total length (body length) of a pet minus the length of the tail, and refers to the length from the tip of the head to the base of the tail.

[0012] 1 to 5 show one embodiment of a pet toilet. The pet toilet 1 has a generally rectangular shape in plan view, with a longitudinal direction X and a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. The pet toilet 1 also has a height direction Z perpendicular to the XY plane.

[0013] The pet toilet 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a toilet body 10 and a partition 20 that divides the toilet body 10 into an upper part 10A and a lower part 10B. In addition, the toilet body 10 is provided with a urine receiving tray 30 that is accommodated in the lower part 10B so as to be retractable from the toilet body 10. In plan view, the pet toilet 1 shown in the figures is formed symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal bisect line that extends along the width direction Y and bisects the toilet 1 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0014] The toilet body 10 is divided into an upper part 10A and a lower part 10B by a partition 20. Inside the toilet body 10 and on the partition 20 in the upper part 10A, a storage part 10C that stores granular excrement treatment material P is formed. As a result, the storage part 10C and the space above it become a pet excretion space.

[0015] Each of the partitions 20 preferably has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view having a longitudinal direction X and a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, similar to the shape of the pet toilet 1 in plan view. Similarly, the storage section 10C formed on the partitions 20 preferably has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view having a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. In addition, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, it is also preferable that the longitudinal directions X of the partitions 20 and the storage section 10C are aligned with the longitudinal direction X of the pet toilet 1.

[0016] 1 and 2, the toilet body 10 is open at the top and has a bottom-equipped bottom forming part 3 that forms the bottom 3S of the pet toilet placed on the floor surface. The bottom forming part 3 that constitutes the toilet body 10 forms the outer shape of the pet toilet 1, and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view with a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. The corners of the bottom forming part 3 in the substantially rectangular shape in plan view are chamfered.

[0017] The partition part 20 can be held on top of the bottom forming part 3 by being placed or fitted from above the bottom forming part 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom forming part 3 constituting the toilet body 10 preferably has a volume large enough to accommodate at least the bottom of the partition part 20.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the partition 20 is open at the top and has a bottom that is shallower than the bottom forming part 3 of the toilet body 10, dividing the toilet body 10 into an upper part 10A and a lower part 10B. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the partition 20 and the part above it constitute the upper part 10A of the toilet body 10, and the bottom forming part 3 located below the partition 20 constitutes the lower part 10B of the toilet body 10, and the partition 20 allows granular excrement treatment material P to be stored in the upper part 10A of the toilet body 10. In other words, the upper surface of the partition 20 is configured as a storage part 10C that stores the excrement treatment material P. It is preferable that the partition 20 is configured to be detachable from the upper part of the bottom forming part 3 of the toilet body 10.

[0019] The partition 20 has a liquid-passing portion 21 through which urine can pass, and a liquid-non-passing portion 22 through which urine cannot pass. In a plan view, the liquid-passing portion 21 has a substantially rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction X and a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and the longitudinal direction of the liquid-passing portion 21 is aligned with the longitudinal direction X of the pet toilet 1 and the partition 20. In this embodiment, the partition 20 has a shape that is point-symmetrical about the centroid in plan view. The liquid-passing section 21 has an area smaller than that of the partition 20 and is located in the central region of the pet toilet 1. In this embodiment, the centroid of the liquid-passing section 21 in plan view and the centroid of the pet toilet 1 in plan view generally coincide with each other. Alternatively, the liquid-passing section 21 may be disposed so that the centroids of the liquid-passing section 21 and the pet toilet 1 in plan view are different from each other, for example, by being biased toward one end region in the longitudinal direction X or width direction Y in plan view.

[0020] The liquid passage section 21 is formed at the bottom of the partition section 20, and is configured in a mesh shape having a plurality of wires extending parallel to each other. Between the wires in the liquid passage section 21, there are spaces large enough that the excrement treatment material P and excreted feces do not fall, and urine can pass downward. In this embodiment, the liquid passage section 21 is formed in a planar shape along the XY plane.

