Animal husbandry – Waste toilet or related device – Walled receptacle; e.g. – litter box – etc. – containing...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-24
2001-10-09
Swiatek, Robert P. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Waste toilet or related device
Walled receptacle; e.g., litter box, etc., containing...
C119S496000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298808
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an animal privacy system having stackable modules, and in particular, an animal privacy system having stackable modules configured as litter boxes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As many cat owners can attest, cats can be finicky when it comes to litter boxes and litter box behavior. For example, it is not uncommon for one cat to use one litter box for urine excretion and another for solid waste excretion. Moreover, many cats tend to be very private about their litter boxes. Some cats will not use a litter box if it has been used by another cat.
As a consequence, in many households with cats, it is not uncommon to see multiple litter boxes in use. In fact, in households with multiple cats, the floor space of an entire wall of a room may be covered with litter boxes. In addition to the obvious problem of cleaning such a room, the pet owners are also inconvenienced by the loss of living space created by the multiple litter boxes.
It is known in the prior art to deal with the aforementioned cleaning problems by utilizing disposable litter boxes wherein the entire litter box, after it has been used, is thrown away, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,816, issued to Rhodes. Alternatively, it is also known to prevent dispersion of the litter through the use of a litter box wherein the cat must meander through a bi-level maze-like structure, wherein the floor is made of a mesh screen allowing litter that is stuck in the cat's paws to fall through back to the litter box, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,277, issued to Baillie et al.
These disclosures assist cat owners in alleviating the cleaning problems associated with cleaning litter boxes. However, they do not address the problem of the loss of living space caused by having multiple litter boxes. Owners of multiple cats will still have to utilize the floor space of an entire wall of one room to accommodate the multiple litter boxes.
Although not a part of this particular field, it is known in other settings to stack cages for use in housing many animals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,458 issued to Bennett, Jr. describes interlocking cages. While it is possible to include solid waste removal systems with such cages, they are not practical for home use. Such cages are typically found in pet stores, animal hospitals and the like. The sheer size of the cage units make them impractical for use in the typical household.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a containment system for multiple litter boxes that saves floor space.
It is another object of the invention to appeal to the natural affinity of cats to high places.
It is further an object of the invention to minimize the dispersion of cat litter that is scattered when the cat uses the litter box.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The animal privacy system of this invention includes a stackable module, including a frame, a cantilevered platform with a first end attached to the frame and a second free end that extends away from the frame and/or a fastener to attach the modules to one another. Each module includes an opening to allow for access by a cat into the interior of the module. The modules may be stacked one on top of the other and then fastened together in a manner that prevents vertical motion between the modules.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3087458 (1963-04-01), Bennett
patent: 4029048 (1977-06-01), Gershbein
patent: 4301766 (1981-11-01), Piccone
patent: 4348982 (1982-09-01), Selby
patent: 4590885 (1986-05-01), Sugiura
patent: 4760816 (1988-08-01), Rhodes
patent: 4966097 (1990-10-01), Rosenberger
patent: 5012765 (1991-05-01), Naso et al.
patent: 5092277 (1992-03-01), Baillie et al.
patent: 5148767 (1992-09-01), Torchio
patent: 5471950 (1995-12-01), White
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Advertisement for “Litter Gitter”, Target Sales Flyer, Mar. 1999.
Crafton Lynnette
Ullstam-Trevino Gloria
Marshall Gerstein & Borun
Swiatek Robert P.
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