Animal toilets and animal toilet sets

Abstract

To provide: an animal toilet that is easy to assemble, easy to clean, and excellent in designability; and an animal toilet set.SOLUTION: An animal toilet 10 comprises: a toilet body 3; and a hood cover 4 capable of being developed into a dome shape at a closed position where an opening part 3a of the toilet body 3 is covered, and capable of being stored at an open position where the opening part 3a is fully open. The hood cover 4 comprises fixed members 50L and 50R, and rotary members 60L and 60R. The fixed members 50L and 50R are fitted to an edge of the opening part 3a of the toilet body 3. The fixed members 50L and 50R comprise holding holes 52 for holding and fixing end parts of a first hood skeleton 42a of the hood cover 4 arranged at the open position. The rotary members 60L and 60R comprise: hook parts 64 rotatably engaged with the fixed members 50L and 50R; and holding holes 62 for holding and fixing end parts of a fourth hood skeleton 42d.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an animal litter box and an animal litter box set for use by animals such as cats. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a pet toilet disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, is known as a cat toilet. The pet toilet in Patent Document 1 has a container-shaped toilet body and a hood body that covers the upper opening of the toilet body in a dome shape. The hood body has a fixed hood that is fixed to the toilet body and a movable hood that is slidable relative to the fixed hood. The toilet body, fixed hood, and movable hood are made of synthetic resin, which has good moldability.

[0003] The movable hood has a pair of support parts that respectively engage with a pair of slide grooves in the fixed hood. Each support part has a shaft part that passes through the movable hood and fitting members that fit onto both ends of the shaft part. When attaching the movable hood to the fixed hood, the shaft part that passes through the movable hood is inserted into the slide grooves in the fixed hood, and fitting members are attached to both ends of the shaft part.

[0004] The support part is slid along the slide groove, and the movable hood is opened and placed over the fixed hood, opening the opening of the toilet body. This allows the movable hood to be opened to clean the inside of the toilet body without removing the hood body from the toilet body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-103456 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the pet toilet of Patent Document 1, the front side of the opening of the toilet body can be opened by fully opening the movable hood. However, even if the movable hood is fully opened, the rear side of the opening of the toilet body, which is equipped with a fixed hood, cannot be opened. For this reason, the pet toilet of Patent Document 1 makes it difficult to clean the inside of the rear part of the toilet body and the fixed hood.

[0007] Furthermore, when attaching the movable hood to the fixed hood, the pet toilet of Patent Document 1 requires that the shaft of the support part be passed through the slide groove and fitting members be attached to both ends of the shaft, making assembly time-consuming.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide an animal litter box and an animal litter box set that are easy to assemble, easy to clean, and have an excellent design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of the animal litter box of the present invention comprises a container-shaped litter box body for receiving animal waste, and a canopy cover that can be expanded into a dome-like shape to a closed position that covers the opening of the litter box body, and can be stored in an open position that fully opens the opening. The canopy cover has a fitting portion that fits onto the edge of the opening of the litter box body, and a first canopy bone of the canopy cover. Overlap the outside edge A fixing member integrally provided with a first holding portion that holds and fixes the end of the first hood bone when the hood cover is placed in the open position, an engaging portion that is rotatably engaged with the fixing member, and an opening portion opposite to the open position when the hood cover is deployed to the closed position. Fate On the outside Layered The rotating member has an integral second holding portion that holds and fixes the end of a hood bone other than the first hood bone that can be arranged. The gap between the edge and another hood bone placed on the outside of the edge on the opposite side from the open position is larger than the gap between the first hood bone placed on the outside of the edge in the open position and the edge. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an animal litter box and an animal litter box set that are easy to assemble, easy to clean, and have an excellent design. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an animal litter box according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the animal litter box of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the animal litter box of FIG. 1 taken along line F3-F3. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the animal litter box of FIG. 1 taken along line F4-F4. [Figure 5] 5 is a partially enlarged plan view of the right support part of the animal litter box of FIG. 1, viewed from above. [Figure 6] 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the frontmost canopy bone and its surrounding members of the animal litter box of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the right fixing member in FIG. 6 as seen obliquely from behind. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view of the fixing member of FIG. 7 as seen obliquely from the front. [Figure 9] 9 is a perspective view of the right fitting groove of the upper container of FIG. 2, as viewed obliquely from the front right side. [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view of the fitting groove of FIG. 9 as seen obliquely from the front left. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the fitting groove of FIG. 9 as seen obliquely from below. [Figure 12] 12 is a perspective view showing a scoop attached to the animal litter box of FIG. 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the animal litter box 10 according to this embodiment has a container-shaped litter box body 3 and a hood cover 4. The hood cover 4 has a pair of left and right support parts 6L, 6R on the lower edge on the litter box body 3 side. The pair of support parts 6L, 6R removably attach the hood cover 4 to the litter box body 3. In the following explanation, the direction of arrow F in Figure 1 is defined as the front, and the direction of the opposite arrow R is defined as the rear, and the up, down, left and right directions are defined when the animal litter box 10 is viewed from the front (left side in the figure).

[0013] When deployed in the closed position shown in the figure, the canopy cover 4 forms a dome-like shape over the opening 3a of the toilet body 3. When stored in the open position (not shown), which will be described later, the canopy cover 4 fully opens the opening 3a of the toilet body 3. In this specification and claims, the term "dome-shaped" refers to a shape in which the canopy cover 4 bulges upward away from the toilet body 3 in order to make the internal space of the canopy cover 4 a relatively large space for an animal to enter.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the canopy cover 4 includes a canopy bone 42a fixed at both ends by a pair of supports 6L, 6R, a canopy bone 42d rotatable about the pair of supports 6L, 6R, two canopy bones 42b, 42c separated from the pair of supports 6L, 6R, and a canopy cloth 44 to which the four canopy bones 42a, 42b, 42c, 42d are sewn in predetermined positions. The rearmost canopy bone 42a is fixedly positioned overlapping the outside of the upper edge of the rear side of the toilet body 3. The opening degree of the canopy cover 4 can be adjusted by rotating the other three canopy bones 42b, 42c, 42d about the supports 6L, 6R.

