AUTOMATED LITTER DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20140245960A1
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Automated Pet Care Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Automated Pet Care Product, Inc.
• Inventors: Baxter, Brad, Smith, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,433,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/166
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/011 with means for removing excrement A01K1/0114 and A01K1/0117 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0114 Litter boxes with screens for separating excrement from litter

Abstract

A device comprising: a support base and an chamber, located on the support base, having an entry opening so that an animal can enter and exit the chamber; wherein the chamber includes an axis of rotation that forms an angle of about 80 degrees or less with a vertical plane.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a. a support base and

b. a chamber, located on the support base, wherein the chamber has an entry opening so that an animal can enter and exit the chamber and

c. a screen and/or septum located at the back of the chamber, opposite the entry opening;

wherein the chamber includes an axis of rotation that forms an angle of about 80 degrees or less with a vertical plane and the chamber includes a track which encircles an outside wall of the chamber and lies in a plane, for rotating the chamber around the axis of rotation.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation forms an angle of between about 76 degrees and about 50 degrees with the vertical plane.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the track defines a track plane that forms an angle of between about 10 degrees and 40 degrees with the vertical plane.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the track defines a track plane that forms an angle of between about 15 degrees to about 35 degrees with the vertical plane.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the chamber includes a waste opening and the waste opening is located in a wall of the chamber on an opposite side of the track plane as the entry opening.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the chamber rotates on the support base around the axis of rotation so that litter in the chamber has a relative conical rotation.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the entry opening is an elongated opening having a height and a width forming a height to width ratio of about 1.2:

1 or more.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the chamber includes litter and the angle of the axis of rotation relative to the vertical plane is any angle so that a top surface of the titter forms an angle of between about 3 degrees and 8 degrees with a surface on which the support base rests, a plane perpendicular to the vertical plane, or both.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein the entry opening forms a plane which forms an angle of about 10 degrees or more with vertical.

22. The device according to claim 1 wherein the entry opening is oval.

23. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device comprises the septum and the screen as a unitary piece attached by a living hinge.

24. The device according to claim 1, wherein the entry opening is an elongated opening having a height and a width forming a height to width ratio of about 1.6:

1 to about 3;

1.

25. The device according to claim 1, wherein the entry opening exhibits and area of about 225 cm² or more.

3. (canceled)

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein the chamber includes two halves that are separated by the track plane and normal to the axis of rotation, and the chamber includes a waste opening located entirely on one site of the track plane.

11-20. -20. (canceled)

26. A device comprising:

a. a support base and

b. a chamber, located on the support base, wherein the chamber has an entry opening so that an animal can enter and exit the chamber and

c. a screen and/or septum located at the back of the chamber, opposite the entry opening;

d. a waste opening located in a wall of the chamber on an opposite side of the track plane as the entry opening

wherein the chamber includes an axis of rotation that forms an angle of about 80 degrees or less with a vertical plane and the chamber includes a track, which encircles an outside wall of the chamber and lies in a plane, for rotating the chamber around the axis of rotation wherein the chamber includes a waste opening and the waste opening is located in a wall of the chamber on an opposite side of the track plane as the entry opening, and the entry opening is an elongated opening having a height and a width forming a height to width ratio of about 1.6;

1 to about 3;

1.

27. The device according to claim 26 wherein the entry opening is oval.

28. The device according to claim 26 wherein the device comprises the septum and the screen as a unitary piece attached by a living hinge.

29. The device according to claim 26, wherein the entry opening exhibits and area of about 225 cm² or more.