Patent ID: 8505486

Claim:
A pet litter box ( 1 ) comprising: a base element ( 10 ) having a support surface ( 11 ) for a pet, an absorbent mat ( 20 ) laid on the base element ( 10 ), a bowl-shaped open-top frame ( 30 ) removably mounted on the base element ( 10 ), wherein the frame ( 30 ) comprises: a bottom wall ( 31 ) associated with the base element ( 10 ) having the absorbent mat ( 20 ) thereon, the bottom wall ( 31 ) having a central opening ( 32 ) positioned so as to entirely overlap at least one portion ( 21 ) of the absorbent mat ( 20 ), the opening ( 32 ) being delimited by an interior peripheral edge ( 45 ) joining the bottom wall ( 31 ) with the absorbent mat ( 20 ), at least one side wall ( 35 ) extending vertically from the bottom wall ( 31 ) to define an entrance ( 33 ) for a pet into the at least one portion ( 21 ) of the absorbent mat ( 20 ), the at least one portion ( 21 ) of the absorbent mat ( 20 ) is directly exposed from within the opening ( 32 ) and directly accessible by the pet, the entrance ( 33 ) is a lateral entrance configured to allow a pet to access to the at least one portion ( 21 ) of the absorbent mat ( 20 ) from a side of the bottom wall ( 31 ), the interior peripheral edge ( 45 ) has a thickness (dl) continuously and gradually decreasing thereby defining a curved conveying surface ( 45 a ) extending from the bottom wall ( 31 ) towards the absorbent mat ( 20 ) at an angle relative to a direction perpendicular to the base element ( 10 ), thereby conveying urine from the bottom wall ( 31 ) towards the absorbent mat ( 20 ), the at least one side wall ( 35 , 36 , 37 ) being connected to the bottom wall ( 31 ) via a respective connection area ( 40 , 41 , 42 ) having a concave shape with its incurved surface facing towards the opening ( 32 ) of the bottom wall ( 31 ), thereby a continuously and gradually decreasing conveying surface ( 40 a , 41 a , 42 a ) countersinking or tapering from the respective side wall ( 35 , 36 , 37 ) towards the bottom wall ( 31 ) and having a concave shape with the incurved surface opposed with respect to the convexed surface of the curved conveying surface ( 45 a ) for allowing urine to flow from the at least on side wall ( 35 , 36 , 37 ) to the absorbent mat ( 20 ).