Litter box with apparatus for catchiing and returning tracked litter and method of assembling the litter box

• US 8,733,286 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Sweetman
• Original Assignee: Robert Sweetman
• Inventors: Sweetman, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Kristen C
• Application Number:
  US13/341,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 878 Days
• Field of Search: 119/165, 119/161, 119/163, 119/166
• US Class Current: 119/165
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0107 Cat trays; Dog urinals; Toilets for pets
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0114 Litter boxes with screens for separating excrement from litter

Abstract

A litter box having apparatus for catching and returning litter being tracked from the litter box, and a method of assembling the litter box. The litter box includes a container for containing litter. An opening and a litter return window are formed in the container. Stair steps defining slots therebetween extend from the opening. A litter return slide is disposed beneath the slots and slopes downward towards the litter return window. As the animal traverses the stair steps, litter adhering to the paws of the animal is dislodged and falls through the slots to be caught by the litter return slide. The dislodged litter travels down the litter return slide and through the litter return window so as to return the dislodged litter to the litter container. Thus, the animal is prevented from tracking litter beyond the litter box, so that litter cleanup is reduced and sanitation is enhanced.

Claims

1. A litter box having apparatus for catching and automatically returning tracked litter back into the litter box, the litter box comprising:

a container for containing litter for use by an animal, the container defining an opening for allowing exit of the animal from the container and a litter return window;

a pathway extending from the opening, the pathway having a plurality of slots there along for passage therethrough of the litter tracked by the animal when the animal travels along the pathway after exiting the container through the opening; and

a litter return slide disposed beneath the pathway and configured to catch the tracked litter passing down through each of the plurality of slots, the litter return slide having a first end in communication with the litter return window and being downwardly sloped to the first end for slidably returning the tracked litter through the litter return window and back into the container automatically.

2. The litter box of claim 1, further including a barrier coupled to the pathway for encouraging the animal to travel the pathway in its entirety before departing therefrom.

3. The litter box of claim 1, further including a brush cooperative with the opening defined by the container so as to allow the animal to rub against the brush while the animal exits the opening.

4. The litter box of claim 1, further including a support structure coupled to the pathway for supporting and elevating the pathway above the litter return slide.

5. The litter box of claim 4, wherein the support structure includes a bottom wall and at least one vertical wall coupled to the bottom wall to substantially surround the litter return slide, the litter return slide having a second end attached to the at least one vertical wall, the first end of the litter return slide in communication with the litter return window through an at least partially open end of the support structure.

6. The litter box of claim 5, wherein the bottom wall, the at least one vertical wall, and the litter return slide together define a storage compartment therebetween, the support structure including an access door in the at least one vertical wall for allowing access to the compartment.

7. The litter box of claim 1 wherein the pathway is inclined upwardly from the opening and includes a plurality of stair steps, the plurality of slots being formed therebetween.

8. The litter box of claim 7, wherein the pathway includes a grate, removably disposed over the steps, for enhancing support of the animal while the animal travels along the pathway.

9. The litter box of claim 8, wherein the steps are convex in shape and covered with a textured surface that creates friction between the animal'"'"'s paws and the steps.

10. The litter box of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of steps are independently removably supported by the support structure.

11. The litter box of claim 1, further including an obstruction removably coupled to the container and disposed at the opening for slowing exit of the animal through the opening.

12. A litter box having apparatus for catching and automatically returning tracked litter back into the litter box, the litter box comprising:

a container having a base for containing the litter and a cover for covering the base, the cover defining an opening for allowing exit of an animal from the container, the base defining a litter return window;

a plurality of stair steps defining an inclined pathway extending from the opening, adjacent pairs of stair steps each defining a slot therebetween for passage therethrough of the litter tracked by the animal when the animal travels along the pathway after exiting the container through the opening; and

a litter return slide disposed beneath the plurality of stair steps and configured to catch the tracked litter passing through each slot therein, the litter return slide having a first end in communication with the litter return window and being downwardly sloped to the first end for slidably returning the tracked litter through the litter return window and back into the container automatically for use by the animal.

13. The litter box of claim 12, further including a pair of oppositely disposed barriers coupled to the pathway for encouraging the animal to travel the pathway in its entirety before departing therefrom.

14. The litter box of claim 12, wherein the pathway includes a rubberized grate for enhancing comfort of the animal while the animal travels along the pathway and across the grate.

15. The litter box of claim 14, wherein the grate is removable from the pathway.

16. The litter box of claim 12, further including a rubberized brush coupled to the cover and cooperative with the opening defined by the cover such that the animal must rub against the brush while the animal exits the opening.

17. The litter box of claim 12, further including a support structure coupled to the plurality of stair steps for supporting and elevating the plurality of stair steps above the litter return slide, wherein the support structure includes a bottom wall and at least one vertical wall coupled to the bottom wall to substantially surround the litter return slide, the litter return slide having a second end coupled to the at least one vertical wall, the first end of the litter return slide in communication with the litter return window through an at least partially open end of the support structure.

18. The litter box of claim 17, wherein the bottom wall, the at least one vertical wall and the litter return slide together define a storage compartment therebetween, the support structure including an access door in the at least one vertical wall for allowing access to the compartment.

19. The litter box of claim 17 wherein each of plurality of steps are individually removably supported by the support structure.

20. The litter box of claim 12, further including an obstruction removably coupled to the container and disposed at the opening for slowing exit of the animal through the opening.