INDICATOR GRANULAR MATERIAL

• US 20090181466A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Inventors: Wenzel, Gunnar, Lange, Dietmar
• Granted Patent: US 7,670,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/163
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0152 Litter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/10 Composition for standardization, calibration, simulation, stabilization, preparation or preservation; processes of use in preparation for chemical testing

Abstract

The present invention relates to indicator granular material, especially for a cat lavatory, in which at least one first granular material is substantially completely coated with a first polymer layer, which is solid at a first pH and is dissolved at a second pH; and also to a cat lavatory and the use of the indicator granular material in a cat lavatory.

Claims

1. An indicator granular material, especially for a cat lavatory, at least one first granular material which is substantially completely coated with a first polymer layer, which is solid at a first pH and is dissolved at a second pH.

2. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second granular material is substantially completely coated with a second polymer layer, which is solid at a first pH and is dissolved at a third pH.

3. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pH is about 6.5-7.

4. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second pH lies in a range above 7, preferably above 7.5.

5. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third pH lies in a range below 6.5-7.

6. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second granular materials are the same or different and are selected from plastics material selected from a group consisting of poly(meth)acrylate, low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, biodegradable plastics material, glass and/or metal.

7. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second granular materials comprise biodegradable plastics material.

8. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second granular materials are each coloured differently.

9. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second polymer coatings are built up on the basis of a (meth)acrylate polymer.

10. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first polymer coating is a (meth)acrylate copolymer of 40-60% by weight methacrylic acid and 60-40% by weight ethyl acrylate.

11. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second polymer coating is a copolymer of methyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate and dimethyl amino-ethyl methacrylate, preferably in a ratio of 25:

25;

50.

12. The indicator granular material as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second polymer coatings are opaque.

15. The indicator granular material as claimed claim 5, wherein the third pH lies in a range below 6.0.

16. The indicator granular material as claimed claim 15, wherein the third pH lies in a range below 5.5.

13. (canceled)

14. A method of an indicator granular material in a cay lavatory comprising the steps:

providing at least one first granular material which is substantially completely coated with a first polymer layer, which is solid at a first pH and is dissolved at a second pH; and

providing a second granular material which is substantially completely coated with a second polymer layer, which is solid at a first pH and is dissolved at a third pH;

wherein the first and second granular material in the cat lavatory is used to determine the pH of a cat'"'"'s urine.