# US 12,178,186 B2 · Excrement treatment material and method for manufacturing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,186 B2 - Document ID: US12178186B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/237,562 - Filed: 2021-04-22 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-23 - Assignees: Daiki Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Daiki Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Junji Yoshinaga; Shinobu Hatanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178186B2 ## CPC - A01K 1/0155: {comprising organic material} - A01K 23/00: Manure or urine pouches - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract An excrement treatment material is constituted by a water-repellent grain. The grain exhibits a first color before being used, and exhibits a second color that is different from the first color when it is time to replace the grain. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An excrement treatment material constituted by a water-repellent grain, wherein: the water-repellent grain exhibits a first color before being used, and exhibits a second color that is different from the first color when it is time to replace the water-repellent grain, and the water-repellent grain before being used has a water repellency of 80% or more as measured by: dripping water onto a sample of a plurality of the water-repellant grain placed on a strainer, and 1 minute after the dripping, calculating a ratio of water that is passed through the strainer compared to a total amount of water dripped onto the sample. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The excrement treatment material according to claim 1, wherein the water-repellent grain contains a coloring material that gradually changes from the first color to the second color as time passes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The excrement treatment material according to claim 2, wherein the coloring material is exposed on a surface of the water-repellent grain. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The excrement treatment material according to claim 2, wherein the coloring material changes from the first color to the second color due to fading. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The excrement treatment material according to claim 2, wherein the coloring material changes from the first color to the second color due to oxidation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The excrement treatment material according to claim 1, wherein the water-repellent grain is configured so as to exhibit the second color when loss of a surface of the water-repellent grain reaches a predetermined amount. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The excrement treatment material according to claim 6, wherein the water-repellent grain contains a coloring material that has the second color, and the coloring material is present only in a region that is at a predetermined depth or more from the surface of the water-repellent grain. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The excrement treatment material according to claim 7, wherein the coloring material is water-insoluble. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The excrement treatment material according to claim 1, wherein the water-repellent grain is configured so as to exhibit the second color when moisture that has entered into the water-repellent grain reaches a predetermined amount. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The excrement treatment material according to claim 9, wherein the water-repellent grain contains a coloring material that exhibits the second color upon reacting to moisture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The excrement treatment material according to claim 10, wherein the coloring material is present only in a region that is at a predetermined depth or more from a surface of the water-repellent grain. ### Claim 12 A method for manufacturing an excrement treatment material constituted by a water-repellent grain, the method comprising: a grain forming step of forming the water-repellent grain, wherein: in the grain forming step, the water-repellent grain is formed so as to exhibit a first color before being used and exhibit a second color that is different from the first color when it is time to replace the water-repellent grain, and the water-repellent grain before being used has a water repellency of 80% or more as measured by: dripping water onto a sample of a plurality of the water-repellant grain placed on a strainer, and 1 minute after the dripping, calculating a ratio of water that is passed through the strainer compared to a total amount of water dripped onto the sample. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to claim 12, wherein in the grain forming step, a granule that constitutes the water-repellent grain is formed through extrusion granulation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to claim 12, wherein in the grain forming step, the water-repellent grain is formed containing a coloring material that gradually changes from the first color to the second color as time passes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to claim 14, wherein in the grain forming step, the water-repellent grain is formed such that the coloring material is exposed on a surface of the water-repellent grain. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to claim 12, wherein in the grain forming step, the water-repellent grain is formed so as to exhibit the second color when loss of a surface of the water-repellent grain reaches a predetermined amount. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to claim 16, wherein in the grain forming step, the water-repellent grain is formed such that a coloring material having the second color is present only in a region that is at a predetermined depth or more from the surface of the water-repellent grain. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to claim 12, wherein in the grain forming step, the water-repellent grain is formed so as to exhibit the second color when moisture that has entered into the water-repellent grain reaches a predetermined amount. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to claim 18, wherein in the grain forming step, the water-repellent grain is formed containing a coloring material that exhibits the second color upon reacting to moisture. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method for manufacturing the excrement treatment material according to claim 19, wherein in the grain forming step, the water-repellent grain is formed such that the coloring material is present only in a region that is at a predetermined depth or more from a surface of the water-repellent grain.