Below-Ground Wildlife Feeder with Angled Troughs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wildlife and domestic animal feeders are prone to feed deterioration and theft by wildlife due to exposure to harsh weather and clever animals, as they typically keep feed above the ground, making it vulnerable to moisture and unwanted critters.
Innovation Solution
A wildlife feeder design featuring a hopper with downwardly sloping bottom walls and a manifold that directs feed to a head with angled feed troughs, which are positioned below the ground to protect the feed from weather and critters, while allowing easy access for animals, using a combination of legs and a manifold to support the hopper and direct feed flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
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 causing deterioration and theft
Solution Approach 1:
The feeder transitions from above-ground feed storage to below-ground feed storage by positioning the feed trough and hopper assembly into a ground-level recess or pit. This dimensional change protects feed from weather exposure and critter access while maintaining animal accessibility through properly positioned feed openings at ground level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary structure consisting of the hopper and feed trough assembly that sits partially above and partially below ground level. This intermediary configuration allows feed to be stored protected below ground while still providing access points at ground level for animals, mediating between protection needs and access needs.
2Reliability
If feed troughs are positioned below ground level, then feed is protected from weather and critters, but the structure becomes more complex requiring integration with ground level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the feeder structure with the ground level by positioning the hopper and feed trough assembly into a ground recess. The structure combines above-ground components (hopper body, feed opening) with below-ground components (feed trough, protective enclosure) to create an integrated system that simplifies installation and reduces the need for separate protective structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground-level recess serves multiple functions: it protects the feed trough from weather, provides structural support for the hopper assembly, and acts as a barrier against unwanted critters. This multi-functional use of the ground integration reduces the need for additional protective components.
3Ease of operation
If the hopper is supported above ground on legs, then feed flow to below-ground trough is enabled, but the structure requires additional support components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the feed opening of the hopper and the feed trough at compatible elevation levels, creating an equipotential feed flow path. The hopper is supported on legs to achieve the proper height above ground, enabling gravity-driven feed flow into the below-ground trough without requiring additional mechanical feed delivery mechanisms.
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 harsh weather and unwanted animals, maintaining feed quality and quantity by keeping it below ground level, while allowing targeted access for intended animals, thus reducing waste and theft.
Implementation Method 1
a hopper with downwardly sloping bottom walls... The head receives palletized, grandular or particulate feed from the feed supply opening of the manifold
Implementation Method 2
A manifold having a longitudinal axis is mounted to the bottom of the hopper and depending generally vertically downward from the sloping bottom walls of the hopper
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.