Abstrict A sanitization system for cat litter boxes is presented which is
composed of a scoop device for straining cat litter where the scoop
device has a handle member from which a scoop region extends axially.
At a predetermined distance axially from the scoop region, a containment
member extends laterally of the handle where the containment member
has a multiplicity of venting orifices extending therethrough. A
fluid reservoir is removably attachable to the cat litter box. The
fluid reservoir is defined by a housing having an open end and a
cavity chamber where the cavity chamber is so dimensioned and constructed
to be in fluid communication with the open to permit the passage
of fluid through the open end. A deodorizing and disinfectant fluid
is carried in the reservoir. To seal the reservoir, the dimensions
of the open end of the reservoir and of the containment member are
substantially identical such that when the scoop is stored in the
reservoir the containment member will seal it and permit deodorizing
vapors to escape through the orifices. The system also includes
a plastic bag holder which is defined by a frame having a multiplicity
of suspension members from which the plastic bag may be suspended.
The plastic bag holder is removably mounted to the cat litter box
and thus provides a ready means for disposal of the cat fecal matter.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. A scoop device for straining cat litter comprising:
(a) a handle member having an axis of elongation and a first end;
(b) a scoop region extending axially from said first end of said
handle member, said scoop region having an opening therein so dimensioned
and proportioned to permit straining of said cat litter; and
(c) a containment member extending laterally of said handle member
and located a predetermined distance axially from said scoop region
where said containment member has at least one venting orifice extending
therethrough.
2. The scoop device recited in claim 1 where said containment member
is laterally symmetrical with said axis.
3. The scoop device device recited claim 1 where said containment
member is a thin flat plate having a upper surface and a lower surface
and where said upper and lower surfaces are orthogonal to said axis.
4. The scoop device recited in claim 3 where said containment member
is laterally symmetrical with said axis.
5. In combination:
(a) a scoop device for straining cat litter comprising a handle
member having an axis of elongation and a first end, a scoop region
extending axially from said first end of said handle member, said
scoop region having an opening therein so dimensioned and proportioned
to permit straining of said cat litter, and a containment member
extending laterally of said handle member and located a predetermined
distance axially from said scoop region where said containment member
has at least one venting orifice extending therethrough; and
(b) a fluid reservoir for use with a cat litter box comprising
a housing having an open end and a cavity chamber, where said cavity
chamber is so dimensioned and constructed to be in fluid communication
with said open end to permit the passage of fluid through said open
end and to be sealingly bounded by said housing, and attachment
means for removably attaching said housing to said cat litter box.
6. The combination recited in claim 5 where said containment member
is laterally symmetrical with said axis.
7. The combination recited in claim 5 where said containment member
is a thin flat plate having an upper surface and a lower surface
and where said upper and lower surfaces are orthogonal to said axis.
8. The combination recited in claim 5 where said housing is a truncated
box-like structure having a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall
and a pair of side walls and where said rear wall has a vertical
dimension greater than the vertical dimension of said front wall
and said side walls are symmetrically dimensioned.
9. The combination recited in claim 8 where said attachment means
is associated with said rear wall.
10. The combination recited in claim 5 further comprising a fluid
having disinfectant properties where said fluid is contained in
said cavity chamber.
11. The combination recited in claim 5 further comprising a fluid
having deodorizing properties where said fluid is contained in said
cavity chamber.
12. The combination recited in claim 5 further comprising a bag
holder comprising:
(a) a frame;
(b) support means for supporting a bag carried by said frame; and,
(c) an attachment member extending from said frame for removably
mounting the frame to said cat litter box.
13. The combination recited in claim 12 wherein said support means
comprises a multiplicity of suspension members carried by said frame
from which a bag may be suspended.
14. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said fluid reservoir
further comprises support means for supporting a bag carried by
said housing.
Description FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a sanitization system for cat litter
boxes which provides for the removal of cat fecal matter, continuous
deodorization, and ready-waste disposal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cat fecal matter has been traditionally removed from litter boxes
by the use of a scoop through which the matter is strained. To remove
the fecal matter, the straining end of the scoop is inserted into
the litter beneath the fecal matter and then lifted to permit the
litter to strain through. The fecal matter is thereafter disposed
of by direct deposit into the household waste removal system or
by depositing the matter into a container for ultimate placement
with garbage disposal. Although there are many types of cat litter
which act to deodorize the odor associated with litter box usage
and sanitize the environment, the litter scoop in the removal of
the fecal matter may become contaminated with causative agents of
virucital activity. Such usage enhances the probability of the spread
of infection.
