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US-20260123596-A1 - LITTER BOX

US20260123596A1US 20260123596 A1US20260123596 A1US 20260123596A1US-20260123596-A1

Abstract

A cat litter box provided includes a base and a cat compartment, the cat compartment is detachably mounted to the base and rotatable relative to the base, the cat compartment includes a first shell component, and a second shell component, the first shell component and the second shell component being removably assembled together to form the cat compartment. These components can be directly and operatively assembled together without the need for external fasteners or tools. This design not only reduces packaging volume and facilitates transportation but also simplifies the assembly process, making it more convenient.

Inventors

  • Yuan Gong
  • Kang Zhao

Assignees

  • JIANGSU ERLANGSHEN PLASTIC CO., LTD

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20250304
Priority Date
20241101

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A cat litter box, wherein the cat litter box includes: a base; and a cat compartment, detachably mounted to the base, the cat compartment being rotatable relative to the base, the cat compartment comprising: a first shell component, and a second shell component, the first shell component and the second shell component being removably assembled together to form the cat compartment, and after assembled, the first and second shell components being readily disassembled from each other without requiring any tools by users; wherein the cat compartment is spherical, a junction between the first shell component and the second shell component extends circumferentially along the direction of rolling of the cat compartment; wherein the cat compartment defines a compartment cavity, and a first waste opening communicating with the compartment cavity; the cat litter box also includes a drive device mounted on the base, the cat compartment also has a rack gear mounted on the first shell component to engage with the drive device; the rack gear extends from one side of the first waste opening along the junction.
  2. 2 . (canceled)
  3. 3 . The cat litter box according to claim 1 , wherein the first shell component and the second shell component are equipped with a plurality of pairs of first coupling portions and second coupling portions, that enables the first shell component and the second shell component to be assembled or disassembled.
  4. 4 . The cat litter box according to claim 3 , wherein the first coupling portion includes a pull latch fixed to the first shell component, and the second coupling portion includes a locking latch that locks with the pull latch to couple the first shell component and the second shell component together.
  5. 5 . The cat litter box according to claim 4 , wherein the pull latch is provided with two spaced-apart latch walls, each latch wall defines a latch groove on a side facing the first shell component; the second coupling portion further includes a mounting portion, and a hinging portion, the mounting portion is fixed to the second shell component, the hinging portion connected the locking latch to the mounting portion, allowing the locking latch to rotate relative to the second shell component; the lock latch protrudes towards the first shell component with two spaced-apart first hooks, the locking latch is locked to the latch walls by inserting the two first hooks into the corresponding latch grooves, respectively, thereby coupling the second coupling portion to the first coupling portion.
  6. 6 . (canceled)
  7. 7 . The cat litter box according to claim 6 , wherein the drive device includes a motor and a drive gear, the drive gear partially protruding from the base to engage with the rack gear; when the motor is operated, the drive gear is driven by the motor and drives the cat compartment to roll via the rack gear.
  8. 8 . The cat litter box according to claim 6 , wherein the cat litter box also includes a blocking member positioned in the compartment cavity, and a litter screen located adjacent to the blocking member, the litter screen is hinged to the cat compartment, a litter collecting space is formed between the blocking member and the interior of the cat compartment, and the blocking member comprise an integrally formed first blocking member and a second blocking member, the first blocking member including a vertical plane facing away from the litter collecting space, the second blocking member including a first curved surface protruding towards the litter collecting space, the litter screen is located adjacent to the second blocking member and including a second curved surface protruding away from the litter collecting space.
  9. 9 . The cat litter box according to claim 8 , wherein the second shell component includes a mounting portion, the base includes a base housing defining a second waste opening, a support shaft removably fixed to the base housing, a plurality of support legs, the support shaft extending from the base housing towards above the base housing and rotatably connected to the mounting portion, thereby rotatably connecting the cat compartment to the base; the plurality of support legs are located below the base housing to support the base housing; when the cat compartment rolls, the litter screen is configured to separate cat litter and waste, the waste rotating along the blocking member to the first waste opening and discharging out of the cat compartment from the first waste opening and the second waste opening.
  10. 10 . The cat litter box according to claim 8 , wherein the base housing defines an arcuate mounting groove, the cat litter box also includes an arcuate top cover, a shape of the top cover is compatible with that of the junction, two opposite ends of the top cover are respectively fixed to the base and far away from the base housing, thereby enclosing an installation space together with the base housing for accommodating the cat compartment and exposing two sides of the first shell component and the second shell component facing away from each other; at the same time, the top cover also covers the opening; the top cover includes a first top cover and a second top cover, the two ends of the first top cover and the second top cover facing away from each other being respectively fixed to the base, and the other ends of the first top cover and the second top cover are mutually inserted and connected.
  11. 11 . The cat litter box according to claim 9 , further comprising a waste collection compartment, the waste collection compartment is mounted to the base and at the position where the second waste opening passes, and collected the clump and/or the cat litter from the cat litter compartment.
  12. 12 . The cat litter box according to claim 11 , wherein the base housing defines two opposite sliding grooves, the waste collection compartment has two corresponding sliding rails, and the waste collection compartment can be assembled or disassembled on the base housing via the sliding rails and the sliding grooves, the waste collection compartment comprises: an integrated formed compartment body with a collecting cavity, the compartment body having an open end for inserting a collection bag to collect the cat litter and the clump, the collection bag including a drawstring portion, and a drawstring wound inside the drawstring portion, the drawstring portion defining an opening for partially exposing a portion of the drawstring, the drawstring being operable to be pulled out from the opening; a deformable bag enclosing portion surrounding the opening, which holds the drawstring portion and the drawstring in place; and a hook removably mounted on one side of the compartment body, through which the exposed portion of the drawstring passes, when the drawstring is pulled to a certain length, the drawstring portion detaches from the bag enclosing portion under the force of the drawstring, and the drawstring portion is tightened under tension, and the drawstring tightens to securely close the collection bag.