[0015] The canopy cover 4 can be deployed to the closed position by rotating the canopy bones 42b, 42c, 42d from rear to front about the pair of support parts 6L, 6R, and overlapping the frontmost canopy bone 42d with the outside of the front upper edge of the toilet body 3. The canopy cover 4 can also be stored in the open position, displaced to the rear of the toilet body 3, by rotating the canopy bones 42b, 42c, 42d from front to rear about the pair of support parts 6L, 6R, and placing the frontmost canopy bone 42d in a position displaced to the rear of the toilet body 3.

[0016] The open position in which the canopy cover 4 is stored is below the opening 3a at the rear of the litter box body 3. The canopy cover 4 is stored in the open position in a folded state. Therefore, even without removing the canopy cover 4 from the litter box body 3, the opening 3a of the animal litter box 10 can be fully opened with the canopy cover 4 stored in the open position, making it easy to clean the inside of the litter box body 3.

[0017] When the canopy cover 4 is deployed to the closed position as shown in Figure 1, the animal litter box 10 has an entrance / exit 4a on the front surface of the canopy cover 4 opposite the open position that is large enough to allow animals to enter and exit. The entrance / exit 4a is a hole provided in the canopy cover 4, and when the canopy cover 4 is deployed to the closed position, it allows animals to enter and exit the animal litter box 10. When the canopy cover 4 is stored in the open position, the entrance / exit 4a is also stored in the open position.

[0018] This animal litter box 10 can be used as a toilet for relatively small animals such as cats kept at home. Here, the animal litter box 10 of this embodiment will be described as being used by cats, but other animals such as small dogs may also use the animal litter box 10 of this embodiment.

[0019] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the animal litter box 10. Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the animal litter box 10 taken along line F3-F3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the animal litter box 10 taken along line F4-F4 in Fig. 1. The canopy cloth 44 is not shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the litter box body 3 includes a lower container 1, an upper container 2, a urine tray 5, and a urine return tray 7.

[0020] The lower container 1 integrally comprises a generally rectangular bottom 12 that is long from front to back, and a cylindrical peripheral wall 14 that extends smoothly upward from the outer periphery of the bottom 12. The ridges and corners between the bottom 12 and the peripheral wall 14 are gently curved. The lower container 1 is made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

[0021] The bottom 12 has a generally rectangular opening 11 in the center that is long from front to back. The opening 11 is formed to be slightly smaller than the urine tray 5, which will be described later. Therefore, when the urine tray 5 is placed on the upper surface 12a of the bottom 12 of the lower container 1, the opening 11 is covered by the urine tray 5. The periphery of the opening 11 is formed in a curved shape with no corners. A ring-shaped reinforcing rib 11a of a predetermined width (see Figures 2 and 3) is provided on the outside of the opening 11, causing the bottom 12 to partially protrude upward.

[0022] 3 and 4, an annular outer convex portion 17 and an annular inner convex portion 18 are provided on the lower surface 12b side of the bottom portion 12. The outer convex portion 17 is provided at a position spaced apart from the periphery of the opening hole 11 to the outside of the opening hole 11 by the amount of the reinforcing rib 11a. The outer convex portion 17 is provided integrally with the lower surface 12b of the bottom portion 12 and protrudes downward.

[0023] The inner convex portion 18 is provided integrally and protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 11. In other words, the inner convex portion 18 has a shape in which the periphery of the opening 11 is bent downward at a substantially right angle. In yet other words, the inner convex portion 18 is provided in an annular shape along the inner periphery of the reinforcing rib 11a that protrudes toward the upper surface 12a of the bottom 12, and the outer convex portion 17 is provided in an annular shape along the outer periphery of the reinforcing rib 11a.

[0024] The outer convex portion 17 and the inner convex portion 18 protrude from the underside 12b of the bottom 12 to approximately the same height, and the protruding tip of the outer convex portion 17 and the protruding tip of the inner convex portion 18 are arranged in the same imaginary plane. Therefore, when the animal litter box 10 is placed on the floor, the entire weight of the animal litter box 10 is applied to the floor surface via the outer convex portion 17 and the inner convex portion 18. The inner convex portion 18 is provided so that the user's fingers will not be injured by the periphery of the opening 11 when they come into contact with the periphery of the opening 11.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 3, two left and right guide plates 13L, 13R extending in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the lower container 1, and two left and right support rails 19 are integrally provided on the upper surface 12a side of the bottom 12. The two guide plates 13L, 13R have approximately the same structure, and the two support rails 19 also have approximately the same structure. Fig. 3 shows only the structure on the right side (guide plate 13R, support rail 19) as a representative example.

[0026] The guide plates 13L, 13R are erected substantially vertically upward from the upper surface 12a of the bottom 12, and are inclined so that the distance between them gradually increases from the rear to the front of the lower container 1. The guide plates 13L, 13R guide both the left and right sides of the urine tray 5 when the urine tray 5 is inserted through an insertion / removal opening 16 (described later) of the lower container 1. That is, as shown in Figure 3, when the urine tray 5 is placed on the upper surface 12a of the bottom 12 of the lower container 1, the left and right ends of the urine tray 5 are close to the inner surfaces of the guide plates 13L, 13R with a small gap between them.

[0027] The support rail 19 is provided approximately vertically upward from the upper surface 12a of the bottom portion 12, inside the pair of guide plates 13L, 13R along the short direction of the lower container 1. The upper end of the support rail 19 is disposed on an imaginary horizontal plane, and is able to slidably support the lower surface of the urine tray 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the support rail 19 is provided in a position that overlaps exactly above the outer protrusion 17 provided on the lower surface 12b of the lower container 1. In other words, the support rail 19 is provided along the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing rib 11a that protrudes toward the upper surface 12a of the bottom portion 12.

[0028] The peripheral wall 14 of the lower container 1 is formed in a generally square tubular shape that widens slightly upward from the outer periphery of the bottom 12. The peripheral wall 14 has an annular folded portion 15 around the entire periphery of its upper edge. The folded portion 15 is formed by folding the upper edge of the peripheral wall 14 outward by approximately 180° along its entire length, resulting in a generally U-shaped cross section. An insertion / removal opening 16 for inserting and removing the urine tray 5 is provided in the peripheral wall 14 at the front of the lower container 1.

