Animal toilet

Abstract

To provide an animal toilet that allows a load for cleaning a partition part to be reduced.SOLUTION: An animal toilet 1 includes a body part 10 and a partition part 20. The body part 10 includes a bottom face part 10a and a side face part 10b. The body part 10 receives excreted urine. The partition part 20 partitions an internal space of the body part 10 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. The partition part 20 includes a plate-like member 22. The plate-like member 22 does not have a through-hole. There is a gap for passing urine between the side face part 10b and the plate-like member 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an animal toilet.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional animal toilet, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. The animal toilet described in the document includes a main body portion ( tray ) that receives excreted urine, and a partition portion ( sieve ) that divides the internal space of the main body portion into an upper space and a lower space. A large number of through - holes for allowing urine to pass through are formed in the partition portion. In the upper space ( above the partition portion ), a plurality of granular bodies having low water absorption are laid. In the lower space, a water - absorbent sheet for absorbing urine is disposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above - mentioned animal toilet, the urine excreted into the main body portion passes through between the granular bodies and reaches the partition portion. The urine that reaches the partition portion moves from the upper space to the lower space through the through - holes. Therefore, debris of the granular bodies and dirt caused by urine are likely to adhere to the inner surface of the through - holes. If such dirt is left unattended, it may cause the through - holes to become clogged or a bad smell to waft around the animal toilet. However, since there are a large number of through - holes in the partition portion, cleaning the inner surface of the through - holes is a great burden for the user ( such as the owner of the animal ).

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an animal toilet in which the burden required for cleaning the partition portion is reduced.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The animal toilet according to the present invention comprises a main body having a bottom and side portions for receiving excreted urine, and a partition portion that divides the internal space of the main body into an upper space and a lower space, wherein the partition portion includes a first plate-like member that does not have a through hole, and a first gap exists between the side portion and the first plate-like member for the urine to pass through.

[0007] In this animal toilet, the partition is formed by a first plate-like member that does not have through holes. The first plate-like member is provided with a gap (first gap) between it and the side of the main body. Therefore, urine can move from the upper space to the lower space through the first gap. In this case, even if dirt adheres to the first plate-like member, since there are no through holes, the effort of cleaning the inner surface of the through holes can be avoided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an animal toilet is realized that reduces the burden required for cleaning the partition. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an end view showing one embodiment of an animal toilet according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an end view showing one embodiment of an animal toilet according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an end view showing the main body 10. [Figure 4] This is a front view showing the main body 10. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the main body 10 and the partition 20. [Figure 6] This is a plan view showing the main body 10 and the plate-shaped member 22. [Figure 7] This is a plan view showing the main body 10 and the plate-shaped member 24. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing the drawer section 50. [Figure 9]This is a plan view illustrating one modified example of the partition section 20. [Figure 10] This is an end view along line XX in Figure 9. [Figure 11] This is a plan view illustrating other variations of the partition section 20. [Figure 12] This is an end view along the line XII-XII in Figure 11. [Figure 13] This is an end view illustrating a modified example of the main body 10. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] Figures 1 and 2 are end views showing one embodiment of an animal toilet according to the present invention. The animal toilet 1 comprises a main body 10, a partition 20, a plurality of granular materials 30, an absorbent sheet 40, and a drawer 50. The main body 10 has a bottom surface 10a and side surfaces 10b. The main body 10 consists of a single container. The main body 10 receives excreted urine. The external shape of the main body 10 is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped. The planar shape of the main body 10 is approximately a rectangle. Here, "approximately a rectangle" is not limited to a rectangle, but also includes shapes close to a rectangle, such as a rounded rectangle. Figures 1 and 2 show end faces perpendicular to the long and short sides of the rectangle, respectively.

