Animal toilet

The animal litter box with a hood-mounted blower exhausts odors externally, addressing odor accumulation and enhancing user comfort and litter disposal.

JP7828733B2Active Publication Date: 2026-03-12DAIKI CO LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-09-22
Publication Date
2026-03-12

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional animal litter boxes trap foul odors in the internal space, which can be unpleasant for animals and deter them from using the box.

Method used

An animal litter box equipped with a blower in the hood to exhaust air externally, reducing odor accumulation by generating airflow through the entrance/exit.

Benefits of technology

Effectively reduces foul odors within the hood, promoting comfortable use by animals and facilitating easy disposal of used litter.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a toilet for an animal in which odor is hard to be accumulated in an internal space of a hood.SOLUTION: A toilet for an animal 1 includes a body part 10, a hood 20, and an air blower 30. The body part 10 has a box shape including a bottom surface part 10a and a side surface part 10b. The hood 20 is provided so as to cover the body part 10 from above. The food 20 includes an entrance 22 for an animal. The air blower 30 is provided in an internal space 20c of the hood 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] An example of a conventional animal litter box is described in Patent Document 1. The animal litter box described in this document includes a box-shaped main body and a hood that covers the main body from above. Granular material for treating excrement is laid on the main body. In such an animal litter box, animals enter the internal space of the hood and excrete on the granular material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-103456 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned animal litter box has the advantage that the granular material is less likely to spill outside the main body because the upper part of the main body is covered with a hood. However, on the other hand, there is a problem in that the foul odor of excrement tends to accumulate in the internal space of the hood. The foul odor that accumulates in the internal space is unpleasant for animals and may cause them to dislike excreting in the animal litter box.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an animal litter box that is less likely to trap bad odors in the internal space of the hood. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The animal litter box according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a box-shaped main body having a bottom and side surfaces, a hood having an entrance and exit for animals and covering the main body from above, and a blower provided in the internal space of the hood.

[0007] In this animal litter box, a fan is provided in the interior space of the hood. The fan allows air in the interior space of the hood to be exhausted to the outside of the animal litter box through an inlet / outlet, making it less likely that the foul odor of excrement will linger in the interior space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an animal litter box is realized in which bad odors are less likely to remain in the internal space of the hood. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an animal litter box according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an end view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating a region R1 of a side surface portion 20b of a hood 20. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a granular material 40. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the animal litter box according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial end view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an end view showing the main body 50. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the main body 50. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the main body 50. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the partition portion 52. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an end view illustrating a modified example of the blower 30. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an end view illustrating another modified example of the blower 30. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an end view illustrating another modified example of the blower 30. [Figure 15]FIG. 10 is an end view illustrating another modified example of the blower 30. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an end view illustrating another modified example of the blower 30. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an animal litter box according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. The animal litter box 1 comprises a main body 10, a hood 20, a blower 30, and a plurality of granular materials 40. The main body 10 is box-shaped with a bottom surface 10a and side surfaces 10b. In this embodiment, the main body 10 is substantially rectangular. The main body 10 can be made of a plastic such as polypropylene or polyethylene.

[0012] The hood 20 is provided to cover the main body 10 from above. The hood 20 has a ceiling portion 20a and side portions 20b. The ceiling portion 20a is flat and is arranged parallel to the bottom portion 10a of the main body 10. The planar shape of the ceiling portion 20a is approximately rectangular. The side portions 20b are provided at the front, rear, right side, and left side of the animal litter box 1. The upper end of each side portion 20b is connected to the ceiling portion 20a. The area near the lower end of each side portion 20b is shaped like a hook so as to fit with the upper end of the side portion 10b of the main body 10.

[0013] The hood 20 has an animal entrance / exit 22. The entrance / exit 22 is an opening for animals (e.g., cats or dogs) using the animal litter box 1 to enter and exit the animal litter box 1, and is formed on the side portion 20b. More specifically, the entrance / exit 22 is formed on the side portion 20b provided at the front of the animal litter box 1. No openings are formed in the other three side portions 20b and the ceiling portion 20a. The hood 20 can be made of a plastic such as polypropylene or polyethylene, for example.

