Animal husbandry – Waste toilet or related device – Walled receptacle; e.g. – litter box – etc. – containing...
Patent
1994-08-24
1997-04-01
Manahan, Todd E.
Animal husbandry
Waste toilet or related device
Walled receptacle; e.g., litter box, etc., containing...
220667, A01K 103
Patent
active
056156391
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a tray to contain litter for use by animals, especially domestic pets such as cats. There is a need for a simple and clean way of disposing of used cat litter but despite the attempts of numerous workers, no proposal is satisfactory. Usually the job of disposing of used lavatorial animal litter is messy to the point that people will not bother. Instead they let the pet outdoors to relieve itself. Cats, when let out for lavatorial purposes, are exposed to many risks and this is not to be recommended.
It is one object of the invention to satisfy the long-felt need for a simple, clean and efficient way of disposing of used animal litter.
In one aspect the invention provides a tray to contain litter for use by an animal, the tray being adapted or arranged in use to retain its shape and being foldable to a closed condition, characterised in that the tray includes deformations arranged to permit the tray to be folded to bring opposite edges together to seal the tray.
In one preferred aspect the tray is formed e.g. vacuum formed of a plastics and has thin walls comprising a floor and upstanding sidewalls. The tray includes deformations arranged to permit the tray to be folded to bring opposite sides together, complementary engaging means being provided whereby the abutted walls can be inter-engaged so sealing the tray and its contents. Because such a tray has thin walls it is not self supporting and the invention provides a box therefor, the box having a compartment corresponding closely in shape and size to those of the tray whereby the tray is snugly supported e.g. so that a cat cannot claw the tray away from the supporting wall. In another aspect the invention provides a tray having relatively rigid walls (so that the box can be dispensed with), the tray including flexible areas whereby it may be folded as desired.
Preferably the tray is shaped to be foldable along a substantially diagonal axis to bring facing sides of the liner into abutting relation. Most preferably, the complementary engaging means are provided on the adjacent sides of the tray so that the abutted sides can be secured together. Such engaging means may comprise interlockable pegs and sockets; adhesive tapes; edges which can be folded over e.g. rolled over. In this way, a tray containing used animal litter may be disposed of in a sealed container.
The tray may be substantially square or oblong as seen in plan.
In order that the invention may be well understood it will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an empty box,
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tray therefor,
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the tray,
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the tray,
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing removal of the filled tray from the box, and
FIGS. 6 and 7 show diagrammatically stages of sealing the tray into closed condition.
The litter box B of FIG. 1 is a relatively rigid structure and comprises a base having upstanding sidewalls 2 defining a compartment 3 of square section. The walls present a narrow ledge 4 about all four sides. A raised wall 5 is present about three sides of the box to retain litter etc.
The box contains a tray T formed e.g. by vacuum forming of a plastics. The tray has thin walls and comprises a floor 10 and four upstanding sidewalls 11 which end in an outwardly facing narrow ledge 12, which in use overlie the ledge 4 of the box B. The tray and the compartment 3 complement each other closely size and shape. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, depressions 13 are formed in the floor generally parallel to each diagonal axis. Each corner of the ledge 12 has a cut out 14. There are upstanding pegs 15 or complementary sockets 16 on the ledges of adjacent side walls of the tray T.
In use, the tray is partially filled with a natural or synthetic litter material L. (The level of litter is selected to be enough for the job but not too much that litter would escape when the tray is later folded.) Because of the snug fit of the tray T in the compartment 3, a
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Arkimedes Limited
Manahan Todd #E.
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