[0021] The liquid-impermeable parts 22 are located around the liquid-permeable parts 21 when the partition part 20 is viewed in plan, and have no gaps. From the viewpoint of reducing retention of excreted urine on the partition part 20, the liquid-impermeable parts 22 are preferably inclined downward from the outer periphery of the partition part 20 toward the liquid-permeable parts 21. When the liquid-impermeable parts 22 are inclined, the inclination angles may be the same or different for all of the liquid-impermeable parts 22, and the inclination angles of the liquid-impermeable parts 22 located in the longitudinal direction X and the inclination angles of the liquid-impermeable parts 22 located in the width direction Y may be different from each other. All of the liquid-impermeable parts 22 are preferably flat, but may be concave, convex, or a combination thereof as long as they can be regarded as flat.

[0022] It is preferable that an opening 11 having a substantially rectangular shape in side view is formed on one side surface of the bottom forming part 3 of the toilet body 10. This allows the tray 30 to be inserted and removed from the toilet body 10 via the opening 11, and allows the tray 30 to be stored within the toilet body 10. In this embodiment, the opening 11 is formed on one long side of the bottom forming part 3.

[0023] The tray 30 is for recovering or collecting urine that has passed through the excrement treating material P and the partition section 20 and dropped downward. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the tray 30 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view having a longitudinal direction X and a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and is disposed in the central area of ​​the longitudinal direction X in plan view of the pet toilet. The tray 30 has a bottomed shape having a bottom 35 and a side wall portion 36 rising from the periphery of the bottom 35. The side wall portion 36 has a pair of longitudinal side wall portions 36x extending in the width direction Y and a pair of width direction side wall portions 36y extending in the longitudinal direction X, and these side wall portions are disposed in a connected manner. Each of the side wall portions 36x, 36y may rise independently in the vertical direction, or may rise at a predetermined inclination from the vertical direction. Each of the side wall portions 36x, 36y may be formed independently by bending a thin plate-like member upward, or may be formed by a thick member. In this case, the upper end of the side wall portion 36 may be a thin plate-like member that extends further outward, or may be a thick member or the like that forms a flat surface. In this embodiment, each of the longitudinal side walls 36x is made of a thin plate-like member, and the upper end portion thereof does not have a flat surface, whereas each of the width direction side walls 36y is made of a thick member, and the upper end portion thereof has a flat surface having a predetermined area.

[0024] The length of the tray 30 in the longitudinal direction X of this embodiment is smaller than the length of the pet toilet 1 in the longitudinal direction X. Moreover, the length of the tray 30 in the width direction Y of this embodiment is approximately the same as the length of the pet toilet 1 in the width direction Y. Moreover, the planar dimension of the bottom 35 of the tray 30 in this embodiment is formed to be larger than the planar dimension of the liquid-passing portion 21 of the partition portion 20.

[0025] The tray 30 can be stored in the lower part 10B of the toilet body 10 along the insertion / removal direction Y1. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the longitudinal direction X of the tray 30 and the longitudinal direction X of the pet toilet are arranged in agreement with each other, and the insertion / removal direction Y1 of the tray 30 coincides with the width direction Y of the tray 30 and also coincides with the width direction Y of the pet toilet 1. This configuration makes it possible to shorten the distance by which the tray is pulled out when checking the presence of urine or when disposing of urine, and makes it easy to check and dispose of excrement when the tray is pulled out.

[0026] Returning to the explanation of the partition section 20, it is preferable that the lengths of the liquid-passing sections 21 and the liquid-non-passing sections 22 in the partition section 20 along the longitudinal direction X have a predetermined relationship. 4, in a plan view of the partition 20, it is preferable that a total length T2, which is the sum of lengths Ta, Tb along the longitudinal direction X of the non-passing portion 22 located on the longitudinal outer side of the passing portion 21, is longer than a length T1 along the longitudinal direction X of the passing portion 21. With this configuration, even if the pet toilet is enlarged in size by increasing the dimensions of the pet toilet in the longitudinal direction X to ensure sufficient space for pet excretion, the distance that the tray 30 needs to be pulled out when checking the presence of urine or when disposing of urine can be shortened, making it easier to pull out the tray and facilitating checking and disposing of excrement on the tray.

[0027] 4, in a plan view, the lengths Ta, Tb of the liquid-non-passing portion 22 along the longitudinal direction X refer to the maximum lengths from one or the other outer edges 20f, 20g in the longitudinal direction X of the partition portion 20 to one or the other side edges 21f, 21g in the longitudinal direction X of the liquid-passing portion 21 in the liquid-non-passing portion 22 when the position where the liquid-passing portion 21 of the partition portion 20 exists is viewed along the longitudinal direction X. Therefore, the total length T2 of the liquid-non-passing portion 22 along the longitudinal direction X may be calculated by subtracting the length T1 of the liquid-passing portion 21 along the longitudinal direction X from the length (total length) of the partition portion 20 along the longitudinal direction X.

