Abstrict The apparatus of the invention includes an enclosed housing having
a cat litter box within its bottom confines. An opening is provided
in the top surface of the housing, through which the cat climbs,
onto a lower, intermediate surface level. A partition is there provided,
around which the cat is forced to walk, in order to gain entry to
the litter box by climbing down through a second opening. The lower,
intermediate surface level is of an open-grid construction, so that
when the cat reverses its path to leave the litter box, any litter
trapped on its paws falls, by gravity, back into the box as the
cat walks around the partition, to climb out of the housing through
the first opening.
Claims We claim:
1. Apparatus comprising:
a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, an intermediate
surface, and a plurality of side walls enclosing said housing;
a partition extending from said intermediate surface towards said
top surface, said partition being of a length less than the distance
between opposing side walls of said housing;
a first opening in said top surface, extending towards said intermediate
surface on a first side of said partition;
a second opening in said intermediate surface, extending towards
said bottom surface on an opposite side of said partition;
and with said intermediate surface being in the nature of an open-grid
construction.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said top surface is in the
nature of an open-grid construction.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing includes at least
one side wall between said top surface and said intermediate surface
of see-through composition.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing includes at least
one side wall between said bottom surface and said intermediate
surface of non-see-through composition.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing is of orthogonal
configuration having front, rear, left and right side walls, and
wherein said front side wall is composed of two separate panels,
a first between said top surface and said intermediate surface,
and a second between said intermediate surface and said bottom surface.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said first panel is of a see-through
composition, and said second panel is of a non-see-through composition.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 also including a cat litter box on
said bottom surface.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first and second openings
are dimensioned to allow passage of a cat from said top surface
to said intermediate surface, and from said intermediate surface
to said bottom surface.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said partition extends vertically
from said intermediate surface to said top surface, and wherein
said partition extends horizontally from one side wall approximately
50%-60% the way towards said opposing side wall.
Description FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cat litter boxes and, more particularly,
to an apparatus for containing the litter within the box employed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As is well known and understood individual cats have different
idiosyncrasies in their use of litter boxes. Some cats, for example,
spend upwards of 10 minutes, and more, in the use of the litter
system, while others are over and done with in less than a minute.
Some cats, additionally, thrash around while using the litter box,
while others just docilely use it, and then leave. As any cat owner
will attest, the longer the cat stays in the litter box, using it,
and the more it thrashes about, the greater is the propensity for
the litter to be propelled outwardly from the box, to land around,
and all over, the floor. As a result, it is not unusual to have
to vacuum, or otherwise clean up, after the cat uses the box, as
often as several times each day.
Were this not bad enough, almost every cat owner could further
attest that the pieces which comprise the litter as employed today
almost always sticks to the paws and fur of the cat as it leaves
the box, and is dragged by the cat all over the house or apartment
as it moves about, until ultimately dislodged. Thus, it is not only
an added chore to clean up in the immediate area of the litter box,
but to have to follow the cat and clean up wherever it goes.
And, as cat fanciers can further testify, these problems multiply
with the number of cats that are owned. Simply stated, although
the problem is bad enough when one cat is owned, the problems become
that much more magnified as there are more-and-more cats around.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a containment
system for the type of cat litter commonly employed.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a system
which will contain the litter not only if the cat using the litter
box thrashes about, but, also, after it has finished, and desires
to leave the litter box for other places in the home or apartment.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a system,
as well as an apparatus which comprises it, as will be an enticement
for use by the cat, and one which would not frighten the cat away
from its use.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a system
and apparatus which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and
convenient to transport and install.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As will become clear hereinafter, the containment system and apparatus
of the present invention includes an enclosed housing having a cat
litter box within its bottom confines. An opening is provided in
the top surface of the housing, through which the cat climbs, onto
a lower, intermediate surface level. A partition is there provided,
around which the cat is forced to walk in order to gain entry to
the litter box, and by climbing down through a second opening. The
lower, intermediate surface will be seen to be of an open-grid construction,
so that when the cat reverses its path to leave the litter box,
any litter trapped on its paws or fur falls by gravity, back into
the box as the cat walks around the partition, to climb out of the
housing through the first opening.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as will be seen, the
containment system comprises two identical sections which fit together,
which can be shipped along with a pair of doors, a pair of grids
(for forming the intermediate level for the enclosure and a similarly
configured top level), and the partition (or divider). In this version,
to be described below, one of the doors will be constructed of a
wood, or plastic composition, non-see-through, to be used in the
bottom section once installed, and behind which the cat litter box
is housed. The other door, on the other hand, will be seen to be
of a plastic see-through composition, to be installed in the top
section of the enclosure, to enable one to note the condition in
the top section as being clean, or sufficiently dirty to warrant
cleaning.