[0029] The upper container 2 integrally comprises a generally rectangular bottom 22 that is long in the front-to-rear direction, a cylindrical peripheral wall 24 that gently curves upward from the outer periphery of the bottom 22, and a frame-shaped vertical wall 26 that is continuous with the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24 via a flange 23. The vertical wall 26 is disposed at a position spaced apart from the outer surface of the peripheral wall 24. The bottom 22, peripheral wall 24, flange 23, and vertical wall 26 are smoothly connected. The upper container 2 is formed from a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

[0030] The bottom 22 has a shape that bulges slightly downward toward its center, and has multiple urine passage holes 22a in its central portion. The multiple urine passage holes 22a are large enough to prevent at least cat litter (excrement treating agent) from passing through. Four legs 21 protrude from the underside of the bottom 22 outside the multiple urine passage holes 22a, and are placed on the floor when the upper container 2 is placed alone on the floor or the like. The four legs 21 protrude downward from the downwardly bulging central portion of the bottom 22.

[0031] The peripheral wall 24 widens slightly from the bottom 22 toward its upper end 24a. The inner edge of the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24 forms the opening 3a of the litter box body 3. The height of the peripheral wall 24 is lower at a front portion than at other portions. In other words, the front portion of the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24 is slanted downward. By lowering the height of only the front portion of the peripheral wall 24 in this way, the entrance 4a of the hood cover 4 can be located at a lower position, making it easier for cats to enter and exit the animal litter box 10.

[0032] An annular flange portion 23 extending substantially horizontally outward is integrally and continuously formed along the entire length of the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24. A cylindrical vertical wall 26 extending downward is integrally and continuously formed along the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 23 spaced outward from the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24. The vertical wall 26 flares slightly outward and downward from the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 23. The lower edge of the vertical wall 26 opposite the flange portion 23 is disposed on an imaginary horizontal plane along the entire circumferential length.

[0033] Because the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24 is lower only in a front portion, the front portion of the flange portion 23 is lower than the other portions. Also, while the lower edge of the vertical wall 26 is disposed on a horizontal plane, the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24 is lower only in a front portion, so the vertical width of the vertical wall 26 is narrower in a front portion of the upper container 2 than in the other portions. In other words, the flange portion 23 and the vertical wall 26 have a shape following the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24.

[0034] 3 and 4, a plurality of reinforcing plate pieces 25 are provided between the peripheral wall 24 and the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2, spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The reinforcing plate pieces 25 are provided so as to integrally connect the outer surface of the peripheral wall 24 of the upper container 2, the lower surface of the flange portion 23, and the inner surface of the vertical wall 26. The lower edge of each reinforcing plate piece 25 is disposed on an imaginary horizontal plane, and when the upper container 2 is placed inside the lower container 1, the upper surface of the folded portion 15 of the lower container 1 abuts against the reinforcing plate pieces 25.

[0035] The peripheral wall 24 of the upper container 2 has a shape and size that allows it to be inserted and placed inside the peripheral wall 14 of the lower container 1. In addition, the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2 has a shape and size that allows it to be placed outside the peripheral wall 14 of the lower container 1. Therefore, when the upper container 2 is placed inside the lower container 1, the folded portion 15 of the lower container 1 is inserted between the peripheral wall 24 and the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2, and the top surface of the folded portion 15 abuts against the lower edges of the multiple reinforcing plate pieces 25.

[0036] In this way, with the upper container 2 overlapping the inside of the lower container 1, the upper container 2 is positioned relative to the lower container 1. In this state, the bottom 22 of the upper container 2 is located above the bottom 12 of the lower container 1 and below the folded-back portion 15 at the top end of the lower container 1. In other words, with the upper container 2 overlapping the inside of the lower container 1, a space S is formed between the bottom 12 of the lower container 1 and the bottom 22 of the upper container 2.

[0037] The upper container 2 has a pair of fitting grooves 27L, 27R at its upper edge for fitting the pair of support portions 6L, 6R of the hood cover 4. The fitting grooves 27L, 27R are provided at positions that are symmetrical with respect to an imaginary center line in the longitudinal direction of the upper container 2. The fitting grooves 27L, 27R are provided at approximately the center in the front-to-rear direction of the upper container 2. The fitting grooves 27L, 27R are provided by partially recessing the inner surface on the upper end 24a side of the peripheral wall 24 of the upper container 2, the upper surface of the flange portion 23, and the outer surface of the vertical wall 26.

[0038] The upper container 2 also has a fitting recess 28 at its front upper edge for fitting the return tray 7. The fitting recess 28 is provided in a lowered portion of the front peripheral wall 24 of the upper container 2. The fitting recess 28 is provided by partially recessing the upper surface of the flange portion 23 and the outer surface of the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2. A fitting hole 23a is provided in the center of the flange portion 23 for fitting a boss portion 71 of the return tray 7 (described later).

[0039] The upper container 2 has guide lines 29 on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 24 that indicate the amount of cat litter or other excrement treatment agent to be added. A predetermined amount of cat litter is added into the upper container 2. The amount of cat litter added is preferably an amount appropriate for a cat to scratch the litter and sprinkle on the excrement after excretion, and is preferably about 3 cm deep. For this reason, the guide lines 29 are positioned to indicate the top surface of the cat litter when an amount of cat litter that will reach a depth of 3 cm has been added. Materials that can be used as the excrement treatment agent (cat litter) include wood chips, minerals such as zeolite, pulp, and soy pulp pulp.

[0040] The urine tray 5 is inserted into the space S between the bottom 12 of the lower container 1 and the bottom 22 of the upper container 2 through the insertion / removal opening 16 of the lower container 1. The urine tray 5 is formed in the shape of a container having a substantially rectangular bottom plate 5a and a substantially square frame-shaped side wall 5b integrally formed on the outer periphery of the bottom plate 5a. Finger hooks 5c on which the user can hook their fingers are provided at both ends of the urine tray 5 in the longitudinal direction. The urine tray 5 is formed from a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

[0041] When the urine tray 5 is housed and placed in the space S via the insertion / removal opening 16 (for example, as shown in FIG. 1), it faces below the multiple urine passage holes 22a provided in the bottom 22 of the upper container 2. A moisture absorbing member (not shown), such as a urine absorbing sheet containing a polymer absorbent, may be placed on the urine tray 5.

[0042] Urine excreted by a cat on the cat litter passes through the cat litter and flows into the urine tray 5 through the multiple urine passage holes 22a. The urine that flows into the urine tray 5 may be absorbed by a urine absorption sheet and then disposed of together with the urine absorption sheet. Furthermore, feces excreted by a cat on the cat litter can be removed and disposed of together with the surrounding cat litter using a scoop 80. The urine tray 5 has a symmetrical front-to-back shape so that it can be used upside down.