[0028] From the viewpoint of achieving both an improvement in the efficiency of passing excreted urine downward and an improvement in the efficiency of guiding the pet to the central area of ​​the toilet, the length T1 in the longitudinal direction X of the liquid passage section 21 is preferably 200 mm or more, more preferably 250 mm or more, even more preferably 300 mm or more, and is preferably 800 mm or less, more preferably 600 mm or less, even more preferably 400 mm or less.

[0029] The total length T2 of the liquid impermeable portion 22 along the longitudinal direction X is preferably 210 mm or more, more preferably 260 mm or more, and even more preferably 350 mm or more, and is preferably 810 mm or less, more preferably 700 mm or less, and even more preferably 600 mm or less. By having the total length T2 in such a range, it is possible to ensure a space where even a pet with a large head and body length can excrete freely.

[0030] The length Ta of one side of the non-passing portion 22 along the longitudinal direction X can be changed as appropriate according to the position and shape of the liquid passing portion 21, but is preferably 60 mm or more, more preferably 100 mm or more, even more preferably 140 mm or more, and is preferably 550 mm or less, more preferably 450 mm or less, and even more preferably 350 mm or less. The length Tb of the other side of the non-passing portion 22 along the longitudinal direction X is preferably in the same range as the above-mentioned length Ta, provided that the above-mentioned total length T2 is satisfied. By setting the lengths Ta and Tb in such ranges, a space can be secured in which even a pet with a large head and body length can excrete freely.

[0031] The pet toilet having the above configuration has a generally rectangular shape in plan view that is long in one direction, the tray is inserted and removed in the same direction as the width, and the total longitudinal length T2 of the liquid-impermeable sections 22 is greater than the longitudinal length T1 of the liquid-permeable sections 21, so the pulling distance required to check and dispose of urine and other waste can be reduced, making the tray easier to pull out, improving visibility inside the tray, and improving convenience when checking and disposing of waste. This is advantageous because even if the dimensions of the pet toilet are designed to be large for pets with large head and body lengths, it is less likely to affect the ease of pulling out the tray. In addition, the pet can excrete in a comfortable position along the longitudinal direction of the pet toilet without having to turn its body or bend its body in the toilet, and sufficient excretion space is ensured.

[0032] 4, in the partition section 20, it is preferable that the length T5 along the width direction Y of the liquid-passing section 21 is longer than the total length T6 which is the sum of the lengths Tc, Td along the width direction Y of the liquid-non-passing sections 22 located on the width direction outer side of the liquid-passing section 21. With this configuration, the distance by which the tray 30 is pulled out can be shortened when checking the presence of urine or when disposing of urine, while a urine passage path is sufficiently secured, making it easier to pull out the tray and to check and dispose of excrement on the tray.

[0033] 4, each of the lengths Tc, Td of the liquid non-passing portion 22 along the width direction Y means a maximum length along the width direction Y from one or the other outer edge 20m, 20n in the width direction Y of the partition portion 20 in the liquid non-passing portion 22 to one or the other side edge 21m, 21n in the width direction Y of the liquid passing portion 21 when the position where the liquid passing portion 21 of the partition portion 20 exists is viewed along the width direction Y. Therefore, the total length T6 of the liquid non-passing portion 22 along the width direction Y may be calculated by subtracting the length T5 of the liquid passing portion 21 along the width direction Y from the length (total length) of the partition portion 20 along the width direction Y.

[0034] In order to achieve both an improved efficiency in guiding a pet to the central area of ​​the toilet and an improved efficiency in passing excreted urine downward, the length T5 along the width direction Y of the liquid passage section 21 is preferably 100 mm or more, more preferably 150 mm or more, even more preferably 200 mm or more, and is preferably 600 mm or less, more preferably 450 mm or less, even more preferably 300 mm or less.

