Smart cat litter box

Abstract

Provided in the present utility model is a smart cat litter box, comprising: a base, a cat litter bin, a drive electric motor and a control module, wherein an excrement collection bin is provided in the base, and the excrement collection bin comprises an opening; the cat litter bin is fixed on the base by means of a support and is located above the excrement collection bin; the cat litter bin is generally spherical and comprises an outer wall, and a litter area is formed in the cat litter bin; a filter screen and an inner wall are arranged on one side above the litter area, and the inner wall and the inner side of the outer wall define a separation bin; driven mechanisms are further arranged on two sides of the outer wall; the control module can send a start-stop instruction to the drive electric motor on the basis of a preset program; and when the drive electric motor is started, the cat litter bin can be driven to rotate in a first direction and a second direction by means of the driven mechanisms, so that the cat litter bin can switch between a first position and a second position. The smart cat litter box of the present utility model not only prevents the trouble of manually cleaning up cat litter, but also improves the pet experience, thereby achieving a high market value.

Description

A smart cat litter box Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of pet equipment technology, and in particular to an intelligent cat litter box that automatically cleans cat litter. Background Technology

[0002] This utility model relates to a litter box, generally referring to a device used to collect the excrement of pets such as cats and dogs. When cat litter becomes contaminated with pet excrement, it will clump together. The process of cleaning the litter box includes separating the clean litter from the contaminated clumps, discarding the clumps, and recycling the clean litter for reuse; it also includes replacing all the used litter when the amount of clean litter is insufficient or when too much time has passed.

[0003] Cleaning cat litter is a labor-intensive task, and litter mixed with cat excrement emits an unpleasant odor, making manual litter cleaning a poor user experience. To address this issue, automatic litter boxes have emerged on the market, reducing the workload of manual cleaning. However, existing products still generally have the following drawbacks:

[0004] Firstly, the internal space of the litter box has a long and short axis, meaning it is directional, which makes the pet's experience worse when using the litter box. Secondly, after the pet finishes using the litter box, its paws will inevitably have litter on them, which will then scatter on the ground around the litter box, increasing the extra cleaning burden.

[0005] Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an intelligent cat litter box, including: a base, a litter bin, a drive motor, and a control module; the base is provided with a waste collection bin, which includes an opening; the litter bin is fixed to the base by a bracket and is located above the waste collection bin; the litter bin is generally spherical, including an outer wall and an inner toilet area; a filter and an inner wall are provided on one side above the toilet area, and the inner wall and the inner side of the outer wall form a separation compartment; driven mechanisms are also provided on both sides of the outer wall; the control module can send start and stop commands to the drive motor according to a preset program; when the drive motor starts, it can drive the litter bin to rotate along a first direction and a second direction through the driven mechanisms, so that the litter bin can switch between a first position and a second position.

[0007] Preferably, in the above-mentioned smart litter box, the separation compartment includes at least one partition that divides the separation compartment into at least two sub-compartments.

[0008] Preferably, in the above-mentioned smart litter box, the separation compartment includes two partitions, and the two partitions are arranged in an inverted V-shape, so that the volume of the middle sub-compartment in the separation compartment is maximized.

[0009] Preferably, the above-mentioned smart litter box also includes a transition channel, which is located at the exit of the toilet area and includes a litter collector and a mesh plate. The litter collector is located on the base and the mesh plate is located above the litter collector.

[0010] Preferably, in the above-mentioned smart litter box, the mesh plate is an inclined surface.

[0011] Preferably, in the above-mentioned smart litter box, the litter collector and the waste collection chamber adopt an independent drawer-type design.

[0012] Preferably, in the above-mentioned smart litter box, a raised section is provided at the center of the bottom of the waste collection compartment.

[0013] Preferably, in the above-mentioned intelligent cat litter box, the driven mechanism includes a gear disk, a rotating shaft, a first clamping plate and a second clamping plate; the first clamping plate is fixed on the bracket, the fixed end of the second clamping plate is connected to one end of the first clamping plate by a pin, and the moving end of the second clamping plate is provided with a buckle for engaging with the other end of the second clamping plate.

[0014] Preferably, the above-mentioned smart litter box also includes a gravity sensor, which is used to monitor the amount of gravity change inside the litter box.

[0015] Preferably, the smart litter box also includes a smart camera for identifying whether a pet is present in the litter area.

[0016] This intelligent cat litter box not only avoids the hassle of manually cleaning cat litter, but also enhances the pet's experience, thus possessing high market value. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the embodiment in Figure 1 after the outer shell has been removed;

[0019] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cat litter box in the embodiment of Figure 1;

[0020] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cat litter box in the first position;

[0021] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cat litter box in the second position;

[0022] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of a cat litter box after the inner wall has been removed;

[0023] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stool collection chamber;

[0024] Figure 8 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the driven mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model.