It is therefore desirable to provide a system which not only disinfects
the litter scoop but also deodorizes the environment of a litter
box. The system may also provide a ready means to dispose of the
cat fecal matter, particularly in those communities where direct
deposit of the matter into the household waste system is prohibited
by law.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a sanitation system for cat
litter boxes where the system disinfects the litter scoop, provides
deodorization of the litter box environment and supplies disposal
bags for ready containment of the cat fecal matter which is thereafter
deposited in the waste removal or garbage removal system of the
household.
The sanitization system for cat litter boxes of this invention
has a litter box scoop, a removably mounted litter box disinfectant
and deodorizing fluid reservoir containing a disinfectant deodorization
fluid, and a frame member which may be removably mounted to the
cat litter box for holding plastic bags into which the cat fecal
matter may be deposited. The litter box scoop has a handle member
which has an axis of elongation and a scoop region extending axially
from the end of the handle. The scoop region has an opening which
is so dimensioned and proportioned to permit the litter to be strained
therethrough. A containment member extends symmetrically and laterally
of the handle member and is located a predetermined distance axially
from the scoop region. A multiplicity of axially extending orifices
extend through the containment member to act as vents such that
fluid or vapor may pass through the containment member. To provide
for sanitization of the litter box scoop, a removably mounted litter
box disinfectant fluid reservoir is utilized. The disinfectant fluid
reservoir has a housing which has an open end and a cavity chamber
contained within the housing where the open end communicates with
the cavity. The cavity is sealingly bounded by the housing such
that disinfectant fluid contained within the reservoir will be sealingly
retained within the housing and so dimensioned and constructed to
permit the passage of fluid through the open end.
One embodiment of the disinfectant fluid reservoir is a rectangular
box-like structure having thin sidewalls bounding the reservoir
chamber. The reservoir chamber is so dimensioned and proportioned
to receive the scoop region of the litter box scoop device for removable
captive containment within the reservoir. An attachment member extends
from the housing to permit removable mounting of the fluid reservoir
to the cat litter box. After attachment, the reservoir is positioned
to retain the disinfectant and deodorizing fluid and to captively
accept the scoop region of the litter box scoop device. The containment
member of the scoop device and the open end of the housing have
like dimensions which permits the containment member to act as a
seal of the reservoir chamber. Upon vaporization, the disinfectant
and deodorization fluid is permitted to pass through the orifices
in the containment member and thus promote deodorization of the
litter box environment. The system further includes a bag holder
which has a frame and a multiplicity of suspension members carried
by the frame. The suspension members extend therefrom from which
a bag may be suspended. An attachment member extends from the frame
for removably mounting the frame to the litter box.
Another embodiment of the fluid reservoir has a multiplicity of
suspension members for suspending the plastic bags extending from
the front wall of the fluid reservoir and a first storage region
carried by a sidewall of the fluid reservoir and a second storage
region carried by a sidewall of the fluid reservoir. The first storage
region is so dimensioned and proportioned to permit the storage
of plastic bags and the second storage region is so dimensioned
and proportioned to permit the storage of ties for the plastic bags.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a
litter box scoop device which may be sanitized by insertion into
a disinfectant and deodorizing fluid contained within a litter box
disinfectant fluid reservoir.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a litter
box disinfectant fluid reservoir for containing a disinfectant and
deodorizing fluid where the reservoir is removably mountable to
a cat litter box.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a plastic
bag holder which is removably mountable to a cat litter box for
supporting plastic bags into which cat fecal matter may be deposited
and the bag thereafter removed for disposal.
A further object of this invention is to provide a system which
is comprised a litter box scoop device, a litter box disinfectant
fluid reservoir, and a litter box plastic bag holder to permit for
the disinfecting of the litter box scoop device after use, deodorizing
the litter box environment, and allowing for ready removal of the
cat fecal matter into plastic bags.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages will become appreciated
as the same become better understood with reference to the following
specification, claims and drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the litter scoop device and disinfectant
fluid reservoir of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the disinfectant fluid reservoir
with the litter box scoop device inserted and held therein.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bag holder portion of the system
of this invention removably attached to a cat litter box.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The sanitation system for a cat litter box of this invention is
shown in perspective in FIG. 1 and has a scoop device 1 which is
composed of a handle member 2 a containment member 3 and a scoop
region 4. Handle member 1 has an axis of elongation 6 and a first
end 7 where the scoop region 4 extends axially from first end 7.
