Abstrict An apparatus for scooping and sifting cat litter is provided having
a handle depending from an enclosure. The handle is tapered to provide
a comfortable and easily used handle for grasping and using the
scoop. The enclosure is significantly wider than the handle, thus
providing sufficient space for the placement of wasted cat litter
clumps therein. The enclosure includes a mouth permitting ingress
and egress of waster cat litter clumps and excess cat litter. The
enclosure also includes a solid portion and a grated portion. The
grate portion includes a plurality of slots and a plurality of ribs
alternately placed therebetween. The slots permit excess cat litter
to filter therethrough.
Claims I claim:
1. An improved cat litter scoop apparatus having an enclosure that
includes a solid portion and a grated portion, the grated portion
having slots for sifting excess cat litter therethrough.
2. An improved cat litter scoop that prevents spillage of excess
cat litter and degraded cat litter clumps onto carpets and floors.
3. An improved cat litter scoop comprising: a handle depending
from an enclosure; said handle depending from said enclosure and
tapered to provide a comfortable and easily used handle for grasping
and using the scoop; said enclosure significantly wider than said
handle, thus providing sufficient space for the placement of wasted
cat litter clumps therein; a mouth formed at said enclosure opposite
of said handle permitting ingress and egress of waster cat litter
clumps and excess cat litter; a grate portion of said enclosure
having a plurality of slots and a plurality of ribs alternately
placed therebetween, said slots permitting excess cat litter to
filter therethrough.
Description RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent No. 60/510575 dated Oct. 14 2003 and incorporated by
reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Scooping apparatuses designed for extracting cat litter
waste from a cat litter box are presently available in several familiar
configurations. Among the most popular are shovel-style scoops with
a flat, but grated heads for allowing a user to slide the scoop
beneath a cat litter clump and then allowing the excess cat litter
to filter through into the cat litter box. Other variations on this
theme are common in the art. However, this design configuration
suffers from several drawbacks, including poor filtration of the
excess cat litter, whereby excess cat litter clings to the scoop
and is then deposited in undesired areas, such as floors or carpets,
and increases the likelihood of illness, contamination or allergic
response. The present invention overcomes this and other drawbacks
of the commonly available scoop.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide
an improved cat litter scoop apparatus having an enclosure that
includes a solid portion and a grated portion, the grated portion
having slots for sifting excess cat litter therethrough.
[0004] It is another object of the present invention to provide
an improved cat litter scoop that prevents spillage of excess cat
litter and degraded cat litter clumps onto carpets and floors.
[0005] It is a further feature of the present invention to provide
an improved cat litter scoop that is easy to use and ergonomically
configured.
[0006] Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present
invention, a handle depending from an enclosure. In relation to
enclosure, the handle is tapered to provide a comfortable and easily
used handle for grasping and using the scoop. The enclosure is significantly
wider than the handle, thus providing sufficient space for the placement
of wasted cat litter clumps therein. The enclosure includes a mouth
permitting ingress and egress of waster cat litter clumps and excess
cat litter. The enclosure also includes a solid portion and a grated
portion. The grate portion includes a plurality of slots and a plurality
of ribs alternately placed therebetween. The slots permit excess
cat litter to filter therethrough.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The advantages and features of the present invention will
become better understood with reference to the following more detailed
description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols,
and in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cat litter scoop in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a side view of the scoop illustrating the tapered
handle, the widened enclosure and mouth, and the divided solid and
grated portions thereon;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an alternate embodiment of the scoop having an
ovally shaped enclosure and mouth; and
[0011] FIG. 4 is an alternate embodiment of the scoop having an
orthogonally shaped enclosure and mouth.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented
in terms of several preferred embodiments, herein depicted within
FIGS. 1 through 4.
[0013] Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 a cat litter scoop 10
is shown in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
The scoop 10 comprises a handle 12 depending from an enclosure 14.
In relation to enclosure 14 the handle 12 is tapered to provide
a comfortable and easily used handle for grasping and using the
scoop 10. The handle 12 may have an ergonomic design, including
ridges or protrusions for comfortable spacing of the fingers, thereby
reducing any strain or risk of injury that may be present. The handle
12 may also include an aperture 16 for placement on a hook, chain
or other similar securing device for hanging and convenient placement
near the cat litter box.
[0014] The enclosure 14 is significantly wider than the handle
12 thus providing sufficient space for the placement of wasted
cat litter clumps therein. The enclosure 14 includes a mouth 18
permitting ingress and egress of waster cat litter clumps and excess
cat litter. The enclosure 14 also includes a solid portion 20 and
a grated portion 22. The interaction of the solid and grated portions
20 and 22 respectively, are disclosed in further detail below.
The grate portion 22 includes a plurality of slots 24 and a plurality
of ribs 26 alternately placed therebetween. The ribs 26 separate
the slots 24 at a distance, thereby permitting the wasted cat litter
clump to rest within the enclosure 14 and allowing the excess cat
litter to filter through the slots 24 back into the cat litter box.
[0015] Along the outer perimeter of the mouth 18 a plurality of
tines 28 are provided so that the remaining cat litter may be raked
as desired to expose fresh cat litter or to hide wasted cat litter
that may be too fine to extract using the scoop 10.
[0016] In operation, the scoop 10 is grasped by the handle 12
with the mouth 18 inserted into the cat litter for ingress of wasted
cat litter clump(s), with the grated portion 22 facing downward
toward the cat litter. After wasted cat litter clump(s) is/are received
by enclosure 14 the excess cat litter is sifted through the plurality
of slots 24 and re-deposited back into the existing cat litter.
To transport to a predestined waste repository, such as a garbage
bag, trash can or toilet, the user will rotate the scoop 10 along
the horizontal so that the solid portion 20 is inverted with the
grated portion 22 and vice versa, thereby resulting in the grated
portion 22 oriented in an upwardly facing direction and the solid
portion 20 oriented in a downwardly facing direction. The rotation
of the scoop 10 by 180.degree. (as described) traps the wasted cat
litter clump(s) within the enclosure 14 during transport and prevents
any excess not filtered through the slots 24 from escaping the scoop
10 while also preventing spills of clump particles that may be
dislodged during transport. Upon reaching the repository, the scoop
10 is tilted downwardly so that the mouth 18 is pointed toward the
repository and the wasted cat litter clump(s) egresses into the
repository.
[0017] Referring now to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 alternate embodiments
of the enclosure 14 and mouth 18 are depicted, wherein FIG. 3 depicts
an oval shaped enclosure 14 and corresponding mouth 18 providing
greater space and area than the circular shaped embodiment depicted
in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 4 depicts an orthogonally shaped enclosure
14 and corresponding mouth 18 providing greater control to the
scoop 10 having harder edges through which control and manipulation
are enhanced.
[0018] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the
present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration
and description and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit
the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously many modifications
and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The
embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the
principles of the invention and its practical application, and enable
others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various
embodiments. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined
by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Therefore,
the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following
claims. |