# US 2014/0196669 A1 · Small animal litter container > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196669 A1 - Document ID: US20140196669A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/155,901 - Filed: 2014-01-15 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15 - Inventors: Dorothea Dianna Barr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196669A1 ## CPC - A01K 1/0107: {Cat trays; Dog urinals; Toilets for pets} - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract A small animal litter container is provided with an enclosed design that keeps animal elimination products contained within the litter material and/or the container without leakage and avoids spillage of these materials beyond the container. Cylindrical telescoping interior and exterior housing sections engage to form a covered elimination area within the container. A corresponding keyhole-type of opening in each housing section aligns when the housing sections are engaged to form an animal access door with a unique angled shape that guides an animal to the inside elimination area. A base housing section is formed with a circular cross-section unitary wall with a height that effectively captures and contains all products of elimination without leakage or spillage beyond the container. The present small animal litter container may be used effectively by all kinds of pets, including cats and dogs, whether they exhibit typical or atypical elimination behaviors or habits. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A litter container suitable for use by one or more small pets that exhibit a range of elimination behaviors, wherein said litter container comprises: a. a first housing section with a base portion adapted to support the housing section on a flat surface connected to a unitary wall that extends coaxially between the base to form an outer edge of the housing, wherein said unitary wall includes a notch opening extending from said outer edge a selected distance toward the base; b. a second housing section sized to telescopingly receive said first housing section within said second housing section interior, wherein a wall portion of said second housing includes a keyhole opening extending from an outer edge of said wall portion a selected distance from said wall portion outer edge; and c. when said first housing section is telescopingly received within said second housing section, said notch opening aligns with said keyhole opening to define an angled access doorway configured to direct a pet into an elimination area contained within telescoped first and second housings. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The litter container of claim 1, wherein said angled access doorway defined by the alignment of said notch opening and said keyhole opening comprises a six-sided angled opening into said telescoped first and second housings. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The litter container of claim 2, wherein said notch opening comprises a horizontal base edge spaced a selected distance above said first housing base, a pair of opposed angled edges connected to said horizontal base edge extending away from said base to connect with a pair of opposed parallel edges space apart a distance greater than a length of said horizontal base edge extending outwardly of said base to connect with said unitary wall outer edge to form a contiguous angled notch opening; and said keyhole opening comprises a horizontal upper edge connected to a first pair of opposed parallel edges extending toward said wall portion outer edge, said parallel edges are connected to a pair of opposed angled edges extending further toward said wall portion outer edge, and said angled edges are connected to a second pair of opposed parallel edges connected to said wall portion outer edge to form a contiguous angled keyhole opening; wherein the alignment of said contiguous angled notch opening and said contiguous angled keyhole opening defines said six-sided angled access doorway. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The litter container of claim 1, further comprising an elimination area located on said first housing base within adapted to hold a supply of a litter material within said telescoped first and second housings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The litter container of claim 4, wherein said first housing section has a cylindrical configuration with a circular cross-section, and said unitary wall is formed integrally with or attached to said base to surround said elimination area and is adapted to capture and contain products of elimination deposited by an animal in the elimination area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The litter container of claim 1, wherein each of said first housing section and said second housing section has a substantially cylindrical configuration with a circular cross-section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The litter container of claim 6, wherein each of said first cylindrical housing section and said second cylindrical housing section has a truncated capsule-shaped configuration so that an upper portion of said second cylindrical housing section wall is dome-shaped. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The litter container of claim 6, wherein each of said first cylindrical housing section and said second cylindrical housing section has the configuration of a regular cylinder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The litter container of claim 6, wherein a dome-shaped portion of said second housing section comprises a support element adapted to support a planar horizontal surface structure and includes a planar horizontal surface structure supported by said support element to form a table top with said litter container forming a base of said table top. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The litter container of claim 1, further comprising a pet bed located in said elimination area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The litter container of claim 1, wherein when said first and second housings are telescoped together, said outer edge of said wall portion of said second housing is positioned adjacent to said base of said first housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The litter container of claim 2, wherein said six-sided access doorway comprises a horizontal top edge spaced a selected distance from and having a greater length than a parallel horizontal bottom edge, opposed lower side edges angled a selected angle outwardly of said bottom edge, and opposed parallel upper side edges connecting said lower side edges to said horizontal top edge. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The litter container of claim 12, wherein said selected distance and said angle are selected to accommodate a range of sizes of small animals to facilitate use of the litter container by said animals. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The litter container of claim 1, further comprising positioning a second pet access doorway in a location different from said angled access doorway. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The litter container of claim 5, wherein a diameter of the circular cross-section of said first housing section is less than a diameter of said second circular cross-section of said second housing section. ### Claim 16 A litter container designed to accommodate the elimination needs and behaviors of a range of small animals, wherein said litter container comprises a pair of easily assembled and disassembled telescoped cylindrical housing sections, with a lower housing section comprising a base section adapted to support the litter container on a flat surface, an open top, and an angled opening in a wall area of a unitary wall of said lower housing section; an upper housing section comprising a domed or planar top surface, a wall between the top surface and an open bottom surface, and an angled opening in said wall; wherein said angled openings in said lower and upper housing sections align when said lower housing section is telescoped within said upper housing section to form an angled access doorway configured to guide an animal into the litter container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The litter container of claim 16, wherein said lower housing section interior further comprises an elimination area located adjacent to said base, and said access doorway guides the animal into the elimination area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The litter container of claim 17, wherein the elimination area comprises a liner element containing a supply of a litter material suitable for use by the animal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The litter container of claim 16, wherein said lower housing section unitary wall is adapted to prevent spillage or leakage of animal elimination products or litter beyond the litter container. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The litter container of claim 16, wherein said litter container comprises an enclosed litter container, and said housing sections and the openings in said housing sections have dimensions selected to facilitate access to the elimination area by a range of small animals and to accommodate a wide range of elimination behaviors and habits of said animals while effectively capturing and containing products of animal elimination.