Abstract:
A pet litter containment construction includes a lower compartment and an upper compartment. A litter box is located in an upper compartment. A ramp leads up to the upper compartment from the lower compartment. The ramp comprises a covering that encourages a separation of litter from claw, feet and/or legs of the pet. An entrance is positioned such that the animal traverses under the litter box to the ramp, up the ramp and into the litter box.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Any and all priority claims identified in the Application Data Sheet, or any correction thereto, are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present application generally relates to waste devices used in animal husbandry. More particularly, certain aspects of the present invention relate to walled receptacles that can be used to contain animal litter. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A variety of pet litter containers are known. For example, the following U.S. patents relate to pet liter containers: Nos. 3,885,523; 5,092,277; 5,329,879; 5,388,550; 5,806,461; 5,924,383; 6,412,440; 6,659,045; and 8,033,249. In addition, systems such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Publ. No. 2007/0234966 are known. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    Unfortunately, while a variety of pet litter containers have been developed to contain pet litter and reduce the mess associated with pet litter, these pet litter containers suffer from a variety of drawbacks. For example, when an animal, such as a cat, has finished using the pet litter container, some of the pet litter inevitably sticks to the feet and legs of the animal. Thus, upon exiting the pet litter container, the litter is tracked into the surrounding areas. 
         [0007]    In addition, the pet litter needs to be cleaned periodically. Removing the container that holds the pet litter often can be very difficult. Typically, the pet litter is located on a lower portion of any pet litter containment construction. This location is desired because of the weight associated with the pet litter; the lower location helps stabilize the construction. Cleaning the litter located in the lower position, however, demands stooping, bending and increases the difficulty with which the pet litter can be cleaned. 
         [0008]    Certain features, aspects and advantages of the present invention address one or more of these problems. 
         [0009]    In one aspect, an animal litter containment construction comprises a lower floor defining a lower plane. A litter container has a bottom surface, a plurality of sidewalls, and a doorway in one or more of the plurality of sidewalls, with the bottom surface of the litter container lying on an upper plane. The upper plane is substantially parallel to and above the lower plane. A ramp spans at least a portion of a vertical distance between the lower plane and the upper plane. The ramp is covered with a removable and washable material configured to encourage the removal of litter from the feet and claws of the animal. The doorway in the litter container has a lower threshold that is located above the upper plane and the animal litter containment construction is configured to fit within a household cabinet. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of a preferred embodiment, which embodiment is intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention, and in which figures: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an outside of a pet litter containment construction that is arranged and configured in accordance with certain features, aspects and advantages of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of an inside of the construction of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of a box used in the construction of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a top front perspective view of an inside of the construction of  FIG. 1  with the box removed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates a pet litter containment construction  20  that has been arranged and configured in accordance with certain features. As illustrated, the pet litter containment construction  20  can comprise, or be positioned within, an external cabinet  22 . The external cabinet  22  can have any suitable configuration and provides an aesthetically pleasing outer appearance for the pet litter containment construction  20 . 
         [0016]    The illustrated external cabinet  22  preferably comprises at least one door  24 . The door  24  can be connected to the external cabinet in any suitable manner. For example, the door  24  can be connected to another portion of the cabinet with hinges or the like. The illustrated external cabinet  22  comprises a first side wall  26  and a second side wall  30 . In addition, the illustrated external cabinet  22  comprises a rear wall  32 . The external cabinet  22  can have a lower floor  28 . The lower floor  28  can be bound on three sides by the first side wall  26 , the rear wall  32 , and the second side wall  30 . 
         [0017]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , cavity  34  can be defined between the first side wall  26  and the second side wall  30 . The door  24  preferably covers a portion of the cavity  34 . In some embodiments, the opening is approximately eighteen inches wide. In some configurations, the opening is between about twenty two inches wide and about twenty six inches wide. In some embodiments, the external cabinet  22  is about twenty four inches wide and about twenty four inches deep. Other sizes also are possible keeping in mind the desire to move a litter container in and out of the cavity  34 . 
