阅读说明：本技术 动物用厕所 (Toilet for animals ) 是由 山本泰生 高井智世 小井户勇树 笹野廉纩 金子真也 于 2019-07-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：动物用厕所(1)具有：主体部(10),其设置有尿通过部(12)；和托盘(20),其供用于吸收通过尿通过部(12)的尿的吸收体(200)布置。在主体部(10)的位于前后方向上的一侧的下端部中,形成有用于收纳托盘(10)的开口部(19)。在左右方向上,开口部(19)的长度长于托盘(20)的长度。在托盘(20)收纳在主体部(10)中的状态下,主体部的底部(15d)和托盘的底部(27)接地。(An animal litter box (1) comprises: a main body part (10) provided with a urine passage part (12); and a tray (20) arranged with an absorber (200) for absorbing urine passing through the urine passage section (12). An opening (19) for receiving the tray (10) is formed in the lower end portion of the main body (10) on one side in the front-rear direction. The length of the opening (19) is longer than the length of the tray (20) in the left-right direction. When the tray (20) is stored in the main body (10), the bottom (15d) of the main body and the bottom (27) of the tray are grounded.)

1. An animal litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction intersecting each other,

the litter box for animals includes: a main body part and a tray,

the body portion has a urine passage portion through which urine passes;

the tray is a portion to which the absorbent body is mounted,

the absorbent body absorbs the urine that has passed through the urine passage portion,

an opening portion for receiving the tray is provided in a lower end portion of the main body portion on one side in the front-rear direction,

the length of the opening portion is greater than the length of the tray in the left-right direction,

in a state where the tray is housed in the main body portion,

the bottom of the main body and the bottom of the tray are in contact with the ground.

2. An animal litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction intersecting each other,

the litter box for animals includes: a main body part and a tray,

the body portion has a urine passage portion through which urine passes;

the tray is a portion to which the absorbent body is mounted,

the absorbent body absorbs the urine that has passed through the urine passage portion,

a cutout portion is provided in a bottom portion of the main body portion on the rear side in the front-rear direction,

the notch portion is obliquely cut to have a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane,

by bringing the cutaway portion into contact with the ground, the main body portion can stand on its own while being inclined at the predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

3. An animal litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction intersecting each other,

the litter box for animals includes: a main body part and a tray,

the body portion has a urine passage portion through which urine passes;

the tray is a portion to which the absorbent body is mounted,

the absorbent body absorbs the urine that has passed through the urine passage portion,

the wall portions of the main body portion on both sides in the left-right direction are provided with guide portions,

the guide portion protrudes inward from an outer side in the left-right direction,

the tray is slidable in the front-rear direction by bringing the guide portions into slidable contact with both left and right direction side portions of the tray.

4. A litter box for animals according to claim 1 or 3,

a length of the tray in the front-rear direction is smaller than a length of the tray in the left-right direction, and

the tray is housed in the main body portion by sliding in the front-rear direction.

5. A litter box for animals according to any of claims 1 to 4,

the tray is symmetrical in the front-rear direction, and

the tray can be housed in the main body portion even if it is turned upside down in the front-rear direction.

6. The litter box for animals according to claim 5,

the tray has handle portions on both sides in the front-rear direction.

7. The litter box for animals according to claim 6,

a cutout portion that is a portion for accommodating the handle portion is provided in a lower end portion of the main body portion on the other side in the front-rear direction.

8. A litter box for animals according to claim 6 or 7,

the position of the urine passage portion is higher than the position of the handle portion in the up-down direction.

9. A litter box for animals according to any of claims 1 to 8,

the tray has a lower face portion, and

the lower face is provided with a pair of projections,

the pair of convex portions protrude downward in the up-down direction and linearly extend in the front-rear direction.

10. A litter box for animals according to any of claims 1 to 9,

the tray has a lower face portion and a side wall portion,

the sidewall portion surrounds four edges of the lower face portion,

the side wall portions extend along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and

four corners of the tray in the left-right direction and the front-back direction are provided with receiving parts,

the storage section is a section in which at least a part of the absorber is stored by being pushed.

11. The litter box for animals according to claim 10,

the tray has a plate-like rib projecting upward from the lower surface portion in the up-down direction,

the side wall portion has a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion intersecting each other, and

the housing portion is a space surrounded by the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion, and the rib.

12. The litter box for animals according to claim 11,

the rib has a notch at a central portion in a width direction thereof,

the notch is formed by cutting an upper end portion of the rib in the up-down direction.

13. The litter box for animals according to claim 11 or 12,

the animal litter box further includes a ceiling portion that spans an upper end of the first side wall portion and an upper end of the second side wall portion, and

the housing portion is a space surrounded by the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion, the rib, and the ceiling portion.

14. The litter box for animals according to claim 10,

the tray is provided with a cylindrical through pipe,

the through pipe penetrates the lower surface part and protrudes upward along the up-down direction, and

the receiving portion is an inner space of the through pipe.

15. A litter box for animals according to any of claims 1 to 14,

the height of the two left and right side portions of the tray is higher than the height of the left and right center portion of the tray.

16. A litter box for animals according to any of claims 1 to 15,

the main body portion has a restricting portion in a side wall portion located on a front side in the front-rear direction,

the restricting portion is a portion that restricts the tray from moving in the front-rear direction.

17. A litter box for animals according to any of claims 1 to 16,

the animal litter box further includes a reversing portion in which at least a part of a bottom portion of the main body portion is reversed from one side to the other side in any one of the front-back direction and the left-right direction.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a litter box for animals.

Background

Litter boxes for animals (pets) such as cats are conventionally known. For example, patent document 1 discloses an animal litter box composed of three members: an outer container 5 having an opening at an upper portion thereof; an inner container 6 detachably attached to the inside of the outer container 5 (the upper part of the outer container 5) and provided with a urine-permeable partition 3 through which urine discharged from a pet passes; and a tray 4 as a container for receiving urine that has passed through the partition layers 3 and housed in the outer container 5.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2011-

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Since the animal litter box of patent document 1 is composed of three members, the overall height of the litter box is easily increased, which leads to a risk that short-legged animals such as kittens are not easily introduced into the litter box. Further, there are problems as follows: cleaning and maintenance require a lot of work; for example, three components need to be cleaned individually and the gaps between the components are blocked by litter.

In recent years, there has been an increase in cases where a pet owner raises his/her animals (e.g., kittens) in a cage. Thus, in some cases, an animal litter box is installed in the cage. In such a manner of holding the animals in the cages, it is desirable to be able to clean the litter box for the animals or to replace the absorbent sheet disposed in the tray in the cages. However, with the conventional litter box for animals, it is difficult to perform cleaning, replacement of the absorbing sheet, and the like in a small space such as the inside of the cage. Therefore, the user needs to first take the animal litter box out of the cage for cleaning or replacement, which is a large burden for the user (animal owner).

