Pet toilet

• US 9,204,617 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Kashiwa, Takahiro, Yamamoto, Jun, Takeshige, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): ABBOTT-LEWIS, YVONNE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US14/349,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20140251224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 119/165, 119/166, 119/161, 119/168, 119/169
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

A pet toilet includes an outer and inner container. A lower outer sidewall portion having a lower sidewall provided on a sidewall of the outer container, and a lower inner sidewall portion having a lower sidewall provided on a sidewall of the inner container. The outer and inner containers are movable. A pet entrance that is lower than an adjacent sidewall formed by arranging the inner container into the outer container, such that the position of the lower outer sidewall portion matches the position of the lower inner sidewall portion. Further, the lower outer sidewall portion is closed by the sidewall of the inner container and the lower inner sidewall portion is closed by the sidewall of the outer container by arranging the inner container into the outer container, such that the position of the lower outer sidewall portion does not match the position of the lower inner sidewall portion.

Claims

1. A pet toilet comprising an outer container including a bottom, and a sidewall standing from a peripheral edge of the bottom;

and an inner container including a bottom having a duckboard structure that allows excretory fluid of a pet to pass, and a sidewall standing from a peripheral edge of the bottom, wherein

a lower outer sidewall portion is formed on a part of the sidewall of the outer container, the lower outer sidewall portion having a lower height than the other part of the sidewall of the outer container,

a lower inner sidewall portion is formed on a part of the sidewall of the inner container, the lower inner sidewall portion having a lower height than the other part of the sidewall of the inner container,

the outer container and the inner container are relatively movable,

an entrance for pet is formed in the toilet by arranging the inner container into the outer container in such a manner that the position of the lower outer sidewall portion matches the position of the lower inner sidewall portion, a height of the entrance is lower than that of a sidewall adjacent to the entrance and allows a pet to go into the toilet,

no entrance is formed in the toilet by arranging the inner container into the outer container in such a manner that the position of the lower outer sidewall portion does not match the position of the lower inner sidewall portion, and thereby the lower outer sidewall portion is closed by the sidewall of the inner container, and the lower inner sidewall portion is closed by the sidewall of the outer container,

the inner container includes a locking hook which is disposed on an upper end of the sidewall adjacent to the lower inner sidewall portion, and

in a state in which the inner container is arranged in the outer container, the locking hook is hooked on the upper end of the sidewall of the outer container to allow the upper end of the lower inner sidewall portion to be close to the lower outer sidewall portion or the sidewall of the outer container, thereby reducing a gap formed between the upper end of the lower inner sidewall portion and the lower outer sidewall portion or the sidewall of the outer container.

2. The pet toilet according to claim 1, wherein the inner container includes a rib disposed on an outer surface of the sidewall which is positioned opposite to the lower inner sidewall portion, and

in a state in which the inner container is arranged in the outer container, the rib is brought into contact with the inner surface of the sidewall of the outer container to allow the upper end of the lower inner sidewall portion to be close to the lower outer sidewall portion or the sidewall of the outer container, thereby reducing a gap formed between the upper end of the lower inner sidewall portion and the lower outer sidewall portion or a wall portion of the outer container.

3. A pet toilet comprising an outer container having a bottom, and a sidewall standing from a peripheral edge of the bottom;

and an inner container arranged in the outer container and including a bottom having a duckboard structure that allows excretory fluid of a pet to pass, and a sidewall standing from a peripheral edge of the bottom,

wherein the sidewall of the outer container or the sidewall of the inner container includes a wall height adjusting unit that adjusts a height of a part of the sidewall, and the wall height adjusting unit forms a low sidewall portion that is lower than the other part of the sidewall, and thereby forming an entrance for pet that permits a pet to go into the toilet.

4. The pet toilet according to claim 3, wherein one of the outer container and the inner container includes the wall height adjusting unit, and the other one does not include the wall height adjusting unit,

a low wall forming portion that is lower than the other part of the sidewall is formed on a part of the sidewall of the container that does not include the wall height adjusting unit, and

the entrance is formed by arranging the inner container into the outer container in such a manner that the position of the low sidewall portion formed on the container having the wall height adjusting unit matches the position of the low wall forming portion formed on the container that does not include the wall height adjusting unit.