As will further be seen, the two grids employed in the preferred
embodiment--although the advantages of the invention will be available
if only the intermediate level grid is employed--are of sufficient
aperture to allow the litter collected to fall back into the litter
box, or into the lower compartment where the litter box is housed.
In actual use, the partition, or divider, employed has been noted
to establish a maze in the housing, which presented a sufficient
curiosity to the cat upon first entering the enclosure, to walk
around it until spotting the second opening providing the access
to the litter box below. Further use revealed almost no hesitancy
on the part of the cat to enter the enclosure, or to thereafter
use it on a regular basis as the need arose.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the present invention will be more
clearly understood from a consideration of the following description,
taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a cat litter containment
system constructed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the housing comprising the apparatus of
the invention;
FIGS. 3-8 are parts views illustrating several of the components
which are fitted together in installing the cat litter containment
system ready for use; and
FIGS. 9 and 10 are helpful in an understanding of the manner of
putting the system of the invention together so that it may be utilized
in operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the cat litter containment system apparatus
employs a pair of identically dimensioned sections 10 12 fitted
one atop the other to form a complete enclosure 14. The bottom section
12 is provided with a bottom surface 16 on which the cat litter
box is intended to rest, and to which access for cleaning may be
had by means of an openable door positioned at the location designated
by the reference numeral 18. In a preferred embodiment of the invention,
the walls which comprise the section 12 are fabricated of a non-see-through
composition, and the door to be installed at the location 18 is
of a similar, non-see-through fabrication. As will be appreciated,
grooves may be provided in the vicinity of the front of the enclosure
so that the door to be installed at location 18 can be simply slid
into position. Any suitable construction for this is acceptable.
A further series of grooves, or appropriate construction, is provided
at the top of the section 12 to support the side walls of the upper
section 10 fabricated in accordance with a preferred embodiment
of the invention, of a see-through plastic composition. Likewise,
the upper surface of the section 12 is configured to accept an intermediate
surface 22 which is apertured, as at 24 in an open-grid configuration.
As will be appreciated, and in accordance with the invention, any
desired aperture arrangement may be employed, but an open-grid configuration
has proven to be preferable, as long as the apertures are of sufficient
size as to pass any captured litter particles, and of a manufacture
so as not to injure the paws of a cat that might be walking on the
surface. As will be seen, the intermediate surface 22 is of this
open-grid configuration, continuous across the surface, except in
the area designated as 26 where an opening is provided of sufficient
size to permit a cat to climb through. Thus, in one construction
of the invention, employing sections 10 and 12 of an approximate
18".times.24" outer dimension, and some 16" high
for each section 10 12 the opening 26 was provided with dimensions
100 102 some 8" and 103/4", respectively.
As will also be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 a top surface 28 is provided,
according to the preferred embodiment, identical in construction
and appearance with the intermediate surface 22. Likewise having
an open grid construction 30 of spacing to accept passing of any
trapped litter particles, the surface 28 includes that same cat-sized
opening 32 through which the cat can climb into the enclosure, when
desiring to use the litter box, and to climb out from the enclosure
once it is finished. As with the intermediate surface 22 the top
surface 28 is configured and designed to cooperate with grooves
or other appropriate fabrications in the top edges of the section
10 so as to rest upon it when in place.
(Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the optimum operation
of the containment system follows from the use of the open-grid
configuration for the surface 28 but also will recognize that the
advantages of the invention also are had in constructions where
the top surface 28 is not apertured at all, or with a different
aperture configuration than that for the surface 22 as long as
the cat-sized opening 32 is available.)
Lastly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a partition, or divider, 34 vertically
extending from the surface 22 towards the surface 28 and outwardly
from a rear wall of the section 10 as at 36. When extending substantially
from the surface 22 to meet with, or only approach, the underside
of the surface 28 and to extend some 50%-60% forwardly of the enclosure
towards a front wall, as at 40 the partition 34 essentially forms
a "maze" atop the surface 22 and around which a cat must
walk either in entering the enclosure so formed to reach the litter
box at the bottom, or in reversing its path after it has finished
so as to exit the housing. Again, as with the sections 10 12 various
grooves or other arrangements may be provided in the individual
segments which make up the housing so as to accept the partition
34 and to retain it vertically in use.