As can be seen in FIG. 1 containment member 3 is a thin flat plate
which extends laterally of the handle 1. The purpose of containment
member 3 is to form a seal over the disinfectant and deodorizing
fluid 8 retained by the disinfectant fluid reservoir 9. In order
to permit deodorizing vapors to escape from reservoir 9 containment
member 3 has a multiplicity of axially extending orifices 5 that
extend through the containment member. These orifices allow evaporated
deodorizing fluid to pass into the litter box cavity 10 environment.
The scoop region 4 of the scoop device has a plurality of axially
extending openings 11 which are substantially parallel to each other
and a second multiplicity of openings 12 which are also substantially
parallel to each other for straining the cat litter after the cat
fecal matter is scooped from the litter box. The scoop region 4
is so dimensioned and proportioned to permit insertion into the
cavity 13 of the disinfectant fluid reservoir 9.
By referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 it can be seen that disinfectant
fluid reservoir 9 is a box-like structure having a rear wall 14
a bottom plate 15 and a front wall 16 and sidewalls 17 and 18
which form the boundary of cavity 13 and define a reservoir or cavity
chamber 19.
It is desirable to have disinfectant fluid reservoir mounted to
the cat litter box to permit the deodorizing action of the disinfectant
and deodorizing fluid 8 to continuously deodorize the environment
of the litter box. In one embodiment to this invention, therefore,
the disinfectant fluid reservoir has an arcuate attachment member
21 extending from rear wall 14 which allows engagement of the disinfectant
fluid reservoir 9 with peripheral lip 22 of the cat litter box.
Since there are many designs for cat litter boxes, the attachment
of the reservoir to the litter box may be provided by other simple
attachments well known in the prior art. Additionally, the litter
box itself may be a construction where the reservoir is integrally
part of it.
Referring now to FIG. 3 a bag holder 23 is illustrated for supporting
plastic bags 24 into which cat fecal matter may be deposited after
removal from the litter box. As can be see in FIG. 3 bag holder
23 is composed of a frame member 24 having suspension pegs 26 projecting
therefrom from which plastic bag 24 may be suspended. Frame member
24 in one embodiment of this invention may be a rectangular frame
as illustrated in FIG. 3 with a front slat 27 a rear slat 28 and
side slats 29 and 31. To suspend the frame from the litter box,
a pair of arcuate attachment members 32 and 33 are carried by rear
slat 28 for engagement with the peripheral lip 22 of the cat litter
box. Although in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the frame 24 is
rectangular, it will be appreciated that the frame may be of any
shape so long as the shape permits the plastic bag to be suspended
therefrom. For instance, a triangular shaped frame having a base
slat and slide slats with suspension members associated therewith
for suspending the bag may also be used. Additionally, the frame
may be attached to the litter box in a removable manner or it may
be integrally formed with the litter box.
Although not shown in the drawings, fluid reservoir 9 may have
a multiplicity of suspension members for suspending plastic bags
externally anteriorally of front wall 16 and a first storage region
extending from a sidewall 17 so dimensioned and proportioned to
permit the storage of plastic bags therein; and a second storage
region extending from a sidewall 18 so dimensioned and proportioned
to permit the storage of plastic bag ties.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 it can be seen that the sanitation
system of this invention incorporates a scoop device 1 and a disinfectant
reservoir container 9 where the reservoir contains a disinfectant
and deodorizing fluid. After the scoop is used to remove cat fecal
matter, it can then be inserted and is captively held by the disinfectant
fluid reservoir where the scoop region 4 is disinfected and the
reservoir is sealed by the containment member 3 extending from the
handle of the scoop device. A disinfectant solution is preferred
which exhibits effective virucital activity against infectious strains
which may be contained in cat fecal matter or other diseases which
may be carried by the scoop region of the scoop device.
While I have shown and described a sanitization system for cat
litter boxes, it is to be understood that the invention is subject
to many modifications without departing from the scope and spirit
of the claims as recited herein. This invention is not to be limited
by the embodiment shown in the drawing and described in the description
which is given by way of example and not of limitation. |