Angled Pet Gate Assembly With Tension Fit and Pivot Lock
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pet gates are often damaging to door jambs, provide minimal barrier effectiveness against pets jumping or climbing, and are cumbersome to move or adjust, failing to meet the needs of diverse pet sizes and home configurations.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable and adaptable pet gate assembly with angled components, including a pivotable second gate portion and locking mechanism, allows for adjustable angles to deter pets from jumping or climbing, and features tension mechanisms for easy installation and repositioning without damaging walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pet gates are attached to door jambs using nails and screws, then the gate can be securely fixed, but the door jambs are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for nails and screws by extracting the harmful attachment method. Instead, the gate uses a tension-based compression fit system where the gate body is pressed against the door jamb surfaces, eliminating damage to the door jamb while maintaining secure fixation through friction and normal force
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical fastening system (nails and screws penetrating the door jamb) with a friction-based compression system. The gate utilizes normal force and friction between the gate surface and door jamb to achieve secure attachment without penetration, substituting a damaging mechanical system with a non-damaging one
2Device complexity
If pet gates are made short and flat, then the gate structure remains simple, but the ability to prevent pets from jumping or climbing over is minimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional flat gate to a three-dimensional angled structure. The gate body is positioned at an angle (20-45 degrees) relative to the door jamb, creating a diagonal barrier that spans both vertical and horizontal dimensions. This angular configuration prevents pets from easily climbing or jumping over while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a rotatable gate portion that can be adjusted between a closed position (angled to prevent pet passage) and an open position (allowing human passage). This dynamic element enables the gate to adapt between security and accessibility functions without requiring complex mechanisms
3Stability of the object's composition
If pet gates are designed to be rigid and fixed, then the gate provides stable barrier, but the gate cannot be easily moved or adjusted for different room configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a rotatable gate portion that can pivot between a closed position (providing stable barrier) and an open position (allowing easy passage). This dynamic element enables the gate to transition between stability and mobility, allowing easy repositioning while maintaining barrier effectiveness when closed
Solution Approach 2:
The gate is divided into a fixed portion (attached to door jamb) and a rotatable gate portion. This segmentation allows the fixed portion to provide stable anchoring while the rotatable portion enables easy opening and repositioning, combining stability with operational flexibility
4Ease of operation
If pet gates with doors are made to allow easy room changing, then pet owners can move freely, but the gates become complex and clumsy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a simple rotational mechanism where the gate portion pivots on a hinge axis. This dynamic element allows easy opening for human passage and automatic closing for pet containment, achieving ease of operation with minimal mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex door mechanism that requires multiple components, the patent inverts the approach by using the gate body itself as the barrier that rotates into an open position. The simplicity of the rotational movement provides easy operation without the need for complex door assemblies
Data Source
AI summary
An animal gate used to block throughways may include a gate assembly which may include a first gate portion that may have a first frame and a second frame. The gate assembly may be positionable within an opening of a structure and couplable to the structure. The gate assembly may include a second gate portion pivotally coupled to the first frame such that the second gate portion may be pivotable about a horizontal axis between a first position and a second position. The gate assembly may include a locking mechanism arranged at least partly within the second gate portion and configured to lock the second gate portion in at least the first position such that in the first position the second gate portion may be arranged at an angle less than 90 degrees above horizontal. In some examples, pivoting the second gate portion to the second position permits the first frame and the second gate portion to pivot.