Rotating Cylinder Litter Box for Enclosed Waste Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pet litter boxes suffer from hygiene issues due to open collection receptacles, odor dispersion, and reduced space for animals, as well as the need for frequent manual cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A litter box with a rotating cylindrical chamber and an external, enclosed droppings collection tank, featuring a hatch mechanism that automatically collects and locks droppings into the tank, ensuring hygiene and reducing manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rectangular screening drawer is integrated into the inside wall of the cylinder, then droppings are retained in the screening drawer, but the space available for the animal is considerably reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The droppings collection function is extracted from the cylindrical chamber and placed in a separate external tank. The hatch mechanism collects droppings and transports them outside the cylinder to an enclosed tank, separating the collection function from the animal space, thus resolving the contradiction between effective droppings retention and adequate animal space.
2Ease of operation
If the screening drawer is not closed, then it is easy to remove and empty, but hygiene problems occur with odors and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The droppings collection system is extracted from the main chamber and placed in an external enclosed tank, separating the hygiene problem from the animal area. The enclosed tank prevents odor dispersion while the automated hatch mechanism maintains ease of operation through automatic collection and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service through automated droppings collection and transport. The hatch mechanism automatically collects droppings and transports them to the tank without requiring manual intervention, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring hygiene through enclosed containment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a lid is added to the tank, then hygiene and odor control improve, but the excrement may not fall into it without manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically collecting and transporting droppings to the tank before the lid closes. The hatch mechanism ensures droppings are deposited into the tank in advance, so when the lid closes, the tank already contains the excrement, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves self-service through automated droppings transport and deposition. The hatch mechanism automatically ensures droppings fall into the enclosed tank without manual intervention, while the lid subsequently closes to maintain hygiene and odor control.
4Device complexity
If the collection receptacle is inside the cylinder, then the structure is simple, but hygiene problems and odor dispersion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The droppings collection receptacle is extracted from the cylindrical chamber and placed in an external enclosed tank. This separation removes the hygiene and odor problems from the animal area while maintaining relatively simple structure through the use of a separate, dedicated collection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection system transitions from a two-dimensional internal drawer to a three-dimensional external tank system. The hatch mechanism provides a transport path in another dimension (outside the cylinder), allowing enclosed collection while maintaining structural simplicity.
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 effectively contains odors, maintains animal space, and minimizes manual cleaning frequency by automating the droppings collection process.
Implementation Method 1
When the cylinder performs a 360° rotation, the drawer passes through the litter; the droppings are retained in the screening drawer, while the filtered litter remains in the interior volume of the chamber
Implementation Method 2
When the cylinder reaches a certain height, a lid coupled to the harrow tilts under gravity, dragging the harrow along with it. Finally, the excrement falls into the collection drawer
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a litter box for pets, such as cats or rodents, including a cylinder in which the litter is placed, a means for separating the droppings from the litter and a remote, enclosed device for collecting the droppings. The animal litter box incorporates a cleaning device including the cylinder rotating on a frame, the rotation being generated by a rotation means actuated by a means for controlling the rotation means, the chamber including a means for collecting droppings coupled to a hatch provided with a locking and unlocking means interdependent on a means for controlling the unlocking of the hatch and a means for guiding the hatch coupled to the means for collecting droppings toward a tank for receiving droppings.