IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0574068
(2004-09-30)
|
등록번호 |
US-7762213
(2010-08-13)
|
국제출원번호 |
PCT/US2004/032408
(2004-09-30)
|
§371/§102 date |
20061106
(20061106)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO05/029948
(2005-04-07)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Cook, Alan Jay
- Grube, Kristin William
- Devlin, Thomas Edward
- Greason, Jeff Reed
- Ulrich, Karl Thatcher
- Ulrich, Nathan Thatcher
- Yau, Chi Lam
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
14 인용 특허 :
62 |
초록
▼
A self-cleaning litter box is disclosed which provides various advantages over the prior art. In particular, in one embodiment, the self-cleaning litter box is configured to use a cartridge which may include a litter compartment and a waste compartment. In another embodiment, the cartridge may be no
A self-cleaning litter box is disclosed which provides various advantages over the prior art. In particular, in one embodiment, the self-cleaning litter box is configured to use a cartridge which may include a litter compartment and a waste compartment. In another embodiment, the cartridge may be non-compartmentalized. The cartridge may be disposable, thus eliminating the need for the user to clean the litter tray and handle heavy litter containers. In other embodiments, the system includes a rake assembly configured with a drive assembly that is protected from contamination. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the self-cleaning litter box is configured to be used with all types of litter including crystal type litter.
대표청구항
▼
We claim: 1. A cartridge used with a litter box machine and a predetermined litter, the litter box machine having a rake moveably connected to the machine and contacting the litter at a generally constant height with respect to said cartridge, the litter cartridge comprising: a one-piece generally
We claim: 1. A cartridge used with a litter box machine and a predetermined litter, the litter box machine having a rake moveably connected to the machine and contacting the litter at a generally constant height with respect to said cartridge, the litter cartridge comprising: a one-piece generally non-compartmentalized tray formed to be compatible with said litter box machine and being removable therefrom, said tray having a floor, at least one sidewall and an opening on top to define a single chamber for receiving the moveable rake to comb through the litter at a constant height above the tray floor of cartridge to move a waste and to store the waste within the tray; and a waste lid for covering only a portion of said tray defining a covered portion and an uncovered portion within the single chamber, said covered portion defining a waste storage area with litter, said uncovered portion defining a waste receiving area, said waste lid having an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position allows the rake to travel at the constant height above the floor of the tray collecting the waste within the single chamber of the tray, and wherein the rake is able to move waste and waste mixed with litter from said waste receiving area to said waste storage area. 2. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said litter cartridge is configured to be disposable. 3. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said cartridge is formed from paper. 4. A litter cartridge as recited in claim 1 further including a litter. 5. A litter cartridge as recited in claim 1 further including a storage lid. 6. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 5 wherein said storage lid comprises shrink wrap. 7. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 5 wherein said storage cover is made of cardboard. 8. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said cartridge is formed from plastic. 9. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said cartridge is formed from cardboard with a liner material able to hold liquid and solid waste. 10. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said litter cartridge is formed from a vacuum formed material. 11. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1 wherein said litter cartridge is formed from an injection molded material. 12. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, further including a plastic liner. 13. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said litter cartridge is dimensioned to receive a rake from a litter box machine having a moveable rake. 14. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said waste lid includes a coupling element which enables said waste lid to be opened and closed under the influence of an external force. 15. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 14, wherein said coupling element is magnetic. 16. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 14, wherein said coupling element is a mechanical coupling element. 17. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said tray is a generally rectangular shape. 18. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said tray is at least partially formed with accordion type fold lines which enables said tray to be at least partially compressed. 19. A litter cartridge having a waste receiving area and a waste storage area adapted to cooperate with a litter box machine having a moveable rake, the litter tray comprising: a one-piece generally non-compartmentalized tray for carrying litter, receiving waste and storing waste, the litter tray being dimensioned to receive the rake and further dimensioned to cooperate with the litter box machine so that the rake extends into the litter by an amount sufficient to move waste from said waste receiving area into said waste storage area while moving generally in a plane; a waste lid for covering a portion of said tray, said waste lid defining a waste receiving area and a waste storage area, said waste lid having a closed position which covers said waste storage area and prevents access to said waste storage area by said rake or cat, said waste lid further having an open position which allows access to said waste storage area by said rake, said waste lid having at least one coupling element that is responsive to an external force enabling said waste lid to be opened as said rake moves the collected solid waste toward said waste lid and enabling said waste lid to be closed as said rake moves away from said waste lid. 20. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 19 in which the litter tray forms the bottom floor of the litter box machine without any mechanical coupling thereto. 