Animal toilet

Abstract

Provided is an animal toilet which makes it possible to enlarge a through hole while preventing granules from falling to a lower space. An animal toilet 1 comprises a main body 10, a partitioning part 20, and a sheet member 30. The main body 10 has a bottom surface part 10a and a side surface part 10b. The main body 10 receives excreted urine. The partitioning part 20 partitions the internal space of the main body 10 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. The partitioning part 20 has a through hole 22 through which urine passes. The sheet member 30 is disposed over the partitioning part 20 so as to cover the through hole 22. The sheet member 30 allows urine to pass therethrough.

Description

Animal toilet

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

[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 main body (tray) that receives excreted urine, and a partition (draft) that divides the interior space of the main body into an upper space and a lower space. The partition has through-holes that allow urine to pass through. A plurality of granular materials with low water absorption are arranged in the upper space (above the partition). An absorbent sheet that absorbs urine is arranged in the lower space. Urine excreted in the main body passes through the gaps between the granular materials and then moves from the upper space to the lower space through the through-holes in the partition.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-180182

[0004] Thus, urine-caused dirt easily adheres to the inner surface of the through-hole through which urine passes. Such dirt can cause clogging of the through-hole, and therefore, it is necessary to remove the dirt by cleaning. In this regard, the larger the through-hole, the easier it is to clean the through-hole. However, if the through-hole is made larger, there is a problem that the granular material disposed in the upper space is likely to pass through the through-hole and fall into the lower space.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an animal litter box that can enlarge the through-holes while preventing granular material from falling into the lower space.

[0006] The animal litter box according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a main body portion having a bottom portion and side portions and for receiving excreted urine, a partition portion having a through hole for allowing the urine to pass through and dividing the internal space of the main body portion into an upper space and a lower space, and a sheet member laid on the partition portion so as to cover the through hole and for allowing the urine to pass through.

[0007] This animal litter box is provided with a sheet member that allows urine to pass through. The sheet member is laid on the partition so as to cover the through-hole. Therefore, even if the through-hole is enlarged, the sheet member can prevent granular material disposed in the upper space from passing through the through-hole.

[0008] According to the present invention, an animal litter box is realized that can enlarge the through-holes while preventing granular material from falling into the lower space.

[0009] FIG. 1 is an end view showing one embodiment of an animal litter box according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an end view showing the main body 10. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the main body 10. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the main body 10. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the partition 20. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the sheet member 30. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the drawer 60. FIG. 8 is an end view for explaining a modified example of the sheet member 30. FIG. 9 is a plan view for explaining a modified example of the partition 20. FIG. 10 is a plan view for explaining a modified example of the partition 20. FIG. 11 is an end view for explaining another modified example of the partition 20. FIG. 12 is an end view for explaining a modified example of the main body 10.

[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.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an end view showing one embodiment of an animal litter box according to the present invention. The animal litter box 1 comprises a main body 10, a partition 20, a sheet member 30, a plurality of granular bodies 40, an absorbent sheet 50, and a drawer 60. The animal litter box 1 is, for example, a cat litter box. The main body 10 consists of a box-shaped container and has a bottom 10a and side 10b. The main body 10 receives excreted urine. The outer shape of the main body 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The main body 10 can be made of, for example, plastic. Examples of plastic include polypropylene and polyethylene.

