Coated extruded animal litter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9266090-B2
Application number	US-201313868084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2013
Priority date	Sep 11, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A litter and litter making method producing cat litter from a carbohydrate starch-containing cereal grain, e.g., corn, based admixture extruded from a single screw or twin screw extruder forming pellets having a clumping agent formed during extrusion composed at least in part of carbohydrate polymer binder. Each pellet is extruded under conditions that cause formation of carbohydrate polymer binder clumping agent at least some of which is water soluble. One preferred method of extruding cat litter causes starch dextrinization to occur such that at least some of the carbohydrate polymer binder clumping agent in each pellet is formed of dextrin. Each pellet can be coated such as with a smectite that preferably is bentonite. During use, pellet extrusion formed clumping agent in a pellet wetted with urine dissolves and flows in between and along adjacent pellets causing them to clump together without the presence of any clumping agent additive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An animal litter comprised of a plurality of coated extruded litter pellets formed of uncoated extruded litter pellets each having an outer coating comprised of a smectite applied after extrusion of the uncoated extruded litter pellets wherein (a) the uncoated extruded litter pellets have a bulk density no greater than 0.4 grams per cubic centimeter and are comprised of a starch and a water soluble litter pellet clumping agent formed from the starch during extrusion of the uncoated extruded litter pellets sufficient to clump the uncoated extruded litter pellets when the uncoated extruded litter pellets are wetted with a liquid, and (b) the coated extruded litter pellets have a bulk density no greater than 0.7 grams per cubic centimeter after application of the outer coating comprised of the smectite to the uncoated extruded litter pellets after extrusion of the uncoated extruded litter pellets.

2. The animal litter of claim 1 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are comprised of at least 5% water soluble litter pellet clumping agent by uncoated extruded litter pellet weight sufficient to clump the coated extruded pellets when wetted with liquid and form flowable liquid adhesive that flows therefrom during clumping.

3. The animal litter of claim 2 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are further comprised of a cellulosic fiber.

4. The animal litter of claim 2 wherein the smectite is comprised of bentonite.

5. The animal litter of claim 2 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are comprised of one of corn, maize, rice, wheat, triticale, amaranth and sorghum and the starch from which the water soluble litter pellet clumping agent is formed is provided by the one of one of corn, maize, rice, wheat, triticale, amaranth and sorghum.

6. The animal litter of claim 5 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are comprised of at least 1% dextrin by uncoated extruded litter pellet weight.

7. The animal litter of claim 6 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are further comprised of a cellulosic fiber.

8. The animal litter of claim 2 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are comprised of at least one of corn grits, cornmeal, corn starch, corn flour, rice grits, rice meal, rice starch, rice flour, wheat grits, wheat meal, wheat starch, wheat flour, triticale grits, triticale meal, triticale starch, triticale flour, amaranth grits, amaranth meal, amaranth starch, amaranth flour, sorghum grits, sorghum meal, sorghum starch, and sorghum flour, and the starch from which the water soluble litter pellet clumping agent is formed is provided by the at least one of corn grits, cornmeal, corn starch, corn flour, rice grits, rice meal, rice starch, rice flour, wheat grits, wheat meal, wheat starch, wheat flour, triticale grits, triticale meal, triticale starch, triticale flour, amaranth grits, amaranth meal, amaranth starch, amaranth flour, sorghum grits, sorghum meal, sorghum starch, and sorghum flour.

9. The animal litter of claim 8 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are comprised of at least 5% dextrin by uncoated extruded litter pellet weight.

10. The animal litter of claim 9 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are further comprised of a cellulosic fiber.

11. The animal litter of claim 1 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are comprised substantially completely of at least one cereal grain and wherein the water soluble litter pellet clumping agent comprises at least 5% water soluble litter pellet clumping agent by uncoated extruded litter pellet weight formed from starch of the at least one cereal grain during extrusion sufficient to clump the coated extruded pellets when wetted with liquid and form flowable liquid adhesive that flows therefrom during clumping.

12. The animal litter of claim 11 wherein the at least one cereal grain is comprised of corn.

13. The animal litter of claim 12 wherein the at least one cereal grain is comprised of at least one of corn grits, cornmeal, corn starch, and corn flour.

14. The animal litter of claim 1 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are formed substantially completely of at least one cereal grain having a moisture content no greater than 18% during extrusion of the uncoated extruded litter pellets and wherein the water soluble litter pellet clumping agent comprises at least 5% water soluble litter pellet clumping agent by uncoated extruded litter pellet weight formed from the at least one cereal grain during extrusion sufficient to clump the coated extruded pellets when wetted with liquid and form flowable liquid adhesive that flows therefrom during clumping.

15. The animal litter of claim 14 wherein the at least one cereal grain is comprised of corn.

16. The animal litter of claim 15 wherein the at least one cereal grain is comprised of at least one of corn grits, cornmeal, corn starch, and corn flour.

17. The animal litter of claim 14 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets have a porous outer surface and a plurality of internal voids.

18. The animal litter of claim 1 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are comprised substantially completely of at least one cereal grain and a cellulosic fiber and wherein the water soluble litter pellet clumping agent comprises at least 5% dextrin by uncoated extruded litter pellet weight formed from starch of the at least one cereal grain during extrusion.

19. The animal litter of claim 18 wherein each uncoated extruded litter pellet is comprised of at least 65% of the at least one cereal grain with the remainder substantially completely comprised of the cellulosic fiber.

20. The animal litter of claim 19 wherein the at least cereal grain is comprised of corn.

21. The animal litter of claim 19 wherein the cellulosic fiber is comprised of at least one of an oat, alfalfa, wood, and beet fiber.

22. The animal litter of claim 19 wherein each uncoated extruded litter pellet is comprised of between 65% and 85% of the at least one cereal grain and between 15% and 35% of the cellulosic fiber.

23. An animal litter comprised of a plurality of coated extruded litter pellets formed of uncoated extruded litter pellets each having an outer coating comprised of a smectite applied after extrusion of the uncoated extruded litter pellets wherein (a) the uncoated extruded litter pellets are formed from at least one cereal grain with the uncoated extruded litter pellets having a bulk density no greater than 0.4 grams per cubic centimeter and at least 5% water soluble litter pellet clumping agent by uncoated extruded litter pellet weight sufficient to clump the coated extruded litter pellets and form flowable liquid adhesive that flows therefrom when the coated extruded litter pellets are wetted with a liquid, and (b) the coated extruded litter pellets have a bulk density no greater than 0.7 grams per cubic centimeter after application of the outer coating comprised of the smectite to the uncoated extruded litter pellets after extrusion of the uncoated extruded litter pellets.

24. The animal litter of claim 23 wherein the uncoated extruded litter pellets are formed substantially completely from the at least one cereal grain and wherein the at least 5% water soluble litter pellet clumping agent is formed in the uncoated extruded litter pellets from starch of the at least one cereal grains during extrusion of the uncoated extruded litter pellets.

25. The animal litter of cla

Assignees

• Pioneer Pet Products Llc

Inventors

• Lipscomb John M
• Repinski Scott

Classifications

• A01K1/0154

  comprising inorganic material · CPC title

• B01J20/24 Primary

  Naturally occurring macromolecular compounds, e.g. humic acids or their derivatives · CPC title

• B29C48/022

  characterised by the choice of material · CPC title

• B29B9/16

  Auxiliary treatment of granules · CPC title

• A01K1/0107

  Cat trays; Dog urinals; Toilets for pets · CPC title