SELF-CLEANING PET LITTER APPARATUS AND RELATED METHOD

• Main Authors: WAN, YIU CHUNG, DEASY, RICHARD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 18.04.2006
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CARE OF BIRDS, FISHES, INSECTS; FISHING; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRAPPING

A self-cleaning litter apparatus (30) comprises a base (31); a turntabl e (32), rotatably mounted within the base; a pan (33), for holding a quantity of animal litter, the pan being rotatably driven with the turntable; a rake assembly (36), providing a rake movable through the animal litter; a waste receptacle (37) for receipt of animal waste deposited in the litter, the receptacle providin g a door (155) selectively moving to open and close the receptacle relative to moveme nt of the rake assembly; a sensing mechanism (120) for determining the presence of an animal in the pan; a drive mechanism (170) for rotating the turntable, drivi ng the rake assembly and operating movement of the door and, a controller (259) having a timer, and selectively providing power to the sensing mechanism and the drive mechanism. A method for initiating a self-cleaning cycle in a litter apparat us comprises providing a litter apparatus (30) having a pan (33), providing a quantity of self-clumping litter, said pan being tiltably rotatable about an axis; a rake assembly (36), providing a rake (160), movable through said litter while sai d pan is rotating; and a controller, having a timer; providing a sensing mechanism (120) comprising a plurality of weight sensors (66), and an electrically activated track assembly (121); and initiating a self-cleaning cycle whereby said track assembly is contacted by at least one said weight sensor in response to the weight of an animal in said pan and upon contact, said track assembly provides a signal to said timer which initiates a self-cleaning cycle after a pre-determined period.