[0012] 2 and 3 are an end view and a front view, respectively, of the main body 10. An opening 12 for inserting and removing the drawer 60 is formed in the side surface 10b of the main body 10. The opening 12 is located near the bottom surface 10a and has a horizontally long rectangular shape. The horizontal length of the opening 12 (left-right direction in FIG. 3 ) is approximately equal to the horizontal width (internal dimension) of the main body 10, and is, for example, 20 cm to 40 cm. The vertical length of the opening 12 (up-down direction in FIG. 3 ) is, for example, 2 cm to 5 cm.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the main body 10. The main body 10 has a support portion 14. The support portion 14 protrudes from the side portion 10b toward the inside of the main body 10. The support portion 14 supports the partition portion 20 from below. In plan view, the support portion 14 is provided along the entire inner periphery of the side portion 10b. That is, the support portion 14 is composed of a ring-shaped protrusion along the inner periphery of the side portion 10b. The inner periphery of the side portion 10b has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. Here, the term "substantially rectangular" is not limited to a rectangle, but also includes shapes close to a rectangle, such as a rounded rectangle. The protruding length of the support portion 14 (the length in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the side portion 10b on which the support portion 14 is provided) is, for example, 5 mm to 15 mm. The support portion 14 may be molded integrally with the side portion 10b, or may be molded separately from the side portion 10b and then attached to the side portion 10b.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the partition 20. The partition 20 is placed on the support 14. The partition 20 is not fixed to the main body 10. The partition 20 is detachable from the main body 10. The partition 20 can be disposed within the main body 10 with its entire periphery spaced apart from the side surface 10b. The partition 20 is made of a plate-like member. The partition 20 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The partition 20 is disposed parallel to the bottom surface 10a. The partition 20 is also disposed at a position spaced apart from both the upper end of the main body 10 (side surface 10b) and the absorbent sheet 50. As a result, the partition 20 divides the internal space of the main body 10 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. The upper space S1 is located above the partition 20 and is a space in which a plurality of granular materials 40 are disposed. The lower space S2 exists below the partition 20 and is a space where urine collects. Naturally, the partition 20 has sufficient strength to support the weight of the plurality of granular materials 40 and the weight of the animal when placed on the support 14. The partition 20 can be made of, for example, plastic.

[0015] The partition 20 has through holes 22 that allow urine to pass through. The partition 20 has a plurality of through holes 22. The plurality of through holes 22 are arranged in a lattice pattern in the partition 20. Each through hole 22 has a shape that does not include corners in plan view. The outline of each through hole 22 consists only of curves that bulge outward in plan view. Specifically, each through hole 22 has a circular shape in plan view. The shape and size of the cross section (cross section perpendicular to the thickness direction) of the through hole 22 is constant in the thickness direction of the partition 20 (the vertical direction in Figure 1). That is, each through hole 22 consists of a cylindrical space.

[0016] The maximum circular dimension of each through hole 22 is preferably 12.0 mm or more, and more preferably 25.0 mm or more. Here, the maximum circular dimension refers to the diameter of the largest circle that can be enclosed by the through hole 22 in a planar view. When the planar shape of the through hole 22 is a circle, as in this embodiment, the maximum circular dimension is equal to the diameter of the circle.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the sheet member 30. The sheet member 30 is laid on the partition section 20 so as to cover the through holes 22. The sheet member 30 is laid on the partition section 20 so as to cover all of the multiple through holes 22. The sheet member 30 is laid on the partition section 20 so as to overlap the entire effective area 20a of the partition section 20 in a plan view. Here, the effective area 20a is the area surrounded by the smallest rectangle R1 (see FIG. 5) that can contain all of the through holes 22 in a plan view. The long and short sides of the rectangle R1 are parallel to the long and short sides of the partition section 20, respectively. In this embodiment, the sheet member 30 is laid on the partition section 20 so as to overlap the entire partition section 20 in a plan view. In a plan view, the area of ​​the sheet member 30 is equal to the area of ​​the partition section 20 (including the opening area of ​​the through holes 22). The thickness of the sheet member 30 is smaller than the thickness of the partition portion 20 .

[0018] The sheet member 30 is interposed between the partition 20 and the plurality of granular bodies 40. The sheet member 30 allows urine to pass through. However, the sheet member 30 does not allow the individual granular bodies 40 to pass through. The sheet member 30 is flexible and foldable. Therefore, the sheet member 30 does not have sufficient strength to support the weight of the plurality of granular bodies 40 and the weight of the animal by itself. In other words, if the sheet member 30 were placed directly on the support member 14 without the partition 20, it would not be able to support the weight of the plurality of granular bodies 40 and the weight of the animal. The sheet member 30 can be, for example, a water-permeable sheet or a net with mesh large enough to prevent the passage of the individual granular bodies 40. The sheet member 30 may be disposable or reusable.

[0019] A plurality of granular materials 40 for treating excrement (mainly urine) are disposed in the upper space S1 of the main body 10. The plurality of granular materials 40 are disposed on the partition 20 via the sheet member 30. Each granular material 40 is granular. Examples of such granular shapes include a sphere, a cylinder, and an ellipsoid. Each granular material 40 may or may not be able to pass through the through-hole 22. In the former case, the granular material 40 can pass through the through-hole 22 without being deformed. In this case, the orientation of the granular material 40 relative to the through-hole 22 is arbitrary. The particle size of each granular material 40 is, for example, 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less. Here, the particle size of the granular material 40 is defined as the diameter of the smallest sphere that can contain the granular material 40. When the animal litter box 1 is in use, the granular material 40 directly receives excrement.

