Elevated Animal Bed Frame Assembly for Fabric Tension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal beds with elevated frames are difficult to assemble and disassemble, and often require complex hardware for tensioning the fabric bedding, which can lead to sagging and increased piece count during disassembly.
Innovation Solution
A modular animal bed design featuring elongate frame members and corner fittings with varying configurations, including detents for manual retention, allows for easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining fabric tension, using a combination of interference fits and removable fasteners to support the frame above a substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional elevated frame designs are used, then the animal bed provides elevated support, but assembly and disassembly become difficult and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into separate modular components including corner fittings and elongate members that can be independently assembled and disassembled. The corner fittings serve as connection nodes that join multiple frame members together, enabling easy assembly through simple coupling actions without requiring complex tools or procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The elongate frame members are designed to insert through passages in the corner fittings, creating a nested arrangement where the frame members fit within the corner fitting structure. This nesting mechanism allows for simple assembly by inserting members through passages and easy disassembly by reversing the insertion action.
2Reliability
If traditional frame designs are used, then the structure provides support, but fabric tension is not maintained leading to sagging
Solution Approach 1:
The corner fittings are designed with adjustable mechanisms that allow dynamic adjustment of frame member positions to maintain optimal fabric tension. The fittings can be adjusted along the elongate members to compensate for fabric sagging and maintain proper tension levels throughout the bedding structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different corner fittings are configured with varying passage arrangements and adjustment capabilities to address local tension requirements at different positions of the frame. This allows optimized tension maintenance at specific locations where fabric sagging is most likely to occur.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are used, then the frame can be assembled, but the number of pieces increases making storage difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple frame components are merged into integrated corner fitting assemblies that combine connection functionality with structural support. Each corner fitting integrates the joining mechanism and passage structures needed to attach multiple frame members, reducing the total number of separate pieces while maintaining full assembly capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An animal bed includes a plurality of elongate frame members, a plurality of corner fittings coupling the plurality of elongate frame members to form a frame, bedding supported by the frame, and at least one support supporting the frame above an underlying substrate. Each of at least first and second corner fittings among the plurality of corner fittings has a passage formed therethrough that receives therein a corresponding one of the elongate frame members.