The present invention has been made in view of the problems such as the above, and it is an aspect of the present invention to provide an animal litter box which is constituted by few members and enables a user to easily perform operations such as replacement of an absorbent sheet even in a small space.

Means for solving the problems

A main aspect of the present invention to solve the above-described aspects is an animal litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction that intersect with each other, the animal litter box comprising: a main body having a urine passage portion through which urine passes; the tray is a portion to which an absorbent body that absorbs urine that has passed through the urine passage portion is mounted, an opening portion for receiving the tray is provided in a lower end portion of the main body portion on one side in the front-rear direction, the length of the opening portion is greater than the length of the tray in the left-right direction, and the bottom of the main body portion and the bottom of the tray are in contact with the ground in a state in which the tray is received in the main body portion.

Features of the present invention other than the above will become apparent by reading the description of the present specification with reference to the accompanying drawings.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an animal litter box that is configured with a small number of members and that enables a user to easily replace an absorbent sheet even in a small space.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an animal litter box 1.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the animal litter box 1 viewed in the up-down direction, the front-back direction, and the left-right direction, respectively.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a section taken along a-a and B-B in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the tray 20.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the tray 20 viewed from the upper and lower sides in the up-down direction and a plan view viewed in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the sheet housing portion 28.

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a first modification of the sheet housing portion 28.

Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second modification of the sheet housing portion 28.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a third modification of the sheet housing portion 28.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the slide restricting portion 30.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the main body 10 viewed from the lower side in the vertical direction.

Fig. 12A and 12B are views of the animal litter box 2 as viewed in the left-right direction.

Fig. 13 is a schematic sectional view of the animal litter box 3 viewed from the front side in the front-rear direction.

Fig. 14A and 14B are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating modifications of the animal litter box 3.

Detailed Description

At least the following matters will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

An animal litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction that intersect each other, the animal litter box comprising: a main body having a urine passage portion through which urine passes; the tray is a portion to which an absorbent body that absorbs urine that has passed through the urine passage portion is mounted, an opening portion for receiving the tray is provided in a lower end portion of the main body portion on one side in the front-rear direction, the length of the opening portion is greater than the length of the tray in the left-right direction, and the bottom of the main body portion and the bottom of the tray are in contact with the ground in a state in which the tray is received in the main body portion.

According to the animal litter box, the height of the whole animal litter box can be reduced by constituting the litter box by two members (i.e., the main body and the tray), and the workload of cleaning or maintenance can be reduced. Further, since the tray can be moved in and out without moving the main body, the absorber can be easily replaced, and a space for allowing the tray to slide in the front-rear direction can be secured. Therefore, the absorber can be easily replaced even in a small space.

It is apparent that an animal litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction that intersect each other, the animal litter box comprising: a main body having a urine passage portion through which urine passes; the tray is a portion to which an absorbent body that absorbs urine that has passed through the urine passage portion is mounted, a cutout portion that is obliquely cut to have a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane is provided in a bottom portion of the main body portion on the rear side in the front-rear direction, and the main body portion is capable of standing on itself while being inclined with respect to the horizontal plane at the predetermined angle by bringing the cutout portion into contact with the ground.

According to the animal litter box, the front portion of the tray in the front-rear direction can be exposed by standing the main body portion on its own in an inclined state. Therefore, the user can replace the absorber without sliding the tray in the front-rear direction much. Therefore, even in a small space, the absorber can be easily replaced or the like.

It is apparent that an animal litter box having a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction that intersect each other, the animal litter box comprising: a main body having a urine passage portion through which urine passes; the tray is a portion to which an absorbent body that absorbs urine that has passed through the urine passage portion is mounted, and the wall portions of the main body portion on both sides in the left-right direction are provided with guide portions that protrude inward from the outside in the left-right direction, and the tray is slidable in the front-rear direction by being brought into slidable contact with both left-right direction side portions of the tray.

According to this litter box for animals, even in a small space, there is a constraint on the occurrence of, for example, the following trouble: the tray slides obliquely when being moved into or out of the main body. Therefore, in the animal litter box composed of two members (i.e., the main body and the tray), the tray can be moved in and out relatively stably.

In the animal litter box, it is desirable that a length of the tray in the front-rear direction is smaller than a length of the tray in the left-right direction, and the tray is housed in the main body portion by sliding in the front-rear direction.

According to the litter box for animals, the tray slides in the short side direction (front-back direction). Therefore, the tray can move a shorter distance than when the tray slides in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction). This reduces the space required for inserting the tray, so that replacement of the absorber and the like can be performed relatively easily even in a small space.

In this litter box for animals, it is desirable that the tray is symmetrical in the front-rear direction, and the tray can be housed in the main body portion even if it is turned upside down in the front-rear direction.

According to this litter box for animals, when the tray is housed in the main body portion, the user does not have to check the front-rear orientation, and there is little possibility of causing a problem that the tray is inserted incorrectly in the front-rear direction. Further, by tilting the tray in the front-rear direction (left-right direction), the user can dispose the absorber by turning the absorber in the front-rear orientation (left-right orientation) without touching the absorber. As a result, the entire region of the absorber can be efficiently used, and the absorber can be replaced less frequently.

In the litter box for animals, it is desirable that the tray has handle portions on both sides in the front-rear direction.

According to the animal litter box, when the tray is lifted or moved in order to reverse the orientation of the tray, the user can stably hold the tray by holding the grip portions located on both sides in the front-rear direction.

In the animal litter box, it is preferable that a cutout portion that is a portion for housing the handle portion is provided in a lower end portion of the main body portion on the other side in the front-rear direction.

According to the animal litter box, the tray can be moved into the main body without interfering with the handle portion of the tray and the side wall portion of the main body located on the rear side in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the side wall portion and the handle portion can be arranged to overlap in the front-rear direction, and the length of the animal litter box in the front-rear direction can be shortened. Thus, a compact space-saving animal litter box can be achieved.

In the animal litter box, it is desirable that the urine passage portion is located higher than the handle portion in the vertical direction.

According to the litter box for animals, when the tray slides in the front-rear direction, the handle portion and the urine passing portion are less likely to contact each other in the up-down direction. Therefore, the handle portion can be restrained from becoming wet and contaminated with excrement such as urine. It is also possible to restrain the grip portion from being caught by the main body portion, thereby allowing the user to insert the tray more smoothly.

In the animal litter box, it is desirable that the tray has a lower surface portion, and the lower surface portion is provided with a pair of projections which project downward in the up-down direction and linearly extend in the front-rear direction.