[0020] The granular material 40 is hydrophobic. That is, the granular material 40 has the property of not absorbing any liquid such as urine, or if it does, absorbing very little. Unlike granular material that is water-absorbent, the granular material 40 having such hydrophobic properties does not adhere to each other and form clumps when wet with urine.

[0021] For the granular material 40 to be considered hydrophobic, it is necessary for the liquid passage rate measured by the following test to be 60% or more. First, 50 g of the granular material 40 (sample) is placed on a sieve with an inner diameter of 10 cm and a mesh size 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 (Terumo 60 ml syringe) with an outer barrel inner diameter of 3 cm and a tip inner diameter of 4 mm. 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). If the amount of water in the beaker is 18 ml or more, the liquid passage rate is 60% or more, and the granular material 40 can be said to be hydrophobic.

[0022] Each granule 40 is preferably made primarily of an organic material. Here, the "main material" of the granule 40 refers to the material that accounts for the largest weight percentage of the granule 40 among one or more materials that make up the granule 40. Examples of such organic materials include paper, plants, plastics, and organic sludge. Each granule 40 may be made solely of organic material, or may be made of organic and inorganic materials.

[0023] Papers refer to materials primarily composed of pulp. Examples of papers that can be used include ordinary paper (paper dust), photographic paper, release paper, fluff pulp, paper derived from PVC wallpaper (paper generated during the production or classification of PVC wallpaper), paper derived from gypsum board (paper generated during the production or classification of gypsum board), and paper derived from sanitary products (paper generated during the production or classification of sanitary products containing paper). Examples of sanitary products containing paper include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, urine absorption pads, and sanitary paper (tissue paper, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.). Examples of plants that can be used include wood flour, sawdust, or plant residues (tea leaves, soybean curd refuse, etc.). Examples of plastics that can be used include ordinary plastics, aluminum-deposited film, plastic derived from PVC wallpaper (plastic generated during the production or classification of PVC wallpaper), and plastic derived from sanitary products (plastic generated during the production or classification of sanitary products containing plastic). Examples of sanitary products containing plastic include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, urine absorption pads, and sanitary masks. Examples of organic sludges that can be used include papermaking sludge and pulp sludge. These materials may or may not be subjected to a hydrophobic treatment (water-repellent treatment).

[0024] The granular body 40 may be made of only one material, or may be made of two or more materials. In the former case, the granular body 40 is made of only the main material described above. In the latter case, the granular body 40 is made of a mixture of the main material and other materials. Examples of other materials include gypsum or baking soda. Adding gypsum or baking soda makes it easier to impart hydrophobicity to the granular body 40. The proportion of gypsum or baking soda is, for example, 5% by weight or more and less than 50% by weight of the entire granular body 40.

[0025] The granules 40 can be manufactured, for example, by the following method. First, a granulation device is used to granulate the granulation material (the material that constitutes the granules 40) to form a granule that will become the granules 40. 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 granulation material during granulation. This is because such gaps can serve as a path for liquids such as urine to penetrate into the granules 40. Prior to granulation, the granule material may be subjected to pretreatment such as pulverization, kneading, or hydration, as needed. Furthermore, after granulation, posttreatment such as sieving (sizing) and drying may be performed as needed.

[0026] An absorbent sheet 50 is disposed in the lower space S2 of the main body 10. The absorbent sheet 50 absorbs urine that has passed through the through-holes 22 of the partition 20. That is, the urine that has passed through the through-holes 22 is absorbed by the absorbent sheet 50 and accumulates in the lower space S2.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the drawer 60. The drawer 60 has a bottom plate 60a, a front plate 60b, a tip plate 60c, and a pair of side plates 60d. The size of the bottom plate 60a is approximately equal to the size of the bottom surface 10a of the main body 10. The front plate 60b has approximately the same shape and size as the opening 12. A handle 62 is attached to the front plate 60b. The drawer 60 can be inserted into and removed from the main body 10 through the opening 12. The drawer 60 contains an absorbent sheet 50. That is, the absorbent sheet 50 is disposed within the main body 10 while contained in the drawer 60. The drawer 60 can be made of a material such as plastic, for example.

