Patent Publication Number: US-9844203-B1

Title: System to toilet-train a house pet

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The term “house-broken” as it applies to a domestic pet usually means the employment of one of a great number of devices, methods or systems to manage pet excreta. In reference to a feline, it generally means the pet is “paper-trained” or it uses a “cat litter box”. The material commonly there used is designed to “clump” and, of course, it&#39;s highly absorb-ent, but there is always the consideration of the time involved and the cost of the litter. And in spite of the owner&#39;s efforts, there often times is the acrid odor of cat urine; sometimes unknown to the owner. The owner must keep the litter box presentable or the pet will find a clean area of its own to relieve itself, creating another problem. 
     For nearly a century there have been countless documented efforts to deal with the by-products of a house pet, and yet they all may have their own peculiar disadvantages and/or shortcomings. 
     In the last ten years there appear to be some art with the toilet more directly involved. Although not great in numbers, the prior art in this field or class related to “cat litter box” suggest a more linear route from the pet to the garbage can or toilet. 
     US 2007/0017023 Berube has a platform fixed to the toilet bowl rim for a direct deposit. There are, however, two wing bolts and other hardware involved which suggest an issue with the installation and removal of the device. 2001/0211530 Yu engages the toilet bowl whereby a flappable grid is attached to the toilet seat and cover. The arrangement of the grid over the bowl may require the a brush with water or other liquid on a regular basis. The invention nevertheless has its advantages. 
     20011/0185976 Egy has the device with rotatable scoops or cups in a supporting frame with clay material over the toilet bowl; flushing kitty litter down the toilet may present drainage problems in the long run. 
     Although there are other house pets, including dogs and other four legged creatures its ironic that the prior art seem to be directed toward the cat which is typically a neat and fastidious creature. The present invention is directed toward the problem of other house pets as well. 
     House pets, dogs, cats, ferrets and others are oftentimes not given due credit for their innate and acquired intelligence. The present embodiment proposes more emphasis to be put on the conditioning and training of the pet and less “training” of the owner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a system to train a house hold pet to routinely use a toilet, instead a box on the floor, to relieve itself. 
     The system involves a two or three step process in the training culminating with the preferred embodiment to be situated atop the toilet bowl rim where the pet will make its direct deposit 
     After “paper-training” the pet, indoors or outside, the invention will be placed over the area where the pet customarily used. Some sheets of toilet paper with a trace of excreta and a few grains of kitty litter might be useful, with an underlayment of a non-porous material. 
     In a preliminary embodiment, again with a hint of excreta on the toil paper more or less in the center of the opening used, the platform will be raised above the floor four or five inches of the floor by mean of the attachable legs; this embodiment will have easier access underneath for the pet owner. 
     Once the pet becomes conditioned to the location and the raised height, the invention can be relocated to its preferred embodiment, atop the toilet bowl. 
     In an alternate embodiment the platform can have its extended legs attached to the front fixed legs in that they support the front end of the platform as they rest on floor, with perhaps a larger scaled platform. 
     In an optional embodiment a tray or shelf can be located under the platform supported by the four ledges on the inner surface s of the four moderate length leg to provide an intermediate surface to receive the pet excreta. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present embodiment featuring a view of the rear barrier 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the top surface of the platform, with the rear barrier installed 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the under surface of the platform, thereof 
         FIG. 4  is a right elevation view of the platform with floor legs attached 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view of the platform 
         FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of the platform with the moderate length legs and the rear barrier attached 
         FIG. 7  is a rear elevation view of the platform with the floor legs attached 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a floor leg, thereof 
         FIG. 9  is a detail of a moderate length leg showing how it attaches to a fixed leg 
         FIG. 10  is a right side elevation of a moderate length attachable leg with a side view of a ledge on Its inner surface 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-section view of the ridge on the underside of the platform 
         FIG. 12  is right perspective view of the retaining tab 
         FIG. 13  is a right elevation view of the tab on the front edge of the tongue 
         FIG. 14  is a top plan view of an attachable barrier, large or small 
         FIG. 15  is a left side elevational view of a barrier, large or small 
         FIG. 16  is a front elevational view of either barrier, both large or small, as they differ only in size and are otherwise identical 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In reference to the Brief Description page in this application, the components of the present invention are herein described: 
     A substantially flat platform  1  constructed of a liquid impermeable material that in a preferred embodiment, is situated atop a conventional toilet bowl rim  12  wherein a house pet will deposit its excreta routinely. 
