IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0425455
(2003-04-28)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Goldstein Law Offices, P.C.
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
7 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A litter sifting device for use with an existing litter box. The device has a first screen assembly and a second screen assembly, each having a screen, two handles, and two side walls. The screen has a mesh size which is small enough to permit unused litter to fall back into the litter box, while re
A litter sifting device for use with an existing litter box. The device has a first screen assembly and a second screen assembly, each having a screen, two handles, and two side walls. The screen has a mesh size which is small enough to permit unused litter to fall back into the litter box, while retaining soiled litter, when the device is removed from the litter box for appropriate disposal of the waste material. For smaller litter boxes, the first screen assembly may be used alone. For larger litter boxes, the second screen assembly may be used in conjunction with the first screen assembly. The first screen assembly is telescopically positionable within the second screen assembly, thereby allowing a range of possible lengths for the litter sifting device. The handles permit lifting the litter sifting device from the litter box without a user coming into contact with the soiled litter.
대표청구항
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1. A litter sifting device, for use in conjunction with a litter box having a bottom, side walls, and top edges, said litter box for containment of litter therein, comprising a first screen assembly, having: a substantially rectangular screen having a first set of opposing sides and a second set o
1. A litter sifting device, for use in conjunction with a litter box having a bottom, side walls, and top edges, said litter box for containment of litter therein, comprising a first screen assembly, having: a substantially rectangular screen having a first set of opposing sides and a second set of opposing sides, said screen being a lattice of one group of parallel members mated to an opposing group of parallel members, said screen having hinge rivets which join the groups of opposing parallel members of the screen; a side wall extending upwards from each of the sides of the first set of opposing sides of the screen, each side wall having a top lip for supporting the first screen assembly upon the top edges of the litter box at a position which is elevated with respect to the bottom of the litter box, wherein the distance between the opposing side walls may be adjusted by either pulling the side walls apart or by pushing the side walls together, thereby causing the groups of parallel members of the screen to partially swivel upon the hinge rivets with respect to each other, thereby causing the overall width of the screen to expand or contract; and a pair of handles extending upward from each of the sides of the second set of opposing sides of the screen. 2. The litter sifting device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a pair of handle receiving sleeves for selective containment therein of each of the handles, each handle receiving sleeve attached to one of the sides of the second set of opposing sides of the screen, wherein the handle is easily removed from the handle receiving sleeve when the litter sifting device is cleaned, and wherein the handle and its associated handle receiving sleeve together comprise a handle assembly for lifting the litter sifting device.3. The litter sifting device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a second screen assembly for use in conjunction with the first screen assembly, said second screen assembly comprising a screen which is substantially identical to the screen of the first screen assembly, said second screen assembly also having substantially identical handle assemblies, said second screen assembly also having two side walls, wherein the first screen assembly may be telescopically positioned within the second screen assembly so that the overall length of the litter sifting device may be adjusted, after selectively removing one of the handles from both the first screen assembly and the second screen assembly, and wherein the overall width of the litter sifting device may be varied by pulling or pushing the side walls of each of the screen assemblies toward or away from each other in order to vary the resulting width of the attached screens.4. The litter sifting device as recited in claim 3, wherein the handles are wider at the top and have openings which allow them to be easily grasped by a hand of a user.5. The litter sifting device as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the side walls of the first screen assembly has a top lip and wherein at least one of the side walls of the second screen assembly has a top track, wherein the at least one top lip slides within the at least one top track, thereby allowing the overall length of the litter sifting device to be adjusted.6. The litter sifting device as recited in claim 5, wherein the second screen assembly has a height which allows its screen to move freely in the longitudinal direction when its top track is engaged with the top lip of the first screen, and wherein the width of the litter sifting device can be adjusted by pulling or pushing the opposed mated track and lip combinations toward or away from each other.7. A method of using a litter sifting device, said litter sifting device having a first screen assembly having a screen having a first set of opposing sides and also a second set of opposing sides, said screen being a lattice of one group of parallel members mated to another group of parallel members with hinge rivets so that the groups of parallel members may swivel with respect to each other, said first screen assembly having a pair of opposing side walls extending upward from each of the sides of the first set of opposing sides of the screen, each side wall having a top lip for supporting the first screen assembly upon the top edges of the litter box at a position which is elevated with respect to the bottom of the litter box, wherein the width of the screen may be adjusted by either pulling the side walls apart, or by pushing the side walls together, thereby causing the opposing groups of parallel members of the screen to partially swivel with respect to each other upon the hinge rivets, said first screen assembly also having a pair of opposing handles extending upward from each of the sides of the second set of opposing sides of the screen, said method comprising the steps of: a) adjusting the width of the screen of the litter sifting device to the width of the litter box by pushing the side walls inward for narrower litter boxes, and pulling the side walls outward for wider boxes; b) positioning the litter sifting device within the litter box; c) covering the screen with litter; d) waiting by the user until the litter box is used by a cat for excretion of waste material; e) separating waste material from unused litter by lifting the litter sifting device by its handles and shaking the litter sifting device; f) emptying the waste material from the first screen assembly into a waste receptacle; and g) returning the litter sifting device back to the litter box. 8. The method of using a litter sifting device as recited in claim 7, wherein the handles are selectively contained within a handle receiving sleeve, wherein the step of emptying the waste material from the first screen assembly is followed by the step of removing the handle from the handle removing sleeve so that the screen can be easily cleaned.9. The method of using a litter sifting device as recited in claim 8, wherein said litter sifting device further comprises a second screen assembly for use in conjunction with the first screen assembly, said second screen assembly comprising a screen which is substantially identical to the screen of the first screen assembly, said second screen assembly also having handle assemblies which are substantially identical to those of the first screen assembly, said second screen assembly also having two opposing side walls which extend upward from two opposing sides of the screen, wherein the first screen assembly may be telescopically positioned within the second screen assembly after selective removal of one of the handles from each screen assembly, wherein the step of adjusting the width of the screen further comprises the step of adjusting the width of the litter sifting device by pushing the screens of both the first and second screen assemblies inward for narrower litter boxes, and pulling the screens outward for wider boxes, and wherein the step of positioning the litter sifting device within the litter box is preceded by the step of telescopically positioning the first screen assembly within the second screen assembly to achieve an overall length of the litter sifting device which matches the length of the litter box.
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