[0035] The total length T6 of the liquid-impermeable portion 22 along the width direction Y is preferably 40 mm or more, more preferably 70 mm or more, and even more preferably 100 mm or more, and is preferably 500 mm or less, more preferably 350 mm or less, and even more preferably 250 mm or less. By having the total length T6 in such a range, the distance that the tray needs to be pulled out when disposing of excrement can be shortened while ensuring the space required for pet excrement, and the distance that the tray needs to be pulled out when checking for the presence or absence of excrement in the tray can also be shortened, reducing the effort required for checking.

[0036] The length Tc of one side of the liquid-impermeable portion 22 along the width direction Y can be changed as appropriate according to the position and shape of the liquid-permeable portion 21, but is preferably 20 mm or more, more preferably 50 mm or more, and preferably 250 mm or less, more preferably 125 mm or less. The length Td of the other side of the liquid-impermeable portion 22 along the width direction Y is also preferably in the same range as the above-mentioned length Tc, provided that the above-mentioned total length T6 is satisfied. By setting the lengths Tc and Td in such a range, the distance that the tray is pulled out when disposing of excrement can be shortened while securing the space required for the pet to excrete, and the distance that the tray is pulled out when checking whether or not there is excrement in the tray can also be shortened, reducing the effort required for checking.

[0037] When the planar dimensions of the tray 30 are larger than those of the liquid passage section 21, as shown in Fig. 5, it is preferable that the length T1 of the liquid passage section 21 along the longitudinal direction X is longer than the total length T7, which is the sum of the lengths L3, L4 along the longitudinal direction X from the longitudinal side edges 21f, 21g of the liquid passage section 21 to the longitudinal side edges 30f, 30g of the tray 30, when viewed in plan in the stored state of the tray 30. In this case, it is also preferable that the entire area of ​​the liquid passage section 21 is positioned within the planar area of ​​the tray 30. With this configuration, it is possible to ensure a sufficiently large urine accumulation area by the tray 30 while maintaining the ease of pulling out the tray 30.

[0038] From the viewpoint of facilitating accumulation of urine that has passed through the partition 20 in the tray and making it easier to treat or collect the urine, it is preferable that, in a plan view, the length L1 along the longitudinal direction X of the tray 30 is greater than the length T1 along the longitudinal direction X of the liquid-passing section 21. From a similar viewpoint, it is preferable that the length L2 along the width direction Y of the tray 30 is greater than the length T5 along the width direction Y of the liquid-passing section 21. From a similar viewpoint, it is also preferable that the area of ​​the tray 30 in a plan view is equal to or greater than the area of ​​the liquid-passing section 21 in the partition 20 in a plan view and is smaller than the area of ​​the pet toilet 1 in a plan view.

[0039] As described above, the tray 30 in this embodiment has a pair of width-direction side walls 36y extending in the longitudinal direction X. In this case, in a plan view, it is preferable that the length T5 of the liquid-passing portion 21 along the width direction Y is longer than the total length T9, which is the sum of the lengths L5, L5 of the width-direction side walls 36y along the width direction Y. With this configuration, even if urine remaining in the liquid-passing portion falls as droplets while the tray is being pulled out, such as when the tray is pulled out immediately after urination, the total width-direction length T9 of the width-direction side walls is short, so that the possibility of urine falling onto the width-direction side walls can be reduced. As a result, unintended parts of the tray are less likely to be soiled with urine, and cleanliness can be maintained well. In addition, the tray can be pulled out a shorter distance when checking for the presence or absence of excrement on the tray, reducing the effort required for checking.

[0040] The total length T9 of the pair of width-direction side walls 36y along the width direction Y is preferably 10 mm or more, more preferably 30 mm or more, and even more preferably 50 mm or more, and is preferably 200 mm or less, more preferably 160 mm or less, and even more preferably 120 mm or less. By having the total length T9 in such a range, even if urine remaining in the liquid passage falls as droplets while the tray is being pulled out, such as when the tray is pulled out immediately after urination, the total width-direction length T9 of the width-direction side walls is short, so that the possibility of urine falling onto the width-direction side walls can be reduced, and as a result, unintended parts of the tray are less likely to be soiled with urine, and cleanliness can be maintained well. In addition, the tray can be pulled out a shorter distance when checking for the presence or absence of excrement on the tray, reducing the effort required for checking.