According to the animal litter box, the convex portion reduces the contact area between the lower surface portion of the tray and the floor surface, so that friction with the floor surface when sliding the tray in the front-rear direction can be reduced. As a result, the tray may slide smoothly, thereby enabling a user to easily insert the tray. Further, the moving direction of the tray tends to be limited to the front-rear direction along which the convex portions extend, thereby enabling the tray to slide relatively smoothly.

In the litter box for animals, it is desirable that the tray has a lower surface portion and side wall portions that surround four sides of the lower surface portion, the side wall portions extend in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and four corners of the tray in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction are each provided with a receiving portion that is a portion in which at least a part of the absorber is received by being tucked.

According to this animal litter box, a part (corner) of the absorber is jammed in the housing portion, so that the absorber is fixed in the tray. Therefore, the absorber can be restrained from being displaced or protruding from the tray.

In the animal litter box, it is desirable that the tray has a plate-like rib protruding upward from the lower surface portion in the up-down direction, the side wall portion has a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion intersecting each other, and the housing portion is a space surrounded by the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion, and the rib.

According to this litter box for animals, when a part of the absorber is tucked into the storage section surrounded by the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion, and the rib, by folding the absorber at the position of the rib, it is easier to stably hold the absorber in the tray. Therefore, the user can easily fix the position of the absorber, and can make it difficult for the absorber to protrude from the tray.

In the litter box for animals, it is desirable that the rib has a notch at a central portion in a width direction thereof, the notch being formed by cutting an upper end portion of the rib in the up-down direction.

According to this litter box for animals, when the absorber is inserted into the housing portion, the absorber can be folded into the portion where the notch is formed and the portion where the notch is not formed in different manners. Therefore, the absorbent body is folded in a complicated manner, and the absorbent body is difficult to detach from the housing portion. This makes the absorber difficult to displace.

In the animal litter box, it is preferable that the animal litter box further includes a ceiling portion that spans an upper end of the first side wall portion and an upper end of the second side wall portion, and the housing portion is a space surrounded by the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion, the rib, and the ceiling portion.

According to this litter box for animals, when the absorber is pushed into the housing portion, the ceiling portion restricts upward movement of the absorber. This makes it easier to restrain the absorbent body from coming off the tray. This makes the absorber difficult to displace.

In the animal litter box, it is preferable that the tray has a tubular through-pipe which penetrates the lower surface portion and protrudes upward in the vertical direction, and the housing portion is an internal space of the through-pipe.

According to the litter box for animals, a part of the absorber is pushed into the through pipe. This makes the position of the absorber easier to fix, and displacement of the absorber is less likely to occur.

In the animal litter box, it is desirable that the height of both right and left side portions of the tray is higher than the height of a right and left center portion of the tray.

According to the litter box for animals, the height of the center portion in the left-right direction is lowered so that the height of the tray is lowered as much as possible, and the heights of both end portions in the left-right direction are raised. This makes it easier to form a wide space (housing section) for fixing the absorber. Therefore, the entire height of the litter box for animals can be reduced while restraining the absorbent sheet disposed in the tray from being displaced, and the leakage of excrement can be effectively restrained.

In the animal litter box, it is desirable that the main body has a restricting portion in a side wall portion located on a front side in the front-rear direction, the restricting portion being a portion that restricts movement of the tray in the front-rear direction.

According to the animal litter box, the front side wall portion of the tray interferes with the restricting portion, and the tray is prevented from moving in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the tray can be restrained from being detached from the main body portion by an erroneous operation or the like after being housed in the main body portion.

In the animal litter box, it is preferable that the animal litter box further includes an inversion portion in which a part of a bottom portion of the main body portion is inverted from one side to the other side in any one of the front-back direction and the left-right direction.

According to the animal litter box, the provision of the reverse portion increases the area of contact between the bottom of the main body portion and the floor or the like, and the animal litter box can be made to contact the ground relatively stably. In addition, in the main body portion (side wall portion), a portion provided with the inversion portion exhibits a high bending strength in the left-right direction (or the front-rear direction). Therefore, the main body portion (side wall portion) can be restrained from bending or folding.

In the first embodiment, the first embodiment is described below

< overall construction >

As an example of the litter box for animals according to the first embodiment, the litter box 1 for animals will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an animal litter box 1. In the following description, three directions perpendicular to each other, "front-rear direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" are defined as shown in fig. 1. In the present embodiment, the front-rear direction refers to a direction extending in the short side direction of the animal litter box 1, and the side where the animal doorway (the doorway notch portion 18 described later) is provided is defined as the front side. The left-right direction is a direction extending along the longitudinal direction of the animal litter box 1. The up-down direction is a direction extending along the vertical direction. Fig. 2 is a plan view (three side views) of the animal litter box 1 viewed in the up-down direction, the front-back direction, and the left-right direction, respectively. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a section taken along a-a and B-B in fig. 2.

The litter box 1 for animals includes: a body portion 10 that receives animal waste; and a tray 20 which is received in the main body 10 and to which an absorbent sheet (described later) for absorbing urine and the like is attached.

(Main body 10)

The main body 10 has a lower surface 11 and a side wall 15 surrounding the lower surface 11. The main body 10 is a member in the form of a tub that is open at the top. An animal such as a kitten excretes while riding on the lower face portion 11 of the main body portion 10. As shown in fig. 3, the lower surface portion 11 of the main body portion 10 is inclined inward (toward the center) from the outside in the left-right direction (and the front-rear direction) in a bowl-like manner. In the lower surface portion 11, a urine passage portion 12 is provided at a lowest portion in the vertical direction, and urine discharged from an animal passes through the urine passage portion 12 from the upper side toward the lower side in the vertical direction. The urine passage portion 12 includes a plurality of holes 12s extending vertically therethrough. The discharged urine passes through the hole portion 12s and moves downward (toward the tray 20) from the upper side of the main body 10.

When the litter box 1 for animals is to be used, a granular excrement treating material (not shown in the figure) such as cat litter is arranged in such a manner as to cover the urine passing portion 12 (lower face 11). Animals such as kittens and the like excrete on the excreta management material. The excrement treatment material used in the litter box 1 for animals is a granular substance having a porous structure such as zeolite or silica gel. The material exhibits an effect of deodorizing by absorbing ammonia components when in contact with urine excreted by animals, and an effect of absorbing odor of ammonia from the sheet. The material also has a moisture removing effect. In order to suppress the situation where particles of the excrement disposal material fall through the hole portions 12s of the urine passing portion 12, it is desirable that the hole portions 12s have a shape and a size that allow urine to pass but do not allow the excrement disposal material to pass. For example, in the animal litter box 1 of the present embodiment, the urine passing portion 12 is formed by forming a plurality of slit-shaped holes 12s long in the left-right direction as shown in fig. 2.