[0012] Figures 3 and 4 are an end view and a front view, respectively, of the main body 10. An opening 12 for inserting and removing the drawer 50 is formed in the side portion 10b of the main body 10. The opening 12 is located near the bottom portion 10a and is a horizontally elongated rectangle. The length of the opening 12 in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in Figure 4) is approximately equal to the width (internal dimension) of the main body 10, for example, 20 cm to 40 cm. The length of the opening 12 in the vertical direction (up-down direction in Figure 4) is for example, 2 cm to 5 cm. As the material for the main body 10, plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene can be used.

[0013] The partition portion 20 is disposed at a position separated from both the upper end of the main body portion 10 (side surface portion 10b) and the water-absorbent sheet 40. Thereby, the partition portion 20 divides the internal space of the main body portion 10 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. The upper space S1 exists above the partition portion 20 and is a space where a plurality of granular bodies 30 are laid. The lower space S2 exists below the partition portion 20 and is a space where urine accumulates.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the main body portion 10 and the partition portion 20. The end faces shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively correspond to the end faces along line I-I and line II-II of FIG. 5. The partition portion 20 includes a plate-like member 22 (first plate-like member) and a plate-like member 24 (second plate-like member). The partition portion 20 consists only of the plate-like member 22 and the plate-like member 24. The plate-like member 22 is a single substantially rectangular plate. The upper and lower surfaces of the plate-like member 22 are flat. The thickness of the plate-like member 22 is constant and preferably 5 mm or less. As shown in FIG. 6, a gap G1 (first gap) for allowing urine to pass through exists between the side surface portion 10b and the plate-like member 22. This figure is a view in which the illustration of the plate-like member 24 in FIG. 5 is omitted. The plate-like member 22 does not have a through-hole. Here, the through-hole is a hole that penetrates the plate-like member 22 and allows urine to pass through, and its shape and size are not limited as long as urine can pass through.

[0015] The plate-like member 22 is inclined downward toward the gap G1 (see FIG. 1). The inclination angle of the plate-like member 22 is preferably 10° or more and 30° or less. The plate-like member 22 is fixed to the main body portion 10. Specifically, three sides of the four sides of the plate-like member 22 are connected to the side surface portion 10b. The remaining one side of the plate-like member 22 is separated from the opposing side surface portion 10b, thereby forming the gap G1. The said one side is the side located at the lower end of the plate-like member 22. The plate-like member 22 may be integrally formed with the side surface portion 10b or may be attached to the side surface portion 10b after being separately formed from the side surface portion 10b. As the material of the plate-like member 22, for example, plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene can be used.

[0016] The plate-like member 24 is a single substantially rectangular plate. The upper and lower surfaces of the plate-like member 24 are flat. The thickness of the plate-like member 24 is constant and preferably 5 mm or less. The plate-like member 24 may have the same shape and size as the plate-like member 22, or may have a different shape or size from the plate-like member 22. The area of each of the plate-like member 22 and the plate-like member 24 is preferably 60% or less of the area of the bottom surface portion 10a (the portion inside the side surface portion 10b) of the main body portion 10 in plan view. As shown in FIG. 7, a gap G2 (second gap) through which urine passes exists between the side surface portion 10b and the plate-like member 24. This figure is a view in which the illustration of the plate-like member 22 in FIG. 5 is omitted. The plate-like member 24 does not have a through-hole. Here, the through-hole is a hole that penetrates the plate-like member 24 and allows urine to pass through, and its shape and size are not limited as long as urine can pass through.

[0017] The plate-like member 24 is provided so as not to block the gap G1 between the side surface portion 10b and the plate-like member 22. Similarly, the plate-like member 22 is provided so as not to block the gap G2 between the side surface portion 10b and the plate-like member 24. The plate-like member 24 is spaced apart from the plate-like member 22. A gap G3 (third gap) through which urine passes exists between the plate-like member 22 and the plate-like member 24 (see FIG. 2). The gap G3 is sized so as not to allow the granular body 30 to pass through. In the present embodiment, the plate-like member 24 is provided so as to fill the entire gap G1 in plan view. Similarly, the plate-like member 22 is provided so as to fill the entire gap G2 in plan view. Further, the plate-like member 22 and the plate-like member 24 partially overlap in plan view. That is, a part of the plate-like member 24 overlaps a part of the plate-like member 22 in plan view.