[0041] The length L5 of the width direction side wall portion 36y along the width direction Y is preferably 5 mm or more, more preferably 15 mm or more, and even more preferably 25 mm or more, and is preferably 100 mm or less, more preferably 80 mm or less, and even more preferably 60 mm or less. By setting the length L5 within such a range, even if urine remaining in the liquid passage portion falls as droplets while the tray is being pulled out, such as when the tray is pulled out immediately after urination, the total width direction length T9 of the width direction side wall portions is short, so that the possibility of urine falling onto the width direction side wall portions can be reduced, and as a result, unintended parts of the tray are less likely to be soiled with urine, and cleanliness can be maintained well. In addition, the tray can be pulled out a shorter distance when checking for the presence or absence of excrement on the tray, reducing the effort required for checking.

[0042] The length L5 is based on the maximum length from the outer surface to the inner surface of one widthwise side wall 36y to be measured along the width direction Y. The length L5 of one widthwise side wall 36y and the length L5 of the other widthwise side wall 36y may be the same or different within the above-mentioned preferred range and within the range that satisfies the total length T9.

[0043] In the stored state of the tray 30, it is preferable that the bottom surface, which is the lower surface of the bottom 35 of the tray 30, and the upper surface of the bottom 3S of the bottom forming part 3 of the toilet body 10 are configured to be in contact with each other. In other words, when the pet toilet 1 is placed on a predetermined placement surface such as a floor surface, it is preferable that the tray 30 is placed via the bottom forming part 3 of the toilet body 10. With this configuration, even if the floor surface on which the pet toilet 1 is placed is not flat, the tray 30 can be pulled out well without affecting the ease of pulling out the tray 30. From the same viewpoint, it is preferable that the contact surfaces between the lower surface of the bottom 35 of the tray 30 and the upper surface of the bottom 3S of the toilet body 10 are flat, but as long as the effect of the ease of pulling out is achieved, it is not prevented that a concave or convex part is arranged on each of the above-mentioned contact surfaces.

[0044] From the viewpoint of making it easy to pull out the stored tray 30 from the toilet body 10, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the tray 30 is preferably provided with a handle portion 31 for hooking fingers from below at least on the front end Yf ​​side in the pulling-out direction Y2, and more preferably on each of the front end Yf ​​side and the rear end Yr side in the pulling-out direction Y2. The pulling-out direction Y2 in this embodiment coincides with the direction along the width direction Y. The handle portion 31 in this embodiment is provided on the width direction side wall portion 36y of the tray 30.

[0045] From the viewpoint of allowing easy storage without having to worry about the orientation of the tray 30 when stored, it is also preferable that the tray 30 has a shape that is line-symmetrical about an axis of symmetry that bisects the width direction Y and extends in the longitudinal direction X in a plan view. From the same viewpoint, it is also preferable that the tray 30 has a shape that is point-symmetrical about its centroid in a plan view. The tray 30 having such a shape in a plan view is advantageous in that, for example, when a urine absorber is stored in the tray and used as described later, even if the urination position becomes biased, the orientation of the urine absorber can be changed without directly touching the urine absorber, allowing the urine absorber to be used effectively over a wide range.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the length of the tray 30 in the longitudinal direction X is smaller than the length of the pet toilet 1 in the longitudinal direction X. As shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the corner 30e of the tray 30 at the intersection of the longitudinal side wall 36x and the width direction side wall 36y does not coincide with the corner 10e of the toilet body 10 in plan view. With this configuration, the shape of the corner of the tray can be configured and used to have a predetermined function, regardless of the shape of the corner of the toilet body. As a specific example, the degree of curvature of the outline in the plan view shape of the corner of the tray can be made smaller than the shape of the corner of the toilet body in plan view, and a spout 39 described later can be provided to protrude outward, making it easier to pour urine into other members. This allows the excreted urine to be collected or removed without contacting the pet owner's fingers or other members, so that useful functions can be realized, such as urine collection for urine testing without substantially changing the composition of the urine, and cleaning and removal of urine while maintaining the cleanliness of the surrounding environment and the owner.

[0047] It is preferable that the tray 30 is provided with a spout 39 in at least one corner 30e. By tilting the tray 30 in the direction in which the spout 39 is located, liquid excrement such as urine can be poured out from the spout without leakage. From the viewpoint of increasing the convenience of pouring out the stored liquid excrement such as urine, it is preferable that the tray 30 is provided with a spout 39 in each corner 30e as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The spout 39 can be formed, for example, by providing each side wall portion 36x, 36y so as to be inclined outward, or by providing an inclined wall portion that forms the inner surface of the tray in addition to the side wall portions 36x, 36y. The spout 39 having the latter form can also adopt the form described in JP 2020-80703 A, for example.

