Adjustable Dog Toy With Interchangeable Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dog toys fail to provide sustained engagement and reward for dogs, often leading to destructive behavior due to lack of interest over time, resulting in anxiety and damage when left alone.
Innovation Solution
A dog toy design featuring interchangeable components with adjustable separation forces, allowing treats to be inserted and accessed by dogs through selective protrusions, providing a challenging and rewarding experience that can be tailored to the dog's strength and persistence level.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If conventional dog toys are provided to occupy the dog, then the dog may be pacified for a short period, but the dog quickly loses interest and the toy becomes ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The toy incorporates adjustable difficulty levels through interchangeable components (different sized openings, different sized treats) that allow the challenge level to be dynamically changed based on the dog's progress and ability, preventing boredom and maintaining engagement over extended periods
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key parameters including treat size, opening size, and component configuration to adjust the difficulty level. This allows the toy to adapt to the dog's improving skills over time, extending the duration of effective engagement by continuously presenting appropriate challenges
2Duration of action of moving object
If the toy requires too much effort for the dog to access treats, then the dog may become frustrated and give up, but if it requires too little effort, the dog loses interest quickly
Solution Approach 1:
By providing multiple treat options of different sizes and values, and multiple opening sizes, the system allows owners to adjust the effort-reward balance. Larger treats behind smaller openings create appropriate challenge, while easier configurations are available when needed, optimizing both engagement duration and ease of operation
3Duration of action of moving object
If the toy structure is made more complex to provide adjustable challenges, then the engagement duration increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The toy is divided into separate interchangeable components (different sized openings, different sized treats, removable parts) that can be independently selected and combined. This modular approach creates complex adjustable challenges while keeping individual components simple and the overall system manageable
Data Source
AI summary
A dog toy comprises a first component having a body that defines a cavity, the body having an opening into the cavity. The dog toy also comprises a second component having a body comprising a first protrusion and a second protrusion. Each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is selectively insertable into the first component opening in a manner where it remains within the opening to close the opening and is removable from the first component opening when a separation force is applied. The separation force for the first protrusion is different than the separation force for the second protrusion. A treat can be inserted into the first component cavity, the first component cavity can be closed by insertion of the first protrusion or second protrusion into the first component opening, and a dog can gain access to the treat by separating the first component and the second component.