[0018] The plate-shaped member 24 is inclined downward toward the gap G2 (see Figure 1). The inclination angle of the plate-shaped member 24 is preferably 10° or more and 30° or less. The plate-shaped member 24 is fixed to the main body 10. In detail, three of the four sides of the plate-shaped member 24 are connected to the side portion 10b. The remaining side of the plate-shaped member 24 is spaced apart from the opposing side portion 10b, thereby creating the gap G2. This side is located at the lower end of the plate-shaped member 24. The lower end of the plate-shaped member 24 is lower than the lower end of the plate-shaped member 22. The plate-shaped member 24 may be molded integrally with the side portion 10b, or it may be molded separately from the side portion 10b and then attached to the side portion 10b. As the material for the plate-shaped member 24, for example, plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene can be used.

[0019] Multiple granular materials 30 for processing excrement (mainly urine) are laid in the upper space S1 (above the partition 20). The granular materials 30 are laid directly on the plate-like members 22 and 24. Each granular material 30 is granular in shape. Examples of such granular shapes include spheres, cylinders, or ellipsoids. The particle size of each granular material 30 is, for example, 5 mm to 20 mm. Here, the particle size of the granular material 30 is defined as the diameter of the smallest sphere that can contain the granular material 30. When the animal toilet 1 is used, the granular materials 30 directly receive the excreted urine.

[0020] The granular material 30 is hydrophobic. That is, the granular material 30 does not absorb liquids such as urine at all, or absorbs very little. For the granular material 30 to be hydrophobic, the liquid pass-through rate measured by the following test must be 60% or higher. First, place 50g of the granular material 30 (sample) into a sieve with an inner diameter of 10cm and a mesh opening of 1mm. Place an empty beaker below the sieve. Then, using a syringe with an outer cylinder inner diameter of 3cm and a tip inner diameter of 4mm (Terumo 60ml syringe), dropwise add 30ml of water to the sample over 10 seconds. After standing for 1 minute, measure the amount of water in the beaker. The liquid pass-through rate is calculated as the ratio of the measured amount of water to the amount of water added (30ml). If the amount of water in the beaker is 18ml or more, the liquid pass-through rate is 60% or higher, and therefore the granular material 30 can be said to be hydrophobic.

[0021] Each granular material 30 is preferably made primarily of organic matter. Here, the main material of the granular material 30 refers to the material that accounts for the largest weight percentage of the granular material 30 among the one or more materials that make up the granular material 30. Examples of such organic matter include paper, tea leaves, plastics, or okara (soy pulp). Each granular material 30 may consist only of organic matter, or it may consist of organic matter and inorganic matter.

[0022] Paper refers to materials mainly composed of pulp. Examples of paper include, in addition to ordinary paper, PVC wallpaper graded material, photographic paper, release paper, fluff pulp, papermaking sludge, or pulp sludge. PVC wallpaper graded material is obtained by removing a portion of the polyvinyl chloride from PVC wallpaper containing paper and polyvinyl chloride. Examples of plastics include, in addition to ordinary plastics, aluminum-metallized film, or disposable diaper graded material (plastic obtained by classifying disposable diapers). Dried okara is preferred. These materials may or may not be subjected to hydrophobic treatment (water-repellent treatment).

[0023] The granular material 30 may consist of only one material or two or more materials. In the former case, the granular material 30 will consist only of the main material described above. In the latter case, the granular material 30 will be composed 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 material 30. The proportion of gypsum or baking soda is, for example, 5% by weight or more and less than 50% by weight of the total granular material 30.