5. The pet toilet according to claim 4, wherein, the inner container includes the wall height adjusting unit, and a rib disposed on an outer surface of the sidewall which is positioned opposite to the low sidewall portion, and the rib is brought into contact with the inner surface of the sidewall of the outer container to allow the upper end of the low sidewall portion of the inner container to be close to the low wall forming portion of the outer container, thereby reducing a gap formed between the upper end of the low sidewall portion of the inner container and the low wall forming portion of the outer container, or

the outer container includes the wall height adjusting unit, and a rib disposed on an outer surface of the sidewall which is positioned opposite to the low wall forming portion, and the rib is brought into contact with the inner surface of the sidewall of the outer container to allow the upper end of the low wall forming portion of the inner container to be close to the low sidewall portion of the outer container, thereby reducing a gap formed between the upper end of the low wall forming portion of the inner container and the low sidewall portion of the outer container.

6. The pet toilet according to claim 4, wherein, when the inner container includes the wall height adjusting unit, a locking hook is provided on an upper end of the sidewall adjacent to the low sidewall portion of the inner container, and the locking hook is hooked on the upper end of the sidewall of the outer container to allow the upper end of the low sidewall portion of the inner container to be close to the low wall forming portion of the outer container, thereby reducing a gap formed between the upper end of the low sidewall portion of the inner container and the low wall forming portion of the outer container, and

when the outer container includes the wall height adjusting unit, a locking hook is provided on an upper end of the sidewall adjacent to the low wall forming portion of the inner container, and the locking hook is hooked on the upper end of the sidewall of the outer container to allow the upper end of the low wall forming portion of the inner container to be close to the low sidewall portion of the outer container, thereby reducing a gap formed between the upper end of the low wall forming portion of the inner container and the low sidewall portion of the outer container.

7. The pet toilet according to claim 3, wherein the wall height adjusting unit is provided on the inner container, and

when the low sidewall portion is formed on the sidewall of the inner container by the wall height adjusting unit, the position of the upper end of the sidewall of the outer container is set to be equal to or lower than the position of the upper end of the low sidewall portion.

8. The pet toilet according to claim 7, wherein the inner container includes a rib disposed on an outer surface of the sidewall which is positioned opposite to the low sidewall portion, and the rib is brought into contact with the inner surface of the sidewall of the outer container to allow the upper end of the low sidewall portion of the inner container to be close to the sidewall of the outer container, thereby reducing a gap formed between the upper end of the low sidewall portion of the inner container and the sidewall of the outer container.

9. The pet toilet according to claim 7, wherein the inner container includes a locking hook which is provided on an upper end of the sidewall adjacent to the low sidewall portion of the inner container, and the locking hook is hooked on the upper end of the sidewall of the outer container to allow the upper end of the low sidewall portion of the inner container to be close to the sidewall of the outer container, thereby reducing a gap formed between the upper end of the low sidewall portion of the inner container and the sidewall of the outer container.

10. The pet toilet according to claim 3, wherein the wall height adjusting unit is a member detachable to the sidewall of the container having the wall height adjusting unit, and the entrance is formed by removing the member from the sidewall.

11. The pet toilet according to claim 3, wherein the wall height adjusting unit includes a connection portion connected to the sidewall of the container having the wall height adjusting unit, and a non-connection portion that is not connected to the sidewall and that can be attached to or detached from the sidewall, and the entrance is formed by separating the non-connection portion from the sidewall, while keeping a connection state between the sidewall and the wall height adjusting unit by the connection portion.

12. The pet toilet according to claim 11, wherein the outer container or the inner container includes two cuts formed in a part of the sidewall and extending downward from the upper end of the sidewall, and a linear thin portion that is substantially parallel to the upper end of the sidewall and formed between lower ends of the two cuts, the wall height adjusting unit being composed of a swinging portion that is located between the two cuts and that swings about the thin portion serving as a hinge, and the thin portion, and

the entrance and a slope that guides a pet to the entrance are formed by swinging the swinging portion, which is located between the two cuts and which swings, outward of the container about the thin portion used as a hinge.

13. A method of using a pet toilet comprising an outer container including a bottom, and a sidewall standing from a peripheral edge of the bottom;

and an inner container including a bottom having a duckboard structure that allows excretory fluid of a pet to pass, and a sidewall standing from a peripheral edge of the bottom,

wherein a lower outer sidewall portion is formed on a part of the sidewall of the outer container, and a lower inner sidewall portion is formed on a part of the sidewall of the inner container, and

the outer container and the inner container are relatively movable,

the method comprising;

a step of arranging the inner container into the outer container in such a manner that the position of the lower outer sidewall portion matches the position of the lower inner sidewall portion to form an entrance for pet from which a pet goes into the toilet and which is lower than the sidewall adjacent to the entrance, when the entrance is formed; and

a step of closing the lower outer sidewall portion by the sidewall of the inner container, and closing the lower inner sidewall portion by the sidewall of the outer container by arranging the inner container into the outer container in such a manner that the position of the lower outer sidewall portion does not match the position of the lower inner sidewall portion, when the formation of the entrance is not desired.