21. A removable litter cartridge used with an automatic litter machine that incorporates a moveable rake, the litter cartridge comprising: a generally rectangular and non-compartmentalized, single chamber tray for receiving a cat litter having a flat bottom wall forming a floor of the litter machine; a first pair of opposed parallel sidewalls of a predetermined vertical height and length and rigidly connected to the bottom wall; a second pair of opposed parallel sidewalls of a predetermined vertical height matching the vertical height of the first pair of sidewalls and rigidly connected to the bottom wall and to the first pair of sidewalls to form the four walls of the rectangular tray; a waste lid rotatably attached to at least one sidewall for covering a predetermined portion of the bottom wall to define a waste storage area within the non-compartmentalized, single chamber tray; a coupling mechanism attached to the waste lid for opening and closing the waste lid to work in conjunction with the movement of the rake traveling at a predetermined and generally constant height within the cat litter from the litter area to the waste storage area of the non-compartmentalized tray; A storage cover placed over the top outer edges of the four sidewalls to close the tray for shipping, storage and disposal, said cover being removed from the litter tray when the disposable tray is inserted into the litter box machine; and wherein the first and second opposed parallel sidewalls and the floor define a single chamber for initially carrying clean litter to a predetermined fill position and for carrying both litter and waste after use and configured to receive said moveable rake, said tray further configured to cooperate with said litter machine; and wherein the four joined sidewalls with the floor forming the non-compartmentalized, single chamber litter tray is without a barrier wall within the tray and the litter machine is set over the single chamber of the litter tray and generally surrounds the sidewalls when the litter tray is placed on a flat surface for use by a cat. 22. A disposable and non-compartmentalized litter cartridge used with a self-cleaning or automatic litter box that incorporates a moveable rake, the litter cartridge comprising: a tray configured to be received in said self-cleaning litter box having a generally rectangular shape and a flat bottom wall having predetermined peripheral edges; a first and second pair of opposing sidewalls rigidly connected to each other along intersecting peripheral vertical edges of the first and second pair of sidewalls and along intersecting bottom edges of the first and second pair of opposing sidewalls to the peripheral edges of the bottom wall to form a rectangular tray having a single open chamber of a predetermined cavity depth for holding a cat litter and a waste without a barrier wall within the cavity of the chamber in the tray; said litter filling said removable tray cavity to a predetermined fill line; a removable cover for covering the entire open chamber of the tray, said removable cover containing the litter during shipment, stiffening the litter cartridge for easy handling, facilitating disposal of a used litter cartridge with both cat litter and waste and in a storage position, said cover removed when said cartridge is received in said self-cleaning litter box; a waste lid rotatably attached to at least one sidewall and configured to cover the cat litter containing waste moved to one end of the tray adjacent said one sidewall by the moveable rake during a cleaning stroke across the chamber of the tray for storing the waste at the waste end of the chamber in the tray; a coupling mechanism located on the waste lid and cooperating with a coupling device on the machine to lift the waste lid to an open position when the moveable rake is combing the cat litter for moving animal waste into a waste storage area at the waste end of the chamber in the tray and to lower the waste lid to a closed position covering the cat waste material when the moveable rake is moving away from the waste storage area into the litter area of the chamber cavity within the tray; and wherein the moveable rake sweeps across the tray at a predetermined generally constant height above the bottom wall of the chamber from the litter area to the waste storage area without interference from a barrier wall being in between the litter and storage areas in the chamber cavity of the tray. 23. A generally non-compartmentalized litter cartridge used with a litter box machine, the cat litter cartridge having a floor and at least one side wall and an opening on top defining a single chamber for carrying litter, receiving waste, and storing waste mixed with litter; and a waste lid mounted to said at least one side wall for covering only a portion of said single chamber in a closed position, defining a covered portion and an uncovered portion, said covered portion defining a waste storage area for storing waste mixed with litter, said uncovered portion defining a waste receiving area, said waste lid including a coupling element to allow opening of said waste lid by an external force so that waste can be moved from said waste receiving area to said waste storage area. 24. A generally non-compartmentalized litter cartridge used with a litter box machine having a top housing, a chassis assembly connected to the top housing, a drive assembly connected to the chassis assembly, a rake assembly connected to the drive assembly, said rake assembly including a rake moveable within the housing, and a pivotally mounted system lid connected to the top housing, the litter cartridge comprising: a litter tray having generally vertical sidewalls connected to a bottom floor forming the floor of the litter box machine, said litter tray defining a single chamber with an opening opposite the bottom floor for receiving said rake, litter, waste and for storing waste mixed with litter; said single chamber having a waste storage area and a waste receiving area; and a lid rotatably connected to at least one of the sidewalls to cover said waste storage area of said single chamber, said lid mechanically attached by a couple element to the system lid of the litter box for rotatable motion corresponding to rotation of the system lid, said lid having an open position and a closed position; wherein said lid rotates to said open position to receive waste moved by said rake as the rake moves across the open portion of the single chamber toward the waste storage area, said rake moving generally in a plane from said waste receiving area to said waste storage area, and wherein said lid rotates to said closed position to cover said waste when the rake moves away from said lid to prevent an animal from coming in contact with the collected and stored solid wastes. 25. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 24, wherein said coupling element is magnetic. 26. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 24, wherein said cartridge is supplied with litter. 27. The litter cartridge as recited in claim 24 further including a storage cover fitting over the chamber of the litter cartridge for storing and shipping of said cartridge. 28. A litter cartridge used with a litter box machine, said litter box machine having a rake that moves in a generally planar motion between a waste receiving area and a waste storage area, the litter cartridge comprising: a receptacle comprising an upwardly facing concavity for receiving said rake, a floor, and at least one side wall; and a waste lid moveable from a closed position to an open position, the closed position extends over a portion of said receptacle defining the waste storage area and the uncovered portion of the receptacle defining the waste receiving area; wherein the open position allows said rake to move from said waste receiving area to said waste storage area; and wherein said waste receiving area and said waste storage area are provided without a separator wall in between; and wherein said cartridge is removable from said litter box machine.
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