Foldable Filter Bag for Cat Litter Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing litter box cleaning solutions are inefficient in separating healthy litter from soiled litter, leading to partial hygiene and difficulty in transferring litter, and do not ensure complete containment of urine and unclumped granules, requiring additional cleaning efforts.
Innovation Solution
A kit of filter bags with a sieve configuration for automatic filtering and a pocket configuration for hygienic transport, featuring removable attachment means and elastic handles for easy handling and attachment to the litter box, allowing for efficient separation and reuse of healthy litter while containing soiled litter and excrement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If perforated bags are used for filtering litter, then healthy litter can be separated from soiled litter, but urine and unclumped granules can flow from the bag between the litter box and the bin, requiring additional cleaning efforts
Solution Approach 1:
The bag transitions dynamically between two configurations: a sieve configuration during filtering where the lower part is folded over the upper part to allow litter separation through perforations, and a pocket configuration during transport where the bag is unfolded to contain all litter and urine. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction by adapting the bag's structure to different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag is divided into an upper part and a lower part that can be folded relative to each other. The lower part can be folded over the upper part to create a contained pocket structure, segmenting the bag's volume to provide both filtering capability and containment capability at different times.
2Reliability
If the litter is contained in the last bag of the batch, then the bag needs to be transferred to a new batch, but it is difficult for the user to transfer the litter
Solution Approach 1:
The bag's ability to transition between folded and unfolded states provides a mechanical advantage for transfer. The unfolded pocket configuration creates a wide opening that facilitates easy pouring of litter into a new batch, eliminating the difficulty of transferring litter from the last bag.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the user to actively transfer litter from a confined space, the bag is designed to unfold and open up, allowing gravity to assist the litter flow naturally from the bag into the new batch, reversing the difficulty from user-initiated transfer to passive gravity-assisted transfer.
3Reliability
If the bag is designed for filtering, then healthy litter can be separated, but the structure becomes complex requiring both sieve and pocket configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The same bag structure serves multiple functions: it acts as a sieve with perforations for filtering healthy litter from soiled litter, and simultaneously functions as a pocket container for hygienic transport of all litter materials. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag uses a single dynamic structural element - the foldable lower part - to transform between filtering and containment modes. This dynamic feature allows one simple structural mechanism to provide multiple functions, avoiding the need for complex multi-component systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables quick, easy, and hygienic filtration and transport of litter, ensuring that only soiled litter is disposed of, while healthy litter is reused, maintaining litter box hygiene and reducing the need for frequent litter changes.
Implementation Method 1
the removable attachment means is in the form of an adhesive strip
Implementation Method 2
the sliding links forming the handles are made of an elastic material so as to facilitate the attachment of the bag to a litter box
Implementation Method 3
the weight of the excrement and the litter remaining in the bag forcing the lower part to unfold to contain the litter and excrement
Data Source
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AI summary
A filtering bag (3) for a cat litter comprising: an upper part defining an upper edge delimiting an opening of the bag (3); a lower part defining a lower edge where the bag (3) is hermetically sealed, and an intermediate part between the upper part and the lower part provided with perforations intended to filter the litter, the bag (3) being foldable between a screen configuration for filtering the litter through the perforations, and a pocket configuration for transporting the litter hygienically, the bag (3) further comprising a removable hooking means for keeping the bag (3) in the screen configuration.