[0026] Please refer to the accompanying drawings below. It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are merely schematic representations of the basic concept of this utility model. Therefore, the drawings only show components relevant to this utility model and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape, and size of the components in implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity, and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the component layout may also be more complex. Unless otherwise specified, terms indicating direction such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" used in this text refer to the observer's perspective in the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the embodiment in Figure 1 after removing the outer shell. The intelligent cat litter box of the present invention includes a base 1, and a litter bin 2 fixed to the base 1 by a bracket 3. A waste collection bin 4 is provided inside the base 1. The litter bin 2 is the pet's toilet area, and the entire litter bin 2 is enclosed by an outer shell 5. In addition, the outer shell 5 also encloses a drive motor and a control module (not shown), and an exit for the pet to enter and exit is provided on the outer shell 5. The structure and working principle of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2-4.

[0028] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the litter box 2 in the first embodiment, and Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the litter box, where Figure 4 shows the litter box 2 in the first position and Figure 5 shows the litter box in the second position. The litter box 2 includes an outer wall 21, and the internal space forms a toilet area 22. The litter box 2 is spherical in shape, which ensures that the volume of the toilet area 22 can reach its maximum with the same amount of material. Cleaning litter is placed at the bottom of the toilet area 22. A filter screen 23 and an inner wall 24 are provided on the upper side of the toilet area 22. Driven mechanisms 25 and 26 are also provided on both sides of the outer wall 21. The driven mechanisms are connected to a drive motor. Under the action of the drive motor, the entire litter box 2 is rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction (refer to Figure 4), that is, switching between the first position and the second position. The connection method between the drive motor and the driven mechanisms 25 and 26 is prior art and is not the inventive point of this utility model, so it will not be described in detail. The inner walls 24 and the inner sides of the outer walls 21 form a separation chamber 27.

[0029] When the litter bin 2 is in the first position, the toilet area 22 is at the bottom, with litter at the bottom, allowing the pet to use the litter box normally. After the pet finishes using the litter box, cleaning is required. The process is as follows: the drive motor rotates the litter bin 2 counterclockwise via driven mechanisms 25 and 26. During this process, used litter in the toilet area 22 slides down to the separation chamber 27 under gravity. The contaminated litter, being in clumps, is blocked by the filter 23, while the uncontaminated clean litter, still in small granules, can pass through the filter 23 into the separation chamber 27, thus separating the clumped litter from the clean litter. As the litter bin 2 continues to rotate counterclockwise to the second position, the clumps of litter above the filter 23 fall into the waste collection bin 4 under gravity. When the litter bin 2 rotates clockwise from the second position back to the first position, the clean litter returns to the toilet area 2 from the separation chamber through the filter under gravity, ready for the next use.

[0030] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the litter bin 2 after removing the inner wall 24. The figure illustrates a preferred embodiment of the separation bin 27 of this invention, which is internally equipped with partitions 28a and 28b. When the litter bin 2 rotates from the first position to the second position, uncontaminated clean litter enters the separation bin 27 through the filter. Due to the flow characteristics of litter, the clean litter may become overly concentrated in the middle of the separation bin 27 when it rotates from the first position to the second position, resulting in insufficient utilization of the volume on both sides of the separation bin 27. The partitions 28a and 28b separate the separation bin 27 into three sub-bins. When the clean litter enters the separation bin 27 through the filter 23, it is forcibly diverted to different sub-bins by the partitions 28a and 28b, thereby avoiding the problem of concentration in the middle of the separation bin 27 and improving the volume utilization rate of the separation bin 27. The number and position of the partitions 28a and 28b can be one, two, or more, flexibly set according to needs. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the partitions 28a and 28b are preferably arranged in a figure-eight shape, so that the middle sub-compartment has a shape that is wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, making it the sub-compartment with the largest volume.

[0031] To prevent pets from carrying litter embedded in their paws onto the floor around the litter box after using it, this invention includes a transition channel at the outlet of the litter compartment. The transition channel comprises two parts: an upper mesh panel 61 and a litter collector 62 below the mesh panel. The mesh panel 61 can have either a perforated mesh or a grid pattern, ensuring that when a pet steps on it, its paws slightly open, allowing the litter embedded in its paws to be released and fall into the litter collector 62.

[0032] More preferably, the mesh panel 61 adopts an inclined surface design, that is, an inclined surface is formed from near the litter box 2 to the litter box outlet, reducing the adverse effects on pets caused by the height difference between the litter box 2 and the ground.

