Animal litter box

• US 7,150,242 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harold Schuster, Roberta June Schuster
• Original Assignee: Harold Schuster, Roberta June Schuster
• Inventors: Schuster, Roberta June, Schuster, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Teri Pham
• Assistant Examiner(s): MICHENER, JOSHUA J
• Application Number:
  US10/901,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20060032452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 119/165, 119/161, 119/162, 119/163, 119/164, 119/166, 119/167, 119/168, 119/169, 119/170, D30/161, D30/108, D30/118
• US Class Current: 119/165
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0107 Cat trays; Dog urinals; Toilets for pets

Abstract

An animal litter box which is configured to urge an animal toward a desired orientation in the litter box. The litter box includes a floor, a sidewall extending upward from the floor to define an interior of the litter box, which sidewall has an interior sidewall surface facing the interior of the litter box, and a cue associated with a selected portion of the interior sidewall surface, which cue urges the animal toward the desired orientation.

Claims

1. An animal litter box comprising:

(a) a floor;

(b) a sidewall extending upward from the floor, the sidewall surrounding an interior of the litter box, the sidewall having an upper end, a lower end and an interior sidewall surface facing the interior of the litter box, wherein the sidewall is comprised of a front wall and an opposing back wall, wherein the front wall has a length, wherein the back wall has a length, and wherein the length of the back wall is greater than the length of the front wall; and

(c) a cue associated with a selected portion of the interior sidewall surface, for urging an animal toward a desired orientation in the litter box, wherein the cue is comprised of a discontinuity in the interior sidewall surface, wherein the discontinuity is comprised of a protrusion which extends laterally a protrusion distance toward the interior of the litter box, wherein the protrusion extends vertically from a lower protrusion end to an upper protrusion end and wherein the protrusion distance at the lower protrusion end is less than the protrusion distance at the upper protrusion end.

2. The animal litter box as claimed in claim 1 wherein the protrusion extends vertically from the lower protrusion end above the lower end of the sidewall to the upper protrusion end adjacent to the upper end of the sidewall.

3. The animal litter box as claimed in claim 1 wherein the front wall defines an entrance gap for facilitating ingress to and egress from the litter box by the animal.

4. The litter box as claimed in claim 1 wherein the litter box is further comprised of a rim projecting laterally from the upper end of the sidewall.

5. The litter box as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a left side wall extending between the front wall and the back wall and wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a right side wall extending between the front wall and the back wall.

6. The litter box as claimed in claim 5 wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a left front corner between the left side wall and the front wall, wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a right front corner between the right side wall and the front wall, and wherein the left front corner and the right front corner are oblique corners.

7. The animal litter box as claimed in claim 1 wherein the back wall is comprised of the selected portion of the interior sidewall surface.

8. The animal litter box as claimed in claim 7 wherein the front wall defines an entrance gap for facilitating ingress to and egress from the litter box by the animal.

9. The litter box as claimed in claim 8 wherein the sidewall has a height and wherein the height of the sidewall is between about nine inches and about twelve inches.

10. The animal litter box as claimed in claim 8 wherein the protrusion extends vertically from the lower protrusion end above the lower end of the sidewall to the upper protrusion end adjacent to the upper end of the sidewall.

11. The litter box as claimed in claim 8 wherein the litter box is further comprised of a rim projecting laterally from the upper end of the sidewall.

12. The litter box as claimed in claim 8 wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a left side wall extending between the front wall and the back wall and wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a right side wall extending between the front wall and the back wall.

13. The litter box as claimed in claim 12 wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a left front corner between the left side wall and the front wall, wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a right front corner between the right side wall and the front wall, and wherein the left front corner and the right front corner are oblique corners.

14. The litter box as claimed in claim 8 wherein the selected portion of the interior sidewall surface is aligned with the entrance gap such that the selected portion of the interior sidewall surface is substantially opposite to the entrance gap.

15. The litter box as claimed in claim 14 wherein the entrance gap extends vertically from a lower gap end above the lower end of the sidewall to the upper end of the sidewall.

16. The animal litter box as claimed in claim 15 wherein the protrusion extends vertically from the lower protrusion end above the lower end of the sidewall to the upper protrusion end adjacent to the upper end of the sidewall.

17. The litter box as claimed in claim 8 wherein the entrance gap extends vertically from a lower gap end above the lower end of the sidewall to the upper end of the sidewall.

18. The litter box as claimed in claim 17 wherein the sidewall has a height and wherein the height of the sidewall is between about nine inches and about twelve inches.

19. The litter box as claimed in claim 17 wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a left side wall extending between the front wall and the back wall and wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a right side wall extending between the front wall and the back wall.

20. The litter box as claimed in claim 19 wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a left front corner between the left side wall and the front wall, wherein the sidewall is further comprised of a right front corner between the right side wall and the front wall, and wherein the left front corner and the right front corner are oblique corners.

21. The litter box as claimed in claim 20 wherein the selected portion of the interior sidewall surface is aligned with the entrance gap such that the selected portion of the interior sidewall surface is substantially opposite to the entrance gap.

22. The animal litter box as claimed in claim 21 wherein the protrusion extends vertically from the lower protrusion end above the lower end of the sidewall to the upper protrusion end adjacent to the upper end of the sidewall.

23. The litter box as claimed in claim 17 wherein the litter box is further comprised of a rim projecting laterally from the upper end of the sidewall.

24. The litter box as claimed in claim 23 wherein the selected portion of the interior sidewall surface is aligned with the entrance gap such that the selected portion of the interior sidewall surface is substantially opposite to the entrance gap.

25. The animal litter box as claimed in claim 24 wherein the protrusion extends vertically from the lower protrusion end above the lower end of the sidewall to the upper protrusion end adjacent to the upper end of the sidewall.