Litter Box Wall Shield With Silicone Curtain
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional litter boxes fail to contain urine and litter effectively when cats do not squat to urinate, leading to spray and litter dispersal, causing odor and increased cleaning frequency, especially for larger cats or those that flick litter, and existing solutions like high-sided or hooded boxes can create odor issues due to urine collection between the top and bottom.
Innovation Solution
A litter box with reinforced corners supporting adjustable silicone curtains that enclose the box, preventing urine and litter from escaping, featuring contoured corners, magnet attachments, and a gasket to ensure containment, with a design allowing easy cat entry and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a high-sided litter box is used, then urine containment is improved, but cat access difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible curtains instead of rigid high walls, allowing the containment structure to adapt dynamically. The curtains can be positioned at optimal heights for different cat sizes and can flex to accommodate cat movement, resolving the contradiction between containment height and cat access ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible curtain materials that can drape and conform to the litter box structure, providing effective urine containment without creating high rigid barriers. These flexible films maintain containment effectiveness while allowing easy cat access, directly addressing the technical contradiction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a hooded litter box is used, then urine containment is improved, but odor accumulation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the containment function into separate vertical curtains around the litter box perimeter, rather than using a closed hooded structure. This segmentation allows urine containment while maintaining open airflow, preventing odor accumulation between surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies containment locally at the litter box perimeter using curtains, rather than enclosing the entire box with a hood. This localized approach provides urine containment where needed while maintaining open space above, allowing odor dispersion and preventing accumulation.
3Ease of operation
If conventional litter boxes are used, then ease of cleaning is improved, but litter dispersal worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible curtain films that extend down the sides of the litter box to contain litter flicking. These thin film barriers effectively prevent litter dispersal while maintaining easy access for cleaning, as the curtains can be removed or washed separately without complicating the cleaning process.
Data Source
AI summary
A plastic litter box has reinforced corners with support holes for posts. Rectangular, square or triangular shapes are included. Each post has a hook. A singular piece curtain is hung on the hooks all around the inner walls of the base of the litter box. The pet entrance is left open without the curtain. The curtain hangs down about half way along the sides of the base. The base walls can extend outward at the middle and be straight sided, or can have inward slanting walls to cause a contact with the curtain and keep waste from getting behind the curtain. The base corners can be contoured to eliminate any waste buildup and facilitate cleaning.