[0043] The return tray 7 integrally comprises a front wall portion 72 that fits into a portion 28a of the fitting recess 28 provided in the vertical wall 26 when fitted into the fitting recess 28 of the upper container 2 (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 4), a return plate portion 74 that extends rearward substantially horizontally from the upper end of the front wall portion 72, and a groove portion 76 provided on the fitting recess 28 side between the front wall portion 72 and the return plate portion 74. The return tray 7 is attached to the upper container 2 by fitting into the fitting recess 28 so that the groove portion 76 faces the flange portion 23 of the upper container 2. The return tray 7 is made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

[0044] The front wall 72 has a U-shaped curved shape, with its width gradually narrowing from both the left and right ends toward the front. The return plate 74 has a lower surface 73 that contacts the bottom surface 28b of the fitting recess 28, which is a recessed portion of the flange 23 of the upper container 2, when the return tray 7 is fitted into the fitting recess 28. When the return tray 7 is fitted into the fitting recess 28, the return plate 74 extends from the upper end of the front wall 72 beyond the fitting recess 28 into the interior of the upper container 2 to a position where it partially covers the opening 3a. The rear end of the return plate 74 is bent downward.

[0045] The return tray 7 has an outer surface 7a that is flush with the outer surface of the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2 and the upper surface of the flange portion 23 when fitted in the fitting recess 28 of the upper container 2. When the return tray 7 is fitted in the fitting recess 28 of the upper container 2, the lower surface 73 of the return plate portion 74 comes into contact with the bottom surface 28b of the fitting recess 28 of the upper container 2, so that the upper surface 75 of the return plate portion 74 is positioned at approximately the same height as the upper surface of the flange portion 23, the height of which has been reduced in the front of the upper container 2.

[0046] The return tray 7 functions to prevent the cat litter from scattering outside through the opening 4a of the hood cover 4 by hitting the underside 73 of the return plate portion 74 when the cat scratches the cat litter inside the upper container 2. Since the return tray 7 cannot be molded integrally with the upper container 2, the return tray 7 is provided separately from the upper container 2.

[0047] The upper surface 75 of the return plate portion 74 is provided with a plurality of uneven patterns 78. The uneven patterns 78 are provided by depressing the upper surface 75 in a predetermined shape (in this embodiment, the shape of a cat's paw pad). The depth of the uneven patterns 78 is shallower than half the thickness of the return plate portion 74. The uneven patterns 78 may have any shape. By providing the uneven patterns 78 on the upper surface 75 of the return plate portion 74 of the return tray 7, it is expected that the uneven patterns 78 will have the effect of catching and removing cat litter stuck to the soles of the cat's paws when the cat leaves the animal litter box 10 through the entrance / exit 4a.

[0048] The return tray 7 has a substantially cylindrical boss portion 71 (see FIG. 4) that protrudes downward from the lower surface 73 of the return plate portion 74. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the upper container 2 has a fitting hole 23a for fitting the boss portion 71 at the center in the left-right direction of the bottom surface 28b of the fitting recess 28. The boss portion 71 and the fitting hole 23a are positioned so that they fit together when the return tray 7 is fitted into the fitting recess 28 of the upper container 2 as shown in FIG.

[0049] The return tray 7 has two left and right engagement protrusions 79L, 79R (only the left engagement protrusion 79L is shown in FIG. 4) that protrude downward from the lower surface 73 of the return plate portion 74. The engagement protrusions 79L, 79R are formed in the shape of plates that extend front to back and up and down, and when the return tray 7 is fitted into the fitting recess 28 of the upper container 2, their front end portions 79a are located in a position that faces, but is spaced apart from, the inner surface of the upper end 24a side of the peripheral wall 24 of the upper container 2.

[0050] When a cat bumps into the return tray 7 engaged in the engaging recess 28 from inside the animal litter box 10 and the return tray 7 attempts to move forward, the engaging protrusions 79L, 79R function to restrict the forward movement of the return tray 7 by bringing the front end 79a into contact with the inner surface of the peripheral wall 24. In other words, the engaging protrusions 79L, 79R work in cooperation with the boss portion 71 and the engaging hole 23a described above to prevent the return tray 7 from accidentally falling off.

[0051] 2, the canopy cover 4 has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) canopy bones 42a, 42b, 42c, and 42d (hereinafter, they may be collectively referred to as canopy bones 42) and a canopy cloth 44. The canopy bones 42a, 42b, 42c, and 42d are each sewn and fixed to a predetermined position on the canopy cloth 44. The canopy cover 4 also has two support parts 6L and 6R on the left and right sides at the center of rotation of the canopy bones 42a, 42b, 42c, and 42d.

[0052] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged plan view of the right support portion 6R of the canopy cover 4, viewed from above. To make the support portion 6R easier to see, the canopy cloth 44 is omitted from FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the canopy frame 42d, which is positioned in front of the animal litter box 10 when the canopy cover 4 is deployed to the closed position, the fixed member 50R and the rotating member 60R of the right support portion 6R, and the rotating member 60L of the left support portion 6L. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the fixed member 50R of the right support portion 6R of the canopy cover 4, viewed diagonally from the rear. The left and right support portions 6L, 6R have a symmetrical structure. Therefore, in the following description, the right support portion 6R will be mainly described as a representative, and the left support portion 6L will be designated by the same reference numeral and its detailed description will be omitted.

[0053] Each of the hood bones 42a, 42b, 42c, and 42d is formed as a thin, elongated plate and is bent into a U-shape. The hood bones 42a, 42b, 42c, and 42d are made of the same material, such as synthetic resin, carbon fiber, or metal. When the hood cover 4 is deployed to the closed position, the hood bones 42 include a first hood bone 42a that is located at the rearmost position, a second hood bone 42b that is located forward of the first hood bone 42a, a third hood bone 42c that is located forward of the second hood bone 42b, and a fourth hood bone 42d (another hood bone) that is located forward.

