Litter box assembly

Abstract

A cat litter box assembly having a base tray and an insert. The base tray has opposing side walls and a front wall. The front wall has a height less than the opposing side walls to define a partially open end of the base tray. The insert has a bottom wall and opposing side walls. The bottom wall has a plurality of openings formed in a portion thereof and a leading edge that extends between ends of the opposing side walls. The leading edge of the bottom wall and ends of the opposing side walls define an open end of the insert. The insert is insertable into the base tray through the partially open end of the base tray such that the leading edge of the insert engages and slides along the bottom wall of the base tray as the insert is inserted into the base tray.

Having described the invention, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A litter box assembly comprised of:
 a base tray having a bottom wall, opposing side walls, a back wall and a front wall, said front wall having a height less than said opposing side walls to define a partially open end of said base tray; and   an insert dimensioned to be disposed within said base tray, said insert having a bottom wall, opposing side walls and a back wall, said bottom wall having a plurality of openings formed in a portion thereof and a leading edge that extends between ends of said opposing side walls wherein said leading edge of said bottom wall and said ends of said opposing side walls define an open end of said insert,   wherein said insert is insertable into said base tray through said partially open end of said base tray such that said leading edge of said insert engages and slides along said bottom wall of said base tray as said insert is inserted into said base tray and wherein said back wall of said insert has a height equal to said opposing side walls of said base tray such that said back wall of said insert is disposed next to said front wall of said base tray and said back wall of said insert closes said partially open end of said base tray when said insert is disposed in said base tray.   
     
     
         2 . A litter box assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of openings of said insert define a screen portion of said bottom of said insert. 
     
     
         3 . A litter box assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein an angle between said bottom of said insert and said bottom of said base tray when said leading edge of said insert engages said bottom wall of said base tray near said front wall of said base tray is between about 60 degrees and about 30 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . A litter box assembly as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said angle is between about 50 degrees and about 40 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . A litter box assembly as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said angle is about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . A litter box assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said front wall of said base tray has a height that is between about 25% and about 45% of the height of said opposing side walls of said base tray. 
     
     
         7 . A litter box assembly as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said front wall of said base tray has a height that is about 25% of the height of said opposing side walls of said base tray.