     Within the central area of the platform  1  are two circular openings; a larger opening  2  at the rear central area of the platform  1  and a smaller circular opening  3  located at the near central area of the platform. 
     Said openings, large and small, have diameters that are greater at the bottom side of the platform than the respective diameters of both openings on the top surface of the platform  1 . Conversely, the diameters of both large and smaller openings are smaller at the top surface of the platform  1  than the diameters of both respective holes at the bottom surface of the platform. 
     Between the centrally located larger hole  2  at the rear central section of the plat form  1  and the centrally located smaller hole at the near side of the platform is a slot opening  8  of a nominal width, from the top surface of the platform through to the bottom side thereof. 
     Between the larger hole  2  and the nearer smaller hole  3  is an area to the left of the slot and a similar area to the right of the slot  8 ; both areas incline laterally in a nominal slope to the centrally located slot  8 . 
     At the rear central perimeter of the larger hole  2  is positioned a concave barrier  6  that maintains a nominally consistent margin at and around the periphery of said hole  2   
     In a likewise fashion, a comparatively smaller concave barrier  6   a  is situated at and around the near perimeter of the smaller opening  3 ; said smaller barrier  6   a  with a nominal margin around the periphery of the smaller hole. 
     In this arrangement the barriers are in an obverse relationship, facing each other. 
     Said barriers are affixed to the surface of the platform  1  by means of a plurality of dowels  13  on the underside of the barriers that fit into and through accommodating holes  3   a  in the surface of the platform  1 . 
     The preferred embodiment rests atop the toilet bowl rim  12  and is secured thereon by means of a projection or tongue  10  at the rear central edge of the platform that is inserted under the raised toilet seat and seat cover and between the hinge assemblies thereof. 
     At the forward edge of the tongue is a projection or tab  10   a  that rises in an upward and rearward manner form the surface of the tongue  10  at an angle in agreement, more or less, with the angle of an upright toilet seat cover 
     Said tab  10   a  is as wide as the tongue  10  and is of nominal height and thickness and has an arched top. 
     The tab  10   a  retains its obtuse angle at its rear surface down to the bottom edge of the platform. 
     Thus designed with its rounded corners and edges of the tab, the platform is easily installed and remove from the top of the toilet bowl rim  12 . 
     On the undersurface of the platform  1  are four fixed legs  9  of nominal length to provide some separation of the platform from the bathroom floor or outdoor terrain. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In an alternate embodiment, four legs  4  of a more moderate length are attached onto and over the fixed legs  9  in a slideable manner for easier access below the platform  1 . 
     On the inner or inboard surface of the four legs  4 , when attached, are projections or ridges  7  that are of dimensions sufficient to support a shelf and/or tray at an intermediate height for easier access below the platform. 
     Additionally, two floor legs  11  of an extended length are attachable to the two front fixed legs  4  In the same manner as the previous four legs  4 . Said legs  11 , when attached, offer the platform  1  more stability on the toilet bowl rim, if needed. 
     It should be noted that the aforementioned barriers, intermediate legs and the floor legs can be readily removed from the platform to enhance the portability of the invention and minimize the costs of manufacturing and shipping. 
     On the undersurface of the platform  1  are two ridges  5  situated longitudinally along the right side and the left side of the platform  1  in a front to rear orientation; said ridges  5  are of a concave or curved nature and are perhaps two or three inches proud of the surface of the platform  1 . 
     Said ridges  5  on the underside of the platform  1  are perhaps six or seven inches in length; their concavity may restrict any extreme movement of the platform on the bowl rim. 
     After a brief review of the description and illustration of the present embodiment, a person skilled in the art might well conclude the viability and practicality of the invention cannot be denied and may warrant further discussion; the novelty of a pet toilet-training apparatus that substantially covers a conventional toilet fixture with its ample surface and the tongue and tab features for convenient installation and removal of the platform and the openings with their restraining barriers are the makings of a simple and efficient design of a system to train a pet to use a conventional toilet with regularity. 
     With regard to this disclosure in its entirety, it is to be realized that the dimensional and positional relationships of the various components of the present embodiment to include variations in size, material used, shape, form, texture, manner of usage and assembly are deemed readily apparent and obvious to someone skilled in the art and all equivalent relationships to the illustrations in the drawings and descriptions in the Specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. Further, although numerous modifications and changes may readily occur to one skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation as shown, and accordingly, all suitable modifications may be considered as falling within the scope and spirit of the invention.