[0054] The rearmost first hood bone 42a is always fixedly positioned overlapping the outside of the rear vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2, regardless of whether the hood cover 4 is open or closed. If the rotation center of the hood bone 42d (i.e., the attachment position of the support parts 6L, 6R) is positioned in the center of the front-to-rear direction of the toilet body 3 as in this embodiment, the length of the first hood bone 42a is slightly longer than half the total length of the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2. The rotation center of the hood bone 42d only needs to be approximately in the center of the toilet body 3 in the longitudinal direction, and does not necessarily have to be positioned in the center.

[0055] 5 and 6, the right support part 6R includes a fixed member 50R that fits into the fitting groove 27R on the right side of the upper container 2 and is fixed to the toilet body 3, and a rotating member 60R that rotatably engages with the engagement groove 51 of the fixed member 50R. As shown in Fig. 7, the fixed member 50R has a holding hole 52 (first holding part) at the rear thereof into which the right end of the first hood bone 42a is inserted to hold and fix it.

[0056] With the fixing member 50R of the support portion 6R fitted into the fitting groove 27R of the upper container 2, the engagement groove 51 of the fixing member 50R is formed around a substantially cylindrical shaft portion 53 that extends substantially horizontally in the left-right direction. Furthermore, with the fixing member 50R fitted into the fitting groove 27R, the holding hole 52 of the fixing member 50R extends substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction, perpendicular to the shaft portion 53.

[0057] When the right end of the first hood bone 42a is inserted into the retaining hole 52 of the fixing member 50R, the right end of the first hood bone 42a is held and fixed by the fixing member 50R. The retaining hole 52 may be sized to press-fit the right end of the first hood bone 42a. When this fixing member 50R is fitted into the fitting groove 27R of the upper container 2 of the toilet body 3, the right end of the first hood bone 42a is fixed to the toilet body 3. Because the retaining hole 52 extends in a substantially horizontal direction, the right end of the first hood bone 42a is fixed in a substantially horizontal orientation. When the left end of the first hood bone 42a is similarly fixed to the toilet body 3 by the support part 6L, the first hood bone 42a is fixed and positioned outside the vertical wall 26 in a substantially horizontal position.

[0058] The forwardmost fourth hood bone 42d is positioned so as to overlap the front outer side of the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2, opposite the open position, when the hood cover 4 is deployed in the closed position. The fourth hood bone 42d has approximately the same length as the first hood bone 42a. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rotating member 60R of the right support portion 6R has a retaining hole 62 (second retaining portion) at its rear end, into which the right end of the fourth hood bone 42d is inserted to hold and secure it. The retaining hole 62 may be sized to allow the right end of the fourth hood bone 42d to be press-fitted. The rotating member 60R has a C-shaped hook portion 64 (engagement portion) at its tip end, which rotatably engages with the engagement groove 51 of the fixing member 50R.

[0059] When the hook portion 64 of the rotating member 60R, with the right end of the fourth hood bone 42d inserted into the holding hole 62, engages with the engagement groove 51 of the fixed member 50R, the right end of the fourth hood bone 42d is rotatably connected to the fixed member 50R. When the left rotating member 60L, which holds and fixes the left end of the fourth hood bone 42d, is similarly rotatably connected to the left fixed member 50L, the fourth hood bone 42d is rotatably attached to the upper container 2 of the toilet body 3.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, when the right-side fixing member 50R is fitted into the fitting groove 27R of the upper container 2, the engaging groove 51 of the fixing member 50R that engages with the rotating member 60R is located slightly outside (to the right in the figure) the retaining hole 52 that holds and fixes the right end of the first hood bone 42a. Therefore, the right end of the fourth hood bone 42d is located slightly outside the right end of the first hood bone 42a. In other words, there is almost no gap between the inner surface of the first hood bone 42a and the outer surface of the vertical wall 26, but there is a small gap between the inner surface of the fourth hood bone 42d and the outer surface of the vertical wall 26. The gap between the inner surface of the fourth hood bone 42d and the outer surface of the vertical wall 26 prevents contact with the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2 of the toilet body 3 when the fourth hood bone 42d is rotated about the supports 6L and 6R, facilitating the rotation of the fourth hood bone 42d.

[0061] Furthermore, when storing the canopy cover 4 in the open position, the fourth canopy bone 42d can be rotated to a position substantially parallel to the first canopy bone 42a. In other words, the hook portion 64 provided at the right end of the fourth canopy bone 42d does not interfere with the first canopy bone 42a throughout the entire rotation range of the fourth canopy bone 42d, so the fourth canopy bone 42d rotated to the rearmost position can be positioned substantially parallel to the first canopy bone 42a.

[0062] On the other hand, the first hood bone 42a is positioned close to the outer surface of the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2. Therefore, when attaching the hood cover 4 to the toilet body 3, when fitting the fixing members 50L, 50R of the two left and right support parts 6L, 6R into the fitting grooves 27L, 27R, respectively, it is easy to align the lower edge of the hood cover 4 (i.e., the inner surface side of the first hood bone 42a) with the outer side of the upper edge of the toilet body 3. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the attachment work of the hood cover 4 to the toilet body 3 can be facilitated.

[0063] Both ends of the second hood bone 42b and both ends of the third hood bone 42c are separated from the support parts 6L and 6R, respectively. Both ends of the second and third hood bones 42b, 42c are tapered. The second and third hood bones 42b, 42c are sewn to predetermined positions on the hood cloth 44 and fixed to the hood cloth 44, so they will not separate from the hood cloth 44 even if their ends are not supported by the support parts 6L and 6R. When the hood cover 4 is deployed to the closed position, both ends of the second and third hood bones 42b, 42c come into contact with the support parts 6L and 6R, respectively.

[0064] The second and third hood bones 42b, 42c are longer than the first and fourth hood bones 42a, 42d. The second and third hood bones 42b, 42c are formed to an appropriate length to ensure sufficient internal space for the hood cover 4 when the hood cover 4 is deployed in the closed position, and to keep the height of the animal litter box 10 at a predetermined height. When the hood cover 4 is deployed in the closed position, the second and third hood bones 42b, 42c are positioned at appropriate positions to ensure sufficient internal space for the hood cover 4 and to keep the height of the animal litter box 10 at a predetermined height. The second and third hood bones 42b, 42c may be the same length or different lengths. In this embodiment, the second hood bone 42b and the third hood bone 42c are approximately the same length.

