Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a portable deodorizing air treatment device adaptable for use in a litter box. The device is activated by the presence of the animal in the litter box. After the animal uses the box, the device intakes dirty air, treats it with odor-absorbing activated carbon and optionally fragrance, expelling clean unscented or scented air.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/023,329, filed Jan. 24, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a portable deodorizing device to be used on or near a litter box for pets. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable device for ingress of dirty air to be treated with air treatment materials such as activated carbon and egress of clean air after treatment. 
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
       [0003]    Domestic, housebroken animal, particularly cats, are typically trained to urinate and defecate in a specially provided litter box. Consequently, pet owners, homeowners, veterinarians and laboratory personnel have added absorbent materials to the litter box to collect the urine and feces (i.e., animal dross). In this approach, most cats typically aid in controlling odors emanating from the box by burying their waste a short time after deposition. A major problem with this approach is that odors are not controlled during the time between deposition and burial during which time a significant plume of odor vapors are often released. Another major problem occurs with the absorbent materials themselves in that after a relatively short period of time, the dross soiled absorbent emits objectionable odors due to the presence of the animal dross. 
         [0004]    The need to control unpleasant odors that emanate from a litter box, particularly those for a cat, has been expressed by cat owners. Animal odor control devices for animal housings exist today in several forms and varieties. For example, Walton, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,800 discloses a passive ventilation system. Warm air is deodorized by a charcoal filter as it rises from the animal housing and passes through the filter in the housing&#39;s roof. Griffith, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,559 discloses an active ventilation system. Air in the animal housing is vented away from the housing by an electric fan connected to a tubular exhaust conduit. The Griffith patent, as well as Miksitz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,325, and Roberts, U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,948 disclose odor control devices that are permanently fixed to the animal housing. These designs are all limited by the fact that each is specific to a specially designed and adapted animal housing. 
         [0005]    Littermaid™ makes a fragrance-free, carbon-containing air cleaner that clamps onto a litter box and plugs into a conventional wall socket. This design is limited by the fact that the device is not activated by the animal, and is only designed for adsorption of odors using activated carbon. 
         [0006]    What is needed is a portable device that is adaptable to any litter box that can be animal-activated so that the deodorization and other air treatments occur as soon as the animal uses the box. Thus, what is needed is a portable deodorizing device that is both effective and aesthetically pleasing to the consumer. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An embodiment of the invention includes an air treatment device adaptable for use with a litter box comprising a housing assembly with an internal cavity. The housing has an air inlet for the ingress of “dirty air” and the inlet has downward facing slats which prevent litter material from entering the internal cavity. The internal cavity has a fan for the ingress of dirty air; a battery for powering at least the fan; activated carbon for treating the dirty air; a fragrance source for dispensing fragrance to the treated air and an outlet for the egress of treated, fragranced air. The activated carbon can be positioned either in front of or behind the fan. 
         [0008]    Another embodiment of the invention further includes a sensor for detecting the presence of an animal and a timer which is then used to activate the device. In addition to the activated carbon filter, the device also includes at least a secondary treatment source. The secondary treatment source can be a fragrance, an odor-cancelling material and/or a sanitizing material. The secondary treatment source scents, cancels any remaining odors and/or sanitizes the carbon-filtered air. A battery is used to power the fan, the sensor, and the timer. 
         [0009]    Air sanitization can be accomplished through the use of various sanitizers incorporated in the device described above, for example, hypochlorite or hypochlorite salts, peroxide or peroxide salts, chlorous acid or chlorous acid salts, chlorine dioxide, and/or glycols. This list is not meant to be limiting, and other suitable sanitizer materials may also be available. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  depicts the parts of an embodiment of an air treatment device. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1A  depicts the front cover of the air treatment device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 1B  depicts the back cover of the air treatment device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  depicts the parts contained in the internal cavity of an air treatment device. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  depicts an air treatment device in use with a litter box. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4A  depicts an embodiment of a carbon filter cartridge. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4B  depicts an embodiment of a carbon filter cartridge combined with the front cover of the housing assembly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Before describing the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particularly exemplified systems or process parameters as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. 
