Self-cleaning pet litter box assembly with reciprocating bars
First Claim
1. A self-cleaning pet litter box assembly configured to separate and remove clumped litter and solid pet waste from clean litter material, comprising:
- a base;
an open-top pet litter container configured to hold litter therein and being mounted for substantially horizontal rotation relative to said base;
a conveyor having one end configured to extend into the pet litter container and an opposite exit end, said conveyor comprising a first moving conveyor portion defined by a first plurality of horizontally spaced members and a second moving conveyor portion defined by a second plurality of horizontally spaced members, said first and second conveyor portions moving with reciprocating movement in an out-of-phase relationship and cooperating with each other to incrementally transport clumped litter and solid pet waste away from the litter within the pet litter container in a single direction toward the exit end thereof;
a first transverse crankshaft operatively coupled to the first moving conveyor portion and the second moving conveyor portion proximate the exit end; and
a second transverse crankshaft operatively coupled to the first moving conveyor portion and the second moving conveyor portion proximate the one end;
each of the first and second transverse crankshafts having a fixed axis of rotation, and each of the first and second transverse crankshafts operating so as to rotate in only a single direction to incrementally transport the clumped litter and solid pet waste toward the exit end of the conveyor.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A self-cleaning pet litter box has a conveyor to incrementally transport clumped litter material and solid pet waste to a waste receptacle. The conveyor has one end configured to extend into a pet litter container of the self-cleaning litter box and an opposite exit end. The conveyor is configured for reciprocating movement to lift the clumped litter material and solid pet waste from below, transport it some distance along the conveyor, place the material down again, return to its original position, and repeat the motion again to incrementally move the material along the conveyor toward the exit end for subsequent disposal.
35 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A self-cleaning pet litter box assembly configured to separate and remove clumped litter and solid pet waste from clean litter material, comprising:
-
a base; an open-top pet litter container configured to hold litter therein and being mounted for substantially horizontal rotation relative to said base; a conveyor having one end configured to extend into the pet litter container and an opposite exit end, said conveyor comprising a first moving conveyor portion defined by a first plurality of horizontally spaced members and a second moving conveyor portion defined by a second plurality of horizontally spaced members, said first and second conveyor portions moving with reciprocating movement in an out-of-phase relationship and cooperating with each other to incrementally transport clumped litter and solid pet waste away from the litter within the pet litter container in a single direction toward the exit end thereof; a first transverse crankshaft operatively coupled to the first moving conveyor portion and the second moving conveyor portion proximate the exit end; and a second transverse crankshaft operatively coupled to the first moving conveyor portion and the second moving conveyor portion proximate the one end; each of the first and second transverse crankshafts having a fixed axis of rotation, and each of the first and second transverse crankshafts operating so as to rotate in only a single direction to incrementally transport the clumped litter and solid pet waste toward the exit end of the conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A self-cleaning pet litter box assembly configured to separate and remove clumped litter and solid pet waste from clean litter material, comprising:
-
a base; an open-top pet litter container configured to hold litter therein and being mounted for substantially horizontal rotation relative to said base; a drive mechanism operatively connected to said pet litter container to rotate said container; a conveyor having one end configured to extend into the pet litter container and an opposite exit end, said conveyor comprising a first moving conveyor portion defined by a first plurality of horizontally spaced members and a second moving conveyor portion defined by a second plurality of horizontally spaced members, said first and second conveyor portions moving with reciprocating movement in an out-of-phase relationship and cooperating with each other to incrementally transport clumped litter and solid pet waste away from the litter within the pet litter container in a single direction toward the exit end thereof; a first transverse crankshaft operatively coupled to the first moving conveyor portion and the second moving conveyor portion proximate the exit end; and a second transverse crankshaft operatively coupled to the first moving conveyor portion and the second moving conveyor portion proximate the one end; each of the first and second transverse crankshafts having a fixed axis of rotation, and each of the first and second transverse crankshafts operating so as to rotate in only a single direction to incrementally transport the clumped litter and solid pet waste toward the exit end of the conveyor; a separating member positioned to contact the litter within the pet litter container and being configured to separate clumped litter and solid pet waste from the litter within the pet litter container and direct the clumped litter and solid pet waste toward said conveyor; and a waste receptacle positioned adjacent the exit end of said conveyor to receive the clumped litter and solid pet waste incrementally transported by said conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of removing clumped material and solid pet waste from clean litter material in a pet litter box, the method comprising:
-
obtaining a pet litter box assembly having a horizontally rotating pet litter container and a conveyor having one end configured to extend into the pet litter container and an opposite exit end, the conveyor comprising a first moving conveyor portion defined by a first plurality of horizontally spaced members and a second moving conveyor portion defined by a second plurality of horizontally spaced members, said first and second conveyor portions moving with reciprocating movement and cooperating with each other, a first transverse crankshaft operatively coupled to the first moving conveyor portion and the second moving conveyor portion proximate the exit end, and a second transverse crankshaft operatively coupled to the first moving conveyor portion and the second moving conveyor portion proximate the one end, each of the first and second transverse crankshafts having a fixed axis of rotation, and each of the first and second transverse crankshafts operating so as to rotate in only a single direction to incrementally transport the clumped litter and solid pet waste toward the exit end of the conveyor, the method further comprising the steps of; rotating the pet litter container to advance the clumped material and solid pet waste toward the conveyor; and moving the first and second moving conveyor portions by reciprocating movement in an out-of-phase relationship to incrementally transport the clumped litter and solid pet waste away from the litter within the pet litter container in a single direction toward the exit end thereof. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
Specification