[0065] The angle of the third hood bone 42c when the canopy cover 4 is deployed to the closed position and the length of the third hood bone 42c are set to values ​​that allow a sufficiently large opening 4a to be formed in the third portion 44c (FIG. 1) of the canopy cloth 44 that is stretched between the third and fourth canopy bones 42c and 42d when the canopy cover 4 is deployed to the closed position. For example, by increasing the angle between the third and fourth canopy bones 42c and 42d, the area of ​​the third portion 44c of the canopy cloth 44 can be increased, allowing a relatively large opening 4a to be formed.

[0066] In this embodiment, the left-to-right width of the entrance 4a is set to approximately 190 mm at its widest point, the height from the lower edge to the upper edge of the entrance 4a is set to approximately 200 mm, and the height from the lower end surface of the animal litter box 10 (the floor surface when the animal litter box 10 is placed on the floor, etc.) to the lower edge of the entrance 4a is set to approximately 120 mm. Then, when the canopy cover 4 is deployed to the closed position, the angle of the third canopy bone 42c relative to the fourth canopy bone 42d is set to an angle that allows the formation of an entrance 4a of the above size. Note that the shape and size of the entrance 4a are not limited to the size of this embodiment as long as it allows animals to enter and exit, and can be changed as desired.

[0067] The length of the second hood bone 42b and its angle when the hood cover 4 is deployed in the closed position are set to values ​​that allow the upper surface of the second portion 44b of the hood cloth 44 stretched between the second hood bone 42b and the third hood bone 42c to be positioned approximately horizontally when the hood cover 4 is deployed in the closed position. If another hood bone of the same length were to be installed between the second hood bone 42b and the third hood bone 42c, the portion of the hood cloth 44 between the second hood bone 42b and the third hood bone 42c would protrude upward, undesirably increasing the overall height of the animal litter box 10. In other words, in order to keep the overall height of the animal litter box 10 to a predetermined height while ensuring a sufficiently wide internal space of the hood cover 4, it is effective to position the two hood bones 42b, 42c at appropriate angles, as in this embodiment.

[0068] The canopy cloth 44 is preferably made of a thin, lightweight, and highly stretchable material. It is also preferably made of a material that is highly waterproof and breathable. In this embodiment, the canopy cloth 44 is made of a knit material laminated with a stretchable polyurethane film, and has a water pressure resistance of approximately 15,000 mm and a breathability of 15,000 g / m² / 24 h.

[0069] The canopy cloth 44 is provided with an annular elastic member 46 around the periphery of the entrance 4a provided in the third portion 44c. The elastic member 46 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and formed into an annular shape, and is attached to the edge of the entrance 4a in a slightly stretched state (with the ring expanded). When the canopy cover 4 is deployed to the closed position, the top surface 75 of the return tray 7 attached to the upper container 2 is positioned slightly below the lower edge of the entrance 4a.

[0070] The structure and function of the fixing member 50R of the right support portion 6R will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 3, 5, and 7 as well as Figures 8 to 12. Note that here, the up / down, front / rear, and left / right (inside / outside) are defined with the fixing member 50R fitted into the fitting groove 27R of the upper container 2. Again, a detailed description of the fixing member 50L of the left support portion 6L, which has a left-right symmetrical shape, will be omitted.

[0071] 7 and 8, the fixing member 50R is formed as a single member by integral molding of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The fixing member 50R has a substantially rectangular outer plate portion 54 that fits into a portion 27a (see FIG. 9) of the fitting groove 27R of the upper container 2 that is provided on the vertical wall 26. An extension portion 54a is provided at the upper end of the outer plate portion 54 that fits into a portion 27b (see FIG. 10) of the fitting groove 27R of the upper container 2 that is provided on the flange portion 23. The extension portion 54a extends substantially horizontally from the upper end of the outer plate portion 54 toward the inside.

[0072] An inner plate portion 55 is integrally provided at the inner end of the extension portion 54a opposite the outer plate portion 54. The inner plate portion 55 fits into a portion 27c (see FIG. 10) of the fitting groove 27R of the upper container 2 that is provided near the upper end 24a of the peripheral wall 24. The inner plate portion 55 is inclined with respect to the outer plate portion 54. The upper end of the inner plate portion 55 is inclined in a direction that tilts slightly outward.

[0073] 3, the inner surface of the upper end side of the outer plate portion 54, the lower surface of the extending portion 54a, and the outer surface of the inner plate portion 55 form gently curved surfaces that follow the shape of the bottom surface of the fitting groove 27R. The outer plate portion 54, the extending portion 54a, the engaging protrusion 54b, and the inner plate portion 55 function as a fitting portion that fits the fixing member 50R to the upper edge of the upper container 2.

[0074] A holding piece 55a for holding a scoop 80 shown in Fig. 12 is integrally provided to protrude above the extending portion 54a and at the center in the front-to-rear direction of the outer surface of the inner plate portion 55. The holding piece 55a extends vertically to connect the upper surface of the extending portion 54a and the outer surface of the inner plate portion 55. The inner plate portion 55 and the holding piece 55a function as an inner mounting portion for attaching the scoop 80 to the inside of the animal litter box 10. In addition, an engaging protrusion 54b that protrudes approximately horizontally toward the inside is integrally provided at the lower end of the outer plate portion 54.

[0075] The engaging protrusion 54b engages with a portion 27d (see FIG. 11) of the fitting groove 27R of the upper container 2, which is a small cutout at the lower end of the vertical wall 26, and with a notch 15a (see FIG. 11) provided on the lower edge of the folded-back portion 15 of the peripheral wall 14 of the lower container 1. The length between the extending portion 54a of the outer plate portion 54 and the engaging protrusion 54b is approximately the same as the vertical length of the portion 27a of the fitting groove 27R.

[0076] The fixing member 50R is fixed to the toilet body 3 by fitting the portion of the inner plate 55 below the extension 54a into portion 27c of the fitting groove 27R, fitting the extension 54a into portion 27b of the fitting groove 27R, fitting the outer plate 54 into portion 27a of the fitting groove 27R, and engaging the engagement protrusion 54b with portion 27d of the fitting groove 27R and the notch 15a in the folded portion 15 of the lower container 1. The fixing member 50R is detachable from the toilet body 3.