[0014] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the blower 30 is provided in the internal space 20c of the hood 20. The internal space 20c is a space surrounded by the ceiling portion 20a and the side portion 20b. The blower 30 is attached to the inner surface of the hood 20. In this embodiment, the blower 30 is attached to the side portion 20b of the hood 20. Specifically, the blower 30 is attached to an area R1 (see FIG. 3) on the side portion 20b that faces the entrance / exit 22. Here, the area R1 is the area obtained by orthogonally projecting the entrance / exit 22 onto the side portion 20b that is provided at the rear of the animal litter box 1.

[0015] The blower 30 has the function of generating an airflow in the internal space 20c and discharging at least a portion of the air in the internal space 20c to the outside of the animal litter box 1 through the entrance / exit 22. The blower 30 has an impeller and a casing that houses the impeller. In this embodiment, the blower 30 is an axial flow type blower that generates air parallel to the rotation axis of the impeller. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, the blower 30 is installed to blow air horizontally toward the entrance / exit 22. In other words, the blowing direction of the blower 30 is horizontal.

[0016] The blower 30 can be manually turned on and off using a switch (not shown). The switch is provided, for example, on the outer surface of the hood 20 (ceiling portion 20a or side portion 20b). The power source for operating the blower 30 may be an outlet or a battery.

[0017] The animal litter box 1 may be equipped with a sensor that detects when an animal enters or exits the animal litter box 1. In this case, it is preferable that the fan 30 be controlled so that it automatically switches on and off in conjunction with the sensor. The sensor may be, for example, a human sensor or a weight sensor. The human sensor detects animal movement in the interior space 20c using infrared rays or the like. The human sensor is provided, for example, on the inner surface of the hood 20 (ceiling portion 20a or side portion 20b). The weight sensor detects changes in weight applied to the main body 10. Specifically, the weight sensor detects whether the weight applied to the bottom surface 10a of the main body 10 (excluding the weight of the granular material 40 described below) is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The threshold value is set to a value that is greater than the weight of excrement accumulated in the main body 10 and less than the weight of the animal using the animal litter box 1. The weight sensor is provided, for example, on the bottom surface 10a of the main body 10.

[0018] For example, the blower 30 may be controlled to turn on when a sensor detects that an animal has entered the animal litter box 1. Alternatively, the blower 30 may be controlled to turn on when a sensor detects that an animal has left the animal litter box 1. The blower 30 may also be controlled to turn off a certain amount of time (e.g., 5 to 30 minutes) after the sensor detects that an animal has left the animal litter box 1. The control circuit for the blower 30 is preferably built into the hood 20. For example, it is conceivable that the side portion 20b has a double structure made up of an outer plate (a plate that forms the outer surface of the side portion 20b) and an inner plate (a plate that forms the inner surface of the side portion 20b), and the control circuit is located in the space between them.

[0019] A plurality of granular bodies 40 for processing excrement (mainly urine) are arranged on the bottom surface 10a of the main body 10. When the animal litter box 1 is in use, the animal excretes onto the granular bodies 40 while directly sitting on the granular bodies 40 within the internal space 20c of the hood 20. Each granular body 40 is water-absorbent and absorbs excrement.

