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US 8,539,911 B1Granted
Disposable feline litter box
OwnerKathryn B. Landruminventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disposable feline litter box includes a tray prefilled with litter and including a permanently affixed upwardly extendable enclosure. An end face of the enclosure includes a hinged door flap which allows a feline to enter and exit the enclosure by pushing the flap in the appropriate direction. The various components of the litter box are made of bio-degradable materials. The litter box is initially provided in a collapsed configuration to allow for storage and transportation and is returned to the collapsed configuration for disposal.
Claims17
A disposable feline litter box comprising:
- a tray receptacle having a litter-filled interior;
- a corrugated enclosure affixed to said tray receptacle, said enclosure being upwardly extendable to an expanded state and downwardly retractable to a collapsed state;
- a top affixed to an upper end of said enclosure;
- an opening disposed in a forward facing side of said enclosure for ingress and egress of a feline;
- a door hingedly attached to said enclosure for covering said opening;
- two pairs of linkages, each of said pair of linkages being pivotably attached between a middle of said tray receptacle and a middle of said top on opposing sides of said enclosure;
- and
- a pair of stops, each of said pair of stops comprising a solid body comprising at least one flat side extending outwardly from opposing sides of said tray receptacle proximate said middle of said tray receptacle and adjacent to a lower end portion of each of said pair of linkages;
- wherein said pair of linkages pivot to a generally horizontal orientation to maintain said enclosure in said collapsed state and to a generally vertical orientation to maintain said enclosure in said expanded state;
- and
- wherein a side edge of said lower end portion each of said pair of linkages abuts said flat side of one of said pair of stops when said enclosure is in said expanded state.
8 more elements
A disposable feline litter box comprising:
- a generally rectangular tray having a litter-filled interior receptacle;
- an enclosure defining a hollow interior affixed over said tray and comprising sides having a plurality of accordion pleats, said enclosure being upwardly extendable to an expanded state and downwardly retractable to a collapsed state;
- a top affixed to an upper end of said enclosure;
- an opening disposed in at least one of said sides of said enclosure for ingress and egress of a feline;
- a door hingedly attached to said enclosure for covering said opening;
- two pairs of linkages, each of said pair of linkages being pivotably attached between a middle of said tray and a middle of said top on opposing ones of said sides of said enclosure;
- a pair of stops, each of said pair of stops comprising a solid body comprising at least one flat side extending outwardly from opposing sides of said tray proximate said middle of said tray and adjacent to a lower end portion of each of said pair of linkages;
- and,
- a pair of straps, each of said pair of straps comprising an end affixed to said tray and an opposing free end;
- wherein said pleats are movable toward each other to place said enclosure in said collapsed state;
- wherein said pair of linkages pivot to a generally horizontal orientation when said enclosure is in said collapsed state;
- wherein said free ends of said pair of straps are releasably secured to said top around said enclosure to retain said enclosure in said collapsed state;
- wherein said pleats are movable away from each other to place said enclosure in said expanded state;
- wherein said pair of linkages pivot to a generally vertical orientation to maintain said enclosure is in said expanded state;
- and,
- wherein a side edge of said lower end portion of each of said pair of linkages abuts said flat side of one of said pair of stops when said enclosure is in said expanded state.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.