[0028] When the animal litter box 1 is in use, urine excreted into the main body 10 passes through the gaps between the granules 40 and then moves from the upper space S1 to the lower space S2 through the sheet member 30 and the through-holes 22 in the partition 20. The urine that moves to the lower space S2 is absorbed by the absorbent sheet 50.

[0029] The effects of the animal litter box 1 will now be described. The animal litter box 1 is provided with a sheet member 30 that allows urine to pass through. The sheet member 30 is laid on the partition section 20 so as to cover the through-hole 22. Therefore, even if the through-hole 22 is enlarged, the sheet member 30 can prevent the granular material 40 disposed in the upper space S1 from passing through the through-hole 22. Therefore, an animal litter box 1 has been realized that allows the through-hole 22 to be enlarged while preventing the granular material 40 from falling into the lower space S2.

[0030] The sheet member 30 is laid on the partition section 20 so as to overlap the entire effective area 20a of the partition section 20 in a plan view. This allows the entire through-hole 22 to be reliably covered with the sheet member 30.

[0031] The sheet member 30 is laid on the partition portion 20 so as to overlap the entire partition portion 20 in a plan view. In this case, the gap between the sheet member 30 and the side surface portion 10b is smaller than when the sheet member 30 overlaps only a part of the partition portion 20 in a plan view. This has the advantage that the sheet member 30 is less likely to shift significantly relative to the partition portion 20.

[0032] The thickness of the sheet member 30 is smaller than the thickness of the partition portion 20. Reducing the thickness of the sheet member 30 in this manner is advantageous for ensuring a large space in which the granular material 40 can be laid (the portion of the upper space S1 above the sheet member 30).

[0033] The sheet member 30 is laid on the partition section 20 so as to cover all of the plurality of through holes 22. This makes it possible to prevent the granular material 40 from falling through any of the through holes 22.

[0034] Incidentally, the 50th percentile for the width of the first joint of a woman's little finger (the width of the distal joint of the fifth finger) is 11.7 mm. Therefore, if the maximum circular dimension of the through-hole 22 is 12.0 mm or greater, approximately half or more women can insert their little finger into the through-hole 22 up to the first joint. This makes it possible to clean the inner surface of the through-hole 22 by rubbing it with the pad of the little finger. Being able to clean the through-hole 22 with a finger in this way makes cleaning the through-hole 22 particularly easy, since there is no need to prepare a cleaning tool (for example, a rod-shaped brush that can be inserted into the through-hole 22).

[0035] The maximum value for the joint width of a man's thumb (first finger joint width) is 23.3 mm. Therefore, if the maximum circular dimension of the through hole 22 is 25.0 mm or greater, almost everyone, regardless of gender, can insert any of their five fingers into the through hole 22. This makes it possible to clean the inner surface of the through hole 22 with any finger. However, if the through hole 22 is made too large, it may become difficult to ensure sufficient strength of the partition portion 20. From this perspective, it is preferable that the maximum circular dimension of the through hole 22 be 50.0 mm or less.

[0036] The values ​​of finger joint width in this specification are based on data published on the website of the Artificial Intelligence Research Center of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Kawachi Makiko, 2012: AIST Japanese Hand Measurement Data. https: / / www.airc.aist.go.jp / dhrt / hand / index.html). The data was collected between 2004 and 2011 using 530 Japanese subjects (327 men and 203 women). Each datum represents the maximum width of the interphalangeal joints (distal and proximal) measured with a digital caliper while the finger was extended.

[0037] The through-hole 22 has a shape that does not include any corners in a plan view. Corners are areas that are difficult to touch with fingers. Therefore, a shape without corners is advantageous in that it allows a wide range of the inner surface of the through-hole 22 to be cleaned with fingers.

[0038] The outline of the through hole 22 consists only of a curved line bulging outward in a plan view. In this case, unlike when a curved line bulging inward is included, the inner surface of the through hole 22 does not have a portion that penetrates into the inside of the through hole 22. This makes it easier for a finger to move inside the through hole 22. This is even more advantageous in that a wide range of the inner surface of the through hole 22 can be cleaned with a finger.