[0020] For the granular material 40 to be said to have water absorption, the liquid passage rate measured by the following test must be less than 80%. First, 50 g of the granular material 40 (sample) is placed on a sieve with an inner diameter of 10 cm and mesh openings of 1 mm. An empty beaker is placed below the sieve. Then, 30 ml of water is dripped onto the sample over 10 seconds using a syringe (a 60 ml syringe manufactured by Terumo Corporation) with an inner diameter of 3 cm in the outer barrel and an inner diameter of 4 mm at the tip. After leaving it for 1 minute, the amount of water in the beaker is measured. The liquid passage rate is the ratio of the measured amount of water to the amount of water dripped (30 ml). In other words, if the amount of water in the beaker is less than 24 ml, the liquid passage rate is less than 80%, and the granular material 40 can be said to have water absorption.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing granular bodies 40. The particle diameter of each granular body 40 is, for example, 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less. Here, the particle diameter of the granular body 40 is defined as the diameter of the smallest sphere that can contain the granular body 40. Each granular body 40 has a core 42 and a coating 44. The core 42 is formed into a granular shape. Examples of such granular shapes include a sphere, a cylinder, and an ellipsoid. The core 42 has the function of absorbing and retaining excrement. The core 42 is preferably made primarily of an organic material. Here, the "main material of the core 42" refers to the material that accounts for the largest weight percentage of the core 42 among one or more materials that make up the core 42. Examples of organic materials that can be used include paper, used tea leaves, plastics, and soybean lees.

[0022] Papers refer to materials mainly composed of pulp. Examples of papers include ordinary paper, as well as PVC wallpaper classification (paper obtained by classifying PVC wallpaper), fluff pulp, papermaking sludge, pulp sludge, etc. Examples of plastics that can be used include disposable diaper classification (plastic obtained by classifying disposable diapers). The bean curd refuse is preferably dried bean curd refuse.

[0023] The coating 44 covers the core 42. The coating 44 may cover the entire surface of the core 42, or may cover only a portion of the surface of the core 42. The coating 44 has the function of adhering the granular material 40 that has absorbed excrement together to form a mass. The coating 44 is also preferably made primarily of an organic material. The definition of the primary material of the coating 44 is the same as that of the primary material of the core 42. The coating 44 contains an adhesive material. Examples of adhesive materials that can be used include water-absorbent polymers, starch, CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), and dextrin. The water-absorbent polymer is, for example, sodium polyacrylate.

[0024] The granules 40 can be formed, for example, as follows. First, the core material (material that constitutes the core 42) is granulated using a granulation device to form the core 42. As the granulation device, for example, an extrusion granulator can be used. Prior to granulation, the core material is subjected to pretreatment such as pulverization, kneading, and hydration as necessary. Next, a coating device or the like is used to attach a powdered coating material (material that constitutes the coating 44) to the surface of each core 42, thereby forming the coating 44. The coating material can be attached by, for example, scattering or spraying. Thereafter, post-treatment such as sieving (sizing) and drying is performed as necessary. In this manner, a plurality of granules 40 are formed.

[0025] The effects of the animal litter box 1 will now be explained. In the animal litter box 1, a blower 30 is provided in the internal space 20c of the hood 20. The blower 30 makes it possible to exhaust air in the internal space 20c of the hood 20 to the outside of the animal litter box 1 through the inlet / outlet 22. This makes it less likely for the foul odor of excrement to linger in the internal space 20c. Therefore, an animal litter box 1 that is less likely to linger in the internal space 20c has been achieved.

[0026] Furthermore, the airflow from the blower 30 can promote drying of the granular materials 40 that have become wet with excrement, which contributes to reducing the generation of bad odors from the granular materials 40.

[0027] The blower 30 is attached to the hood 20. This makes it possible to realize an animal litter box 1 with an exhaust function without having to retrofit a blower to the animal litter box 1.

[0028] The blower 30 is attached to an area of ​​the side portion 20b of the hood 20 facing the entrance / exit 22. This makes it easier to generate an airflow toward the entrance / exit 22 over a wide area of ​​the interior space 20c. By generating an airflow over a wide area in this manner, it is possible to reduce bad odors remaining in the interior space 20c.

[0029] The blower 30 is provided so as to blow air in the horizontal direction, thereby enabling the air in the internal space 20c to be efficiently discharged to the outside of the animal litter box 1 through the entrance / exit 22.

