Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
DISPOSABLE CAT LITTER BOX
TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present invention relates generally to cat litter boxes and, more
particularly,
to a disposable cat litter box with a corrugated cardboard construction.
BACKGROUND
[002] Cat litter was developed for the purpose of allowing humans to share a
living
space with their cat. The invention of cat litter created a cohabitated space
for humans
and cats but also created two significant challenges most cat owners
experience: finding
ways to eliminate odor from the litter box, and managing the waste created by
cats.
Regular replenishment of fresh litter is required for hygiene purposes, and
cat owners
must properly dispose of soiled litter. Both activities are time consuming and
unfavorable
experiences for most cat owners. Typical cat litter available in today's
retail
establishments are heavy, awkward to handle and inconvenient for transporting
home.
SUMMARY
[003] A disposable cat litter box is designed to be folded into a compact form
for
storage and/or shipment to a customer. The cat litter box is prepacked with a
predetermined amount of cat litter. The box is unfolded by the customer for
use. When it
is time to replace the cat litter box, it is refolded back into a compact form
for disposal.
[004] The cat litter box comprises a bottom and side walls extending upwardly
from the
bottom to form a litter compartment. Extension panels hingedly connect to
respective
side walls and are configured to move between a folded position in which the
litter
compartment is enclosed by the extension panels and an unfolded position in
which the
extension panels extend upward from the side walls to form an extended litter
compartment. An opening or cut-out in one of the extension panels provides
means for
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-18
ingress into and egress out of the assembled cat litter box by a cat. In some
embodiments, the box may include a lid to protect the box during storage and
shipment.
[005] In one exemplary embodiment, the box is manufactured from single wall "B
flute"
material. The interior surfaces of the box are protected from cat urine and
moisture
damage by applying a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) coating directly
to the
corrugated board to protect the interior walls of the cat litter box 10
damage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[006] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cat litter box in a folded
configuration with
the lid in place.
[007] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cat litter box in a folded
configuration with
the lid removed.
[008] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cat litter box with the lid placed
on the
bottom and the extension panels partially unfolded.
[009] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cat litter box with the lid placed
on the
bottom and the contents removed.
[010] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cat litter box fully assembled for
use with the
extension panels unfolded and locked.
[011] Figure 6 is a plan view of a cardboard blank from which a box for use in
the cat
litter box is constructed.
[012] Figure 7 is a section view showing through a portion of the box 12
showing the
coating on the interior surface.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[013] Referring now to the Figures 1 - 5, a disposable cat litter box
according to one
embodiment is shown and indicated generally by the numeral 10. The main
components
of the cat litter box 10 comprise a foldable box 12 and a lid 40. The cat
litter box 10 is
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-18
designed to be folded into a compact form for storage and shipment to a
customer and
unfolded by the customer for use. When it is time to replace the cat litter
box 10, the cat
litter box 10 can be folded back into a compact form for disposal. The lid 40
protects the
box 12 during storage, shipment and disposal.
[014] In one embodiment, the foldable box 12 is generally rectangular in form
and
preferably constructed of corrugated cardboard or paperboard, though other
materials
could be used in some embodiments. In one embodiment, the box 12 measures
approximately 19" L x 14 3/8" W x 3" H (disassembled) and approximately 19" Lx
14" W
x 10 1/4" H (assembled), although the dimensions may differ in other
embodiments. The
box 12 comprises a bottom indicated generally by the numeral 14, side walls
indicated
generally by the numeral 16, and extension panels indicated generally by the
numeral
24. The bottom 14 is formed by a single panel as seen in Figure 6. The side
walls 16,
indicated individually by reference numerals 16A-16D, join at respective edges
of the
bottom 14 along horizontal fold lines 18. The side walls 16A-16D also join
along corner
fold lines 17 to respective corner panels 20, which include diagonal fold
lines 19 so that
the corner panels 20 fold inwardly when the box 12 is assembled. The bottom 14
and
sidewalls 16 together define a litter compartment 36 inside the box 12 when
the box 12
is assembled.
[015] Extension panels 24, indicated individually by reference numerals 24A -
24D,
join respective side walls 16A-16D along horizontal fold lines 25. Extension
panels 24A
and 24C include side flaps 26 that connect along fold lines 27. The side flaps
26 overlap
with and attach to extension panels 24B and 24D when the box 12 is assembled.
The
side flaps 26 also connect to the corner panels 20 along fold lines 29.
[016] Glue 32 is applied to a portion of the extension panels 24B and 24D and
side
walls 16B and 16D. The triangular glue area on the side walls 16B and 16D
secures the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-18
folded corner panels 20 when the box 12 is assembled. Similarly, the
rectangular glue
area on the extension panels 24B and 24D secures the side flaps 26 when the
box 12 is
assembled such that the extension panels are joined at the corners of the box
12.