[0024] The granular material 30 can be manufactured, for example, by the following method. First, granulation is performed on the granulating material (the material constituting the granular material 30) using a granulation apparatus to form granules that will become the granular material 30. For example, an extruder can be used as the granulation apparatus. The granules may be subjected to hydrophobic treatment as needed. Hydrophobic treatment can be performed, for example, by coating the surface of the granules with a hydrophobic agent (water repellent). If hydrophobic treatment is not performed, it is preferable to increase the pressure applied to the granulating material during granulation to minimize the formation of gaps within the granules. This is because such gaps become pathways for liquids such as urine to penetrate into the interior of the granular material 30. Prior to granulation, pre-treatment such as crushing, kneading, and hydration is performed on the granulating material as needed. After granulation, post-treatment such as sieving (separation) and drying is performed as needed.

[0025] An absorbent sheet 40 is placed in the lower space S2 (below the partition 20). The absorbent sheet 40 absorbs urine that passes through the gaps G1, G2, and G3 of the partition 20. In other words, urine that passes through the gaps G1, G2, and G3 is absorbed by the absorbent sheet 40 and accumulates in the lower space S2.

[0026] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the drawer section 50. The drawer section 50 has a bottom plate 50a, a front plate 50b, a front plate 50c, and a pair of side plates 50d. The size of the bottom plate 50a is approximately equal to the size of the bottom surface 10a of the main body section 10. The front plate 50b has approximately the same shape and size as the opening 12. A handle 52 is attached to the front plate 50b. The drawer section 50 can be inserted into and removed from the main body section 10 through the opening 12 formed in the side surface 10b. The absorbent sheet 40 is housed in the drawer section 50. That is, the absorbent sheet 40 is disposed inside the main body section 10 while housed in the drawer section 50. As the material for the drawer section 50, for example, plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene can be used.

[0027] When the animal toilet 1 is used, the urine excreted in the main body 10 passes through the gaps between the granular materials 30 and reaches the partition 20. The urine that reaches the partition 20 then passes through the gap G1 between the side portion 10b and the plate-shaped member 22, the gap G3 between the plate-shaped member 22 and the plate-shaped member 24, and the gap G2 between the side portion 10b and the plate-shaped member 24 in that order, moving from the upper space S1 to the lower space S2. The urine that moves to the lower space S2 is absorbed by the absorbent sheet 40.

[0028] The effects of the animal toilet 1 are explained below. In the animal toilet 1, the partition section 20 is made up of a plate-shaped member 22 that does not have through holes. The plate-shaped member 22 is provided with a gap G1 between it and the side portion 10b of the main body 10. Therefore, urine can move from the upper space S1 to the lower space S2 through the gap G1. At this time, even if dirt adheres to the plate-shaped member 22, since there are no through holes, the effort of cleaning the inner surface of the through holes can be avoided. Thus, the animal toilet 1 is realized in which the burden required to clean the partition section 20 is reduced.

[0029] The plate-shaped member 22 is inclined downward toward the gap G1. This makes it easier to guide urine that has reached the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 22 into the gap G1. In this case, from the viewpoint of facilitating the flow of urine across the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 22, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the plate-shaped member 22 be 10° or more. On the other hand, if the inclination angle is too large, the distance from the upper end to the lower end of the plate-shaped member 22 in the height direction of the main body 10 becomes long, making it difficult to secure space for installing the plate-shaped member 22. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the plate-shaped member 22 be 30° or less.

[0030] The upper surface of the plate-shaped member 22 is flat. In this case, cleaning the plate-shaped member 22 becomes easier compared to when there are irregularities on the upper surface. This also contributes to reducing the burden required for cleaning the partition 20.

[0031] As described above, since the plate-shaped member 22 does not have through holes, it is easier to ensure the strength of the plate-shaped member 22 even when it is made thinner compared to when through holes are present. Making the plate-shaped member 22 thinner leads to saving on the materials that make up the plate-shaped member 22, and consequently to a reduction in the manufacturing cost of the animal toilet 1. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the thickness of the plate-shaped member 22 be 5 mm or less. On the other hand, if the plate-shaped member 22 is made too thin, its strength may become insufficient. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the thickness of the plate-shaped member 22 be 2 mm or more.