[0030] If the blower 30 is controlled so that it is automatically switched on and off in conjunction with the above-mentioned sensor, it will be possible to switch the blower 30 on and off at the appropriate time without the need for a person (owner) to manually operate it.

[0031] If the blower 30 is controlled to turn on when a sensor detects that an animal has entered the animal litter box 1, exhaust air will be released even while the animal is defecating, allowing the animal to defecate more comfortably.

[0032] If the fan 30 is controlled to turn on when the sensor detects that the animal has left the animal litter box 1, the foul odor immediately after excretion can be expelled from the interior space 20c. On the other hand, because the fan is not exhausted during excretion, even if the animal dislikes the noise and wind that accompanies the operation of the fan 30, the animal can excrete in peace.

[0033] When the blower 30 is controlled to turn off after a certain time has passed since the sensor detected that the animal has left the animal litter box 1, the blower 30 can be prevented from operating for a longer period than necessary, which contributes to saving electricity.

[0034] When the sensor is a human sensor, a sensor that detects when an animal enters or leaves the animal litter box 1 can be realized at low cost.

[0035] When the sensor is a weight sensor, a sensor that can detect with high accuracy when an animal enters or leaves the animal litter box 1 can be realized.

[0036] A plurality of water-absorbent granular materials 40 are disposed on the bottom surface 10a of the main body 10. In this case, the granular materials 40 absorb and trap the excrement, thereby reducing the foul odor of the excrement from floating in the internal space 20c.

[0037] Each granular body 40 has a core 42 and a coating 44 containing an adhesive material. This results in a mass of granular bodies 40 that have absorbed excrement, making it easy to remove only the used granular body 40 from the main body 10. However, it is not essential that the granular body 40 have a multi-layer structure (two-layer structure) consisting of the core 42 and the coating 44. The granular body 40 may have a single-layer structure consisting of only the core 42.

[0038] When both the core 42 and the coating 44 are made primarily of organic matter, the granules 40 can be made suitable for incineration. In this case, the used granules 40 can be easily disposed of as combustible waste, improving convenience for users. (Second embodiment)

[0039] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of an animal litter box according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a partial end view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. The animal litter box 2 includes a hood 20, a blower 30, a main body 50, a partition 52, a drawer 54, a plurality of granular materials 60, and a water-absorbent sheet 70. The configurations of the hood 20 and the blower 30 are as described in the first embodiment. Note that the hood 20 and the blower 30 are not shown in FIG. 6. The main body 50 is box-shaped with a bottom 50a and side 50b. In this embodiment, the main body 50 is substantially rectangular. The main body 50 can be made of a plastic such as polypropylene or polyethylene.

[0040] The partition 52 is plate-shaped and is disposed parallel to the bottom surface 50a. The partition 52 is made of a single plate of uniform thickness overall. The partition 52 is provided at a position spaced apart from both the upper end of the main body 50 (side surface 50b) and the absorbent sheet 70 (described later). As a result, the partition 52 divides the interior of the main body 50 into upper and lower spaces. That is, the internal space of the main body 50 is divided by the partition 52 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. The partition 52 has a through-hole 53 that allows animal urine to pass through. The partition 52 is not fixed to the main body 50 but is detachable from the main body 50. The partition 52 can be made of a plastic such as polypropylene or polyethylene.

[0041] The main body 50 has a protruding portion 50c that protrudes from the side surface 50b toward the inside of the main body 50. The protruding portion 50c may be a projection or a ridge. The protruding portion 50c may be molded integrally with the side surface 50b, or may be molded separately from the side surface 50b and then attached to the side surface 50b. The protruding length of the protruding portion 50c (the length in the direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the side surface 50b on which the protruding portion 50c is provided) is, for example, 5 mm or more and 15 mm or less. The partition 52 is placed on the protruding portion 50c.