         [0018]    All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. 
         [0019]    It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “fragrance bead” includes two or more such beads. 
         [0020]    Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although a number of methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the preferred materials and methods are described herein. 
         [0021]    The following description includes embodiments presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention and is not meant to limit the inventive concepts claimed herein. 
         [0022]    As used herein the term “dirty” when used to describe air refers to malodor-laden air that contains odors associated with animal dross. As used herein the term “clean” when used to describe air refers to malodor-laden air, i.e., dirty air that has been passed through an odor absorbing filter, e.g., an activated carbon filter. 
         [0023]    As used herein the term “activated carbon” means absorbent carbon-based materials, including activated and reactivated carbon-based absorbents. Activated carbon, including the material commonly called activated charcoal, is an amorphous form of carbon characterized by high adsorptivity for many gases, vapors and colloidal solids. Carbon is generally obtained by the destructive distillation of coal, wood, nut-shells, animal bones or other carbonaceous materials, including coconuts. The carbon is typically “activated” or reactivated by heating to about 800-900° C., with steam or carbon dioxide, which results in a porous internal structure. 
         [0024]    Disclosed herein is an air treatment device for a litter box that will absorb, remove and/or contain the malodors emanating from deposited waste, especially those odors emanating from freshly deposited fecal waste that has not yet been buried by the animal. In addition, the device will expel a pleasant fragrance and/or sanitize the exiting air (as well as the air immediately surrounding the litter box). 
         [0025]    An embodiment of a compact and portable air treatment device that is capable of attachment to the side of a litter box is shown in  FIG. 1 . The device includes a housing assembly  10  and an interior cavity (not shown). Housing assembly  10  includes a front cover  12  and a back cover  14 . When assembled the housing also includes a top  16  and a bottom  18 . Front cover  12  includes an air inlet  20  having downward facing slats  22  which keep the animal litter from entering the interior of the housing. Back cover  14  includes an air outlet  24 .  FIG. 1A  shows the interior of the front cover and  FIG. 1B  shows the interior of the back cover. Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the device may contain a sensor  25  to detect the presence of an animal and turn the fan on when an animal is detected. Additionally, the device may contain a timer (not shown) to automatically turn the fan off after a predetermined period of time, e.g. 1-30 minutes after the sensor detects that the animal is no longer present in the box. Sensor  25  may detect motion, sound, light reflection, weight or heat and should be limited in sensitivity to that corresponding to a small animal, e.g., a cat. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  shows the interior cavity of the device. An odor absorbing material  26 , e.g., activated carbon, zeolite, silica gel, activated alumina, baking soda or a combination thereof is positioned between air inlet  20  and a fan  28  or alternatively between the fan and a secondary treatment material. The odor absorbing material may be in a secondary housing, e.g., a filter cartridge, or may be in a form where secondary containment is unnecessary. A battery  30 , e.g., a standard 9 volt, is used to power the fan and may also be used to power sensor  25  and timer  27 . Positioned between fan  28  and air outlet  24  can be a reservoir (not shown) to place a secondary treatment material such as a fragrance source to mask the odor, an air sanitizing material to sanitize the air exiting the device or an odor canceling material to neutralize the odor, e.g., a chemical(s) that reacts with an odiferous constituent contained in the waste such that any remaining odor is neutralized. Area  32  in FIG.  1 B shows a possible location for the reservoir. 
         [0027]    A preferred fragrance source comprises fragrance beads such as those supplied by commercial fragrance houses such as IFF and Firmenich. Other fragrance sources include natural materials that emit their native scents. 
         [0028]    Odor absorbing materials in addition to activated carbon include baking soda; zeolites; activated alumina; silicas; silicates, such as diatomaceous earth metals; filter agents, such as Celatom; and aluminosilicates, such as Fuller&#39;s Earth, Montmorillonite or Bentonite, or a combination thereof. 