In such arrangement, it becomes a simplified matter to construct
the sections 10 and 12 identically as separate pieces, and to transport
them along with the surfaces 16 22 28 and the partition 34 so
that upon unpacking, they can be installed together--once the door
at location 18 and wall 40 arc included as well.
Referring then to FIGS. 1 and 2 and with the understanding that
the cat litter box has been inserted onto the surface 16 the cat
desiring to use the litter box merely climbs through the opening
32 walks around the partition 34 and then climbs through the opening
26 to reach the bottom confines of the enclosure. In similar manner,
to leave the enclosure, the cat then climbs out through the opening
26 walks along the surface 22 around the partition 34 and then
climbs back out through the opening 32 to either leave the containment
system directly, or to walk along or even sit upon, the surface
28.
In this matter, and as will be apparent, the enclosure of the system
prevents any litter from being impelled outside the apparatus by
the cat thrashing about in it while in use, and that any litter
particles which adhere to its paws or fur will fall through the
grid openings 24 30 as the cat is forced to walk about the partition
in leaving the housing. With the grid openings 24 30 of sufficient
size to pass these litter particles, the particles will then be
seen to fall by gravity back downwardly towards the litter box in
the lower compartment, to either fall back into the litter box,
or in the area surrounding it where the particles can be easily
gathered, instead of being trudged around the house or apartment
where the cat walks, as typified prior arrangements.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate, in partially sectional view, the front
portions of the sections 10 12 respectively, and are identical,
as mirror images, to their respective rear sections. As illustrated,
a shelf is provided, at 42 to support the top surface 28 (FIG.
3) and intermediate surface 22 (FIG. 4), each of which may be of
a 3/8" thickness.
FIG. 5 illustrates a base 46 for inclusion at the bottom section
12 in supporting the bottom surface 16 while FIG. 6 illustratively
shows a plastic litter box to be there used. So as to capture as
much of the litter particles that fall through the apertures 24
30 of the surfaces 22 28 respectively, the litter box of FIG.
6--shown by the reference numeral 48--is of a length only slightly
less than the 24" dimension of the enclosed housing 14 and
of a width only slightly less than the 18" width of the housing.
A depth or some 6", or so, was found to afford ample room for
the cat to climb inside the litter box, with sufficient clearing
to the surface 22 so that the cat would not be hampered in its use
of the litter system.
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a pair of doors which comprise the front
doors of the enclosed housing 14 when in position, and which permit
entry into the housing when desired. In particular, the door 50
of FIG. 7 is of the previously referred to see-through composition
which can be slid into position in the top section 10 and which
can be slid out of position, i.e. upwardly, to gain access to clean
off the apertures of the intermediate surface 22. The door 52 on
the other hand, is of the non-see-through composition which, when
in place in the bottom section 12 of the housing 14 can be opened
and closed by means of a handle 54 to gain access to the litter
box 48 when it is time to change the litter.
FIGS. 9 and 10 are views additionally helpful in an understanding
as to how the surfaces 22 28 rest in position--the representation
of FIG. 9 being that of a side view showing a shelf 60 supporting
the surface 28 with the partition 34 being removed. FIG. 10 shows
an additional shelf 62 upon which the base 46 rests at 75 in putting
the enclosure together.
While there have been described what are considered to be preferred
embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated
by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without
departing from the scope of the teachings herein. Thus, and for
example, the enclosure of the invention could additionally be provided
with magnetic catches for the door 52 so as to retain it in position
and not being pulled open by toddlers in the home or apartment,
who might otherwise be able to gain access to the plastic litter
box 48 stored in the lower section 12. Additionally, or in the alternative,
any composition can be used for the materials which comprise the
enclosure--which will continue to operate the same way whether the
housing formed be of a see-through composition, or of a non-see-through
composition. In either event, as will be clear, the cat, in order
to use the litter box has to climb through the top opening 32 walk
on the surface 22 around the partition 34 to get through the opening
26; and the reverse path must be taken to leave the box, and to
in such manner, capture the litter particles that otherwise adhere
to a cat's paws or fur when using the box. That recapture of the
adhering litter particles--together with the enclosed housing itself--has
been noted to very significantly decrease the amount of litter previously
noted to exit the box when used by cats according to prior arrangements.
For at least such reasons, therefore, resort should be had to the
claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of
the invention. |