[0032] The partition 20 includes a plate-like member 24 that does not have through holes. That is, the partition 20 is composed of a plate-like member 22 and a plate-like member 24. The plate-like member 24 is provided with a gap G2 between it and the side portion 10b of the main body 10, and a gap G3 between it and the plate-like member 22. Therefore, urine can move from the upper space S1 to the lower space S2 through the gaps G1, G2, and G3. In this case, even if dirt adheres to the plate-like member 24, since there are no through holes, the effort of cleaning the inner surface of the through holes can be avoided.

[0033] However, if the partition 20 consists of only one plate-like member (plate-like member 22), there is a constraint that the gap G1 must be too small to allow the granular material 30 to pass through, which necessitates increasing the area of ​​the plate-like member. This is disadvantageous in ensuring the strength of the plate-like member 22. In contrast, if the partition 20 consists of multiple plate-like members (plate-like members 22, 24) as in this embodiment, as long as the gap G3 is too small to allow the granular material 30 to pass through, the gaps G1 and G2 may be large enough to allow the granular material 30 to pass through. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the area of ​​each plate-like member 22, 24, freeing it from the above constraint.

[0034] Thus, reducing the area of ​​the plate-like member is advantageous in ensuring the strength of the plate-like member. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the area of ​​each of the plate-like member 22 and the plate-like member 24 is 60% or less of the area of ​​the bottom surface 10a of the main body 10 in a plan view.

[0035] The partition section 20 consists only of plate-shaped members 22 and 24. In this case, a partition section 20 that divides the internal space of the main body section 10 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2 can be realized with a relatively simple configuration.

[0036] The plate-shaped member 24 is inclined downward toward the gap G2. This makes it easier to guide urine that has reached the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 24 into the gap G2. In this case, from the viewpoint of facilitating the flow of urine across the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 24, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the plate-shaped member 24 be 10° or more. On the other hand, if the inclination angle is too large, the distance from the upper end to the lower end of the plate-shaped member 24 becomes longer in the height direction of the main body 10, making it difficult to secure space for installing the plate-shaped member 24. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the plate-shaped member 24 be 30° or less.

[0037] The upper surface of the plate-shaped member 24 is flat. In this case, cleaning the plate-shaped member 24 becomes easier compared to when there are irregularities on the upper surface. This also contributes to reducing the burden required for cleaning the partition 20.

[0038] The plate-shaped member 24 is provided so as to fill the entire gap G1 in a plan view. In this case, the entire inside of the main body 10 is covered by the partition 20 in a plan view. This prevents the malodorous odor generated from the urine accumulated in the lower space S2 from rising to the upper space S1.

[0039] A portion of the plate-shaped member 24 overlaps with a portion of the plate-shaped member 22 in a plan view. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress the rise of malodorous odors generated from urine accumulated in the lower space S2 to the upper space S1.

[0040] As described above, since the plate-shaped member 24 does not have through holes, it is easier to ensure the strength of the plate-shaped member 24 even when it is made thinner compared to when through holes are present. Making the plate-shaped member 24 thinner leads to saving on the materials that make up the plate-shaped member 24, and consequently to a reduction in the manufacturing cost of the animal toilet 1. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the thickness of the plate-shaped member 24 be 5 mm or less. On the other hand, if the plate-shaped member 24 is made too thin, its strength may become insufficient. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the thickness of the plate-shaped member 24 be 2 mm or more.

[0041] If the plate-shaped member 24 has the same shape and size as the plate-shaped member 22, the members that will become the plate-shaped member 22 and the members that will become the plate-shaped member 24 can be made common during the manufacturing of the animal toilet 1. This also contributes to reducing the manufacturing cost of the animal toilet 1.

