Patent Application
20210259197
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The disclosure and prior art relates to litter box devices and more particularly pertains to a new litter box device for feline defecation and urination.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box for containing kitty litter to accommodate feline defecation and urination. The box has an entry way extending into the box. A ramp releasably engages the box to assist elderly or disabled felines to pass through the entry way. A tray is positionable within the box and the kitty litter positioned therein. A lid is positionable on the box for covering the box and the lid has a pair of vents each extending therethrough to pass air therethrough for venting the box. A pair of filters is each removably coupled to the lid to absorb odors associated with the feline defecation and urination.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The entry way 16 has a bottom bounding edge 34 and an upper bounding edge 36. The upper bounding edge 36 is convexly arcuate with the bottom bounding edge 34 such that the entry way 16 has a Quonset shape. The perimeter wall 20 of the box 12 has a prominence 38 extending outwardly therefrom. The prominence 38 is aligned with the distal edge 22 of the perimeter wall 20 and the prominence 38 is coextensive with the distal edge 22.
Each of the first 30 and second 32 lateral sides has a translucent portion 40 thereby facilitating an interior of the box 12 to be visible from outside of the box 12. The translucent portion 40 of each of the first 30 and second 32 lateral sides has a bounding edge 42. Moreover, the bounding edge 42 of the translucent portion 40 of each of the first 30 and second 32 lateral sides is curved to define the profile of a feline body. The translucent portion 40 of each of the first 30 and second 32 lateral sides extends from the front side 26 of the perimeter wall 20 toward the back side 28 of the perimeter wall 20.
The front side 26 of the perimeter wall 20 has indicia 44 printed thereon and the indicia 44 comprise a pair of feline ears 46 each extending upwardly from the upper bounding edge 36 of the entry way 16. The indicia 44 further comprise feline whiskers 48 each extending laterally away from opposite sides of the upper bounding edge 36 of the entry way 16. Each of the first 30 and second 32 lateral sides of the perimeter wall 20 of the box 12 has indicia 50 printed thereon. The indicia 50 on each of the first 30 and second 32 lateral sides is positioned on the translucent portion 40 of the first 30 and second 32 lateral sides. Moreover, the indicia 50 on each of the first 30 and second 32 lateral sides comprise a plurality of lines 52 that suggest haunches and a tail of a feline.
A ramp 54 is provided that releasably engages the box 12. The ramp 54 is aligned with the entry way 16 to assist elderly or disabled felines to pass through the entry way 16. The ramp 54 has a forward side 56, a rear side 58 and a top side 60 extending therebetween, and the top side 60 slopes upwardly between the forward 56 and rear 58 sides. The rear side 58 is positioned against the front side 26 of the perimeter wall 20 of the box 12. In this way the top side 60 slopes upwardly from a support surface to the bottom bounding edge 34 of the entry way 16.
A retainer 62 is coupled to the ramp 54 and the retainer 62 comprises a leg 64 and a foot 66. The leg 64 extends away from the rear side 58 of the ramp 54. Additionally, the foot 66 is spaced from and extends downwardly along the rear side 58 of the ramp 54. The bottom bounding edge 34 of the entry way 16 is positioned between the foot 66 and the rear side 58 of the ramp 54 for retaining the ramp 54 against the front side 26 of the box 12.
A pair of grips 68 is each of the grips 68 is coupled to the box 12 for gripping and subsequently carrying the box 12. Each of the grips 68 is positioned on a respective one of the front 26 and back 28 sides of the perimeter wall 20 of the box 12. Additionally, each of the grips 68 is aligned with the distal edge 22 of the perimeter wall 20 of the box 12. Each of the grips 68 may comprise a concavely arcuate handle or the like for accommodating fingers when the grips 68 are gripped.
A tray 70 is provided and the tray 70 is positionable within the box 12 and the kitty litter 14 is positioned in the tray 70. The tray 70 has a lip 72 extending upwardly therefrom to inhibit the kitty litter 14 from spilling outwardly from the box 12. The tray 70 has a basal wall 74 and the lip 72 extends upwardly from the basal wall 74. The lip 72 is coextensive with a perimeter of the basal wall 74. The lip 72 has a forward side 76, a rear side 78 and a pair of lateral sides 80. Each of the lateral sides 80 slopes upwardly between the forward side 76 and the rear side 78 of the lip 72 such that the rear side 78 of the lip 72 has a height that is greater than a height of the forward side 76 of the lip 72.
