Animal waste disposal apparatus

An easily reversible litter box assembly which automatically separates animal waste from litter material, accumulates the waste for disposal, and recycles the filtered litter material, the assembly comprising:

• a) a hopper assembly having an upper and lower hopper with an opening there between, said upper hopper vertically disposed over said lower hopper, whereby said lower hopper functions as a litter box;
• b) a support means for rotatably supporting said hopper assembly so that the positions of said upper and lower hoppers can be reversed by rotating said hopper assembly on said support means;
• and
• c) a separating means mounted in said opening between said upper and lower hoppers for separating animal waste from litter material, so that rotation of said hopper assembly on said support means simultaneously empties the, contents of the previously lower positioned hopper onto the separating means, moves the previously lower positioned hopper to the upper position, moves the previously upper positioned hopper to the lower position, separates animal waste from litter material, and deposits filtered litter material in the hopper newly positioned in the lower position for reuse;
• d) a closeable opening on each of said upper and lower hoppers so that an animal may ingress and egress the opening of a given hopper of said hopper assembly and filtered air can pass through the other hopper of said hopper assembly.

An easily reversible litter box assembly which automatically separates animal waste from litter material, accumulates waste for disposal and recycles the filtered litter material for reuse, the assembly comprising:

• a) a mated cooperating first and second opposed hoppers having an angled opening therebetween, so that litter material may pass between said hoppers;
• b) a screen member mounted in said angled opening between said first and second hoppers having a multiplicity of openings sized to separate animal waste from litter material, so that animal waste may not pass between said hoppers;
• and
• c) a frame rotatably supporting said first and second hoppers whereby rotation of first and second hoppers on said frame removes litter material from the previously active hopper, transfers accumulated animal waste and litter to said screen member, accumulates animal waste above said screen member and deposits the filtered litter material below said screen member into the newly active hopper for reuse.

A method of using an animal litter box having an upper and lower cooperating hoppers with a screen member disposed therebetween at an approximate 45.degree. angle, at least one hopper comprising a chute, a pivotal door mounted within said chute, and an aperture, said cooperating hopper assembly rotatably mounted on a frame, wherein said method comprises:

• a) closing said pivotal door within said chute;
• b) attaching a disposable collection means on said chute of said at least one hopper;
• c) rotating said hopper assembly in one direction on said support whereby said cooperating hopper assembly is inverted and said upper and lower hoppers are reversed and any animal waste accumulates on said screen member as the filtered litter material passes through to the lowest hopper;
• and
• d) opening said pivotal door in said chute of the upper hopper after rotating said hopper assembly and after attaching said disposable collection means whereby said animal waste is deposited in said disposable collection means.