[017] The extension panels 24 are moveable between a folded position as shown
in
Figure 2 and an unfolded position as shown in Figure 5. The diagonal fold
lines 28 of
extension panels 24A and 24C enable the extension panels 24A and 24C to fold
inwardly while joined at the corners with extension panels 24B and 24D.
Extension
panel 24B includes a perforated cut-out 30 that when removed provides an
opening for a
cat to enter into and exit from the litter compartment 36 when the cut-out is
removed by
the user
[018] The lid 40 of the cat litter box 10 is also rectangular in form and
conforms to the
shape of the box 12. The lid 40 includes a top 42 and side walls 44 that
extend down
from the top 42. The top 40 and side walls 44 are sized to fit over the side
walls 16 of
the box 12 when the extension panels 24 are in the folded position as shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 1 illustrates the lid 40 fitted over the box 12.
[019] The reinforcing strips 60 provide structural support for and protect the
top edges
of the extension panels 24A and 24C when the cat litter box 10 is assembled
for use.
Similar protective strips (not shown) could also be applied to the top edges
of the side
walls 24B and 24D for protection of the top edges. The reinforcing strips 60
in one
embodiment comprise extruded polymer strips with an inverted u-shaped cross
section
configured to slide onto the top edges of the extension panels 24.
[020] In one embodiment, the box 12 and lid 40 are manufactured from single
wall "B
flute" material. The height of the extension panels 24 helps keep the litter
contained
within the litter compartment during use. An entrance opening into the cat
litter box 10
for the cat measures, in one embodiment 11" W x 5 1/2"H so that a cat can
easily enter
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-18
into and exit from the litter compartment when the cat litter box 10 is in
use. The lid 40
can be placed on the bottom 14 of the box 12 during use as shown in Figure 5,
or
alternatively be placed over the extension panels 24 to cover the extended
litter
compartment during use.
[021] The interior surfaces of the box 12 can be protected from cat urine and
moisture
damage by applying a linear low-density, polyethylene (LLDPE) coating 52 to
the inside
surfaces of the corrugated cardboard 50. In some embodiments, the interior and
exterior
surfaces of the lid 40 are also be protected in a similar manner. The interior
coating
provides a moisture barrier that protects the interior of the box 12 from cat
urine. An
exterior coating can also be applied to the outer surfaces of the box 12 if
desired to
protect the box 12 from moisture damage during home delivery.
[022] A cross-section of the corrugated cardboard 50 is shown in Figure 7. The
corrugated cardboard comprises corrugated fluting 52 sandwiched between two
plies or
layers of plain paperboard 54. To make the corrugated cardboard 50, the LLDPE
coating
can be applied to one layer of the paperboard 54 that is used in the
manufacture of the
corrugated cardboard 50 prior to adhering the paperboard 54 to the fluting 52.
The
corrugated cardboard 50 is then made adhering a ply of plain paperboard 54
with the
LLDPE coating 56 and a ply of plain paperboard 54 without coating on opposing
sides of
the fluting 52. The ply of paperboard 54 with the LLDPE coating 56 forms the
interior of
the box 12 and the ply of paperboard 54 without the LLDPE coating 56 forms the
exterior
surfaces of the box 12. In another embodiment, the paperboard 54 on both sides
of the
corrugated cardboard 50 can have an LLDPE coating 52 applied.
[023] In use, the cat litter box 10 pre-packaged with cat litter 70 is
purchased by or
shipped to a user in a folded configuration as shown in Figure 1. The
reinforcing strips
60 strips along with a bag of cat litter 70 are enclosed inside the box 12. In
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-18
embodiment, the cat litter 70 comprises a silica gel bead that varies in size
from about 3
mm to about 8 mm in diameter. The cat litter 70 is packaged inside a sealed
bag with an
easy to open tear strip for the customer's use. The sealed bag keeps any
moisture from
coming in contact with the cat litter 70 prior to its use as a litter.
[024] To put the cat litter box 10 into use, the customer removes the lid 40
from the
folded box 12, folds the extension panels 24 upward and outward to the
unfolded
position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and places the reinforcing strips 60
provided on
the top edges of the side panels 24A and 24C to lock the cat litter box 10
into the final
operational position as shown in Figure 5. The perforated cut-out 30 can
either be
removed and discarded or folded down inside the cat litter box 10 to provide
an opening
for the cat to enter into and exit from the cat litter box 10. The lid 40 may
be stored by
placing it under the cat litter box 10 as shown, or may be placed on top for
use as a
cover.
[025] After approximately 30 days of use, the cat litter box 10 is ready to be
properly
disposed of. The reinforcing strips 60 are removed and placed inside the cat
litter tray 50
or otherwise disposed of. The litter box is the folded back into the original
folded
position and the lid 40 is placed back on the top of the cat litter box 10 as
shown in
Figure 1 for disposal.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-18
