Patent Application
20190075752
The present invention generally relates to a pet waste system for use by household pets, such as dogs, for example. Pet owners have the responsibility of allowing the pet to relieve itself periodically. Oftentimes, the pet owner cannot let or take the pet outdoors, because the owner is simply not available to do so. Smaller pets, often found in apartments or generally smaller living spaces, need to relieve themselves more frequently, increasing the need for a convenient solution for them to relieve themselves as necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,522,719, which is incorporated herein entirety by reference, relates to a portable, fully-disposable, pet toilet whose cavity is fitted with living grass, living sod, or a grass-seed medium. It has a fitted, removable cover or fold-back lid to enable the shipping and disposal of the unit in its entirely. This pet toilet, however, has a number of drawbacks, which are addressed by the invention disclosed herein.
Traditional litter boxes use a litter product that absorbs liquids. Often, this litter is in small particle form, allowing a user to scoop out “used” litter. While this may be suitable for cats, dogs often kick their hind legs after relieving themselves. In such instances, use of litter in small particle form is not suitable, as it would create a mess in the owner's home. Accordingly, there is a need for a system in which a dog would not disburse the litter in such a way.
Furthermore, there is a need for a system in which pet waste receptacles can be connected such that more surface area is created as may be needed in the case of larger breed dogs.
Each of the four sides of base 102 has a top, creating a contiguous rectangular top edge or rim 105. Along top edge or rim 105 of the box are small protrusions 106, such as pegs or teeth. Netting 103 can be placed over pegs 106 to allow the netting to be held across the opening or cavity formed in the base 102 and over the litter 104. The protrusions (pegs or teeth, etc.) may be pointed to allow the netting to be readily seated over the protrusions.
Base 102 has four side walls that extend from a bottom thereof. Formed on an outside of each of the four side walls are various protrusions 107 and recesses 108, which enable multiple base units to be removably joined. In the examples shown in
The base 102 may also further comprise an additional outer seal on each side wall to prevent fluids from leaking between modular bases when pushed together.
The base 102 can be made of a variety of materials but should be water tight to prevent fluid from leaking through the box. For example, the base may be a variety of water impermeable materials, such as plastic, or a cardboard (or other biodegradable material) material treated with a water impermeable sealant, such as wax.
The rim top 109 is helpful in allowing the user to remove the rim top and replace the netting. A user can thereby reuse the base receptacle, only replacing the litter, as needed, and even the netting, as needed.
When a top rim is used, protrusions (pegs or teeth, etc.) may be omitted if the top rim is able to sandwich the net to hold the net in place as can be seen in
Other types of other fastening systems may be used without departing from the general scope of the invention. For example, a single fastening peg may be added to each corner to allow the top rim to snap into place. Other types of (non-peg) fasteners may be used to secure the top rim onto the base, for example.
In any of the exemplary embodiments, the systems can come pre-assembled prior to delivery to the user or the systems can come such that the litter, the container, and the netting, or any combination thereof, can be individually replaced by the user. For example, in
An attractant can be used with the litter to encourage the dog to use the receptacle. The attractant can be synthetic or natural. The attractant can either be or simulate urine odor (or other odor to encourage the dog to use the litter). The attractant can be in the form of a spray, and it can be disposed in or on the litter or receptacle prior to shipping and delivery. The litter may also be soaked in the attractant prior to shipping and delivery. The attractant can also be shipped inside the receptacle in a separate container to be applied by the user. The attractant can also be delivered separately to be applied by the user. A separate attractant can allow the user to “activate” the litter upon receipt, increasing shelf stability.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combination, and equivalents of the embodiments, methods, and examples provided herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the embodiments and examples disclosed here, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/394,583, filed Sep. 14, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully recited herein. This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/678,676, filed Apr. 3, 2015, published as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0029589, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/446,242, filed Jul. 29, 2014, published as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0196004, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/927,473, filed Jan. 15, 2014, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties as if fully recited herein.
