Cage Floor Device with Baffles for Litter Containment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing animal cage systems fail to effectively restrict the movement of litter, leading to interference with equipment operation, particularly scales, and lack a structure that isolates distinct regions for litter confinement while allowing animal passage.

Innovation Solution

A monolithic device with low walls and baffles is placed on the cage floor, creating three zones: a scale zone, an outside zone, and a channel zone, where the channel has multiple low hurdles that block litter while allowing animal passage, preventing litter from accumulating around or over equipment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If litter is placed in the cage for animal use, then animal comfort and nesting are improved, but equipment operation is compromised due to litter interference

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanimal comfortVSAvoidequipment operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cage is divided into distinct zones using walls and baffles: a first zone for equipment (scale) free of litter, a second zone for animal activity with litter, and a third zone as a transition area. This segmentation physically separates litter-containing areas from equipment areas, allowing animals to access litter for comfort while preventing litter from interfering with equipment operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If walls are added to restrict litter movement, then equipment protection is improved, but animal movement is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment protectionVSAvoidanimal movement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Different wall heights are used in different locations: higher walls (first height) in areas where litter containment is critical near equipment, and lower walls (second height) in animal activity areas that allow easier animal movement. The baffles in the transition zone are positioned at heights that block litter but allow animals to pass over them, creating local variations in containment effectiveness that balance equipment protection with animal mobility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If multiple baffles are installed to block litter, then litter containment is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelitter containmentVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A third transition zone with multiple baffles is introduced as an intermediary area between the equipment zone and the animal activity zone. These baffles act as intermediate barriers that progressively filter and block litter movement while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure. The baffles are positioned to create a gradual transition that contains litter effectively without requiring complex mechanisms or multiple high walls throughout the entire cage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10455806B1Device and method of restricting animal litter movement

Publication Date: 2019.10.29 RECURSION PHARMACEUTICALS INC

AI summary

A device and method of keeping litter in an animal cage away from equipment in an animal cage. Embodiments comprise two or more walls to define three zones in an animal cage: an equipment zone, a channel zone, and an outsize zone. The channel zone connects the outside zone with the equipment zone. Baffles in the channel zone permit access by animals but block some fraction of litter from passing from the outsize zone into the equipment zone. Embodiments include a weighing scale in the equipment zone. Embodiments include shapes that constrain devices or equipment to predetermined locations within a cage. Embodiments include methods of use and use in a vivarium.