         [0029]    Examples of air sanitizing and/or odor canceling materials include: acid/base effervescents; antimicrobial-impregnated polymers; sodium bicarbonate (baking soda); sodium carbonate; iron in solid or salt form; hypochlorite or hypochlorite salts, peroxide or peroxide salts, chlorous acid or chlorous acid salts, chlorine dioxide, and/or glycols. 
         [0030]    Device  10  can be attached to the litter box in any way feasible. For example, Velcro, a clip, a clamp, a suction cup, a cloth strap with a buckle, a rubber belt, a groove(s), a slot(s) or ridge(s) compatible with a matching groove(s), slot(s) or ridge(s) on the litter box. 
         [0031]    In one embodiment, air treatment device  10  can have multiple air inlet ports.  FIG. 3  shows a litter box  50  with an embodiment of the air treatment device  10  of the present invention attached. Device  10  can be attached on either the interior or the exterior of the box although the interior is preferred. In this embodiment, device  10  includes several additional inlets  52  that are strategically spaced around the perimeter of the litter box, preferably on the inside of the box just below the edge of the litter box rim. Inlets  52  are in communication with the air inlet  20  of device  10  by some form of air transport mechanism, such as tubing  54 . This embodiment enables malodor-laden air from in and around the litter box to be vacuumed into air treatment device  10 . 
         [0032]    The activated carbon can be in the form of a removable/replaceable cartridge. One form of carbon is carbon foam manufactured by Foamex International, Inc., which is a polyurethane foam coated with activated carbon and a binder. Substrates other than polyurethane are available such as polyester, or other similar polymers. Although activated carbon is a preferred odor absorbing material for the foam, other possible odor adsorbents could also be used. 
         [0033]    The fragrance source and/or sanitizing material can also be in the form of a removable/replaceable cartridge or otherwise be designed to be easily removable/replaceable so that the end user can, for example, easily switch between fragrance choices and/or alternate between air sanitizing/odor canceling materials. For example, fragrance beads can be contained in packets. Depending on the type of air sanitizing/odor canceling material used, it can either be contained in packets or in a removable/replaceable cartridge. 
         [0034]    The secondary treatment material cartridge could be similar to the one shown in  FIG. 4A  and described below. Depending on the properties of the secondary treatment material, it may be incorporated onto a foam substrate in a manner similar to the activated carbon, i.e., a polyurethane or other suitable polymeric material can be coated with the treatment material and a binder. However, the secondary treatment material could be in any appropriate form (e.g., liquid, solid, granular, block, etc.) within the cartridge. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 4A , one embodiment of an activated carbon cartridge is shown. In this embodiment the air flow is designed to follow a convoluted, high surface area, tortuous path so that the contact time between the dirty air and the surface area of the activated carbon is maximized. The activated carbon  46  is coated with a binder onto polyurethane (i.e., “carbon foam”) and is filled along dividers  48  which protrude the top  60  of the cartridge. 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 4B , cartridge  40  is designed to snap into either front cover  12  or rear cover  14  and be encompassed by dividers  47  contained on either the front or rear cover to form a sealed tortuous air flow path (front cover is shown). The front cover  12  or rear cover  14  has an air inlet  42  and an air outlet  44  which is in communication with the fan (not shown) of the device or the air inlet of the device (not shown) to force the air flow in the direction shown by the arrows. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict 5 dividers, but any number of dividers could be utilized with the understanding that the greater the number of dividers the more tortuous the ensuing air path and the greater the contact time between the dirty air and the surface area of the activated carbon. Thus, the carbon filter can effectively utilize a very small physical area if used together with a highly tortuous air flow path. 
         [0038]    Filter cartridge  40  can be plastic and can be manufactured using well known plastics fabrication techniques, such as injection molding and thermoforming. It should be designed to “snap fit” securely into either the front or rear cover of the housing assembly. 
         [0039]    Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, one of ordinary skill can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. As such, these changes and modifications are properly, equitably, and intended to be, within the full range of equivalence of the following claims.