Aquatic Animal Self-Sorting Passage Structure for Stress-Free Grading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current sorting methods for live aquatic animals, particularly crustaceans, are invasive, stressful, and labor-intensive, leading to high mortality and injury rates due to physical disturbances, and often require animals to be removed from water for sorting, which is not practical.

Innovation Solution

A device with guide elements acting as climbing aids and retaining elements as circumferential walls allows aquatic animals to voluntarily sort themselves by positioning at passage openings without physical contact, using adjustable passage openings and retaining elements to prevent re-entry, enabling stress-free sorting in water tanks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If current sorting methods (physical contact, removal from water) are used, then sorting efficiency is improved, but animal stress and mortality increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesorting efficiencyVSAvoidanimal stress and mortality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by allowing aquatic animals to voluntarily sort themselves through passage openings of appropriate sizes. The animals autonomously position themselves and pass through the screening device without external manipulation, eliminating the need for labor-intensive handling while reducing stress and mortality associated with forced sorting methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical sorting systems (rollers, physical contact devices) with a passive screening device consisting of support plates with passage openings. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact and physical disturbance, allowing animals to sort themselves through voluntary passage through appropriately sized openings, thereby reducing injury and stress

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If roller sorting systems are used, then sorting precision is improved, but device complexity and investment costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesorting precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the water tank into multiple areas using support plates with passage openings arranged at different heights and/or sizes. This creates distinct sorting zones that enable precise size-based separation of animals while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure compared to complex roller systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the passage openings adjustable in size. This allows the sorting device to adapt to different animal sizes and sorting requirements, providing sorting precision comparable to complex fixed systems while maintaining flexibility and reducing device complexity through a single adjustable mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If passage openings are made smaller for better size sorting, then sorting precision is improved, but animal injury risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesorting precisionVSAvoidanimal injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing guide elements at specific locations (leading up to passage openings) that are tailored to the needs of animals approaching those openings. These guide elements gently direct animals without applying force, ensuring safe passage through smaller openings while maintaining sorting precision through the localized guidance function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Ease of operation

If guide elements are added to improve animal guidance, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanimal guidanceVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing guide elements that serve multiple functions: they guide animals toward passage openings, prevent animals from bypassing the sorting mechanism, and maintain proper water flow. This multi-functionality improves ease of operation while minimizing the increase in device complexity by combining several functions into single structural elements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4258864B1Apparatus for voluntary self-orientation of living aquatic animals and applications thereof

Publication Date: 2025.08.20 ALFRED WEGENER INST HELMHOLTZ ZENT FUR POLAR & MEERESFORSCHUNG

Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2~3

AI summary

In the sorting apparatus (01) claimed by the invention, in the pass-through device (02), alternatively either planar passage openings (06) are provided in a carrier plate (05), having peripheral walls (11) as retaining elements (08) and climbing aids (09) as guide elements (07), or gap-shaped passage openings (06) are provided between adjacent rigid angle rails (15), wherein these have unchangeable exterior angles (17) as guide elements (07) and unchangeable interior angles (16) as retaining elements (08). The size of the effective pass-through openings (13, 14) of the passage openings (06) is variable. The claimed sorting apparatus (01) is particularly suitable for stress-free, voluntary self-sorting of crustaceans, in particular shrimp, in land-based aquaculture cultivation.