Disposable kitty litter box

• US 6,382,131 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kat Box King, Inc. (For The Earth Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sean Mcgivern
• Inventors: McGivern, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Son T.
• Application Number:
  US09/694,652
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 119/168, 119/165, 229/101, 229/144, 229/186, 229/117.14
• US Class Current: 119/165
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0125 Foldable or collapsible litter boxes

Abstract

A kitty litter box is made from a unitary, one-piece blank is provided. The kitty litter box includes a first section, a second section, and an intermediate section which are hingedly connected together to be movable between a closed position and an opened position. The dimensions of the closed box are such that the closed kitty litter box can be stood upright on store shelves, allowing the stores to make for efficient use of shelf space. Handles are formed in the end walls of the kitty litter box which are movable between a first position in which the handles are coplanar with the end walls and a second position in which the handles are out of the plane of the end walls to facilitate carrying of the box. The handles include spaced apart legs and a cross-member extending between the legs. The handles define tabs on the end walls between the legs, and, when the handles extend up from the end walls, channels are formed in the end walls adjacent side edges of the tabs. When the kitty litter box is in the closed position, the handles and the end walls of the first and second sections frictionally engage each other to facilitate holding the kitty litter box closed. Thus, the box need not be taped or wrapped to be maintained closed. Also disclosed are box blanks which allow for a formed box to be shipped in a substantially flat state and for a box to be formed without a gluing operation.

Claims

1. A kitty litter box formed from a one-piece blank and is moveable between a closed position in which litter is contained within the closed box and an opened position, in which the litter is available for use by a cat;

the kitty litter box comprising;

a first section and a second section, said first and second sections being substantially identical in size and shape and each having a panel, side walls extending up from side edges of said panels and end walls extending up from end edges of said panels; and

an intermediate section between said first and second sections;

said intermediate section having a panel and side walls extending up from side edges of said intermediate section panel;

said first and second section panels being hingedly connected to said intermediate section panel and said first and second side walls being hingedly connected to said intermediate section side walls;

said intermediate section side walls including a fold line extending diagonally from a top of one edge of said intermediate section side wall to a bottom of another edge of said intermediate section side wall;

said second section side walls including a diagonal fold line extending from the fold line joining said second section and intermediate section side walls;

said fold line dividing said second section side walls into a triangular section adjacent said intermediate section side wall and a trapezoidal section;

said end walls being two-ply end walls;

said end walls each comprising an inner ply and an outer ply;

said box including a fold tab at ends of said first and second section side walls;

said end wall inner and outer plies sandwiching said fold tabs;

said end wall inner plies frictionally engaging said respective first and second section panels to hold said box in a formed state without the use of glue;

at least one tab at a free end of said end wall inner plies;

said tab being sized to create said frictional engagement between said inner ply of said first and second end walls and said first and second panels, respectively;

whereby;

when said kitty litter box is in said opened position;

said panels of said first section, second section, and intermediate section are substantially coplanar and define a bottom of the opened kitty litter box and said side walls of said first section, second section, and intermediate section, and said end walls form a continuous wall around said opened kitty litter box; and

, when said kitty litter box is in said closed position, said first section and second section panels define a front and back of said closed box, said intermediate section panel defines a bottom of said closed box, said first section side walls define outer side walls of said closed box, and said first section end wall defines an outer top wall of said closed box.

2. The kitty litter box of claim 1 wherein said second section side walls include a second diagonal fold line extending upwardly from a forward edge of said side walls;

said first and second diagonal fold lined dividing said second section side walls into two end triangular sections and a trapezoidal section between said triangular sections.

3. The kitty litter box of claim 1 wherein said end panels include opposing diagonal fold lines;

said fold lines extending from bottom corners of said end panels upwardly and diagonally towards an upper edge of said end panels;

said diagonal fold lines being angled such that said side walls can be folded inwardly to lie flat against said first, second, and intermediate section panels.