The side wall portion 15 has: a front side wall portion 15f disposed on the front side in the front-rear direction; a rear side wall portion 15b disposed on the rear side in the front-rear direction; a right side wall portion 15r disposed on the right side in the left-right direction; and a left side wall portion 15l disposed on the left side in the left-right direction.

In the side wall portion 15, an upper end 15u located above the lower surface portion 11 in the vertical direction is provided with a folded portion 16 (see fig. 2) folded downward in the vertical direction and outward in the front-rear direction (or the left-right direction). By grasping the folded-back portion 16 with fingers, the user can easily lift or move the main body portion 10. Further, the provision of the folded-back portion 16 restricts the edge of the upper end 15u of the side wall portion 15 from rising sharply upward. This suppresses a situation in which animals such as kittens and the like are injured by contacting the upper end 15u of their legs or bodies when entering and leaving the litter box 1 for animals.

The side wall portion 15 is in contact with a ground (such as a floor or a platform) on which the litter box 1 for animals is placed at a lower end 15d thereof located below the lower face portion 11 in the up-down direction. That is, the lower end 15d of the side wall portion 15 is the lowest portion of the main body portion 10 in the up-down direction. Hereinafter, the lower end 15d of the side wall portion 15 is also referred to as "bottom" of the main body portion 10.

Of the side wall portions 15, the front side wall portion 15f is provided with an entrance notch portion 18 formed by cutting at least a portion of the upper end 15u downward in the up-down direction. In the area where the entrance notch portion 18 is provided, the height of the front side wall portion 15f is lower than the heights of the other three side wall portions 15b, 15l, and 15r in the up-down direction. Therefore, when an animal such as a kitten excretes, the animal litter box 1 (main body portion 10) (that is, the area located above the urine passing portion 12 (lower surface portion 11) and surrounded by the side wall portion 15) is easily entered and exited through the entrance cutaway portion 18. That is, the inlet notch portion 18 is a portion serving as an inlet and an outlet of the litter box 1 for animals.

Further, an opening 19 for receiving the tray 20 is provided at a lower end portion of the front side wall portion 15 f. The length (opening width) of the opening 19 in the left-right direction is larger than the maximum value of the length (width) of the tray 20 in the left-right direction.

(tray 20)

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the tray 20. The "front-rear direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" in fig. 4 are the same directions as the "front-rear direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" in fig. 1, respectively. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the tray 20 viewed from the upper and lower sides in the up-down direction and a plan view viewed in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

The tray 20 has a lower surface portion 21 and a side wall portion 25 surrounding the lower surface portion 21. The tray 20 is a shallow and flat basin-like container to which an absorber (e.g., an absorbent sheet 200 described later) that absorbs discharged urine or the like is attached. The side wall portion 25 has: a front side wall portion 25f located on the front side in the front-rear direction; a rear side wall portion 25b located on the rear side in the front-rear direction; a right side wall portion 25r located on the right in the left-right direction; and a left side wall portion 25l located on the left in the left-right direction.

As shown in fig. 5, the tray 20 of the present embodiment is symmetrical in the front-rear direction. Both end portions of the tray 20 in the front-rear direction (i.e., the front side wall portion 25f and the rear side wall portion 25b) are provided with a front side grip portion 26f and a rear side grip portion 26b, respectively. When inserting the tray 20 into the main body 10, the user can move the tray 20 into the main body 10 or take it out from the main body 10 by holding the handle 26 and sliding the tray 20 in the front-rear direction.

A convex portion 27 protruding downward in the up-down direction is provided on the back surface side (lower surface in the up-down direction) of the lower surface portion 21. As shown in fig. 5, the pair of convex portions 27 are formed linearly extending in the front-rear direction and are provided on both sides in the left-right direction. The tip (lower end in the up-down direction) of each convex portion 27 is in contact with a plane (e.g., floor or platform) on which the litter box 1 for animals is placed. That is, the distal end portion of the convex portion 27 is the lowest portion of the tray 20 in the up-down direction. Hereinafter, the distal end portion of the projection 27 is also referred to as "bottom" of the tray 20.

The four corners of the tray 20 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction are each provided with a sheet housing 28 for fixing the absorbent sheet 200 to the tray 20. The sheet housing 28 will be described later.

The absorbent sheet 200 disposed in the tray 20 is a liquid absorbent sheet member that absorbs urine discharged by animals such as cats and is formed of a liquid absorbent material such as pulp fibers or super absorbent polymers. The following are also acceptable: the absorbent sheet 200 is provided therein with an antibacterial agent in order to prevent the growth of bacteria; and microcapsules are provided in the absorbent sheet 200 to impart fragrance to the sheet. When the animal litter box 1 is used, the tray 20 to which the absorbent sheet 200 is attached is stored in the main body 10 through the opening 19. As a result, the absorbent sheet 200 is disposed vertically below the urine passage portion 12. Excrement discharged in the main body portion 10 by an animal such as a cat moves (falls) downward through the urine passing portion 12 and is absorbed by the absorbent sheet 200.

In the present embodiment, the main body 10 and the tray 20 are formed of polyolefin-based thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate. However, the materials forming the above members are not limited to these materials. For example, other resins, wood, metal materials such as stainless steel plates and aluminum plates, or other members may also be used.

(replacement of the absorbent sheet 200)

As described above, when the animal litter box 1 is used, the tray 20 on which the absorbent sheet 200 is disposed is stored in the main body 10. When the absorbent sheet 200 needs to be replaced, the tray 20 is taken out or moved in through the opening 19 provided in the main body 1.

The animal litter box 1 of the present embodiment is composed of two members (i.e., a main body 10 and a tray 20). Therefore, the overall height of the animal litter box 1 is unlikely to be higher than that of a conventional animal litter box composed of three or more members. Further, in a state where the litter box 1 for animals is placed on a horizontal surface such as a floor or a platform, the bottom (lower end 15d) of the main body portion 10 and the bottom (convex portion 27) of the tray 20 are both in contact with the surface of the horizontal surface. That is, the main body portion 10 is not provided with a portion for receiving the bottom portion of the tray 20. For example, in patent document 1, in a state where the tray is housed in the outer container, the bottom of the outer container is disposed below the bottom of the tray. However, in the animal litter box 1, the body is not disposed below the bottom of the tray 20. Therefore, the height of the body 10 can be reduced, and the overall height of the animal litter box 1 can be reduced. As a result, even animals with short legs such as kittens can easily enter and exit the animal litter box 1.