         [0018]    Advantageously, by having the door  24  cover a majority of the opening  40 , internal components of the pet litter containment construction  20  need not have finished edges because the edges are concealed during normal use. In the illustrated configuration, the door  24  comprises an outer perimeter  36  that generally covers an outer extreme of the cavity  34 . A door opening  40  can be defined inwardly of the outer perimeter  36 . In the illustrated configuration, a panel  42  is generally encircled by the outer perimeter  36 . The panel  42  has a height that is less than an inner height between a top and bottom of the outer perimeter  36 . As such, the door opening  40  generally is defined in part by the outer perimeter  36  and in part by the panel  42 . In some configurations, the door opening can be defined entirely by the panel  42 . The door opening provides access into the cavity  34 . The door opening preferably is positioned in a lower half of the door  24 . More preferably, the opening extends over at least a portion of a lower quarter of the door  24 . Even more preferably, the opening does not extend upward beyond a shelf  56  or any higher than a lower surface of the shelf  56 . In some configurations, the opening  40  does not extend any higher than a lower portion of the litter box. In some configurations, the opening  40  only extends upward to a position that does not overlap at least one of the litter box and the support structure for the litter box. In some embodiments, the door opening  40  can include one or more hinged covers (e.g., similar to a pet door) that effectively hide the inside of the external cabinet  22  while allowing an animal to enter the cabinet. 
         [0019]    With reference now to  FIG. 2 , the pet litter containment construction comprises an entrance pad  50 , a ramp  52 , and a litter box  54  that is positioned generally vertically above the entrance pad  50 . In the illustrated configuration, the litter box  54  is supported by the shelf  56 . In some embodiments, the litter box  54  can be supported by two or more rails along the first side wall  26  and the second side wall  30 . In some applications, the litter box  54  can be supported by one or more member that extends between any two or more of the walls  26 ,  30 ,  32 . Furthermore, in some applications, one or more pegs or other support structures can be used to support the shelf  56  and/or the litter box  54 . For example, the pegs can extend outward from the shelf  56  and engage structures in the adjacent walls and/or the pegs can extend from the adjacent walls to engage the shelf  56 . The pegs can be positioned at variable heights to accommodate installation of the shelf  56  and/or the litter box into different outer cabinets  22 . 
         [0020]    The entrance pad  50  extends from a forward portion of a lower floor  28  rearward toward a rearward portion of the lower floor  28 . In some embodiments, the entrance pad  50  extends the entire distance from the forward end of the lower floor  28  to the rear wall  32 . In some such embodiments, the entrance pad  50  includes one or more cut out portions to accommodate the bottom of the ramp  52 . In some configurations, the entrance pad  50  extends from forward end of the lower floor  28  rearward to a point short of the rear wall  32 . In the illustrated configuration, the entrance pad  50  extends from the first side wall  26  to the second side wall  30 . In other configurations, the entrance pad  50  may span only a portion of the distance between the first side wall  26  and the second side wall  30 . By spanning substantially the full distance, the entrance pad  50  is more likely to be traversed when the animal passes between the ramp  52  and the door opening  40 . Moreover, by spanning substantially the full distance, the entrance pad  50  can provide an enlarged resting area should the animal decide to seek the seclusion of the pad  50 . 
         [0021]    The entrance pad  50  can be formed of any suitable material. In the illustrated configuration, the entrance pad  50  comprises a high pile carpet or the like. Other materials can be used to form a surface over which the animal will pass. For example, the material can be patio turf, low pile carpet, a polymeric surface with adhesive (e.g., a sticky mat similar to those used for basketball shoes), or any other appropriate material, for example but without limitation. In some embodiments, the material used for the entrance pad  50  is waterproof or at least water-resistant. 
         [0022]    The ramp  52  is proximate the rear wall  32  of the illustrated construction. The ramp  52  extends from the lower surface to the shelf  56 . Preferably, the ramp  52  has a width of about six inches. In some configurations, the width is between about 8 inches and about ten inches. The length of the ramp  51  can be such that it does not extend the full width of the inner cabinet width when inclined to provide passage from an upper level to a lower level in the construction. The ramp can be a separate component from the rest of the construction  20  or can be connected to one or more of the shelf  56 , the litter box  54 , and the lower floor  28 . 
         [0023]    The ramp  52  preferably is covered with a surface that will encourage the removal of litter from the feet and claws of the animal. In particular, it has been found that moving down the ramp  52 , when covered with an appropriate material, causes the claws to extend and encourages the removal of litter from the feet and claws. In some configurations, the material is a deep pile carpet. In other configurations, for example but without limitation, the material can be patio turf, low pile carpet, a polymeric surface with adhesive (e.g., a sticky mat similar to those used for basketball shoes), or any other appropriate material, for example but without limitation. The surface material on the ramp  52  can, in some configurations, be waterproof or at least water resistant. In some embodiments, a waterproof or water-resistant pad is used under the surface material for the ramp  52 . 