4. The kitty litter box of claim 1 including debossments on said first and second panels, said debossments being positioned to receive said inner ply tabs of said end wall inner ply.

5. The kitty litter box of claim 1 wherein said diagonal fold line of said second section side wall is generally parallel to said intermediate section diagonal fold line.

6. The kitty litter box of claim 1 including handles formed in, and integral with, said end walls;

said handles including spaced apart legs, and a cross-member extending between said legs, said handles having fold lines at distal ends of said legs to be movable between a first position in which said handles are coplanar with said end walls and a second position in which said handles are out of the plane of said end walls;

said handles defining tabs on said end walls in the space defined by inner edges of said handle legs and cross-member;

wherein, when said handles are in said second position, slits defining said handle legs form channels in said end walls adjacent side edges of said tabs.

7. The kitty litter box of claim 6 wherein when said kitty litter box is in said closed position, and said handles are in said second position, the legs of the second section handle extend through the channels of the first section end wall and frictionally engage edges of the first section channel;

and the tab of the first section end wall extends between the legs of the second section handle and frictionally engages inner edges of said second section handle legs.

8. The kitty litter box of claim 7 wherein the frictional engagement between said end walls and said handles maintains said kitty litter box in said closed position.

9. The kitty litter box of claim 7 wherein said box includes kitty litter;

said kitty litter being at the bottom of said box when said box is in its closed position and sitting on the intermediate section panel.

10. The kitty litter box of claim 9 wherein the weight of the kitty litter and the frictional engagement of the handles and end walls maintain the kitty litter box in its closed position such that the kitty litter box need not be wrapped or taped to maintain the box closed.

11. The kitty litter box of claim 9 wherein the kitty litter is contained in a closed bag in the box.

12. The kitty litter box of claim 9 wherein the kitty litter box is provided with a disposal bag, the disposal bag being sized to accept the kitty litter box in either a closed or partially closed condition to dispose of the kitty litter box after use.

13. A kitty litter box formed from a one-piece blank and is moveable between a closed position in which litter is contained within the closed box and an opened position, in which the litter is available for use by a cat;

the kitty litter box comprising;

a first section, a second section, and an intermediate section;

said first and second sections being substantially identical in size and shape and each having a panel, side walls extending up from side edges of said panels and end walls extending up from end edges of said panels;

said intermediate section having a panel and side walls extending up from side edges of said intermediate section panel;

said first and second section panels being hingedly connected to said intermediate section panel and said first and second side walls being hingedly connected to said intermediate section side walls;

whereby, when said kitty litter box is in said opened position;

said panels of said first section, second section, and intermediate section are substantially coplanar and define a bottom of the opened kitty litter box and said side walls of said first section, second section, and intermediate section, and said end walls form a continuous wall around said opened kitty litter box; and

, when said kitty litter box is in said closed position, said first section and second section panels define a front and back of said closed box, said intermediate section panel defines a bottom of said closed box, said first section side walls define outer side walls of said closed box, and said first section end wall defines an outer top wall of said closed box; and

handles formed in said end walls by slits which are made in said end walls;

said handles including spaced apart legs, and a cross-member extending between said legs, said handles having fold lines at distal ends of said legs such that said handles are movable between a first position in which said handles are coplanar with said end walls and a second position in which said handles are out of the plane of said end walls;

said handles defining tabs on said end walls in the space defined by inner edges of said handle legs and cross-member;

wherein, when said handles are in said second position, said slits defining said handle legs form channels in said end walls adjacent side edges of said tabs;

when said kitty litter box is in said closed position, and said handles are in said second position, the legs of the second section handle extend through the channels of the first section end wall and frictionally engage edges of the first section channel; and

the tab of the first section end wall extends between the legs of the second section handle and frictionally engages inner edges of said second section handle legs, the frictional engagement between said end walls and said handles operating to maintain said kitty litter box in said closed position;