When it is necessary to replace the absorbent sheet 200, the user can move in or out the tray 20 in a simple manner by sliding the tray 20 in the front-rear direction with respect to the main body 10. In the present embodiment, the maximum value of the length W20 in the left-right direction of the tray 20 is smaller than the length W19 in the left-right direction of the opening 19. Therefore, when the tray 20 is slid in the front-rear direction so as to be housed in the main body 10, the side wall portions 25 of the tray 20 on both sides in the left-right direction do not substantially easily interfere with the opening portion 19 of the main body 10. That is, since the tray 20 is less likely to be caught by the opening 19, the tray 20 can be smoothly moved into or taken out of the main body 10.

Most conventional animal litter boxes are constructed of more than three members (e.g., an upper container, a lower container, and a tray). Therefore, the litter box for animals tends to be high, and cleaning or maintenance thereof requires much work. In addition, since the litter box for animals includes a plurality of members, their overall size tends to be large, and if kittens and the like are raised in the cage, it is difficult to replace the litter box for animals in the cage. In addition, it is difficult to replace the absorbent pads in a small space such as the inside of the cage, and the user needs to take the entire animal litter box out of the cage to replace the absorbent pads and put the entire animal litter box into the cage. In this way, the conventional litter box for animals forces much work on the user and is not suitable for keeping the animals in the cage.

In contrast, since the animal litter box 1 of the present embodiment is configured with two members, the overall height of the animal litter box 1 can be reduced, so that the workload of cleaning or maintenance can be reduced. Further, when replacing the absorbent sheet 200, the user can move in or out of the tray 20 without moving the main body 10. That is, the user can easily replace the absorbent sheet 200 as long as a sufficient space for the tray 20 to slide back and forth is secured. Therefore, the animal litter box 1 can easily replace the absorbent sheet 200, can clean in a small space, and is suitable for a case where kittens and the like are kept in a cage.

In the animal litter box 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 2 and 5, the length of the body 10 and the tray 20 in the left-right direction is larger than the length thereof in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the tray 20 is moved into or out of the main body 10, the tray 20 can be moved by a shorter distance by sliding the tray 20 in the short direction (front-rear direction) than by sliding the tray in the long direction (left-right direction). This reduces the space required for moving in and out the tray 20, so that it is easier to move in or out the tray 20, perform replacement of the absorbent sheet 200, and the like, even in a small space such as the inside of the cage.

Further, the tray 20 is symmetrical in the front-rear direction, and can be housed in the main body portion 10 even if it is turned upside down in the front-rear direction. That is, when inserting the tray 20 into the main body portion 10, the user does not need to check the front-rear orientation, so that it is less likely to cause a problem of erroneous front-rear insertion of the tray. Therefore, the user can insert the tray 20 into the main body 10 without considering the front-rear orientation of the tray 20 (without considering the orientation of the tray in the front-rear direction), thereby enabling the user to insert the tray 20 without any pressure.

Further, since the tray 20 can be used with the front and rear reversed, it is easy to efficiently use the absorbent sheet 200. In general, animals such as cats have the habit of excreting at the same location in an animal litter box each time the animal excrets in the animal litter box. For example, in the case of a cat having a habit of excreting in the right region in the left-right direction, urine or the like is mainly absorbed into the right region of the absorbent sheet 200. Therefore, only the right region of the absorbent sheet 200 tends to quickly reach the absorption limit. In this case, by reversing the arrangement of the absorption sheet 200 in the left-right direction so that the region already arranged on the left side is arranged on the right side, the entire region of the absorption sheet 200 can be used equally.

Specifically, after being pulled out from the main body 10, the tray 20 on which the absorbent sheets 200 are arranged is turned in the front-rear direction (i.e., the left-right direction), and the tray 20 is again stored in the main body 10 as it is. This method enables the user to change the orientation of the absorbent sheet 200 (tray 20) without touching the absorbent sheet 200, thereby enabling efficient use of the absorbent sheet 200 and enabling less frequent replacement of the absorbent sheet 200. Typically, absorbent sheets used in animal litter boxes last for more than one week. Reducing the frequency of replacing the absorbent sheet 200 simply by switching the orientation of the absorbent sheet 200 can further reduce the burden on the user.

In the present embodiment, the tray 20 is provided with grip portions 26f and 26b on both sides in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the tray 20 is reversed in the front-rear direction, the user can move in or out the tray 20 by holding either one of the handle portions 26f and 26b disposed in the front-rear direction. This makes it easy to hold the tray even in a small space such as the inside of the cage. Further, in the case where the user needs to lift or move the tray 20, the user can stably hold the tray 20 by holding the grip portions 26f and 26b located on both sides in the front-rear direction with his/her hands.

The rear side wall portion 15b of the main body portion 10 is provided with a rear cutout portion 15bc at a central portion in the left-right direction, and in the rear cutout portion, an area having a predetermined height from a lower end in the up-down direction is cut (see fig. 3). The rear side notch portion 15bc is provided for the following purpose: in a state where the tray 20 is stored in the main body 10, the restraint interferes with the handle portion 26 provided on the rear side of the tray 20 and the rear side wall portion 15b of the main body 10. In other words, the rear cutout portion 15bc is provided for receiving the handle portion 26 of the tray 20.

In the case where the rear-side notched portion 15bc is not provided in the rear-side wall portion 15b, when the tray 20 is stored in the main body portion 10, the handle portion 26 located on the rear side is caught by the rear-side wall portion 15b, and the tray 20 cannot be inserted deeply into the far side (rear side in the front-rear direction) of the main body portion 10. Alternatively, the length of the main body portion 10 in the front-rear direction increases, and the shape of the animal litter box is not suitable for use in a small space such as a cage. In contrast, in the present embodiment, as shown in a sectional view taken along a-a in fig. 3, the rear side notched portion 15bc is provided. Therefore, the tray 20 can be deeply inserted into the front-rear direction distal side of the main body 10 without allowing the handle portion 26 to interfere with the rear side wall portion 15 b. Therefore, the rear side wall portion 15b and the grip portion 26 can be disposed at positions overlapping in the front-rear direction, and the length of the animal litter box 1 (main body portion 10) in the front-rear direction can be shortened. As a result, a compact and space-saving animal litter box 1 can be realized.

Further, the tray 20 is in contact with the floor surface via a convex portion 27 provided on the back surface side of the lower surface portion 21. As shown in fig. 5, the convex portion 27 is formed linearly extending in the front-rear direction. The convex portion 27 has a small width in the left-right direction and a small contact area with a floor surface or the like. Therefore, in the case where the tray 20 slides in the front-rear direction, friction between the convex portion 27 and the floor surface can be reduced. Therefore, the tray 20 is smoothly slid in the front-rear direction, so that the user can move the tray 20 into and out of the main body 10 with a small force. Further, since the projection 27 functions as the ice skate of the skate, the moving direction of the tray 20 tends to be limited to the extending direction of the projection 27. That is, the tray 20 is easily moved in the front-rear direction, so that it is easier to slide the tray 20 more smoothly. Here, the convex portion 27 is not a necessary configuration of the tray 20, and the convex portion 27 is not necessarily provided to the lower face portion 21.