[0048] In a plan view of the tray 30, the upper end of the spout 39 preferably coincides with the corner 30e of the tray 30, and is also preferably located on the outer periphery of the tray 30. This configuration can improve the overall appearance of the tray and also allows urine to be smoothly poured out from the upper end of the spout.

[0049] From the viewpoint of improving drainage of urine when collected from the spout and effectively preventing urine from unintentionally flowing onto the outer surface of the side wall of the tray, it is preferable that tray 30 is provided with a flange extending outward in the horizontal direction (XY plane direction) of the outer periphery of tray 30 in a plan view (not shown). In this case, it is also preferable that the flange is a plate-shaped member, and is formed along the outer periphery of tray 30 and formed so as to extend from the upper end in the height direction Z. From the same viewpoint, it is also preferable that the flange is formed at least on the upper end of spout 39.

[0050] When a flange is provided, it preferably extends horizontally (in the XY plane) from the outer periphery of the tray 30 by 1 mm or more, more preferably by 1.5 mm or more, and preferably by 5 mm or less, and more preferably by 4 mm or less. These dimensions allow for good drainage of urine at the spout.

[0051] The external dimensions of the pet toilet 1 can be appropriately selected depending on the head and body length of the target pet and the size of the excrement treatment material P, but the length in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 610 mm or more, more preferably 660 mm or more, and preferably 1250 mm or less, more preferably 1200 mm or less. Similarly, the length in the width direction Y of the outer dimensions of the pet toilet 1 is preferably 210 mm or more, more preferably 260 mm or more, and is preferably 650 mm or less, more preferably 550 mm or less. Similarly, the height (length in the height direction Z) of the outer dimensions of the pet toilet 1 is preferably 75 mm or more, more preferably 125 mm or more, and is preferably 500 mm or less, more preferably 430 mm or less.

[0052] The head and body length of a pet for which the pet toilet 1 can be suitably used depends on the species of animal, but from the viewpoint of efficiently guiding the pet to the central area of ​​the toilet when excreting and of achieving space saving in the placement position of the pet toilet 1, it is preferably 400 mm or more, more preferably 450 mm or more, and preferably 1000 mm or less, more preferably 800 mm or less.

[0053] In order to balance ease of entry and exit for pets with large head and body lengths and securing space for the pet to excrete, it is preferable that the length of the longitudinal direction X of the storage section 10C be set to a length that is 120% or more and 200% or less of the pet's head and body length.

[0054] From the viewpoint of reducing leakage of the excrement treatment material P caused by the movement of the pet in the pet toilet 1 and allowing the pet to excrete in peace without worrying about the surroundings, it is preferable that a guide wall 2 is further formed on the upper part of the toilet body 10 as shown in Fig. 6. The guide wall 2 shown in the figure constitutes a part of the toilet body 10 and is arranged so as to surround the storage part 10C at a position above the storage part 10C in the upper part 10A. As a result, a pet excretion space surrounded by the guide wall 2 is formed in the space above the storage part 10C. The expression "surrounding" also includes a case where an entrance 2E described later is formed in the guide wall 2, so that there is a part of the periphery without a wall.

[0055] The guide wall 2 shown in Fig. 6 preferably has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view having a longitudinal direction X and a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, similar to the shape of the pet toilet 1 in plan view. In addition, as shown in Fig. 6, it is also preferable that each longitudinal direction X of the guide wall 2 and the longitudinal direction X of the pet toilet 1 are aligned. When the toilet body 10 further includes the guide wall portion 2, the guide wall portion 2 and the bottom forming portion 3 that constitute the toilet body 10 together form the outer shape of the pet toilet 1. The guide wall portion 2 has chamfered corners in its substantially rectangular shape in plan view.

[0056] The guide wall 2 shown in Fig. 6 has a shape with both the upper and lower surfaces open, and can be held on the upper part of the bottom forming part 3 by being placed or fitted from above the partition part 20 arranged on top of the bottom forming part 3. At this time, the guide wall part 2 is arranged around the upper part of the storage part 10C for excrement treatment material P formed by the partition part 20. The bottom forming part 3, the partition part 20 and the guide wall part 2 are each arranged so as to be freely attached and detached.

