초록 ▼

A litter box having a sifter insert member that is used to remove solids and clumped matter from the litter material without removing or transferring the litter material. The sifter insert has a foraminous bottom wall, two opposed side walls, one rear end wall, and a transverse front edge extending

A litter box having a sifter insert member that is used to remove solids and clumped matter from the litter material without removing or transferring the litter material. The sifter insert has a foraminous bottom wall, two opposed side walls, one rear end wall, and a transverse front edge extending across the front end of the foraminous bottom wall. The lower portion of the sifter insert is slidably nested in the litter box with its foraminous bottom wall resting on the bottom wall of the litter box. Litter material is sifted by lifting the sifter insert upwardly to capture a substantial portion of solid and clumped material. The sifter insert is reinserted beneath the litter material by holding it in a generally vertical position inwardly adjacent one end wall of the litter box and pushing its front edge downwardly to engage the bottom wall of the litter box and lowering the sifter insert while pushing its front edge along the bottom wall toward the opposed end wall of the litter box until the sifter insert is again nested in the litter box, and thereafter manipulating the litter box to evenly distribute the litter on the sifter insert foraminous bottom wall. The sifter insert may also be used to remove remaining solid and clumped materials by holding it at an angle, inserting its front edge into the litter material and pushing it through the litter material beneath the remaining solid and clumped materials and lifting them out of the litter material.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A litter box with sifter insert comprising:a container box for containing a quantity of granular litter material, said container box having a contiguous bottom wall, two opposed side walls, two opposed end walls, an open top end, and a radial flange surrounding said open top end th

[ We claim:] [1.] A litter box with sifter insert comprising:a container box for containing a quantity of granular litter material, said container box having a contiguous bottom wall, two opposed side walls, two opposed end walls, an open top end, and a radial flange surrounding said open top end that extends horizontally outward a short distance from said end walls and said side walls and terminates in a short depending vertical portion;a sifter insert having a foraminous bottom wall, two contiguous imperforate opposed side walls, one imperforate rear end wall, and a thin imperforate generally rectangular leading edge extending transversely across a front end of said foraminous bottom wall between said two opposed side walls, said leading edge having a flat bottom surface and a top surface tapered angularly downward to join said bottom surface;said foraminous bottom wall characterized as a grid formed of a plurality of parallel spaced longitudinal and transverse intersecting ribs defining a plurality of square openings, and each of said ribs being of diamond-shaped cross section with a longitudinally extending apex along its top and bottom surfaces to form upwardly and downwardly facing sharp edges surrounding each of said openings;said sifter insert side walls having top edges which extend horizontally forward a distance from said rear end wall and then angularly downward and blend into said leading edge, and a contiguous rigid non-moving radial flange at the upper end of said rear end wall and said horizontally extending portion of said side walls that extends horizontally outward a short distance therefrom and terminates in a short depending vertical portion;said sifter insert having a lower portion sized and shaped to be slidably and snugly received within said container box side walls and end walls with said foraminous bottom wall supported on said container box bottom wall in a generally horizontal position and said sifter insert radial flange superposed above said container box radial flange, and said thin leading edge sized and shaped to make substantial sliding contact with said container box bottom wall when slidably moved thereacross toward either of said container box end walls;said sifter insert being capable of sifting said litter material by lifting it vertically upward allowing through passage of said litter material while occluding passage of a substantial portion of solid and clumped material, and capable of being reinserted beneath said litter material by pushing its said leading edge downwardly adjacent one end wall of said container box to engage said litter box bottom wall and sliding said leading edge along said container box bottom wall beneath said litter material toward the opposed end wall of said container box while simultaneously lowering its said rear end wall until said foraminous bottom wall is supported on said container box bottom wall in a generally horizontal nested position;said diamond-shaped ribs and said upwardly facing sharp edges surrounding each of said openings preventing said litter material from being lifted out of said container box with said sifter insert when lifted vertically and facilitating smooth and easy passage of said foraminous bottom wall therethrough; andsaid diamond-shaped ribs and said downwardly facing sharp edges surrounding each of said openings facilitating smooth and easy passage through said litter material as said foraminous bottom wall moves generally horizontally and downwardly therethrough to assume said generally horizontal nested position.