The forward side 56 is aligned with the bottom bounding edge 34 of the entry way 16 in the box 12 when the tray 70 is positioned in the box 12. In this way the forward side 56 will not inhibit the feline from entering the tray 70 when the feline passes through the entry way 16. The basal wall 74 rests on the bottom wall 18 of the box 12 when the tray 70 is positioned in the box 12. The tray 70 is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit unabsorbed feline urine from passing into the box 12.
A lid 82 is provided and the lid 82 is positionable on the box 12 for covering the box 12. The lid 82 has a pair of vents 84 each extending therethrough to pass air therethrough for venting the box 12. The lid 82 has a topmost wall 86 and a peripheral wall 88 extending downwardly from the topmost wall 86. Each of the vents 84 extends through the topmost wall 86 and the vents 84 are spaced apart from each other. The topmost wall 86 rests on the distal edge 22 of the perimeter wall 20 of the box 12 when the lid 82 is positioned on the box 12. The peripheral wall 88 extends downwardly along the perimeter wall 20 of the box 12 when the lid 82 is positioned on the box 12 for inhibiting the lid 82 from sliding off of the box 12.
The peripheral wall 88 has an inwardly facing surface 90 and the inwardly facing surface 90 has a groove 92 extending therein. The groove 92 is coextensive with the peripheral wall 88. Additionally, the groove 92 engages the prominence 38 on the perimeter wall 20 of the box 12 when the lid 82 is positioned on the box 12. In this way the lid 82 is releasably retained on the box 12.
A pair of filters 94 is provided and each of the filters 94 is removably coupled to the lid 82. Each of the filters 94 is aligned with a respective one of the vents 84. Additionally, each of the filters 94 is comprised of an air permeable material to pass air therethrough. Moreover, each of the filters 94 is comprised of an odor absorbing media, such as charcoal or the like. In this way each of the filters 94 absorbs odors associated with the feline defecation and urination. The lid 82 may include a plurality of rails 96 that each extends downwardly from the topmost wall 86 of the lid 82. Each of the rails 96 may be aligned with respective ones of the vents 84 and each of the rails 96 may support a respective one of the filters 94. A pair of screens 98 may each being coupled to the lid 82 and be positioned in a respective one of the vents 84. Each of the screens 98 may be comprised of a mesh material or other air permeable material.
A door 100 is provided and the door 100 is removably attached to the box and having the door 100 being aligned with the entry way 16. The door 100 has an outer edge 104 and the outer edge 104 has a profile that is coextensive with the bottom bounding edge 34 and upper bounding edge 36 of the entry way 16. A pair of first engagements 106 is each coupled to the door 10 and each of the first engagements 106 is aligned with the outer edge 104. A pair of second engagements 108 is each coupled to the front side of the perimeter wall of the box. Each of the second engagements 108 is positioned above the entry way 16. Each of the first engagements 106 releasably engages a respective one of the second engagements 108 such that the door 100 is hingedly coupled to the box 12. In this way the door 100 can swing inwardly and outwardly to facilitate the feline to pass through the door 100. Additionally, the door 100 may be comprised of a translucent material.
In use, kitty litter 14 is poured into the tray 70 and the tray 70 is positioned in the box 12 and the lid 82 is positioned on the box 12. Thus, a feline can enter through the entry way 16 to defecate or urinate in the kitty litter 14. The lid 82 and each of the filters 94 inhibit odors in the box 12 from passing outwardly through the box 12 thereby enhancing the odor of the surrounding environment. The ramp 54 can be positioned against the box 12 and be aligned with the entry way 16 for assisting elderly or disabled felines to enter the box 12. The lid 82 removed from the box 12 and the tray 70 is removed from the box 12 for emptying and subsequently replacing the kitty litter 14 in the tray 70.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