  13. 13 . The cat litter box according to claim 11 , wherein the compartment body includes a surrounding wall partially enclosing the bag enclosing portion, a bag enclosing space is formed between the surrounding wall and the bag enclosing portion for accommodating the drawstring portion; the sliding rails are positioned at one end of the surrounding wall, the sliding rails are located at the opening of the compartment body for mounting the compartment body to the base.
  14. 14 . The cat litter box according to claim 13 , wherein the hook is located between the surrounding wall and the bag enclosing portion, the surrounding wall including a first surrounding wall opposite and adjacent to the hook, and two opposite second surrounding walls, the two second surrounding walls are connected to both ends of the first surrounding wall; the two second surrounding walls recess towards the bag enclosing portion to form sliding rails at distal ends of the two second surrounding walls.
  15. 15 . The cat litter box according to claim 13 , wherein the waste collection compartment further includes a mating plate connected between the surrounding wall and the compartment body, the mating plate being located at an end of the surrounding wall away from the sliding rails; the waste collection compartment further includes a pulling portion positioned at the mating plate, a protrusion is formed on one side of the pulling portion facing the opening, while a recess is formed on the opposite side of the protrusion, the recess is designed to allow the users to pull the compartment body away from or place it onto the base; the hook is located on one side of the protrusion facing the bag enclosing portion.
  16. 16 . The cat litter box according to claim 15 , wherein the bag enclosing portion and the distal end of the surrounding wall are substantially flush.
  17. 17 . The cat litter box according to claim 16 , wherein the hook includes a mounting portion and two opposite hook ears positioned at the mounting portion; a mounting block the side of the protrusion facing the bag enclosing portion is positioned on a side of the protrusion facing the bag enclosing portion.
  18. 18 . The cat litter box according to claim 16 , wherein when the compartment body is mounted on the base, the waste collection compartment is located beneath the base housing.
  19. 19 . The cat litter box according to claim 11 , wherein the compartment body is rigid and is integrally formed with the bag enclosing portion.
  20. 20 . A cat litter box, comprising: a base; and a cat compartment of a spherical shape, detachably mounted to the base, the cat compartment being rotatable relative to the base, the cat compartment comprising: a first shell component, and a second shell component, the first shell component and the second shell component being detachably assembled to form the cat compartment without the need for any external tools during regular use, and during transportation, the first and second shell components being disassembled from each other together so as to form the cat compartment.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from the Chinese Patent Application No. 202422673112.5 filed on Nov. 1, 2024, and the Chinese Patent Application No. 202422987616.4 filed on Dec. 4, 2024, entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates to pet supplies technology, and particularly to a litter box. BACKGROUND With the continuous improvement of living standards, an increasing number of households choose pets as daily companions, with a relatively high proportion of people feeding cats and other pets. Cats require specialized litter boxes for excretion, and litter in the litter boxes needs to be cleaned regularly. Nowadays, automatic litter boxes are commonly. However, typical automatic litter boxes generally include a cat compartment and a base, and the cat compartment features a unitary design. The cat compartment, which must permit cats to enter and leave freely, is generally of a larger size. The unitary design of the cat compartment creates substantial difficulties for packaging and transporting. Therefore, there is a room for improvement in the automatic litter boxes. SUMMARY In view of this, it is necessary to provide a litter box that is easy to pack and transport. A cat litter box provided includes a base and a cat compartment, the cat compartment is detachably mounted to the base and rotatable relative to the base, the cat compartment includes a first shell component, and a second shell component, the first shell component and the second shell component being removably assembled together to form the cat compartment. The aforementioned litter box features a cat compartment divided into a first shell component and a second shell component. These components can be directly and operatively assembled together without the need for external fasteners or tools. This design not only reduces packaging volume and facilitates transportation but also simplifies the assembly process, making it more convenient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of disclosure or the prior art, the following provides a brief introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments or the prior art. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description are merely some embodiments of disclosure. For ordinary technicians in the field, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings. FIG. 1 is a first exploded view of the structure of a cat litter box in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a second exploded view of the structure of the cat litter box in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a third exploded view of the structure of the cat litter box in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a fourth exploded view of the structure of the cat litter box in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cat litter box in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a top view of the cat litter box in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along section line A-A in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a cat compartment in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along section line B-B in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the cat litter box in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the circled portion C in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a first exploded view of the structure of the cat compartment in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the coupling connection between a first coupling part and a second coupling part in accordance with an embodiment of. FIG. 14 is a first structural schematic diagram of a pull latch in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 15 is a second structural schematic diagram of the pull latch in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 16 is a first exploded view of the structure of a latch in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 17 is a second exploded view of the structure of the latch in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 18 is a second exploded view of the structure of the cat compartment in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 19 is a first exploded view of the structure of a base in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 20 is a second exploded view of the structure of the base in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 21 is an exploded view of the structure of a driving device in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 22 is an exploded view of the structure of an auxiliary roller in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 23 is an exploded view of the structure of a top cover in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 24 is a first perspective view of a waste collection compartment provided in an embodiment. FIG. 25 is a second perspective view of the waste collection compartment provided in an embodiment.