Below-Ground Wildlife Feeder with Angled Troughs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wildlife feeders fail to protect feed from harsh outdoor environments and unwanted critters, leading to feed deterioration and depletion, as they typically keep the feed above the ground, making it susceptible to weather and animal access.
Innovation Solution
A wildlife feeder design featuring a hopper with sloping bottom walls and a vertically mounted manifold leading to a head with angled feed troughs, which keeps the feed below ground level, incorporating a recessed upturned lip and adjustable baffles to prevent moisture and unwanted animal access while allowing deer access, thus protecting the feed from environmental elements and critters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If feed is kept above ground level in traditional feeders, then animals can easily access the feed, but the feed is exposed to harsh weather conditions and unwanted critters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional feeder design by positioning the feed storage hopper below ground level rather than above it. The hopper is installed in a pit or depression in the ground, with only the feed dispensing mechanism extending above ground. This inversion protects the bulk feed storage from weather exposure and critter access while maintaining animal accessibility through the dispensing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs nesting by placing the hopper structure within the ground level, effectively embedding the feed storage system into the earth. The hopper is nested in a pit, with the ground itself serving as protective coverage, while the dispensing mechanism extends outward from this nested position to provide access.
2Productivity
If feed is stored in a hopper above ground, then the feed is easily dispensable, but it becomes wet from rain and snow
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the hopper position to below ground level, the patent protects the feed from precipitation while maintaining dispensing functionality. The hopper remains positioned to allow gravity-fed dispensing through the manifold and trough system, but the bulk storage is shielded from rain and snow by being underground.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary protective structure - the underground pit and the hopper positioning system - that mediates between the need for feed dispensing and the need for weather protection. The dispensing mechanism acts as an intermediary element that extends above ground to provide access while the bulk storage remains protected below ground.
3Reliability
If the feeder uses a vertical manifold with angled troughs, then feed overflow is prevented, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the angle of the troughs relative to the vertical manifold axis. Different troughs can have different angles optimized for their specific function - some angles prevent overflow while others facilitate animal access. This localized optimization of trough angles provides effective feed containment while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The feeder effectively shields the feed from weather and critters, maintaining its integrity and availability for intended wildlife by positioning it below ground level and using angled troughs to prevent overflow and animal access, ensuring the feed remains dry and accessible.
Implementation Method 1
a hopper delivers particulate feed to animals through a multiplicity of tubes or passages under the impetus of gravity
Data Source
AI summary
A wildlife feeder having a hopper, a manifold, and a removed head at a removed end of the manifold. The hopper is designed to enclose particulate feed, such as corn, for dispensing through the manifold and head to wildlife. The head has a multiplicity of feed troughs and each feed trough has an angled top wall and an angled bottom wall, angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the manifold and a plane of a tabular floor of the head.