[0057] The guide wall 2 in this embodiment has an outer surface of the guide wall that constitutes a part of the outer surface of the pet toilet 1, and an inner surface of the guide wall 2 that faces the pet during excretion. The guide wall 2 extends in the height direction Z to separate the outside world from the inside of the toilet 1. The guide wall 2 has a predetermined thickness, which may be constant from the lower part to the upper part of the guide wall 2, or may gradually decrease upward. In the latter case, the outer wall surface of the guide wall 2 is inclined inwardly as it goes upward, while the inner wall surface from the upper part to the lower part may face the height direction Z or may be inclined inwardly as it goes upward. The guide wall 2 may be solid or hollow inside.

[0058] An entrance 2E is formed by cutting out a part of the guide wall 2. The entrance 2E is a portion that serves as an entrance for a pet, formed to allow a pet to easily enter and exit the pet toilet 1 when the pet toilet 1 is in use.

[0059] When the guide wall 2 in the pet toilet 1 is viewed from above, the entrance 2E is preferably provided at a location located at at least one corner of the rectangular shape of the guide wall 2 so as to straddle the corner, and more preferably provided at each of two corners located at both ends of one long side of the rectangular shape. When the entrance 2E is formed so as to straddle the corner, the entrance 2E is defined by cutting out a part of the wall 2x along the longitudinal direction X of the guide wall 2 and a part of the wall 2y along the width direction Y. This makes it easier to guide the pet into the toilet even if the guide wall 2 on the side not having the entrance 2E is placed close to the wall surface of the installation location of the pet toilet, such as indoors, and also makes it easier for the pet to enter and exit the toilet without becoming cramped.

[0060] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the material of each component of the pet toilet 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is corrosion-resistant. In terms of light weight, ease of handling, and good moldability, it is preferable to use a material integrally molded from a general-purpose synthetic resin such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, vinyl chloride, or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). It is more preferable to use a material whose surface is treated with a water-repellent or antibacterial treatment for each component of the pet toilet 1. To manufacture the pet toilet 1 having the above-mentioned configuration, for example, the partition part 20, the bottom forming part 3, the tray 30, and the guide wall part 2, if necessary, may be integrally molded independently from the above-mentioned resin, and these may be assembled by placing or storing them in a predetermined position.

[0061] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the excrement treatment material P may be, for example, a material used in the technical field as cat litter or toilet litter, without any particular limitation. As the excrement treatment material P, preferably, there may be mentioned a molded product containing one or more of the following components: wood flour obtained by crushing coniferous trees such as those of the cedar family, the pinaceae family, or the cypress family, crushed plant-derived materials such as pulp, a binder, minerals such as zeolite, salts such as zinc oxide, and glass. As the binder, any binder may be used without any particular limitation as long as it can solidify the crushed plant-derived materials and the components contained therein as necessary into granules, and for example, a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene may be used.

[0062] The excrement treatment material P may be a granular material having a shape such as a cylinder, a sphere, a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, etc. When collecting urine as a sample for a urine test, it is preferable to use an excrement treatment material P made of a material that does not affect or has little effect on the composition and characteristics of urine, from the viewpoint of improving the reliability of the urine test. It is also preferable to use a material that does not collapse in the presence of moisture when forming the excrement treatment material P.

[0063] A preferred embodiment of the method of using the pet toilet 1 described above will be described below. First, the tray 30 is accommodated in the lower layer portion 10B of the toilet body 10. Preferably, the partition portion 20 is placed on the bottom forming portion 3 to form the storage portion 10C on the partition portion 20. Preferably, an appropriate amount of granular excrement treatment material P is placed on the upper surface of the partition portion 20 to form a toilet bed for the pet toilet 1. After that, if necessary, the guide wall portion 2 is placed on the bottom forming portion 3 to be arranged above the storage portion 10C formed in the upper layer portion 10A. If necessary, a urine absorbent such as a urine absorbent sheet may be accommodated on the upper surface of the bottom 35 of the tray 30.

