Abstrict A disposable cat litter container made of a precut and scored sheet
of paper board which is foldable initially into a compact shipping
carton containing litter and a plastic bag, the carton being partially
unfoldable into a support structure having a bottom, side and end
walls. The support structure is insertable into the bag. The bag
covers the top of the structure and forms a roof therefore and the
open end of the bag aligns with an opening in the support structure
accommodating ingress and exit of the animal with respect to the
container.
Claims We claim:
1. A single use entirely disposable cat litter unit comprising
a frame structure including a litter-filled bottom tray portion
and side walls and end panels extending upwardly therefrom and,
one of said end panels having an opening therein,
said walls and panels engaging each other along lateral margins
thereof,
a flexible bag enclosing the frame structure and having an open
end providing a cat-entry and exit doorway through said opening
for said unit.
2. The invention according to claim 1 and said bag having drawstring
means about its open end for cinching the bag tightly about said
structure for holding said walls and panels in engagement.
3. The invention according to claim 2 and and
said draw string means having ends, and
means for fastening the ends of said drawstring means to one of
said end panel.
4. The invention according to claim 1 and said side walls being
foldable over the tray and said end panels being hinged and foldable
over the side walls and said bag being closable to retain said side
walls and end panels in folded position for discard of said unit
when the litter is spent.
5. The invention according to claim 1 and said structure being
made of foldable material and said side walls being foldable over
the tray and said end panels being foldable over the side walls
to provide a shallow shipping carton.
6. The invention according to claim 1 and said bag being made of
plastic resilient material adapted to be tightly stretched over
said frame structure and imposing a stress thereon for holding the
same thereof from collapsing.
7. The invention according to claim 1 and means about the open
end of the bag for imposing a force thereon and thereby tensioning
the bag about said structure.
8. The invention according to claim 1 and said bag being made of
resilient material and,
draw string means attached about the open end of the bag for tightening
the bag about said frame structure.
9. The invention according to claim 1 and said end panels being
of greater height than said side walls and defining an open top
therewith, and
said bag closing off the top and providing a roof therefor.
10. A cat litter enclosure comprising an internal relatively rigid
structure foldable from a scored flat blank sheet into a quadrilateral
tray having a bottom and upright wall portions,
and end panels connected with a pair of opposing wall portions
and side wall tray cover forming portions connected with the other
opposed wall portions,
said cover portions being adapted to be folded toward each other
to cover the tray and said end panels being adapted to be folded
over the cover portions and forming a shipping carton with the tray,
and
means for encasing said structure for holding the tray and said
end panels and wall portions an upright position.
11. The invention according to claim 10 and said cover portions
and end panels adapted to be erected in upright position to form
a support, and
said means comprising a flexible plastic sack enclosing said tray
and extending over the support and forming a roof for the enclosure.
12. The invention according to claim 11 and one of said end panels
having an opening therein forming a doorway for entry and exit with
reference to the enclosure, and
said sack having an open end in alignment with said doorway, and
means for releasably securing said sack at said open end to said
structure,
said structure being foldable within said sack and the sack being
collaplible about said structure therewithin and being discardable
therewith as a sanitary throwaway.
13. The invention according to claim 10 and an open ended bag encasing
said structure and in the extended upright position of said tray-cover
portions and said end panels forming a house-like container with
said structure,
one of said end panels having a doorway therein coincident with
the open end of the bag to provide entry and exit.
14. The invention according to claim 13 and said end panels positionable
to extend upwardly above the side wall tray cover portions and having
arch-shaped upper edges forming a height-increasing arched roof
portion with the bag, and
said roof portion providing a slidable cat-tail engaging inner
surface to prevent accidental collapse of the enclosure.
15. A kitty litter holder comprising a flat sheet of precut scored
material foldable into a shipping carton for containing litter and
a plastic bag,
said carton having side and end portions unfoldable to provide
a litter-holding tray and upright side and end extensions extending
above the tray and forming a bag-support structure,
a bag positioned in encasing relation to said tray and structure
and being tightly drawn thereabout for holding said tray and structure
in an upright position and to provide a roof therefor, and said
bag having an open end providing a passageway into and out of said
holder.
16. The invention according to claim 15 and said side extensions
having flanges positionable alongside said side portions and holding
said extensions relatively rigid.