With the absorbent sheet 200 used in the litter box for animals 1 by being arranged inside the tray 20, the sheet 200 has an area slightly larger than the lower face portion 21 of the tray 20 in most cases so as to restrain leakage of excrement. In the case of using the absorption sheet 200 having an area larger than the lower surface portion 21, it is necessary to firmly fix the absorption sheet 200 inside the tray 20 in order to prevent the absorption sheet 200 from being displaced in the tray 20 or protruding from the tray 20. In the present embodiment, in four corners (right front side, left front side, right rear side, and left rear side) in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the tray 20, sheet housing portions 28 are provided for housing corner portions of the rectangular absorbent sheet 200 so as to fix the absorbent sheet 200 inside the tray 20.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the sheet housing portion 28. Fig. 6A is a perspective view of a part (left rear corner) of the region K in fig. 5. Fig. 6B is a schematic sectional view taken along L-L in fig. 5. In the example shown in fig. 6A, the sheet housing portion 28 is formed by a space surrounded by: a plate-shaped rib 281 protruding upward from the lower surface portion 21 of the tray 20; a rear side wall portion 25b (corresponding to "first side wall portion") and a left side wall portion 25l (corresponding to "second side wall portion") intersecting each other among the side wall portions 25 of the tray 20; and a lower surface 21.

When the absorbent sheet 200 is mounted in the tray 20, the rear left corner of the absorbent sheet 200 is tucked into the sheet housing 28 as shown in fig. 6B. Similarly, with respect to the other three corner portions (left front side, right rear side, and right front side), the corner portion of the absorbent sheet 200 is tucked into the sheet housing portion 28, which is a space surrounded by the rib 281 and the side wall portion 25 (first side wall portion and second side wall portion). At this time, the absorbent sheet 200 is folded at the position of the rib 281 protruding upward in the up-down direction, thereby making it easier to stably hold the absorbent sheet 200 in the tray. In this way, the user can arrange the absorbent sheet 200 so as to prevent the absorbent sheet 200 from protruding from the tray 20 while fixing the position of the absorbent sheet 200. The rib 281 may contact or separate from the side wall portion 25. That is, the rib 281 may be formed as a member integrated with the side wall portion 25 or a member separate from the side wall portion 25.

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a first modification of the sheet housing portion 28. Fig. 7A and 7B correspond to fig. 6A and 6B, respectively. In the first modification, the sheet housing portion 28 has a plate-like rib 282 protruding upward from the lower surface portion 21 of the tray 20, and as shown in fig. 7A, a notch 282c is further provided, the notch 282c being located at a central portion of the rib 282 in the width direction and being formed by cutting an upper end portion of the rib 282 in the vertical direction into a V-shape. The other structure is substantially the same as that of the sheet housing portion 28 described in fig. 6. That is, the sheet housing portion 28 is formed by a space surrounded by the rib 282, the rear side wall portion 25b, and the left side wall portion 251. The rib 282 may contact or separate from the side wall portion 25.

In the first modification, when the sheet housing portion 28 is tucked, the absorbent sheet 200 is folded in a different manner into a portion where the notch 282c is formed and a portion where the notch 282c is not formed. Specifically, in the portion where the notch 282c is provided, the absorbent sheet 200 is folded less as in fig. 7B, and in the portion where the notch 282c is not provided, the absorbent sheet 200 is folded more as in fig. 6B. As a result, the absorbent sheet 200 is folded in a complicated manner, making it difficult for the absorbent sheet 200 to be detached from the sheet housing 28, which is a space surrounded by the rib 282 and the side wall portion 25. That is, this makes it easier to fix the absorbent sheet 200 and makes it harder for the absorbent sheet 200 to be displaced.

Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second modification of the sheet housing portion 28. Fig. 8A and 8B correspond to fig. 6A and 6B, respectively. In the second modification, the sheet housing portion 28 is provided with a plate-shaped rib 283 protruding upward from the lower surface portion 21 of the tray 20 as shown in fig. 6, and is further provided with a ceiling portion 284 covering a part of a space surrounded by the rib 283 and the side wall portion 25. In the example shown in fig. 8A, the ceiling portion 284 is disposed so as to straddle the upper end of the rear side wall portion 25b (first side wall portion) and the upper end of the left side wall portion 25l (second side wall portion) of the tray 20. The space surrounded by the rib 283, the side wall portion 25, and the ceiling portion 284 serves as the sheet housing portion 28. The rib 283 may contact or separate from the side wall portion 25. Further, only the ceiling portion 284 may be provided without the rib 283.

When the absorbent sheet 200 is pushed into the sheet housing 28, which is the space, the ceiling portion 284 restricts upward movement of the absorbent sheet 200, thereby relatively easily restricting the absorbent sheet 200 from being detached from the tray 20. Therefore, this makes the absorbent sheet 200 easier to fix and makes the absorbent sheet 200 harder to displace.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a third modification of the sheet housing portion 28. Fig. 9A and 9B correspond to fig. 6A and 6B, respectively. In the third modification, as shown in fig. 9A, a cylindrical through-pipe 285 that penetrates the lower surface portion 21 of the tray 20 and protrudes upward in the vertical direction is provided. The sheet housing portion 28 is formed in the through pipe 285. In the third modification, the projection height h285 of the sheet housing portion 28 (through pipe 285) is set to be at least larger than the thickness of the tray 20 (for example, the thickness t21 of the lower surface portion 21).

In the third modification, when the absorption sheet 200 is mounted in the tray 20, as shown in fig. 9B, the corner of the absorption sheet 200 is pushed into the through-tube 285. This makes it easier to fix the position of the absorbent sheet 200, and can further restrain the occurrence of displacement. By setting the protrusion height h285 of the through pipe 285 to be larger than the thickness t21 of the tray 20, the absorbent sheet 200 can be restrained from separating from the inside of the through pipe 285 and protruding from the side located below the through pipe 285 (the side of the tray 20 located below the lower surface portion 21).

