Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system and method of pet waste collection
and disposal that
provides the pet owner with an effective and efficient means of containing,
collecting and
disposing of pet waste that minimizes the consumption of pet litter and
obviates the need for
physical contact with the waste material.
Background of the Invention
Urban pet owners have many unique concerns relating to the care and
maintenance of their
pets. Important amongst these is the constant challenge of collecting and
disposing their pet's
waste products. Owners of house-bound pets like cats have developed and now
predominantly
use "cat litter" and a "litter box" to collect and later dispose of waste
products.
The most commonly used cat litters are comprised of combinations of a clay
based particulate
matter, sand or gravel mixtures, sawdust or wood chips. Deodorants or scents
can be added to
these to mask unpleasant odours. So called "scoopable" litter has recently
been introduce to the
market. These scoopable litters typically are comprised of a clay based
particulate, deodorizers
and a hydrophilic material that reacts with the water in the urine and fecal
matter to coalesce
and produce clumps of litter where the animal has urinated or defecated. These
clumps are then
periodically scooped from the litter box and disposed of along with any solid
feces. Many pet
owners simply throw the waste in the garbage while some flush the used litter
or clumped fecal
matter into their toilet.
Depending upon the method and systems used to remove the waste, this can be an
obnoxious
and potentially unhealthy exercise. In the case of cats, a protozoan
microorganism
"Taxoplasmosis Gondii" can be transmitted through direct or indirect handling
of feces. There
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are many devices on the market that seek to minimize both the necessary
handling of waste
materials and the consumption of particulate litter.
Particulate litter is too expensive for the average pet owner to discard the
entire contents of the
litter box whenever it needs cleaning. For the most part, a slotted or
perforated spoon or scoop
is used to sift the particulate litter and filter out the waste material. This
method is both time
consuming, potentially unpleasant and only partially effective.
The prior art also reveals a variety of automated and other filtering systems
that either work
poorly or are expensive to manufacture and use. Therefor, despite a great need
no system has
been devised that efficiently and inexpensively both reduces the risk of
handling animal litter and
minimizes waste of particulate litter.
Summary of the Invention
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide an
improved means of
filtering animal waste from particulate litter while minimizing human handling
of animal waste
products
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means
of filtering animal
waste from particulate litter while minimizing consumption of particulate
litter.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a litter
disposal system comprising
components that are biodegradable to allow for environmentally sensitive
options for ultimate
disposal of the waste products.
In accordance with the present invention, a method and system is provided
comprising a means
of containing particulate animal litter wherein said means has a bottom, sides
and an open top,
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and one or more flexible and removable means of lining the inside surface of
said containment
means, said lining means possessing a plurality of perforations of a dimension
sufficient to allow
particulate litter to pass through while restricting the passage of animal
waste, and said lining
sufficiently large to completely line the bottom and sides of said containment
means.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method and
system is
provided comprising a means of containing particulate animal litter wherein
said means has a
bottom, sides and an open top, and one or more flexible and removable means of
lining the
inside surface of said containment means, said lining means possessing a
plurality of perforations
of a dimension sufficient to allow particulate litter to pass through while
restricting the passage
of animal waste, and said lining sufficiently large to completely line the
bottom and sides of said
containment means and a water proof and air tight pouch attached to each
lining means, said
pouch of sufficient dimensions to easily accommodate one used lining and a
reasonable quantity
of animal waste.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the containment means of the preferred
embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lining means of one embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 3 is a detailed view of the perforations in one embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lining means of the present invention
installed in the
containment means with particulate litter on top.
Figure 5 is a detailed, cross sectional view of a multiplicity of lining means
stacked within the
containment means of the present invention.
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Figure 6 is an top view of another embodiment of the lining means of the
present invention.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
Figure one is a perspective view of the containment means 10 of the present
invention.
Containment means 10 is comprised of front wall 11, side walls 12, back wall
13, and bottom
14 and is most usually constructed of a rigid, water proof or water resistant
substance like
plastic. For the purposes of this description, the preferred embodiment will
be illustrated using
the example of a cat litter box, but one skilled in the art will appreciate
that the invention is not
limited in this regard.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lining means 20 of one embodiment of the
present
invention. In one embodiment of the present invention the lining means is
constructed of a film,
extruded polyethylene similar in look and feel to a common garbage bag. One
skilled in the art
will appreciate that lining means 20 may be constructed of a variety of
flexible materials or
fabrics including any number of rip-stop polymers, woven, fiber materials, or
paper products.
Lining means 20, is generally rectangular in shape but may vary in dimension
depending upon
the application or the size and shape of the containment means 10. In one
embodiment of the
preferred invention, lining means 20 is supplied with tabs 21 made of similar
or identical
materials as lining means 20. Tabs 21 are sufficiently long to extend beyond
the walls of the box
and offer the pet owner a secure grasping surface.
Lining means 20 contains a plurality perforations 22 made throughout its
surface. Perforations
22 illustrated in Figure 3, are of a size sufficient to allow particulate
litter to pass through but
insufficient size to allow the passage of clumped litter, solid feces or other
larger foreign objects.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, perforations 22 are
alternating horizontal
cuts or slits 24 between 6mm and l2mm (or 1/4 to 1/2 an inch) and circular
perforations 23
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measuring between 6mm and l2mm (or 1/4 to 1/2 an inch) in diameter. The
perforations 22
cover virtually the entire surface 25 of lining means 20, with the exception
of a relatively narrow
border 26 that surrounds the perforated surface 25. Perforations 22 must be
sufficiently spaces
apart to ensure that lining means 20 will not tear or rip when used to filter
out animal waste.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lining means of the present invention
installed in the
containment means and covered with the particulate litter 41. A plurality of
lining means are
stacked within the containment means to allow for repeated use. The number of
liners 20
installed at any one time is at the discretion of the pet owner and depends
upon the frequency
with which they wish to remove their pet's waste. Ideally, lining means 20 is
of sufficient
dimension to cover the entire inside surface of containment means 10 such that
at least the
border 26 is visible.
After use by the cat the pet owner may remove the waste material daily or
whenever it is
convenient. To remove the waste material the pet owner grasps and lifts the
tabs 21 in any
sequence. The particulate litter 41 is thereby sifted through the lining
means' perforations 22
such that unsoiled particulate litter falls back into the litter box and
clumped, soiled litter and
solid waste remain in the lining means which may then be discarded.
Figure 5 is a detailed, cross sectional view of a multiplicity of lining means
20 stacked within the
containment means 10 of the present invention. After each liner 20 is removed,
sifted, unsoiled
particulate litter covers the remaining liners within the containment means
10.
Referring to Figure 6, the lining means of the present invention may be
complemented by the
attachment of a pouch 60. Because lining means 20 is perforated, it is
preferable to enclose the
collected waste in an unperforated pouch or bag. Pouch 60 should be water
proof and air tight.
After lining means 20 is lifted from the containment means 10, and animal
waste has been
removed from the particulate litter 41, pouch 60 can then by used to contain
the collected
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waste and the used lining means 20.
The above guidelines are intended to provide an indication as to normal
operation of the system
and not to limit the scope of the invention.
