For many years people have used boxes such as wooden boxes and corrugated boxes to act as a holder for litter from household pets such as cats. In the corrugated box there is placed sand, sawdust or paper, or commercially available materials for absorbing the droppings from the household pets. After the absorbent material has been used for a period of time, say, a week or 10 days, the absorbent material gives off an odor which is unpleasant. It is necessary to clean the box of the absorbent material or else throw away the box of absorbent material. With a corrugated box the liquid in the absorbent material may soak into the corrugated paper and weaken the structure of the corrugated paper. Upon lifting the corrugated box the weakened sides and bottom may fall out of the box scattering the absorbent material and the droppings from the pets on the floor. Such an accident is both bothersome and time consuming in cleaning.
Further, in cleaning the droppings from the pets, such as by lifting the corrugated box of absorbent material or else the spilled absorbent material and droppings on the floor, a person's hands often come in contact with the absorbent material and the droppings. This can pose a health problem as the absorbent material saturated with the droppings is a health hazard. For example, at the present time it appears that the droppings from a cat have a harmful effect on pregnant women and that the embryo may be physically damaged because of a disease carried by the droppings from a cat. If a pregnant woman should, unfortunately, touch the droppings from a cat and which droppings carry a disease there is a possibility that the embryo will not be perfectly formed and that the child will have a deformity. Because of this it is desirable to try and isolate the absorbent material and the droppings so that the person cleaning the litter box does not touch the absorbent material and the droppings.
Further, in certain areas it is difficult to secure wooden boxes and corrugated boxes for holding the absorbent material and the droppings.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds