IP Library Granted Patent US 12667078
Granted Patent B2
US 12667078 · App. 19/278,806 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Automatic cat excrement removing device

Inventors: Shuwei Pan (Foshan, CN); Yuanbin Wen (Foshan, CN); Yuan Yao (Foshan, CN)
Assignee: FOSHAN LEILONG ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CO., LTD
A01K1/0114
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12667078
App. No.
19/278,806
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An automatic cat excrement removing device includes a pedestal, a ball compartment assembly that is detachably mounted on the pedestal. The ball compartment assembly has an axis and is configured to rotate around the axis relative to the pedestal. A peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is a shape of a revolving body. The peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is formed by a working compartment, a screening compartment, and an excrement collection compartment that is provided with an opening that is configured to allow cat excrement to fall into the excrement collection compartment. An excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly is disposed at the opening of the excrement collection compartment. The excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly is configured to selectively open or close the opening.

Claims (44)

1 . An automatic cat excrement removing device, comprising:

a pedestal;

a ball compartment assembly, wherein the ball compartment assembly is detachably mounted on the pedestal, wherein the ball compartment assembly has an axis and is configured to rotate around the axis relative to the pedestal, wherein a peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is a shape of a revolving body, wherein the peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is formed by a working compartment, a screening compartment, and an excrement collection compartment, wherein the excrement collection compartment is provided with an opening that is configured to allow cat excrement to fall into the excrement collection compartment, wherein an excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly is disposed at the opening of the excrement collection compartment, wherein the excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly is configured to selectively open or close the opening; wherein

when the ball compartment assembly rotates to an initial position, the working compartment is located at a lowest position of the ball compartment assembly; when the ball compartment assembly rotates in a first direction to a first position from the initial position, the screening compartment is located at the lowest position of the ball compartment assembly, so that cat litter falls into the screening compartment through a plurality of screening holes, while the cat excrement stays in the working compartment because a size of the cat excrement is larger than a size of each of the plurality of screening holes; and

when the ball compartment assembly rotates in the first direction from the first position to a second position, the excrement collection compartment is located at the lowest position of the ball compartment assembly, so that the cat excrement falls near the opening of the excrement collection compartment; when the ball compartment assembly rotates continuously in a second direction from the second position to the first position, the cat excrement falls into the excrement collection compartment due to self-gravity of the cat excrement; when the ball compartment assembly rotates continuously back to the initial position from the first position, the cat litter falls into the working compartment through the screening holes of the screening compartment.

2 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the working compartment is axially provided with an inlet, which is configured to allow a cat to enter and exit the working compartment.

3 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a height of the inlet of the working compartment does not exceed 10 cm.

4 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the working compartment is disposed opposite to the screening compartment; and the excrement collection compartment is located on a side of the screening compartment, and is configured to cause the working compartment to be located near a highest position of the ball compartment assembly when the screening compartment or the excrement collection compartment is located at a lowest position of the ball compartment assembly.

5 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an end of the excrement collection compartment is hinged to the working compartment, and is configured to turn outwards relative to the working compartment.

6 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly and a mounting mating surface of the opening are configured to clamp an opening portion of a rubbish bag and allow the rubbish bag to maintain in an opening status.

7 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly comprises:

a base detachably connected to the opening; and

a cover plate, of which an end is hinged to the base, and configured to be in an open state under an action of self-gravity of the cover plate when the excrement collection compartment is at a lowest position of the ball compartment assembly, the cat excrement falling into the excrement collection compartment, wherein when the excrement collection compartment is at a highest position of the ball compartment assembly, the cover plate returns to a closed state under the action of self-gravity, and the cat excrement is locked in the excrement collection compartment.

8 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly further comprises:

a first magnet, disposed on a free end of the cover plate, wherein a second magnet is disposed at a position of the base which corresponds to the first magnet, so that the cover plate and the base are in a locking state during rotation of the ball compartment assembly from the initial position to the second position; when the ball compartment assembly returns to the initial position, the cover plate rests on the base again under the action of self-gravity and the first magnet and the second magnet are re-connected to reinforce a locking force between the cover plate and the base.

9 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a sensing apparatus, configured to start, when a cat is sensed to leave the working compartment, a driving assembly to drive the ball compartment assembly to rotate from the initial position to the second position via the first position, until the cat excrement falls into the excrement collection compartment.

10 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the sensing apparatus is a microwave radar, or a pyroelectric infrared sensor, or a thermopile infrared sensor, or an infrared intrusion detector, or a light-sensing sensor.

11 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a litter-cleaning module, configured to start, when a user starts the litter-cleaning module, a driving assembly to drive the ball compartment assembly to reversely rotate from the initial position to the first position via the second position, until cat litter completely falls into the excrement collection compartment.

12 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the litter-cleaning module is a button, or a touch key, or a module remotely controlled by means of Wi-Fi, smart phone apps, or a global wireless communication standard.