[0033] In this example, both the loose sand collector 62 and the waste collection chamber 4 adopt a drawer-type design, and their spaces are independent of each other. However, this is not necessary, and combining the two into one collection space does not significantly affect the usage effect. Preferably, in order to avoid excessive concentration of waste in the middle area of ​​the collection chamber and the inability to fully utilize the surrounding space, a raised structure 41 can be provided at the bottom of the waste collection chamber 4, as shown in Figure 7.

[0034] Figure 8 shows a partial enlarged view of the driven mechanism 25. The driven mechanism 25 includes a gear disk 251, clamping plates 252 and 253, and a rotating shaft 254. The clamping plate 252 is fixed to the bracket 3, or it can be integrally formed with the bracket 3. The left end of the clamping plate 253 is a fixed end, connected to the clamping plate 252 by a pin; the right end is a movable end, equipped with a buckle, which can be engaged with the clamping plate 253. The rotating shaft 254 is covered with metal. When the movable end of the clamping plate 254 is engaged with the clamping plate 252, the rotating shaft 254 can be clamped onto the bracket 3. This design avoids the roller shaft of existing technologies, simplifying the structure, reducing manufacturing and maintenance difficulty, and avoiding the abnormal noise problems that are common with roller shafts. The driven mechanism 26, except that it does not require a gear disk, is symmetrical to 25 in other aspects, and therefore will not be described further.

[0035] The above cleaning process needs to be triggered by sensors monitoring the pet's behavior of entering or leaving the toilet area to prevent the pet from entering the litter box during the cleaning process and causing accidents.

[0036] The first type of sensor in this invention is an inductive radar, used to detect a pet's approach to the litter box. The second type of sensor is an infrared sensor at the entrance of the outer casing 5, used to detect a pet's passage through the entrance of the litter box. The third type of sensor is a weighing sensor, used to detect a pet's entry into or exit from the toilet area.

[0037] When the weighing sensor detects that the pet has left the litter box for a preset time limit t, it indicates that the pet has finished using the litter box and has left, at which point the cleaning process can be started. During the cleaning process, if the radar detects that the pet is approaching the litter box, and the infrared sensor detects that the pet is passing through the entrance of the outer casing 5, or if the weighing sensor receives a signal indicating a change in weight, the cleaning process will immediately stop.

[0038] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Anyone skilled in the art can modify or change the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. For example, the number of times a pet uses the toilet can be counted based on the aforementioned method, and the cleaning program can be started only after a certain number of times, rather than starting it every time the pet finishes using the toilet; furthermore, the outer casing 5 is mainly for aesthetic purposes and is not an essential component. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. An intelligent cat litter box, characterized in that, The cat litter box comprises a base, a litter bin, a driving motor and a control module. A waste collecting bin is arranged in the base, and the waste collecting bin comprises an opening. The litter bin is fixed on the base by a support and located above the waste collecting bin. The litter bin is in a whole spherical shape, comprising an outer wall and an inner wall, and the inner wall and the inner side of the outer wall form a separated bin. The control module can send start-stop instructions to the driving motor according to a preset program.

2. The smart litter box of claim 1, wherein, When the driving motor is started, it can drive the litter bin to rotate in a first direction and a second direction through the driving mechanism, so that the litter bin can be switched between a first position and a second position.

3. The smart litter box of claim 2, wherein, The separated bin comprises at least one partition plate, which separates the separated bin into at least two sub-bins.

4. The smart litter box of claim 1, wherein, The separated bin comprises two partition plates, which are arranged in a splayed manner, so that the volume of the middle sub-bin in the separated bin is the largest.

5. The smart litter box of claim 4, wherein, The cat litter box further comprises a transition channel, which is arranged at the outlet of the toilet area and comprises a litter collecting device and a mesh plate.

6. The smart litter box of claim 4, wherein, The mesh plate is an inclined surface.

7. The intelligent cat litter box of claim 1, wherein, The litter collecting device and the waste collecting bin are designed in a drawer type.

8. The intelligent cat litter box of claim 1, wherein, The bottom of the waste collecting bin is centrally provided with a protrusion.

9. The intelligent cat litter box of claim 1, wherein, The first driving mechanism comprises a gear disc, a rotating shaft, a first clamping piece and a second clamping piece.

10. The intelligent cat litter box of claim 1, wherein, The first clamping piece is fixed on the support, and the fixed end of the second clamping piece is connected to one end of the first clamping piece by a pin. The movable end of the second clamping piece is provided with a buckle for clamping the other end of the second clamping piece. The cat litter box further comprises a gravity sensor for monitoring the gravity change in the litter bin. The cat litter box further comprises an infrared sensor at the entrance of the cat litter box for identifying whether there is a pet in the toilet area.

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