17. The invention according to claim 15 and said flanges having
lower and upper portions, and
hinge means interconnecting said upper and lower portions and accommodating
limited folding and unfolding of said end portions.
18. The invention according to claim 15 and said bag having adjustable
means about said open end adapted to draw the bag tightly against
the structure to stabilize said structure.
19. The invention according to claim 15 and said bag being made
of a resinous material and stretchable about said support structure
and imposing a tensile loads on the tray and end portions for holding
the same in mutually supporting relation.
20. The invention according to claim 19 and means for drawing the
bag about the open end thereof.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various forms of cat litter boxes are available on the market today.
The typical structure is an open top tray having a bottom and upright
walls which may be inclined to prevent the cat from scattering the
litter as it scratches through it.
Other devices feature a box which is laid upon a flat plastic sheet
so that any scattered litter will fall upon the sheet and when the
tray is to be discarded, the sheet is adapted to be wrapped about
the tray and disposed of with it.
Another disclosure illustrates a pair of telescoping boxes which
are extended for use and then telescoped and discarded when the
litter is spent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In all of the foregoing disclosures, the device is either too bulky
as in the telescoping box arrangement or is too expensive since
the upper portion of such a box arrangement is not indispensible
and serves only a minimal purpose. Various structures heretofor
mentioned are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4348982; 4646685; 4501226
and 4628863.
The instant invention comprehends a structure in which a piece
of paperboard is cut and scored to form upon folding a bottom, side
and end walls and overlapping cover portions of a shipping carton
to enclose litter and a plastic bag, and in which the cover portions
are unfoldable to form a tray and side and end wall extensions,
the tray and extensions being insertable into the bag which forms
a roof and embraces the extensions and forms a container for the
cat which may enter and depart the container through an aperture
in one of the end wall extensions and the open end of the bag aligned
therewith.
A principal object of the invention is to provide a novel, relatively
inexpensive cat litter box compactly packaged and having a minimum
of parts which can be assembled by the ordinary person with practically
no mechanical knowledge.
A further object is to provide a cat litter box in which a plastic
bag is used as part of the structure in erecting the box and wherein
the bag serves as a sanitary disposal simply by collapsing the box
within the bag to reduce its bulk whereupon the bag may be closed
and tied and discarded.
The invention is directed to a disposable litter container which
is initially folded into a small shipping carton enclosing the litter
and a plastic bag, the carton having parts which are unfolded to
provide a skeletal housing structure for insertion into the bag
which provides parts complementing the structure and which is tightly
drawn about the structure and forms a house therewith into which
the cat enters through the open end of the bag and a doorway in
the structure.
The general object of the invention is to provide a novel cat litter
box or package in which a disposal bag is used as the total enclosing
moisture proof container for discarding the spent litter, but also
initially serves as a structural part of the container.
The invention contemplates using a paperboard structure to form
a tray and upright supports and inserting the structure into a plastic
bag which is drawn tightly about the structure by a draw string
mounted about the open end of the bag, which open end provides a
way for the cat to enter and exit from the container formed by the
assembly of the bag with the paperboard structure.
The invention further comprehends utilizing the elasticity of the
bag, which may be made of any resin such as polyethylene or polypropyle
etc., to provide tensile and hoop forces about the paper structure
to hold the parts in place and to prevent its collapsing.
The broad aspects of the invention are in providing a construction
in which a minimal quantity of parts are used and which may be assembled
in one way to provide a convenient shipping carton and in another
way to provide a litter container and in which the parts are refolded
into a shape which is easily contained in the bag which may be closed
and discarded with the contaminated parts.
These and other objects and advantages inherent in the invention
will become more readily apparent from the specification and the
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a sheet of paperboard cut and scored
to form, upon folding, the novel litter box.
FIG. 2 is an end view of the box taken substantially on line 2--2
of FIG. 3;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the side walls in raised
position;
FIG. 4 is an end view taken substantially on line 4--4 of FIG.
3;
FIG. 5 is an end view showing the box folded into a shipping carton;
FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an end view taken from the opposite end of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the plastic bag used in the construction;
FIG. 9 is a side view of the bag in folded storage position;
FIG. 10 is a perspective top view of the device shown as a shipping
carton;
FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of the shipping carton of FIG.