13 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a driving assembly, wherein the driving assembly comprises:

a motor, fixedly disposed on the pedestal; and

a gear assembly, of which one end is fixed disposed on an output end of the motor, and an other end is selectively connected to the ball compartment assembly, and configured to drive the ball compartment assembly to rotate under the driving of the motor.

14 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein an end of the pedestal that is away from the gear assembly is further provided with rolling wheels, which are configured to support the ball compartment assembly when the ball compartment assembly is mounted on the pedestal; and when the ball compartment assembly rotates, the rolling wheels simultaneously rotate around their own axis.

15 . The automatic cat excrement removing device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the gear assembly comprises: a driving gear, a first driven gear and a second driven gear; wherein the first driven gear comprises a large gear and a small gear that are coaxially and integrally disposed; one end of the driving gear is connected to an output end of the motor, and an other end of the driving gear meshes with the large gear of the first driven gear; the small gear of the first driven gear selectively meshes with the second driven gear; the second driven gear is fixedly disposed on the ball compartment assembly.

16 . An automatic cat excrement removing device, comprising:

a ball compartment assembly, configured to have at least three spaces comprising a working compartment used for holding cat litter and allowing a cat to excrete, a screening compartment for screening cat litter and cat excrement, and an excrement collection compartment for holding cat excrement, wherein the excrement collection compartment is provided with an opening that is configured to allow cat excrement to fall into the excrement collection compartment, wherein a surface of the screening compartment facing a center of a circle of the ball compartment assembly is provided with a plurality of screening holes;

a driving assembly, configured to drive the ball compartment assembly to automatically rotate; and

an excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly that is disposed at the opening of the excrement collection compartment, wherein

when the ball compartment assembly rotates to an initial position, the working compartment is located at a lowest position of the ball compartment assembly; when the ball compartment assembly rotates in a first direction to a first position from the initial position, the screening compartment is located at the lowest position of the ball compartment assembly, so that the cat litter falls into the screening compartment through the plurality of screening holes, while the cat excrement stays in the working compartment because a size of the cat excrement is larger than a size of each of the plurality of screening holes; and

when the ball compartment assembly rotates in the first direction from the first position to a second position, the excrement collection compartment is located at the lowest position of the ball compartment assembly, so that the cat excrement falls near the opening of the excrement collection compartment; when the ball compartment assembly rotates continuously in a second direction from the second position to the first position, the cat excrement falls into the excrement collection compartment due to self-gravity of the cat excrement; when the ball compartment assembly rotates continuously back to the initial position from the first position, the cat litter falls into the working compartment through the screening holes of the screening compartment;

wherein a peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is a shape of a revolving body, the peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is formed by the working compartment, the screening compartment and the excrement collection compartment, the working compartment and the screening compartment are connected through the screening holes;

wherein the excrement collection compartment cover plate assembly further comprises:

a base; and

a cover plate, of which an end is hinged to the base, and configured to be in an open state under an action of self-gravity of the cover plate when the excrement collection compartment is at a lowest position of the ball compartment assembly, the cat excrement falling into the excrement collection compartment, wherein when the excrement collection compartment is at a highest position of the ball compartment assembly, the cover plate returns to a closed state under the action of self-gravity, and the cat excrement is locked in the excrement collection compartment.

17 . An automatic cat excrement removing device, comprising:

a ball compartment assembly, configured to have at least three spaces comprising a working compartment used for holding cat litter and allowing a cat to excrete, a screening compartment for screening cat litter and cat excrement, and an excrement collection compartment for holding cat excrement, wherein a surface of the screening compartment facing a center of a circle of the ball compartment assembly is provided with a plurality of screening holes, wherein a peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is a shape of a revolving body, the peripheral contour of the ball compartment assembly is formed by the working compartment, the screening compartment and the excrement collection compartment, the working compartment and the screening compartment are connected through the screening holes;

a driving assembly, configured to drive the ball compartment assembly to automatically rotate; and

a litter-cleaning module, wherein

when the ball compartment assembly rotates to an initial position, the working compartment is located at a lowest position of the ball compartment assembly; when the ball compartment assembly rotates in a first direction to a first position from the initial position, the screening compartment is located at the lowest position of the ball compartment assembly, so that the cat litter falls into the screening compartment through the plurality of screening holes, while the cat excrement stays in the working compartment because a size of the cat excrement is larger than a size of each of the plurality of screening holes;

when the ball compartment assembly rotates in the first direction from the first position to a second position, the excrement collection compartment is located at the lowest position of the ball compartment assembly, so that the cat excrement falls near the excrement collection compartment; when the ball compartment assembly rotates continuously in a second direction from the second position to the first position, the cat excrement falls into the excrement collection compartment due to self-gravity of the cat excrement; when the ball compartment assembly rotates continuously back to the initial position from the first position, the cat litter falls into the working compartment through the screening holes of the screening compartment; and

when a user starts the litter-cleaning module, the ball compartment assembly rotates continuously in the second direction from the initial position to the first position via the second position until cat litter completely falls into the excrement collection compartment.