[0077] The aforementioned shaft portion 53 of the fixed member 50R extends substantially horizontally outward from the outer surface near the lower end of the outer plate portion 54, and constitutes the rotation center of the top cover 4. A substantially cylindrical large-diameter portion 56 is provided coaxially and integrally with the shaft portion 53 further outward from the shaft portion 53. A retaining portion 57 having the aforementioned retaining hole 52 is provided integrally on the outer surface near the lower end of the outer plate portion 54, at a position covering the lower half of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 53. The aforementioned engagement groove 51 for engaging with the hook portion 64 of the rotating member 60R is provided along the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 53 between the outer surface of this retaining portion 57 and the large-diameter portion 56.

[0078] Further outside the large diameter portion 56, a substantially disc-shaped cover portion 58 having an even larger diameter than the large diameter portion 56 is provided coaxially and integrally with the large diameter portion 56. The outer surface of the cover portion 58 bulges outward slightly toward its center. A holding piece 58a for holding the scoop 80 shown in FIG. 12 is provided on the upper inner surface of the cover portion 58. The holding piece 58a extends in the vertical direction so as to connect the inner surface of the cover portion 58 and the circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 56. The cover portion 58 and the holding piece 58a function as an outer mounting portion for attaching the scoop 80 to the outside of the animal litter box 10.

[0079] The fixing member 50R also includes a guide plate 56a located inside the retaining piece 58a at a distance from the inside. The guide plate 56a protrudes upward from the center of the large diameter portion 56 in the left-right direction and is arranged along the front-to-rear direction. The guide plate 56a prevents the hook 82 of the scoop 80 from coming into contact with the canopy cover 4 and damaging the canopy cloth 44 when the scoop 80 is attached to the cover portion 58.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 12, the scoop 80 has a hook 82 for hooking onto the upper end of the inner plate portion 55 or the upper end of the cover portion 58 of the fixing members 50L, 50R. The hook 82 has a recess 82a that receives the holding pieces 55a, 58a. As shown in Fig. 3, the scoop 80 can be attached to the inside and / or outside of the animal litter box 10 via the hook 82.

[0081] The scoop 80 can be attached to the animal litter box 10 by hooking the hook 82 onto the upper end of the inner plate portion 55 of the fixing member 50R (50L) from inside the animal litter box 10. When the scoop 80 is attached to the upper end of the inner plate portion 55, the retaining piece 55a fits into the recess 82a of the hook 82, preventing the scoop 80 from falling off in the front-to-rear direction. Similarly, when attaching the scoop 80 to the outside of the animal litter box 10, the retaining piece 58a fits into the recess 82a of the hook 82, preventing the scoop 80 from falling off in the front-to-rear direction.

[0082] The scoop 80 has an edge 84 shaped to follow the shape of the inner surface of the peripheral wall 24 of the upper container 2 when attached to the inside of the animal litter box 10. By providing an edge 84 shaped to follow the shape of the inner surface of the peripheral wall 24, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of rattle occurring between the scoop 80 and the inner surface of the peripheral wall 24 when the scoop 80 is attached to the inside of the animal litter box 10, and it is possible to prevent the scoop 80 from falling.

[0083] When attaching the scoop 80 to the inside of the animal litter box 10 with the canopy cover 4 deployed to the closed position, the scoop 80 is inserted into the inside of the animal litter box 10 through the entrance 4a. Therefore, a user of the animal litter box 10 needs to hook the scoop 80 onto the inner plate portion 55 in a situation where the hook 82 cannot be seen. In this case, the hook 82 can be easily hooked onto the inner plate portion 55 by moving the edge 84 of the scoop 80 while it is in contact with the inner surface of the peripheral wall 24 of the upper container 2.

[0084] The scoop 80 has a length that prevents its tip from coming into contact with the cat litter when attached inside the animal litter box 10. The inner plate portion 55 is located at the top of the fixing member 50R, and the upper end of the inner plate portion 55 where the hook 82 is hung is at the highest position, so the scoop 80 can be held in a high position. This makes it easy to attach the scoop 80 above the guide line 29 of the upper container 2. Note that when the scoop 80 is attached to the outside of the animal litter box 10, the tip of the scoop 80 will not come into contact with the floor.

[0085] Furthermore, since the upper end of the inner plate portion 55 of the fixing member 50R is inclined in a direction that tilts outward, when the scoop 80 is hooked on the upper end of the inner plate portion 55, the scoop 80 is unlikely to fall off.

[0086] A method for assembling the animal litter box 10 having the above structure will now be described. First, the top cover 4 is assembled. In this case, the right end of the first top bone 42a of the top cover 4 is inserted and fixed into the retaining hole 52 of the fixing member 50R, and the left end of the first top bone 42a is inserted and fixed into the retaining hole 52 of the fixing member 50L. Also, the right end of the fourth top bone 42d is inserted and fixed into the retaining hole 62 of the right rotating member 60R, and the left end of the fourth top bone 42d is inserted and fixed into the retaining hole 62 of the left rotating member 60L. Then, the hook portion 64 of the right rotating member 60R is engaged with the engaging groove 51 of the right fixing member 50R, and the hook portion 64 of the left rotating member 60L is engaged with the engaging groove 51 of the left fixing member 50L.

[0087] Next, the toilet body 3 is assembled. In this case, the upper container 2 is placed inside the lower container 1, the urine tray 5 is inserted into the space S through the insertion / removal port 16, and the boss portion 71 of the urine return tray 7 is fitted into the fitting hole 23a provided in the fitting recess 28 of the upper container 2, and the urine return tray 7 is attached to the fitting recess 28. At this time, a urine absorbent sheet may be placed inside the urine tray 5.

[0088] Finally, the hood cover 4 is attached to the toilet body 3. At this time, the hood cover 4 is unfolded into a dome shape as shown in Figure 2. Then, the fixing members 50L, 50R of the pair of support parts 6L, 6R of the hood cover 4 are fitted into the fitting grooves 27L, 27R of the upper container 2 of the toilet body 3, respectively.

[0089] At this time, the hood cover 4 is aligned with the toilet body 3 so that the outer surface of the rear side of the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2 fits inside the first hood bone 42a, which is the rearmost part of the hood cover 4. Then, the engaging claw 66a (see Figures 4 and 6) of the engaging member 66 attached to the center of the fourth hood bone 42d is hooked onto the lower edge of the front vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2.

[0090] When using the animal litter box 10, the engaging member 66 is disengaged, the hood cover 4 is opened to the open position, and cat litter is poured into the upper container 2 through the opening 3a. The optimal amount of cat litter to be poured in is the amount that allows the top surface of the cat litter to reach the guide line 29 of the upper container 2.

