Abstract:
A pet training device for use with a toilet bowl such that the pet will eventually be capable of using the toilet bowl, the device having a platform member securable to an upper rim of the toilet bowl such that the platform member extends outwardly from the toilet bowl and the removable main section having an aperture extending therethrough and a litter receiving portion located adjacent the main section aperture. After training, the main section can be removed and the pet, normally a cat, will be able to use the platform member.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Cats and other animals in the pet category have a tendency to relieve themselves, outdoors, on lawns, flowerbeds, streets and sidewalks resulting in unsatisfactory conditions, along with annoying and inconveniencing many people. Housing in urban areas has been changing with little if any attached lawn space. Cats are often provided with indoor facilities such as a pan containing absorbent material that is cat litter boxes, which are unsatisfactory in some respects such as expense, odor and the required frequent clean up. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to train household pets to use the conventional toilet bowl. However, previous attempts at training conventional pets to use conventional toilet bowls have proven to be unsuccessful. Accordingly, there exists a need for structure that would gradually teach a conventional household pet to use a conventional toilet bowl. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a training technique and an associated training structure for training a conventional household pet to use a conventional toilet bowl. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a training device in accordance with the previous object which would gradually train the household pet to use the toilet bowl without risking the pet falling into the toilet bowl or using the latter as a source of drinking water. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a training device in accordance with the previous objects which would conform to conventional forms of manufacturing, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a training device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a pet training device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention with both of its removable sections being assembled; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the pet training device of FIG. 1 with its auxiliary section removed; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a platform component mounted on a conventional toilet bowl, the toilet bowl being in phantom lines; 
     FIG. 4 a bottom view illustrating part of the platform of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines V—V of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view illustrating a main section component; 
     FIG. 7 is an elevational view illustrating the main and auxiliary sections; 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded side sectional view of the main and auxiliary sections; 
     FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the main and auxiliary sections; 
     FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view, with sections taken out, illustrating the hand of an intended user grasping a handle part of the pet training device; 
     FIG. 11 is a top view illustrating the pet training device with litter disposed within its auxiliary tray; and 
     FIG. 12 a top view with litter disposed within its main tray and having its auxiliary tray removed. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a pet training device  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention mounted on a conventional toilet bowl  12  (the toilet bowl being shown in phantom lines). The training device  10  includes a main section  14 , an auxiliary section  16  releasably mounted on the main section  14  and a platform  18 . 
     Referring now more specifically to FIG. 8, there is shown, in cross section, the main section  14 . The main section  14  includes a main section peripheral flange  20  that is configured and sized so as to abuttingly rest on the peripheral flange of the conventional toilet bowl  12  so as to support the main section  14  in an overlying relationship with the liquid contained within the conventional toilet bowl  12 . The main section  14  also includes a peripheral wall  22  that extends integrally and substantially perpendicularly from the main section flange  20 . The main section side wall  22 , in turn, extends integrally and substantially perpendicularly into a main section bottom wall  24 . 
     As illustrated more specifically in FIG. 2, the main section bottom wall  24  defines a bottom wall front section  26  extending in a generally parallel relationship with the main section flange  20  and a bottom wall rear section  28  slanting upwardly towards the rear section of the main section peripheral flange  20  in an angled relationship relative to the latter. 
     The main section bottom wall  24  has a main aperture  30  extending therethrough. The main aperture  30  is provided with a main rim  32  about its peripheral edge. The main rim  32  has a generally upwardly slanted configuration in a direction leading rearwardly. A handle  34  is pivotly mounted to the peripheral wall  22  by a pivotal connection  36 . The peripheral wall  22  also defines an abutment recess  38  that is used for abuttingly supporting the handle  34  and preventing the latter from pivoting downwardly towards the bottom wall  24 . 
     As illustrated more specifically in FIG. 7, the peripheral flange  20  is provided with an indentation  40  along one of its lateral sections. The indentation  40  is configured and sized so as to fittingly receive a section of the platform  18 . 
     The platform  18  is illustrated in greater details in FIGS. 3 and 4. The platform  18  defines a supporting wall  42  preferably having an ornamental peripheral edge provided with ornamental recesses  44 . The upper surface of the supporting wall  42  is further provided with ornamental protrusions  46  that are also adapted to act as antiskid means where as  46  “a” represent the ideal position of the four pet&#39;s paws. The supporting wall  42  has a perpendicularly oriented flange  48  depending integrally therefrom. 
     The flange  48  is configured and sized so as to substantially follow the internal contour of the peripheral edge  50  of the conventional toilet bowl  12 . The inner surface of the flange  48  is provided with cushioning pads  52  preferably made out of a suitable elastomeric resin. Any conventional means of attachment such has a fixing plate  54  or other types of clamping means like two screws with padded tips could be used to clamp the flange  48  on the peripheral edge  50  of a conventional toilet bowl  12 . A fixing plate  54  is mounted to the undersurface of the wall  42  using conventional fastening means such as rivets  56 . The plate  54  is provided with a flange  58  extending perpendicularly therefrom. The flange  58  is provided with an aperture extending therethrough for allowing through passage of a threaded stem  60 . 
     The threaded stem  60  has an abutment plate  62  mounted at a distal end thereof for frictionally clamping the peripheral flange  64  of the conventional toilet bowl  12  against the friction pads  52  mounted on the abutment flange  48 . As illustrated by arrow  66 , the abutment plate  62  is mounted to the threaded stem  60  so as to allow angular adjustment depending on the specific configuration of the flange  64  of the conventional toilet bowl  12 . FIG. 5, illustrates in greater detail the relationship between the abutment plates  62 , the abutment pads  52  and the peripheral flange  64  of the conventional toilet bowl  13  when the supporting wall  42  is mounted to the latter. 
     Referring now back to FIG. 8, there is also shown the auxiliary section  16 . The auxiliary section  16  includes an auxiliary section bottom wall  66  having a peripheral lip  68  extending integrally and substantially therefrom. 
     The auxiliary lip  68  is configures and sized so as to be fittingly insertable over the peripheral rim  32  of the main aperture  30 . The auxiliary bottom wall  66  has an auxiliary aperture  70  extending therethrough. Similarly, an auxiliary rim  72  extends substantially perpendicularly from the peripheral edge of the auxiliary aperture  70 . The auxiliary rim  72  also tapers frontwardly. At least one and preferably two restraining bars  74  extend transversely across the auxiliary aperture  70  between opposite sides of the auxiliary rim  72 . Initially, the restraining bars  74  are joined by removable sections. 
     In use, the device  10  is first installed with its auxiliary section  16  mounted on the main section  14 . As illustrated in FIG. 11, the bottom walls  24  and  66  of the main and auxiliary components  14  and  16  respectively are covered with a conventional litter material  76 . The domestic pet is invited to use the platform  18  for accessing the litter material  76  in a conventional manner. Since the pet is initially unfamiliar with the environment, the restraining bars  74  prevent the pet from falling into the auxiliary aperture  70  and from attempting to drink water from the toilet bowl  12  through the auxiliary aperture  70 . Once the pet has become accustomed to using the device, as shown in FIG. 11, the auxiliary section  16  may be removed so that only the bottom wall  24  of the main section  14  is fitted with litter material  76 . 
     Ultimately, the pet becomes accustomed to the environment of the toilet bowl and may use platform  18  to use the conventional toilet bowl in a conventional manner. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the handle  34  may be used to facilitate handling and maintenance of the training device  10 . The training device  10  may be manufactured using a conventional injection or thermoforming manufacturing process. Various reinforcement ribs  76  may be provided for increasing structural rigidity.