Patent Application
20100180830
The present invention relates generally to a portable deodorizing device to be used on or near a litter box for pets. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable device for ingress of dirty air to be treated with air treatment materials such as activated carbon and egress of clean air after treatment.
Domestic, housebroken animal, particularly cats, are typically trained to urinate and defecate in a specially provided litter box. Consequently, pet owners, homeowners, veterinarians and laboratory personnel have added absorbent materials to the litter box to collect the urine and feces (i.e., animal dross). In this approach, most cats typically aid in controlling odors emanating from the box by burying their waste a short time after deposition. A major problem with this approach is that odors are not controlled during the time between deposition and burial during which time a significant plume of odor vapors are often released. Another major problem occurs with the absorbent materials themselves in that after a relatively short period of time, the dross soiled absorbent emits objectionable odors due to the presence of the animal dross.
The need to control unpleasant odors that emanate from a litter box, particularly those for a cat, has been expressed by cat owners. Animal odor control devices for animal housings exist today in several forms and varieties. For example, Walton, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,800 discloses a passive ventilation system. Warm air is deodorized by a charcoal filter as it rises from the animal housing and passes through the filter in the housing's roof. Griffith, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,559 discloses an active ventilation system. Air in the animal housing is vented away from the housing by an electric fan connected to a tubular exhaust conduit. The Griffith patent, as well as Miksitz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,325, and Roberts, U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,948 disclose odor control devices that are permanently fixed to the animal housing. These designs are all limited by the fact that each is specific to a specially designed and adapted animal housing.
Littermaid™ makes a fragrance-free, carbon-containing air cleaner that clamps onto a litter box and plugs into a conventional wall socket. This design is limited by the fact that the device is not activated by the animal, and is only designed for adsorption of odors using activated carbon.
What is needed is a portable device that is adaptable to any litter box that can be animal-activated so that the deodorization and other air treatments occur as soon as the animal uses the box. Thus, what is needed is a portable deodorizing device that is both effective and aesthetically pleasing to the consumer.
An embodiment of the invention includes an air treatment device adaptable for use with a litter box comprising a housing assembly with an internal cavity. The housing has an air inlet for the ingress of “dirty air” and the inlet has downward facing slats which prevent litter material from entering the internal cavity. The internal cavity has a fan for the ingress of dirty air; a battery for powering at least the fan; activated carbon for treating the dirty air; a fragrance source for dispensing fragrance to the treated air and an outlet for the egress of treated, fragranced air. The activated carbon can be positioned either in front of or behind the fan.
Another embodiment of the invention further includes a sensor for detecting the presence of an animal and a timer which is then used to activate the device. In addition to the activated carbon filter, the device also includes at least a secondary treatment source. The secondary treatment source can be a fragrance, an odor-cancelling material and/or a sanitizing material. The secondary treatment source scents, cancels any remaining odors and/or sanitizes the carbon-filtered air. A battery is used to power the fan, the sensor, and the timer.
Air sanitization can be accomplished through the use of various sanitizers incorporated in the device described above, for example, hypochlorite or hypochlorite salts, peroxide or peroxide salts, chlorous acid or chlorous acid salts, chlorine dioxide, and/or glycols. This list is not meant to be limiting, and other suitable sanitizer materials may also be available.
Before describing the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particularly exemplified systems or process parameters as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner.
All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “fragrance bead” includes two or more such beads.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although a number of methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the preferred materials and methods are described herein.
The following description includes embodiments presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention and is not meant to limit the inventive concepts claimed herein.
As used herein the term “dirty” when used to describe air refers to malodor-laden air that contains odors associated with animal dross. As used herein the term “clean” when used to describe air refers to malodor-laden air, i.e., dirty air that has been passed through an odor absorbing filter, e.g., an activated carbon filter.
As used herein the term “activated carbon” means absorbent carbon-based materials, including activated and reactivated carbon-based absorbents. Activated carbon, including the material commonly called activated charcoal, is an amorphous form of carbon characterized by high adsorptivity for many gases, vapors and colloidal solids. Carbon is generally obtained by the destructive distillation of coal, wood, nut-shells, animal bones or other carbonaceous materials, including coconuts. The carbon is typically “activated” or reactivated by heating to about 800-900° C., with steam or carbon dioxide, which results in a porous internal structure.
Disclosed herein is an air treatment device for a litter box that will absorb, remove and/or contain the malodors emanating from deposited waste, especially those odors emanating from freshly deposited fecal waste that has not yet been buried by the animal. In addition, the device will expel a pleasant fragrance and/or sanitize the exiting air (as well as the air immediately surrounding the litter box).
An embodiment of a compact and portable air treatment device that is capable of attachment to the side of a litter box is shown in
A preferred fragrance source comprises fragrance beads such as those supplied by commercial fragrance houses such as IFF and Firmenich. Other fragrance sources include natural materials that emit their native scents.
Odor absorbing materials in addition to activated carbon include baking soda; zeolites; activated alumina; silicas; silicates, such as diatomaceous earth metals; filter agents, such as Celatom; and aluminosilicates, such as Fuller's Earth, Montmorillonite or Bentonite, or a combination thereof.
Examples of air sanitizing and/or odor canceling materials include: acid/base effervescents; antimicrobial-impregnated polymers; sodium bicarbonate (baking soda); sodium carbonate; iron in solid or salt form; hypochlorite or hypochlorite salts, peroxide or peroxide salts, chlorous acid or chlorous acid salts, chlorine dioxide, and/or glycols.
Device 10 can be attached to the litter box in any way feasible. For example, Velcro, a clip, a clamp, a suction cup, a cloth strap with a buckle, a rubber belt, a groove(s), a slot(s) or ridge(s) compatible with a matching groove(s), slot(s) or ridge(s) on the litter box.
In one embodiment, air treatment device 10 can have multiple air inlet ports.
The activated carbon can be in the form of a removable/replaceable cartridge. One form of carbon is carbon foam manufactured by Foamex International, Inc., which is a polyurethane foam coated with activated carbon and a binder. Substrates other than polyurethane are available such as polyester, or other similar polymers. Although activated carbon is a preferred odor absorbing material for the foam, other possible odor adsorbents could also be used.
The fragrance source and/or sanitizing material can also be in the form of a removable/replaceable cartridge or otherwise be designed to be easily removable/replaceable so that the end user can, for example, easily switch between fragrance choices and/or alternate between air sanitizing/odor canceling materials. For example, fragrance beads can be contained in packets. Depending on the type of air sanitizing/odor canceling material used, it can either be contained in packets or in a removable/replaceable cartridge.
The secondary treatment material cartridge could be similar to the one shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Filter cartridge 40 can be plastic and can be manufactured using well known plastics fabrication techniques, such as injection molding and thermoforming. It should be designed to “snap fit” securely into either the front or rear cover of the housing assembly.
Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, one of ordinary skill can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. As such, these changes and modifications are properly, equitably, and intended to be, within the full range of equivalence of the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/023,329, filed Jan. 24, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