[0091] In addition, since the hood cover 4 can be easily attached to the toilet body 3, multiple hood covers 4 with different designs can be prepared, and the toilet body 3 can be used by changing the hood cover 4 with a different design depending on the user's mood or preference.

[0092] As described above, with the animal litter box 10 according to this embodiment, the canopy cover 4 can be easily assembled, and the assembled canopy cover 4 can be easily attached to the litter box body 3. The canopy cover 4 can also be assembled before the product is shipped, and the assembled canopy cover 4 can be folded and packed. In this case, the user of the animal litter box 10 can simply unfold the assembled canopy cover 4 and attach it to the litter box body 3, making assembly of the animal litter box 10 even easier.

[0093] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when cleaning up animal excrement that has been excreted in the cat litter inside the litter box body 3, the canopy cover 4 can be fully opened, making it easier for the worker to reach the back of the litter box body 3 and improving workability during cleaning. Furthermore, when cleaning up excrement, the canopy cover 4 can be easily removed from the litter box body 3, making cleaning of the canopy cover 4 easy.

[0094] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a scoop 80 for disposing of cat litter excrement can be attached to the animal litter box 10 via the support parts 6L, 6R of the hood cover 4, eliminating the need to provide a structure for attaching the scoop 80 to the litter box body 3. Furthermore, a structure for attaching the scoop 80 can be provided in a total of four locations, on the inside and outside of each of the support parts 6L, 6R, improving convenience.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, both ends of the first hood bone 42a are fixed to the fixed members 50L, 50R of the pair of supports 6L, 6R, and both ends of the fourth hood bone 42d are attached to the rotating members 60L, 60R of the pair of supports 6L, 6R, and the rotating members 60L, 60R are rotatably engaged with the fixed members 50L, 50R, so that the second and third hood bones 42b, 42c can be separated from the supports 6L, 6R. This simplifies the structure of the supports 6L, 6R and makes them smaller.

[0096] The second and third hood bones 42b, 42c are sewn and fixed to the hood cloth 44, and therefore can move together with the hood cloth 44. When the hood cover 4 is unfolded to the closed position, the tension of the hood cloth 44 allows them to be positioned as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and when stored in the open position, they can be folded together with the hood cloth 44.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting and combining the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the above-described embodiments, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

[0098] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention was described as being applied to an animal litter box 10 having a double-structure litter box body 3 with an upper container 2 stacked inside a lower container 1, but this is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to an animal litter box having a single-layer container-shaped litter box body (main body) that does not have a urine passage hole 22a or a urine tray 5.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a structure was described in which the scoop 80 can be attached to four locations inside and outside the animal litter box 10 via the support parts 6L and 6R, but this is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if the structure can attach the scoop 80 to at least one location.

[0100] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, when the canopy cover 4 is deployed to the closed position, the rearmost first canopy bone 42a is positioned close to the outer surface of the vertical wall 26 of the upper container 2, and a small gap is provided between the frontmost fourth canopy bone 42d and the outer surface of the vertical wall 26. However, this is not limited to this, and the fourth canopy bone 42d may be positioned close to the outer surface of the vertical wall 26 by increasing the thickness of the pivoting members 60L, 60R and positioning the retaining hole 62 on the inside. The inventions described in the claims of the present application as originally filed are as follows: [1] a container-shaped toilet body for receiving animal waste; a hood cover that can be deployed in a dome shape to a closed position to cover the opening of the toilet body and can be stored in an open position to fully open the opening, The hood cover, a fixing member integrally including a fitting portion that fits onto the edge of the opening of the toilet body and a first holding portion that holds and fixes the end of the first hood bone of the hood cover when the first hood bone is positioned in the open position; a rotating member integrally including an engaging portion that rotatably engages with the fixing member and a second holding portion that holds and fixes an end portion of a hood bone other than the first hood bone that can be positioned outside the opening opposite the open position when the hood cover is deployed to the closed position; An animal toilet having: [2] the first holding portion of the fixed member is provided on the inner side of the second holding portion of the rotating member in a state in which the engaging portion is engaged with the fixed member; [1] Animal toilet. [3] The fixing member has at least one of an inner attachment portion for attaching a scoop to the inside of the animal litter box and an outer attachment portion for attaching a scoop to the outside of the animal litter box. [1] or [2] Animal litter box. [4] One of the animal litter boxes [1]-[3], At least one of an excrement treating agent and a moisture absorbing member used in the animal litter box; An animal toilet set equipped with [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1...lower container, 2...upper container, 3...toilet body, 3a...opening, 4...canopy cover, 4a...entrance / exit, 5...urine tray, 6L, 6R...support part, 7...return tray, 10...animal litter box, 27L, 27R...engaging groove, 28...engaging recess, 42...canopy bone, 42a...first canopy bone, 42d...fourth canopy bone, 44...canopy cloth, 50L, 50R...fixed member, 60L, 60R...rotating member.

Claims

1. a container-shaped toilet body for receiving animal waste; a hood cover that can be deployed in a dome shape to a closed position to cover the opening of the toilet body and can be stored in an open position to fully open the opening, The hood cover, a fixing member integrally including a fitting portion that fits onto the edge of the opening of the toilet body, and a first holding portion that holds and fixes an end of a first hood bone of the hood cover in a state where the first hood bone is placed on the outside of the edge and in the open position; a rotating member integrally provided with an engaging portion that is rotatably engaged with the fixing member, and a second holding portion that holds and fixes an end portion of a hood bone other than the first hood bone, which can be placed on top of the outside of the edge of the opening opposite the open position when the hood cover is deployed to the closed position, a gap between the edge and the second hood bone disposed on the opposite side of the open position and overlapped on the outside of the edge, the gap being larger than a gap between the edge and the first hood bone disposed on the open position and overlapped on the outside of the edge; Animal toilet.

2. the first holding portion of the fixed member is provided on the inner side of the second holding portion of the rotating member in a state in which the engaging portion is engaged with the fixed member; The animal litter box of claim 1.

3. The fixing member has at least one of an inner attachment portion for attaching a scoop to the inside of the animal litter box and an outer attachment portion for attaching a scoop to the outside of the animal litter box. The animal litter box according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 3; At least one of an excrement treating agent and a moisture absorbing member used in the animal litter box; An animal toilet set equipped with

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