It is desirable that the height of both side portions of the tray 20 is higher than the height of the central portion of the tray 20 in the left-right direction (the longitudinal direction of the tray 20). In fig. 5, when the tray 20 is viewed in the front-rear direction, the height h25s of both left and right direction end portions is greater than the height h25c of the left and right direction center portion (h25s > h25 c). Since the litter box 1 for animals is assumed to be used for kittens or small animals, its overall height needs to be as small as possible. Therefore, it is desirable that the height of the tray 20 be as small as possible. Therefore, the height h25c of the center portion in the left-right direction is lowered. On the other hand, at both left and right direction end portions of the tray 20, the absorbent sheet 200 is required to be fixed by providing the sheet absorbing portions 28 as described above. Therefore, in order to be able to form a space having a specific size, the height h25s is made higher than the height h25 c. This can reduce the overall height of the litter box 1 for animals, restrain displacement of the absorbent sheet 200 disposed in the tray 20, and effectively restrain leakage of excrement.

In the present embodiment, the height of both the left and right end portions is also larger than the height of the center portion in the left and right direction inside the tray 20. That is, since both left and right direction end portions of the tray 20 are provided with components such as the ribs 281 and the like protruding upward from the lower face portion 21, the height of both end portions is larger than the height of the lower face portion 21. Therefore, in the case where the absorbent sheet 200 is disposed in the tray 20, the height of the absorbent sheet 200 at both left and right direction end portions is greater than the height of the absorbent sheet 200 at the left and right direction center portion. This makes it easier for urine or the like absorbed in the absorbent sheet 200 to move from both end portions to the central portion in the left-right direction, and thus it is easier to restrain leakage of urine or the like from the tray 20.

In a state where the tray 20 is housed in the main body 10, a lowest position in the vertical direction of the lower surface portion 11 of the main body 10 is located above a highest position in the vertical direction of the handle portion 26 of the tray 20. That is, the height of the urine passing portion 12 is higher than the height of the grip portion 26 in the up-down direction. In the sectional view taken along a-a of fig. 3, height h12 in the up-down direction of urine passing portion 12 is higher than height h26 in the up-down direction of grip portion 26 (height h12> height h 26).

According to the above configuration, when the tray 20 is slid in the front-rear direction, the handle portion 26 and the urine passing portion 12 (main body portion 10) are less likely to contact each other in the up-down direction. Therefore, the handle portion 26 can be restrained from becoming wet and contaminated with excrement such as urine when the tray 20 is stored. Further, the handle portion 26 can be restrained from being caught by the urine passing portion 12 (main body portion 10) when the tray 20 slides. Therefore, the tray 20 can be smoothly inserted. In the present embodiment, the height h26 of the handle 26 is substantially the same as the height h25c of the center portion of the tray 20 in the left-right direction (see fig. 5). Therefore, in the litter box 1 for animals, the side wall portions 25f and 25b of the tray 20 are less likely to come into contact with the urine passing portion 12 when the tray 20 is inserted. That is, the entire tray 20 is less likely to come into contact with the urine passing portion 12.

Further, in order to restrain the tray 20 already stored in the main body 10 from being detached from the main body 10 due to an erroneous operation or the like, a slide restricting portion 30 for restricting the movement of the tray 20 in the front-rear direction may be provided in the front side wall portion 15f of the main body 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the slide restricting portion 30. In the example shown in fig. 10, a plate-like slide restricting portion 30 (indicated by a hatched portion in fig. 10) is provided along an edge portion of the opening portion 19 of the front side wall portion 15 f. In at least a part of the area, the height h30 of the slide restricting portion 30 is smaller than the height h25c at the center portion of the tray 20 in the left-right direction. That is, the slide restricting portion 30 is provided to cover at least a part of the tray 20 (the front side wall portion 25f) in the up-down direction. In fig. 10, the slide restricting portion 30 is provided as a separate member from the front side wall portion 15 f. However, the slide restricting portion 30 and the front side wall portion 15f may be provided as the same member. That is, a part of the front side wall portion 15f may constitute the slide restricting portion 30.

According to the above configuration, when the tray 20 is slid in the front-rear direction, the front side wall portion 25f of the tray 20 interferes with the slide restricting portion 30, so that the movement of the tray 20 in the front-rear direction is suppressed. Therefore, the tray 20 stored in the main body 10 can be restrained from being detached from the main body 10 due to an erroneous operation or the like. In the case where the slide restricting portion 30 is provided in the main body portion 10, it is preferable that, when inserting the tray 20, the user slightly lifts the front side of the main body portion 10 so that the tray 20 and the slide restricting portion 30 do not interfere with each other, and then slides the tray 20.

An inversion portion 17 is provided in the main body portion 10, in which a lower end 15d of the side wall portion 15 (that is, a bottom portion of the main body portion 10) is inverted from one side to the other side in the front-rear direction, or from one side to the other side in the left-right direction. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the main body 10 viewed from the lower side in the vertical direction. As shown in fig. 11 which is a partially enlarged view, in the present embodiment, the front end portions of the left side wall portion 15l and the right side wall portion 15r are provided with the inversion portion 17 in which the bottom portions of the side wall portions 15l and 15r are inverted from the front side to the rear side in the front-rear direction. The provision of the inversion portion 17 increases the area of the bottom portions of the side wall portions 15l and 15r in contact with a plane (such as a floor) in the left-right direction. As a result, the side wall portions 15l and 15r are in relatively stable contact with the ground. Further, in the portion where the inverted portion 17 is provided, the side wall portions 15l and 15r exhibit high bending strength in the left-right direction, so that the side wall portions 15l and 15r can be restrained from bending or folding.

Fig. 11 illustrates an example in which the reversed portion 17 is provided at the front end portions of the left side wall portion 15l and the right side wall portion 15 r. The inversion portion 17 may be provided at other portions of the side wall portion 15. For example, in the boundary with the rear cutout portion 15bc of the rear side wall portion 15b, a part of the rear side wall portion 15b may be inverted from one side to the other side in the left-right direction, thereby forming the inverted portion 17.

In the second embodiment, the first embodiment is described as follows

In the second embodiment, the litter box 2 for animals will be described in which a part of the side wall portion 15 is not cut at the rear end portion in the front-rear direction of the main body portion 10 and the lower end portion in the up-down direction of the main body portion 10.

Fig. 12A and 12B are views of the animal litter box 2 viewed in the left-right direction. The animal litter box 2 has a notched portion 40 in which the bottom of the main body portion 10 is cut obliquely so that the notched portion 40 has a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane such as a floor. The structure of the animal litter box 2 is substantially the same as that of the animal litter box 1 of the first embodiment except that the body portion 10 is formed with the notch portion 40. Therefore, the description of other configurations of the litter box 2 for animals will be omitted.

As shown in fig. 12A, the animal litter box 2 has a notch portion 40 in the side wall portion 15 (the left side wall portion 15l and the right side wall portion 15r) of the main body portion 10, and the notch portion 40 is formed by cutting a rear end portion in the front-rear direction and a lower end portion in the up-down direction at a predetermined angle θ 40 with respect to a horizontal plane. The angle formed by the notched portion 40 with the horizontal plane refers to a smaller angle (that is, an angle smaller than 90 degrees) of the angles formed by the intersection of the horizontal direction and the oblique direction of the notched portion 40.