[0039] The through-hole 22 has a circular shape in a plan view. In this case, the entire inner surface of the through-hole 22 can be touched with a finger. Therefore, the entire inner surface of the through-hole 22 can be reliably cleaned with a finger.

[0040] Each granule 40 is hydrophobic. In this case, most of the urine excreted on the granules 40 passes through the gaps between the granules 40 without being absorbed by the granules 40. This allows the urine to be quickly guided to the lower space S2.

[0041] If each granular body 40 can pass through the through-hole 22, there is no need to make the through-hole 22 small so that the granular body 40 cannot pass through. This has the advantage that the through-hole 22 can be easily made large.

[0042] When each granule 40 is made primarily of organic matter, it is possible to obtain granules 40 that are suitable for incineration. This contributes to the convenience of disposing of used granules 40. In particular, when each granule 40 is made solely of organic matter, it is possible to obtain granules 40 that are even more suitable for incineration.

[0043] When the partition 20 is made of plastic, from the viewpoint of environmental protection, etc., it is required that the partition 20 be repeatedly used for a long period of time. For this purpose, cleaning of the partition 20 (particularly the through-hole 22) is important, and therefore an animal litter box 1 in which the through-hole 22 can be easily made large is particularly useful.

[0044] The main body 10 is made up of a single container. In this case, the animal litter box 1 having the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 can be realized with a simpler configuration than when the main body 10 is made up of multiple containers.

[0045] The partition 20 is not fixed to the main body 10. In this case, the partition 20 can be easily attached to and detached from the main body 10.

[0046] The partition section 20 is placed on the support section 14. This allows the partition section 20 to be kept at a predetermined position within the main body section 10 without being fixed to the main body section 10.

[0047] The support portion 14 is provided on the entire inner periphery of the side surface portion 10b in a plan view, which makes it easier to prevent the partition portion 20 from falling into the lower space S2.

[0048] The partition 20 can be disposed in the main body 10 with its entire periphery spaced apart from the side surface 10b. By providing a margin between the partition 20 and the side surface 10b in this manner, the partition 20 can be smoothly attached to and detached from the main body 10.

[0049] An absorbent sheet 50 is disposed below the partition 20. This allows urine that accumulates in the lower space S2 to be trapped within the absorbent sheet 50. This reduces the occurrence of bad odors from the urine.

[0050] The drawer 60 is provided so as to be insertable into and removable from the main body 10. This allows the used water-absorbent sheet 50 to be easily replaced with a new one.

[0051] Unlike other animals such as dogs, cats have the habit of hiding their excrement in granular material after excretion. Therefore, the animal litter box 1 in which a plurality of granular material 40 is laid in the upper space S1 is particularly suitable for use as a cat litter box.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the above-described embodiment, the case where the area of ​​the sheet member 30 is equal to the area of ​​the partition portion 20 is illustrated. However, the area of ​​the sheet member 30 may be larger or smaller than the area of ​​the partition portion 20 in a plan view. In the former case, by folding a portion of the sheet member 30 (a portion protruding from the partition portion 20) so as to enclose the side surface of the partition portion 20 as shown in FIG. 8, the sheet member 30 becomes even less likely to slip relative to the partition portion 20.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the partition 20 may have a fixing means for fixing the sheet member 30. For example, such fixing means may be notches 24 as shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, the notches 24 are provided near the four corners of the partition 20. As shown in FIG. 10, the sheet member 30 can be fixed to the partition 20 by inserting the corners of the sheet member 30 into the notches 24. Alternatively, the fixing means may be clips 26 as shown in FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, the clips 26 are provided near both longitudinal ends of the partition 20. As shown in FIG. 12, the sheet member 30 can be fixed to the partition 20 by clamping the ends of the sheet member 30 with the clips 26. By providing fixing means in this manner, it is possible to more reliably prevent the sheet member 30 from shifting relative to the partition 20.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the planar shape of the through-hole 22 is circular. However, the planar shape of the through-hole 22 may be any shape, such as an ellipse or a polygon such as a rectangle.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the support portion 14 is formed of a ridge provided on the entire inner periphery of the side surface portion 10 b in a plan view. However, the support portion 14 may be formed of one or more ridges provided on only a portion of the inner periphery of the side surface portion 10 b in a plan view, or may be formed of multiple protrusions.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the case where the drawer 60 is provided has been exemplified. However, providing the drawer 60 is not essential. If the drawer 60 is not provided, the water-absorbent sheet 50 is disposed directly on the bottom surface portion 10a. In that case, naturally, no opening 12 is provided in the side surface portion 10b.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the case where the absorbent sheet 50 is provided on the main body 10 has been exemplified. However, it is not essential to provide the absorbent sheet 50 on the main body 10. If the absorbent sheet 50 is not provided, the drawer 60 is not provided either.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the main body 10 is illustrated as being composed of a single container. However, the main body 10 may be composed of multiple containers, as shown in FIG. 13 . In FIG. 13 , the main body 10 is composed of two containers (containers 72 and 74). Each of the containers 72 and 74 is box-shaped with a bottom and side surfaces. The container 72 is stacked on top of the container 74. The bottom surface of the container 72 has a through-hole 22, forming a partition 20. As a result, the internal spaces of the containers 72 and 74 are defined as an upper space S1 and a lower space S2, respectively. The bottom surface of the container 74 forms the bottom surface of the main body 10, and the side surfaces of the containers 72 and 74 form the side surfaces of the main body 10. In this case, a sheet member 30 is laid on the partition 20 to cover the through-hole 22.