[0042] Each granular material 30 is hydrophobic. In this case, most of the urine excreted on the granular material 30 is not absorbed by the granular material 30, but passes through the spaces between the granular materials 30. This allows the urine to be quickly guided to the partition section 20.

[0043] When each granular material 30 is primarily made of organic matter, it is possible to obtain granular materials 30 suitable for incineration. In this case, it becomes easier to dispose of the used granular materials 30 as combustible waste, thus improving convenience for the user. In particular, when each granular material 30 consists solely of organic matter, it is possible to obtain granular materials 30 that are even more suitable for incineration.

[0044] The main body 10 consists of a single container. In this case, an animal toilet 1 having an upper space S1 and a lower space S2 can be realized with a simpler configuration compared to when the main body 10 consists of multiple containers.

[0045] An absorbent sheet 40 is placed in the lower space S2. This allows the urine accumulated in the lower space S2 to be contained within the absorbent sheet 40. As a result, the generation of unpleasant odors from the urine can be mitigated.

[0046] A drawer section 50 is provided that can be inserted into and removed from the main body section 10. This makes it easy to replace used absorbent sheets 40 with new ones.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the above embodiment, the case in which the plate-shaped member 22 is fixed to the main body 10 is illustrated. However, the plate-shaped member 22 may not be fixed to the main body 10 and may be detachable from the main body 10. Such a configuration can be realized, for example, by providing the main body 10 with a projection that protrudes from the side portion 10b inward from the main body 10 and supports the edge of the plate-shaped member 22 (the edge along the three sides of the plate-shaped member 22 that do not face the gap G1) from below. The plate-shaped member 22 is placed on the projection and thus positioned inside the main body 10. When the plate-shaped member 22 is detachable in this way, it is possible to clean the plate-shaped member 22 when it is removed from the main body 10.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the case in which the plate-shaped member 24 is fixed to the main body 10 is illustrated. However, the plate-shaped member 24 may not be fixed to the main body 10 and may be detachable from the main body 10. Such a configuration can be realized, for example, by providing the main body 10 with a projection that protrudes from the side portion 10b inward from the main body 10 and supports the edge of the plate-shaped member 24 (the edge along the three sides of the plate-shaped member 24 that do not face the gap G2) from below. The plate-shaped member 24 is placed on the projection and thus positioned inside the main body 10. When the plate-shaped member 24 is detachable in this way, it becomes possible to clean the plate-shaped member 24 when it is removed from the main body 10.

[0049] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which a part of the plate-like member 24 overlaps a part of the plate-like member 22 in a plan view. However, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, for example, the plate-like member 22 and the plate-like member 24 do not have to overlap at all in a plan view. Figure 10 is an end view along line XX in Figure 9. In this example, the plate-like member 24 is provided so as to fill only a part of the gap G1 between the side portion 10b and the plate-like member 22 in a plan view. Similarly, the plate-like member 22 is provided so as to fill only a part of the gap G2 between the side portion 10b and the plate-like member 24 in a plan view. The plate-like member 24 has the same shape and size as the plate-like member 22. The height of the lower end of the plate-like member 24 is equal to the height of the lower end of the plate-like member 22. In Figure 10, the plate-like member 22 and the plate-like member 24 are provided symmetrically. In this case, the gap G3 between the plate-shaped member 22 and the plate-shaped member 24 corresponds to the remainder of the gap G1 (the portion not filled by the plate-shaped member 24 in a plan view) and the remainder of the gap G2 (the portion not filled by the plate-shaped member 22 in a plan view).