said end walls each consisting of an inner ply and an outer ply connected by a fold line, and said first and second section side walls including fold tabs sandwiched between said end wall inner and outer plies;

said first and second section end wall inner plies frictionally engaging said first and second section panels, respectively, to hold said box in an assembled state without the use of glue;

said first section end panel including a generally U-shaped channel in alignment with said handle;

said generally U-shaped channel being substantially equal in size and shape to said handle and being substantially a mirror image of said handle;

wherein when said box is in its folded state, said end panels interengage each other such that said second section end wall outer ply is adjacent said first section end wall inner ply; and

said second section handle, when folded outwardly, passes through said generally U-shaped channel of said first section inner ply to be adjacent said first section handle.

14. The kitty litter box of claim 13 wherein said intermediate section side walls include a fold line extending diagonally from a top of one edge of said intermediate section side wall to a bottom of another edge of said intermediate section side wall;

and

said second section side walls include a first diagonal fold line extending from the fold line joining said second section and intermediate section side walls; and

a second diagonal fold line extending upwardly from a forward edge of said side walls;

said first and second diagonal fold lines dividing said second section side walls into two end triangular sections and a trapezoidal section between said triangular sections.

15. The kitty litter box of claim 13 wherein said end walls each include opposing diagonal fold lines extending from lower corners of said end walls upwardly and diagonally to upper edges of said end walls;

said end wall diagonal fold lines being angled to allow for said first, second, and intermediate section side walls to be fold ed substantially flat against said first, second, and intermediate section panels.

16. The kitty litter box of claim 13 including at least one tab at a free end of said end wall inner plies;

said tab being sized to create said frictional engagement between said inner ply of said first and second end walls and said first and second panels, respectively.

17. The kitty litter box of claim 16 including debossments on said first and second panels, said debossments being positioned to receive said inner ply tabs of said end walls.

18. The kitty litter box of claim 13 wherein the legs of said second section handle are slightly longer than the legs of said first section handle, such that, when said box is placed in its folded state, the cross-members of said first and second section handles will be substantially aligned with each other.

19. The kitty litter box of claim 13 wherein said box includes kitty litter;

said kitty litter being at the bottom of said box when said box is in its closed position and sitting on the intermediate section panel;

the weight of the kitty litter further helping to maintain the kitty litter box in its closed position such that the kitty litter box need not be wrapped or taped to maintain the box closed.

20. The kitty litter box of claim 19 wherein the kitty litter is contained in a closed bag in the box.

21. A kitty litter box formed from a one-piece blank and is moveable between a closed position in which litter is contained within the closed box and an opened position, in which the litter is available for use by a cat;

the kitty litter box comprising;

a first section and a second section, said first and second sections being substantially identical in size and shape and each having a panel, side walls extending up from side edges of said panels and end walls extending up from end edges of said panels; and

an intermediate section between said first and second sections;

said intermediate section having a panel and side walls extending up from side edges of said intermediate section panel;

said first and second section panels being hingedly connected to said intermediate section panel and said first and second side walls being hingedly connected to said intermediate section side walls;

the side walls of said intermediate section and said first and second sections being formed to allow said kitty litter box to be moved between its opened and closed positions;

said end walls being two-ply end walls;

said end walls each comprising an inner ply and an outer ply;

said box including a fold tab at ends of said first and second section side walls;

said end wall inner and outer plies sandwiching said fold tabs;

said end wall inner plies frictionally engaging said respective first and second section panels to hold said box in a formed state without the use of glue;

whereby;

when said kitty litter box is in said opened position;

said panels of said first section, second section, and intermediate section are substantially coplanar and define a bottom of the opened kitty litter box and said side walls of said first section, second section, and intermediate section, and said end walls form a continuous wall around said opened kitty litter box; and

, when said kitty litter box is in said closed position, said first section and second section panels define a front and back of said closed box, said intermediate section panel defines a bottom of said closed box, said first section side walls define outer side walls of said closed box, and said first section end wall defines an outer top wall of said closed box.