         [0024]    Preferably, the material used to cover the ramp  52  and/or for the entrance pad  50  can be removable from the containment construction  20  without the need to remove the ramp  52  and/or the lower floor  28 . For example, ramp  52  and/or for the entrance pad  50  can have hook and loop fasteners or some other suitable arrangement that can be used to secure the material to the ramp  52  and/or for the entrance pad  50 . In some embodiments, the material used to cover the ramp  52  and/or for the entrance pad  50  is removable from the containment construction  20  and is washable. In some configurations, the ramp cover can wrap around the ramp  52  and be secured to the bottom of the ramp  52 . For example, the ends of the cover can be secured together with hook and loop fasteners, for example but without limitation, or can be secured to the ramp (e.g., the bottom surface of the ramp) using hook and loop fasteners, for example but without limitation. 
         [0025]    As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the shelf  56  can have a depth that is shallower than the lower floor  28 . As such, an opening between a lower compartment and an upper compartment can be defined. The opening allows the animal to move along the ramp  52  between the upper compartment and the lower compartment. The ramp  52  can be configured to allow space for a landing adjacent the litter box  54 . For example, the top of the ramp  52  can be spaced at a distance from both the first and second side walls  28 ,  32  to allow for a platform connected to the top of the ramp and one of the first side wall  28  and the second side wall  32 . In some embodiments, as described above, the litter box  54  is supported by two or more rails, pins, cross members or the like and, in some such embodiments, the litter box can be shallower than the lower floor  28 , allowing the animal to move along the ramp between the upper compartment and the lower compartment. 
         [0026]    The shelf  56  supports any suitable litter box  54 . In the illustrated configuration, the litter box  54  comprises an underlying pan  60  that is slightly larger than a bottom surface of a box  62  that rests atop the pan  60 . The pan  60  can be sized and configured to form a lid to the box  62  when the box  62  is not in use. Preferably, however, the pan  60  is slightly oversized relative to the bottom of the box  62  such that litter that drops from the animal upon exit from the box  62  can be caught by the pan  60 . In some embodiments, the pan  60  is shallower than the lower floor  28 . 
         [0027]    The illustrated box  62  has high side walls  64 . Other box configurations can be used. The high side walls  64  of the illustrated box reduce the likelihood of litter or spray escaping the inside of the box  62 . The box  62  can contain litter  66  in use. Because the box  62  is supported above the entrance pad  50 , the box  62  is more easily removed for cleaning of the litter. In some configurations, the shelf  56  can be a sliding shelf such that the shelf  56  and the box  62  can be slid outward of the upper cavity for removal and/or cleaning. 
         [0028]    Preferably, at least one of the high sidewalls  64  of the box  62  comprises a doorway  70 . The doorway  70  allows entrance into and exit from the inside of the box  62 . The illustrated doorway  70  comprises a lower threshold  72  that is sufficiently high to reduce the likelihood of the litter  66  spilling from the inside of the box  62 . In some configurations, the threshold  72  is about six inches above the bottom of the box  62 . In other configurations, the threshold  72  can be between about two inches and about eight inches above the bottom of the box  62 . 
         [0029]    In some arrangements, the high sidewalls  64  of the box  62  have a height H that is about fourteen inches. In some arrangements, the height H is between about nine inches and about eighteen inches. The height H can be about one inch less than the distance between the top of the shelf  56  and the top inner surface of the outer cabinet  22 . In some arrangements, the height H can be between about one half of an inch and 3 inches less than the distance between the top of the shelf  56  and the top inner surface of the outer cabinet  22 . In some embodiments, the distance height H is about one inch less than a distance between the top of the shelf  56  and the bottom of an upper section of the cavity  34 . By having a relatively small distance between the top inner surface of the outer cabinet  22  and the top of the shelf  56 , the likelihood of materials passing out from the inside of the box is minimized. 
         [0030]    While the illustrated configuration has been described within reference to the outer cabinet  22  and some of the illustrated components are components of that cabinet  22 , it is possible to configure the construction  20  to be an insert that easily slides into a cavity of a standard kitchen or bathroom cabinet. Moreover, in some configurations, the construction  20  can be a stand-alone structure as opposed to being insertable into the cabinet  22 . In such stand-alone configurations, the construction  20  preferably comprises the door  24 , the first side wall  26 , the second side wall  30  and the rear wall  32 . Moreover, in configurations with a front wall instead of the door  24 , for example but without limitation, the top can remain open or be provided with a door for access to the litter box  54 . 
         [0031]    Although the present invention has been described in terms of a certain embodiment, other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art also are within the scope of this invention. Thus, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, various components may be repositioned as desired. Moreover, not all of the features, aspects and advantages are necessarily required to practice the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined only by the claims that follow.