[0050] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the partition portion 20 consists of a plate-shaped member 22 and a plate-shaped member 24. However, the partition portion 20 may consist only of the plate-shaped member 22, for example, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. Figure 12 is an end view along the line XII-XII in Figure 11. The gap G1 between the side portion 10b and the plate-shaped member 22 is sized to prevent the granular material 30 from passing through. When the partition portion 20 consists only of the plate-shaped member 22 in this way, the partition portion 20 can be realized with a particularly simple configuration.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the case in which the plate-shaped member 22 is inclined is illustrated. However, the plate-shaped member 22 may also be arranged horizontally (parallel to the bottom surface 10a). The same applies to the plate-shaped member 24.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the case where the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-like member 22 are flat was illustrated. However, the upper or lower surface of the plate-like member 22 may have irregularities. The same applies to the plate-like member 24.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the case in which a drawer portion 50 is provided is illustrated. However, providing the drawer portion 50 is not essential. If the drawer portion 50 is not provided, the absorbent sheet 40 is placed directly on the bottom portion 10a. In that case, naturally, the opening 12 is not provided on the side portion 10b.

[0054] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which an absorbent sheet 40 is provided on the main body 10. However, it is not essential to provide the absorbent sheet 40 on the main body 10. If the absorbent sheet 40 is not provided, the drawer portion 50 will not be provided either.

[0055] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the main body 10 is composed of a single container. However, the main body 10 may be composed of multiple containers, for example, as shown in Figure 13. In the same figure, the main body 10 is composed of two containers (containers 62 and 64). Each container 62 and 64 is box-shaped with a bottom and side surfaces. Container 62 is stacked on top of container 64. The bottom surface of container 62 constitutes a partition 20. As a result, the internal space of container 62 and the internal space of container 64 become the upper space S1 and the lower space S2, respectively. Furthermore, the bottom surface of container 64 constitutes the bottom surface of the main body 10, and the side surfaces of container 62 and container 64 constitute the side surfaces of the main body 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Animal toilet 10 Main body 10a Bottom part 10b Side part 12 Aperture 20 Partition Section 22 Plate-shaped member (first plate-shaped member) 24 Plate-shaped member (second plate-shaped member) 30 Granules 40 absorbent sheets 50 Drawer section 52 Handle 62 Container 64 Container G1 Gap (First Gap) G2 Gap (Second Gap) G3 Gap (Third Gap) S1 upper space S2 lower space

Claims

1. A main body having a bottom and side sections, which receives excreted urine, The main body comprises a partition that divides the internal space into an upper space and a lower space, The partition consists only of first and second plate-like members that do not have through holes. A gap exists between the first plate-shaped member and the second plate-shaped member that allows the urine to pass through. An animal toilet characterized in that a plurality of granular bodies are laid on the first plate-like member to directly receive the excreted urine.

2. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, The upper surface of the first plate-like member is flat, which is the animal toilet.

3. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, The first plate-shaped member is an animal toilet that is detachable from the main body.

4. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, The thickness of the first plate-like member is 5 mm or less for the animal toilet.

5. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, The upper surface of the second plate-like member is flat, which is the animal toilet.

6. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, The second plate-shaped member is an animal toilet that is detachable from the main body.

7. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, In a plan view, a portion of the second plate-like member overlaps a portion of the first plate-like member in this animal toilet.

8. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, The second plate-like member is an animal toilet having the same shape and size as the first plate-like member.

9. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, The thickness of the second plate-like member is 5 mm or less for the animal toilet.

10. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, An animal toilet in which the area of ​​each of the first and second plate-like members is 60% or less of the area of ​​the bottom surface when viewed from above.

11. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, An animal toilet provided in the aforementioned upper space and comprising a plurality of hydrophobic granular materials.

12. In the animal toilet according to claim 11, Each of the aforementioned granular materials is an animal toilet made primarily from organic matter.

13. In the animal toilet according to claim 12, Each of the aforementioned granular materials is an animal toilet made solely of organic matter.

14. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, The main body consists of a single container, which is an animal toilet.

15. In the animal toilet according to claim 1, An animal toilet provided in the lower space and equipped with an absorbent sheet for absorbing the urine.

16. In the animal toilet according to claim 15, The system includes a drawer section in which the absorbent sheet is housed, An opening is formed in the side portion of the main body, The aforementioned drawer section is an animal toilet that can be inserted into and removed from the main body through the aforementioned opening.

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