10 shown in partially unfolded position and the bag shown alongside;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the unit with the end walls raised;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the unit showing the end and side
walls raised;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an expanded view of the bag;
FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the bag and container-forming
insert;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the parts in assembled position,
and
FIG. 1 shows the assembly in disposal condition.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Having particular reference to the drawings, there is shown a cat
litter container 2 having a skeletal frame structure 4 which is
made from a flat sheet of paperboard, commonly known as cardboard,
as best seen in FIG. 1.
The paperboard is die cut to form a pair of end panels 6 and 8
and side walls 10 and 12 and is scored or creased at 1416 and 1820
along the inner edges of the panels and side walls respectively
to form a rectangular center panel or bottom or base 22.
The side walls have second crease lines 2426 parallel with the
lines 1416 and spaced inwardly therefrom and the end panels have
second score lines 2830 parallel with crease or score lines 1820
spaced outwardly therefrom and forms wall sections 323436 and
38 of equal short height which are adapted to be bent upwardly and
thus form a tray with the bottom wall 22 into which the original
fresh kitty litter is poured. The lower wall sections form the sides
of a shallow shipping carton or box 40 as seen in FIGS. 5-7 and
10 and 11. The carton contains a plastic bag 42.
The scores 2426 allow the upper sections 4446 of the side walls
10 and 12 to be folded over the base 22 to close the box 40 as seen
in FIG. 12. The dimensions of the sections 44 46 are such that
their free edges 4850 tightly abutt against each other as shown
in FIG. 12 to provide a tight enclosure for the kitty litter so
that it will not sift out during transport.
The bag 42 shown in its folded position in FIG. 9 is laid out on
top of the flaps 4446 and the end flaps which constitute the upper
portions of panels 68 are folded over the bag 42.
It will be seen that the panels 6 and 8 are provided with scores
at 51 53 and 5557 respectively inwardly of their lateral edges
5254 and 5658 to provide stiffening flanges 6062 and 6466 which
in the upright position of the panels extend normal thereto as best
seen in FIG. 12 as well as in FIGS. 13 15 and 10 in which the portions
6062 and 6466 laterally overlap the side portions 3234. The flanges
6062 have upper sections 60a62a and lower section 60',62' which
are are connected by by hinge folds or dart folds 6163 and the
flanges 6466 have upper sections 64a,66a connected by hinge or
tuck darts or folds 6567 which are formed by appropriate diagonal
scores 61a,63a,65a,66a and permit the tabs 697071 and 72 to lay
against the lower wall sections 3234 and permit folding of the
upper end panel sections over the upper side panel sections. It
is desirable for the upper and lower panel sections to be connected
so that in the upright position of the end panels the flanges 60-64
maintain their greatest rigidity and engage the inner sides 6a and
8a of the end panels 68 with the edges 10a,10b and 12a, 12b of
the side panels 10 and 12 respectively, with an interference fit.
In the partly unfolded position of the base unit or structure 4
as seen the FIGS. 3 13 and 15 it is ready for insertion into
the open end 41 of the bag 42. The unit is moved endwise into the
open bag until the end panel seats against the closed bottom end
wall 75 of the bag and the the peripheral wall covers the sides
and top and bottom of the skeletal structure 4. The bottom seats
against the end panel 6 and the bag provides side wall portions
7778 and a roof 80.
The open end portion of the bag is folded over the front panel
8 and is cinched about the front panel 8 drawing the closed bottom
of the bag taut against the back panel 6 by a draw string 82 which
extends through a hemming 81 provided about the opening 41 in the
bag. The ends 81a,82a are tightly secured in slits 8384 provided
in the vertical edge portions 8688 flanking a doorway opening 90
in the end panel 8 through which the cat may gain entry into the
container and exit therefrom.
A door or cover 92 is provided shaped like the doorway for closing
it to reduce odors. The door is removable.
After the litter is spent, the ends 81a,82a are pulled out of the
slits 8384 and the bag is slightly loosened about the framework
4. The side panels are collapled inwardly by pressing through the
sides of the bag and then the ends of the bag are pressed inwardly
against the end panels 6 and 8 folding them inwardly over the side
panels 1012 and the tie string is pulled at its ends drawing the
open end of the bag closed. The string is then knotted to form a
sealed sanitary bag as seen in FIG. 17 and then is disposed of.
Thus it will be apparent that a novel easily assembled and collapsible
sanitary unit is provided which minimizes handling and provides
an excellent secluded confinement for the cat.
A securement tape is shown at 95 to maintain the carton closed.
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