[0059] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Animal litter box 10 Main body 10a Bottom 10b Side 12 Opening 14 Support 20 Partition 22 Through-hole 24 Notch (fixing means) 26 Clip (fixing means) 30 Sheet member 40 Granular material 50 Water-absorbent sheet 60 Pull-out portion 62 Handle 72 Container 74 Container S1 Upper space S2 Lower space

Claims

1. An animal litter box comprising: a main body having a bottom and side surfaces for receiving excreted urine; a partition having a through hole to allow the urine to pass through and dividing the internal space of the main body into an upper space and a lower space; and a sheet member laid on the partition so as to cover the through hole and to allow the urine to pass through.

2. The animal litter box according to claim 1, wherein the sheet member is laid on the partition so as to overlap the entire effective area of ​​the partition in a plan view.

3. The animal litter box according to claim 2, wherein the sheet member is laid on the partition so as to overlap the entire partition in a plan view.

4. The animal litter box according to claim 3, wherein the area of ​​the sheet member is larger than the area of ​​the partition portion in a plan view.

5. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the thickness of the sheet member is smaller than the thickness of the partition portion.

6. An animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the partition has a plurality of the through holes, and the sheet member is laid on the partition so as to cover all of the plurality of through holes.

7. An animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the partition portion has a fixing means for fixing the sheet member.

8. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the maximum circular dimension of the through hole is 12.0 mm or more.

9. The animal litter box according to claim 8, wherein the maximum circular dimension of the through hole is 25.0 mm or more.

10. An animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the through hole has a shape that does not include corners in a plan view.

11. The animal litter box according to claim 10, wherein the outline of the through hole is made up of only an outwardly bulging curve in a plan view.

12. The animal litter box according to claim 11, wherein the through hole has a circular shape in a plan view.

13. An animal litter box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a plurality of hydrophobic granular materials disposed in the upper space, and the sheet member is interposed between the partition and the plurality of granular materials.

14. The animal litter box according to claim 13, wherein each of the granular bodies is capable of passing through the through holes.

15. The animal litter box according to claim 13, wherein each of the granular bodies is made primarily of organic matter.

16. The animal litter box according to claim 15, wherein each of the granular bodies is made entirely of organic matter.

17. An animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the partition is made of plastic.

18. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the main body is made up of a single container.

19. An animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the partition is not fixed to the main body.

20. The animal litter box according to claim 19, wherein the main body has a support portion that protrudes from the side portion to the inside of the main body, and the partition portion is placed on the support portion.

21. The animal litter box according to claim 20, wherein the support portion is provided on the entire inner circumference of the side portion in a plan view.

22. An animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the partition portion can be disposed within the main body portion with the entire periphery of the partition portion spaced apart from the side portion.

23. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an absorbent sheet disposed in the lower space for absorbing the urine.

24. The animal litter box according to claim 23, further comprising a pull-out section in which the absorbent sheet is housed, an opening being formed in the side section of the main body section, and the pull-out section being capable of being inserted into and removed from the main body section through the opening.

25. The animal litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the animal litter box is a cat litter box.

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