[0042] The drawer 54 can be inserted into and removed from the main body 50 through an opening 51 formed in the side surface 50b. A water-absorbent sheet 70 is housed in the drawer 54. The drawer 54 can be made of a plastic such as polypropylene or polyethylene.

[0043] A plurality of granular materials 60 for treating excrement are arranged on the partition 52. When the animal litter box 2 is in use, the animal defecates on the granular materials 60 while directly sitting on the granular materials 60 within the internal space 20c of the hood 20. Each granular material 60 is hydrophobic. That is, the granular materials 60 have the property of not absorbing excrement at all, or absorbing very little if any. For the granular materials 60 to be considered hydrophobic, the liquid passage rate measured by the above-mentioned test must be 80% or higher.

[0044] The granular material 60 is formed into a granular shape. The particle size of the granular material 60 is, for example, 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The granular material 60 is preferably made mainly of an organic material. Examples of the organic material that can be used include paper, used tea leaves, plastics, and soybean lees.

[0045] In addition to the above, photographic paper or release paper may be used as the paper. In addition to the above, aluminum vapor deposition film may be used as the plastic. When a non-hydrophobic material is used as the material for the granules 60, the material may be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment (water-repellent treatment) in advance.

[0046] The granular body 60 may be made of only one material, or may be made of two or more materials. In the former case, the material making up the granular body 60 is only the main material described above. In the latter case, the granular body 60 is made up of a mixture of the main material and other materials. Examples of other materials include gypsum or baking soda. Adding gypsum or baking soda can increase the hydrophobicity of the granular body 60. The amount of gypsum or baking soda is, for example, 5% by weight or more and less than 50% by weight of the entire granular body 60.

[0047] The granules 60 can be manufactured, for example, by the following method. First, the material to be granulated (the material that constitutes the granules 60) is granulated using a granulation device to form a granule that will become the granules 60. An extrusion granulator, for example, can be used as the granulation device. The granules may be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment, if necessary. The hydrophobic treatment can be performed, for example, by coating the surface of the granules with a hydrophobic agent (water repellent). If the hydrophobic treatment is not performed, it is preferable to minimize the formation of gaps within the granules by increasing the pressure applied to the material to be granulated during granulation. This is because such gaps can serve as a path for moisture, such as urine, to penetrate into the granules 60. Prior to granulation, the material to be granulated may be subjected to pre-treatment such as pulverization, kneading, or hydration, as needed. After granulation, post-treatment such as sieving (sizing) or drying may be performed as needed.

[0048] An absorbent sheet 70 is disposed below the divider 52. In this embodiment, the absorbent sheet 70 is disposed inside the main body 50 while being housed in the drawer 54. The absorbent sheet 70 absorbs urine that has passed through the through-holes 53 of the divider 52.

[0049] When the animal litter box 1 is in use, urine excreted on the granular materials 60 flows downward through the gaps between the granular materials 60. The urine moves from the upper space S1 to the lower space S2 through the through-holes 53 of the partition 52 and is absorbed by the absorbent sheet 70.

[0050] The configuration of each part of the animal litter box 2 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are an end view, a front view, and a plan view, respectively, of the main body 50. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an opening 51 for inserting and removing the drawer 54 is formed in the side surface 50b of the main body 50. The opening 51 is located near the bottom surface 50a and has a horizontally long rectangular shape. The horizontal length of the opening 51 (the left-right direction in FIG. 8) is approximately equal to the inner width of the main body 50, and is, for example, 20 cm to 40 cm. The vertical length of the opening 51 (the up-down direction in FIG. 8) is, for example, 2 cm to 5 cm. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, in this embodiment, the protrusion 50c is a ridge provided annularly around the entire inner surface of the side surface 50b in a plan view.

[0051] 10 is a plan view showing the partition section 52. A plurality of through holes 53 are formed in the partition section 52. The through holes 53 are arranged two-dimensionally in the partition section 52. The through holes 53 have a size and shape that allows urine to pass through but prevents the passage of the granular material 60. The diameter of the through holes 53 is, for example, 2 mm or more and 4 mm or less.

