Rotating Litter Box Assembly With Gravity Screening and Nested Waste Bin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic cat excrement removing devices face issues such as increased height and complexity, difficulty for cats to enter and exit, high manufacturing costs, and laborious cleaning processes due to misaligned channels and potential cat-clamping accidents.
Innovation Solution
A spherical ball compartment assembly with integrated working, screening, and excrement collection compartments, allowing for seamless rotation and alignment, eliminating the need for additional channels and sensors, and enabling easy cleaning without squatting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the excrement collection compartment is disposed outside the drum, then the drum can rotate independently, but the device height increases and cats have difficulty entering and exiting
Solution Approach 1:
The excrement collection compartment is nested inside the drum structure, with the drum rotating around its own axis while the entire assembly rotates around the pedestal axis. This nested configuration allows the drum to rotate independently for screening while maintaining a compact overall device height that accommodates cats easily.
2Productivity
If a special channel is added to output excrement from drum to collection compartment, then excrement can be conveyed, but the structure complexity increases and alignment accuracy requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The special channel is completely removed from the design. Instead, the excrement collection compartment is positioned to receive excrement directly through gravity when the drum rotates to the appropriate position, eliminating the need for complex conveying channels and reducing structural complexity while maintaining effective excrement removal.
3Reliability
If safety sensors and emergency stop mechanisms are added to prevent cat-clamping accidents, then cat safety is improved, but manufacturing costs and procedural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drum structure itself provides safety through its design: the drum rotates slowly at controlled speed, and the mesh screen creates a protective barrier between the cat and the rotating mechanism. The open-bottom design allows cats to see through and understand the mechanism, reducing panic and accidental entrapment, while eliminating the need for complex safety sensors and emergency stop procedures.
4Device complexity
If the excrement collection compartment is disposed on the rear side of the drum, then the drum structure is simplified, but the device occupies more area and space utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The excrement collection compartment is positioned vertically below the drum rather than horizontally behind it, utilizing the vertical dimension for storage space. This configuration maintains a compact horizontal footprint suitable for small rooms while providing adequate excrement collection capacity through vertical arrangement.
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 device achieves efficient, safe, and compact excrement removal with reduced manufacturing costs, high space utilization, and user-friendly operation, preventing cat-clamping accidents and maintaining hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
a drum-type cat excrement removing device based on a gravity screening principle
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an automatic cat excrement removing device. The device includes a pedestal, a ball compartment assembly that is detachably mounted on the pedestal. The ball compartment assembly has an axis and is configured to rotate around the axis relative to the pedestal. A peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is a shape of a revolving body. The peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is formed by a working compartment, a screening compartment, and an excrement collection compartment that is provided with an opening that is configured to allow cat excrement to fall into the excrement collection compartment. An excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly is disposed at the opening of the excrement collection compartment. The excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly is configured to selectively open or close the opening.