[0064] In this state, the pet enters the upper part 10A of the pet toilet 1 and excretes. Urine excreted by the pet passes through the liquid passage part 21 in the partition part 20 and flows down to the lower part 10B. Urine that flows down to the lower part 10B accumulates on the tray 30 or is absorbed and collected by the urine absorbent in the tray 30. Feces excreted by the pet remains on the upper part of the partition part 20 or on the excrement treatment material P. When cleaning up the pet excrement, the partition part 20 and the tray 30 can be washed, and the excrement treatment material P and the urine absorbent can be replaced with unused ones. As the urine absorbent, for example, a raw material containing one or more components such as pulp fiber, clay mineral material, polymer absorbent material, etc., formed into a sheet or plate shape can be used. When using urine excreted by a pet as a specimen for a urine test, etc., it is preferable to store nothing in the tray 30 from the viewpoint of facilitating collection of the excreted urine. When using urine excreted by a pet as a specimen for a urine test, etc., it may be collected using, for example, a urine collection set described in JP 2020-80788 A instead of the tray 30.

[0065] Although the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, although the liquid passage portion 21 has been described as having a rectangular shape in plan view, the corners of the liquid passage portion 21 in plan view may be chamfered as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved.

[0066] Further, although only one tray 30 is provided in this embodiment, a plurality of trays 30 may be accommodated as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved.

[0067] When the guide wall portion 2 is provided and an entrance 2E is formed, the entrance 2E may be provided only in a corner located at one end of one of the long sides of the rectangular shape of the pet toilet in plan view. Alternatively, the entrance 2E may be provided only in two corners located at both ends of the diagonal line of the rectangle, or may be provided in all corners of the guide wall portion 2. Furthermore, when the guide wall portion 2 is provided, a part or the entire area of ​​its upper surface may be covered and formed into a dome shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Pet toilet 10 Toilet body 10A upper part 10B Lower part 10C Storage section 20 Partition 21 Liquid passage part 22 Non-liquid passage area P Excrement treatment material X Longitudinal direction Y Width direction Z height direction

Claims

1. A pet toilet having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view having a longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the length along the longitudinal direction being longer than the length along the width direction, The pet toilet comprises a toilet body, a partition that divides the toilet body into an upper part and a lower part, and a tray that is accommodated in the lower part so as to be removable from the toilet body; The toilet body includes a storage section for storing excrement treating materials, and a guide wall section disposed above the storage section so as to surround the storage section, The guide wall portion has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view having a longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the length along the longitudinal direction is longer than the length along the width direction, and the longitudinal direction of the guide wall portion coincides with the longitudinal direction of the pet toilet, the partition portion has a liquid-passing portion through which urine can pass, and a liquid-impermeable portion that is located around the liquid-passing portion and through which urine cannot pass, The liquid passage portion has a generally rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in a plan view, and the longitudinal direction of the liquid passage portion and the longitudinal direction of the pet toilet coincide with each other, In a plan view, a total length along the longitudinal direction of the liquid non-passing portion located outside the liquid passing portion in the longitudinal direction is longer than a length along the longitudinal direction of the liquid passing portion; The tray has a longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in a plan view, and has a generally rectangular shape in which the length along the longitudinal direction is longer than the length along the width direction; The longitudinal direction of the pet toilet coincides with the longitudinal direction of the tray, In the guide wall portion, a pet entrance is formed at two corners located at both ends of one long side of the rectangular shape in a plan view, the corners being defined by cutting out a part of the wall portion along the longitudinal direction and a part of the wall portion along the width direction, so as to straddle the corners, The direction in which the tray is inserted and removed coincides with the width direction of the tray, The tray is accommodated in the toilet body so as to be removable from the toilet body on the side of the guide wall portion along the longitudinal direction on which the entrance is formed.

2. In a plan view, a length of the tray along a longitudinal direction is greater than a length of the liquid passing portion along the longitudinal direction, The pet toilet of claim 1, wherein when viewed in a plane in the stored state of the tray, the length along the longitudinal direction of the liquid-passing portion is longer than the total length along the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal side edge of the liquid-passing portion to the longitudinal side edge of the tray.

3. The pet toilet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length along the width direction of the liquid-passing portion is longer than the total length along the width direction of the pet toilet of the non-liquid-passing portions located widthwise outside of the liquid-passing portion.

4. The tray has a side wall extending in the longitudinal direction, The pet toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, in a plan view, a length of the liquid passage portion along the width direction is longer than a total length of the side wall portions along the width direction.

5. The tray can be inserted and removed through an opening formed on one long side of the toilet body, The pet toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a bottom surface of the tray is in contact with a bottom surface of the toilet body when the tray is in a stored state.

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