[0052] 11 is a perspective view showing the drawer 54. The drawer 54 has a bottom plate 54a, a front plate 54b, a tip plate 54c, and a pair of side plates 54d. The size of the bottom plate 54a is approximately equal to the size of the bottom surface 50a of the container 50. The front plate 54b has approximately the same shape and size as the opening 51. A handle 55 is attached to the front plate 54b.

[0053] The effects of the animal litter box 2 will now be explained. In the animal litter box 2, a blower 30 is provided in the internal space 20c of the hood 20. The blower 30 makes it possible to exhaust air in the internal space 20c of the hood 20 to the outside of the animal litter box 2 through the inlet / outlet 22. This makes it less likely for the foul odor of excrement to linger in the internal space 20c. Therefore, an animal litter box 2 that is less likely to harbor foul odors in the internal space 20c has been realized.

[0054] A partition 52 is provided which has through holes 53 for passing animal urine and divides the inside of the main body 50 into upper and lower sections. This allows urine to be collected in the space below the partition 52 (lower space S2), thereby reducing the foul smell of urine from floating in the internal space 20c.

[0055] A plurality of hydrophobic granular materials 60 are arranged on the partition 52. In this case, most of the urine excreted on the granular materials 60 is not absorbed by the granular materials 60, but passes through the gaps between the granular materials 60. This allows the urine to be smoothly guided to the partition 52.

[0056] The partition 52 is not fixed to the main body 50. In this case, the partition 52 can be easily attached to and detached from the main body 50.

[0057] The partition 52 rests on the protrusion 50c, which allows the partition 52 to be held in place within the main body 50 without being fixed to the main body 50.

[0058] A water-absorbent sheet 70 is disposed below the partition 52. This allows urine that accumulates in the lower space S2 to be trapped within the water-absorbent sheet 70. This further reduces the foul odor of urine from floating in the internal space 20c.

[0059] A drawer section 54 is provided that can be inserted into and removed from the main body section 50. This makes it easy to replace a used water-absorbent sheet 70 with a new one. Other effects of the animal litter box 2 are the same as those of the animal litter box 1.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the above-described embodiment, the blower 30 is configured to blow air horizontally. However, the blower 30 may be configured to blow air diagonally upward, as shown in FIG. 12, for example. In this case, it is possible to prevent odors from accumulating near the ceiling portion 20a of the hood 20. Alternatively, the blower 30 may be configured to blow air diagonally downward, as shown in FIG. 13, for example. In this case, the air from the blower 30 is more likely to hit the granular material 40, which can further promote drying of the granular material 40 wet with excrement.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the blowing direction of the fan 30 is constant. However, the blowing direction of the fan 30 may be variable. For example, a fan 30 with a variable blowing direction can be realized by making the rotation shaft of the impeller movable. In this case, it is preferable that the range of motion includes all of the following states: a state in which the rotation shaft is horizontal (see FIG. 2), a state in which the rotation shaft is oriented diagonally upward (see FIG. 12), and a state in which the rotation shaft is oriented diagonally downward (see FIG. 13). When these three states are included in the range of motion, the fan 30 corresponds to all of the following states: "a state in which the fan 30 is arranged to blow air horizontally," "a state in which the fan 30 is arranged to blow air diagonally upward," and "a state in which the fan 30 is arranged to blow air diagonally downward." By making the blowing direction of the fan 30 variable in this way, it becomes easier to generate airflow over a wide range in the interior space 20c.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the blower 30 is attached to the region R1 (region facing the entrance / exit 22) of the side surface 20b of the hood 20. However, the blower 30 may be attached to a region of the side surface 20b other than the region R1. Alternatively, the blower 30 may be attached to the ceiling 20a, for example, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16. In FIG. 14, the blower 30 is arranged to blow air vertically downward. In FIG. 15, the blower 30 is arranged to blow air diagonally downward. In FIG. 16, the blower 30 is arranged to blow air horizontally. Attaching the blower 30 to the ceiling 20a in this manner is advantageous in that it makes it less likely for animals to come into contact with the blower 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Animal toilet 2. Animal toilet 10 Main body 10a Bottom part 10b Side part 20 Food 20a Ceiling 20b Side part 20c interior space 22 Entrance / Exit 30 Blower 40 Granules 42 Core 44 Covering part 50 Main body 50a Bottom part 50b Side part 50c protrusion 51 Aperture 52 Partition 53 Through hole 54 Drawer section 55 Handle 60 Granules 70 Absorbent Sheet S1 upper space S2 lower space