As shown in fig. 12B, when the notch portion 40 is in contact with the ground, the main body portion 10 of the animal litter box 2 can stand obliquely by itself. Specifically, the main body portion 10 can stand on its own in a state where its front-rear direction is inclined at an angle θ 40 with respect to the horizontal plane. In the case of using this litter box for animals 2, even if the cage is used for raising animals such as kittens, the sliding distance of the tray 20 when performing operations such as replacing the absorbing sheet 200 in the cage can be shortened. For example, in a case where the main body portion 10 stands obliquely by itself (in fig. 12B, a direction in which the main body portion rotates clockwise) as shown in fig. 12B, the front portion of the tray 20 in the front-rear direction is exposed. This makes it easier for the user to replace the absorbent sheet 200 without sliding the tray 20 in the front-rear direction too much. Therefore, even in a small space such as the inside of the cage, replacement of the absorbent sheet 200 and the like can be easily performed.

In the third embodiment, the first and second embodiments are described below

In the third embodiment, description will be made of the litter box 3 for animals in which the guide portions 50 that guide the sliding of the tray 20 in the front-rear direction are provided at the lower end portions of the side wall portions 15r and 15l of the main body portion 10 on both sides in the left-right direction.

Fig. 13 is a schematic sectional view of the animal litter box 3 viewed from the front side in the front-rear direction. In the animal litter box 3, a pair of guide portions 50r and 50l protruding inward from the outer side in the left-right direction are provided at the lower end portions of the side wall portions 15r and 15 l. Inner ends 50re and 50le of the guide portion 50 in the left-right direction linearly extend along the front-rear direction. When the tray 20 is housed in the main body 10, the inner ends 50re and 50le slidably contact the outer surfaces of the side wall portions 25r and 25l of the tray 20 on both sides in the left-right direction (in fig. 13, the inner ends 50re and 50le do not contact the side wall portions 25r and 25l for convenience of description).

Therefore, when the tray 20 is housed in the main body 10, the side wall portions 25r and 25l of the tray 20 are sandwiched between the inner ends 50re and 50le of the pair of guide portions 50r and 50l, so that the tray 20 can be slid in the front-rear direction under the guidance of the inner ends 50re and 50 le. That is, when the tray 20 is moved into the main body 10 or taken out from the main body 10 in a small space such as the cage interior, it is possible to restrain the occurrence of, for example: the tray 20 slides diagonally and is caught by the main body 20 at the rear side portion of the tray 20. Therefore, in the animal litter box 3 composed of two members (i.e., the main body 10 and the tray 20), the tray 20 can be moved in and out relatively stably.

Further, in the litter box 3 for animals, the shape of the tray 20 may be changed to the following shape. Fig. 14A and 14B are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating modifications of the animal litter box 3.

In the example shown in fig. 14A, guide receiving portions 55r and 55l are formed at upper end portions of the side wall portions 25r and 25l of the tray 20. The guide receiving portions 55r and 55l are portions that protrude outward in the left-right direction from the upper ends of the side wall portions 25r and 25l, respectively. When the tray 20 is housed in the main body portion 10, the lower surfaces of the guide receiving portions 55r and 55l of the tray 20 slidably contact the upper surfaces of the guide portions 50r and 50l of the main body portion 10, respectively. In this modification, the tray 20 can slide in the front-rear direction while being supported in the up-down direction by the guide receiving portions 55r and 55 l. Therefore, the tray 20 can be slid more stably.

On the other hand, in the example shown in fig. 14B, the outer surfaces of the side wall portions 25r and 25l of the tray 20 in the left-right direction are provided with groove portions 56r and 56l that are adapted to the shapes of the guide portions 50r and 50 l. As shown in fig. 14B, the guide portions 50r and 50l are loosely fitted into the groove portions 56r and 56l, respectively, so that it is easier to slide the tray 20 along the guide portions 50r and 50 l. Further, in this modification, the movement of the tray 20 in the front-rear direction is restricted by the groove portions 56r and 56l and the guide portions 50r and 50 l. Therefore, the tray 20 can be slid more stably.

In the example shown in fig. 14A and 14B, at least the tray 20 is supported upward in the up-down direction from the lower side by the guide portions 50r and 50 l. Thus, the bottom of the tray 20 does not have to be in contact with the ground (e.g., floor or platform) on which the litter box 3 is placed for the animal. That is, the tray 20 can slide in a state of being floated from a plane, which reduces a frictional force generated when the tray 20 slides, so that the tray 20 can be easily moved in or out.

In other embodiments, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described

Although the above embodiments of the present invention have been described, the above embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the explanation of the present invention. In addition, the present invention can be modified or improved within the scope of the gist of the present invention, and the description thereof is not necessary, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof. For example, the following variations are possible.

In the above embodiment, for example, a granular excrement treating material such as cat litter is disposed in the lower face portion 11 of the main body portion 10. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and other particulates may be arranged. Further, it is not necessary to arrange the pellets.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a litter box for animals (first embodiment),

2: a litter box for animals (second embodiment),

3: a litter box for animals (third embodiment),

10: a main body part,

11: the lower part of the upper face part is provided with a plurality of concave grooves,

12: urine passage portion, 12 s: a hole portion is formed in the upper surface of the body,

15: side wall portion, 15 u: upper end, 15 d: the lower end (bottom part),

15 f: front side wall portion, 15 b: rear side wall portion, 15 bc: a rear side notch part is arranged on the rear side,

15 r: right side wall portion, 15 l: a left side wall portion of the case,

16: fold-back portion, 17: a reverse-rotating part, a rotating part and a rotating part,

18: entrance notch portion, 19: an opening part is arranged at the bottom of the shell,

20: a tray is arranged on the upper surface of the tray,

21: the lower part of the upper face part is provided with a plurality of concave grooves,

25: side wall portion, 25 f: front side wall portion, 25 b: rear side wall portion, 25 r: right side wall portion, 25 l: a left side wall portion of the case,

26: handle portion, 27: the convex part is provided with a convex part,

28: a sheet-receiving section for receiving a sheet,

281: the ribs are formed on the outer surface of the body,

282: rib, 282 c: the notch is arranged on the upper surface of the shell,

283: rib, 284: a ceiling part, a plurality of side walls and a plurality of side walls,

285: the through pipe is arranged on the inner wall of the through pipe,

30: a sliding-restricting portion for restricting the sliding of the slide plate,

40: a notch part is arranged on the outer side of the shell,

50: guide portion, 55: guide receiving portion, 56: the groove part is provided with a groove part,

200: absorbent sheet