Animal husbandry – Waste toilet or related device – Walled receptacle; e.g. – litter box – etc. – containing...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-02
2001-10-02
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Waste toilet or related device
Walled receptacle; e.g., litter box, etc., containing...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295949
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to small scale waste management systems, and more particularly to a litter box whose contents can be easily sifted and cleaned.
2. Description of the Related Art
Litter trays and boxes are common in households with pets, and more especially in households with cats, to collect pet waste. After repeated use, solid pet waste and coagulated litter clumps from pet urine foul the litter box and cause unpleasant odors, necessitating the frequent replacement, or sifting, of the litter by the pet owner. This task is not pleasant. Accordingly, a number of prior art products have addressed the need for a litter box that separates pet waste and clumps from clean litter.
There are, however, a number of disadvantages associated with existing litter boxes. Some require the user to flip the litter box 180°, while others require the user to flip the litter box 360°. Some require the user to use a complicated tilting, rotating motion to sift the litter, or to lift the sifting tray up through the litter to separate the pet waste, then rotate the box back approximately 90° to empty the main pan of litter so the sifting tray can be replaced. Finally, others mount the litter box on a frame, upon which the user rotates the box.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a litter box that is simple in design, easy to use, and inexpensive to construct.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a litter box is provided for separating pet waste from litter material. The litter box includes a housing having a front panel connected to a rear panel through a pair of side panels extending therebetween, and top and bottom panels extending between the front, rear and side panels to form an interior space for retaining litter and pet waste. The front panel includes an access opening such that a pet can enter into and exit from the interior space. A collection screen is removably mounted in the housing. The collection screen has a bottom wall that extends at least substantially between the side panels and the top and bottom panels, e.g. the edges of the bottom wall may be spaced from, or in contact with, the panels. In one preferred arrangement, the edge of the bottom wall close to the bottom panel may be spaced a sufficient distance from the bottom panel to allow for clearance of clean litter material when the collection screen is installed in the housing. The bottom wall includes openings that are sized to permit passage of clean litter material therethrough while preventing passage of pet waste when the litter box is rotated from an upright position where the bottom wall is oriented generally vertically to a tipped position where the bottom wall is oriented generally horizontally.
Further according to the invention, a litter box for separating pet waste from litter material comprises a housing having a front panel connected to a rear panel through a pair of side panels extending therebetween, and top and bottom panels extending between the front, rear and side panels to form an interior space for retaining litter and pet waste. The front panel includes an access opening such that a pet can enter into and exit from the interior space. A collection screen is removably mounted in the housing. The collection screen has a bottom wall extending at least substantially between the side panels and the top and bottom panels. The bottom wall includes openings that are sized to permit passage of clean litter material therethrough while preventing passage of pet waste when the litter box is rotated approximately 90° from an upright position where the bottom wall is oriented substantially vertically to a tipped position where the bottom wall is oriented substantially horizontally. The collection screen further includes side walls that extend along opposite sides of the bottom wall and an end plate connected to an upper end of the side walls and bottom wall to form a volume for holding the pet waste. An area of the bottom wall is preferably void of the openings. The bottom wall is spaced from the rear panel to provide a volume into which the clean litter material can be collected when the litter box is rotated from the upright position to the tipped position. The upper panel comprises the end plate of the connection screen and a removable lid. A panel portion extends between the bottom panel and the rear panel to facilitate rotation of the litter box between the upright and tipped positions. A lower pair of guide ribs are located on each side panel at least adjacent to the bottom panel and an upper pair of guide ribs are located on each side panel at least adjacent to the top panel. The upper pairs of guide ribs are in alignment with a respective one of the lower pairs of guide ribs. The side walls of the collection screen are slidably received between the upper and lower pairs of guide ribs.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Emerson John R.
Jordan Charles T.
Shaw Elizabeth
Wirthlin Alvin R.
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