Claims

1. An animal litter box, a box-shaped main body having a bottom surface and a side surface; a hood having an entrance for animals and covering the main body from above; a blower provided in the internal space of the hood, which discharges the air in the internal space to the outside of the animal litter box through the entrance without deodorizing it; An animal litter box comprising:

2. The animal litter box according to claim 1, The animal litter box has a blower attached to the hood.

3. The animal litter box according to claim 2, The animal litter box is configured such that the blower is attached to a side portion of the hood.

4. The animal litter box according to claim 3, The animal litter box is configured such that the blower is attached to an area of ​​the side portion of the hood facing the entrance.

5. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The animal litter box is configured so that the blower blows air horizontally.

6. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The animal litter box is configured so that the blower blows air obliquely upward.

7. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The animal litter box is configured so that the blower blows air diagonally downward.

8. The animal litter box according to claim 2, The animal litter box is configured such that the blower is attached to the ceiling of the hood.

9. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The animal litter box has a variable air blowing direction.

10. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 9, a sensor for detecting when the animal enters or leaves the animal litter box; The animal litter box is configured such that the blower is controlled so as to be automatically switched on and off in conjunction with the sensor.

11. The animal litter box according to claim 10, The animal litter box is configured such that the blower is controlled to turn on when the sensor detects that the animal has entered the animal litter box.

12. The animal litter box according to claim 10, The animal litter box is configured such that the blower is controlled to turn on when the sensor detects that the animal has left the animal litter box.

13. The animal litter box according to claim 11 or 12, The animal litter box is controlled so that the blower is turned off after a certain time has elapsed since the sensor detected that the animal has left the animal litter box.

14. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 10 to 13, The animal litter box, wherein the sensor is a human presence sensor that detects the movement of the animal in the internal space.

15. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 10 to 13, The animal litter box, wherein the sensor is a weight sensor that detects a change in weight applied to the main body.

16. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 15, An animal litter box comprising a plurality of water-absorbent granular materials arranged on the bottom surface of the main body.

17. The animal litter box according to claim 16, Each of the granular bodies is A core portion formed into a granular shape; The animal litter box has a covering portion that contains an adhesive material and covers the core portion.

18. The animal litter box according to claim 17, The animal litter box, wherein the core and the covering are both made primarily of organic matter.

19. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 15, The animal litter box has a through hole that allows the animal's urine to pass through and a partition that divides the main body into upper and lower sections.

20. The animal litter box according to claim 19, An animal litter box comprising a plurality of hydrophobic granular materials arranged on the partition.

21. The animal litter box according to claim 19 or 20, The partition is not fixed to the main body.

22. The animal litter box according to claim 21, the main body portion has a protrusion provided so as to protrude from the side surface portion toward the inside of the main body portion, The partition is placed on the protrusion.

23. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 19 to 22, The animal litter box is provided with an absorbent sheet disposed below the partition and configured to absorb the urine that has passed through the through-holes.

24. The animal litter box according to claim 23, a drawer portion in which the water-absorbent sheet is housed, An opening is formed in the side surface of the main body, The animal litter box has a drawer portion that can be inserted into and removed from the main body portion through the opening in the side portion.

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