Cattle Fence Catching Tube Center of Gravity Shift

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing self-locking confinement fences for cattle face challenges in maintaining stability, preventing animal injury, reducing free spaces for self-locking reliability, and ensuring easy adjustability without increasing manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves shifting the center of gravity of the catching tube by adding a weight inside the catching tube, using U-shaped forks to prevent collar snagging, and incorporating a locking plate and stop parts to prevent head and leg entrapment, along with adjustable stop parts to prevent head throwing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the catching tube is designed without additional weight, then the manufacturing cost is low, but the catching tube may not reliably move into the catching position due to friction in the bearing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveself-locking reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameter of the catching tube by adding weight to it. This weight modification ensures that the catching tube reliably overcomes bearing friction and moves into the catching position, thereby improving self-locking reliability without requiring complex mechanical additions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the free spaces in the confinement grid are reduced to prevent animal entrapment, then the safety against injury is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection against injuryVSAvoidconfinement grid complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by specifically modifying the catching tube design with weight addition and positioning features rather than redesigning the entire confinement grid. This localized approach reduces free spaces at critical areas where animals interact with the fence, improving safety without requiring complex changes to the overall grid structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the catching tube is made adjustable to different animal dimensions, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustability to animal dimensionsVSAvoidlocking gate complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamics by making the catching tube adjustable in position along the base tube. This allows the catching tube to be dynamically repositioned to accommodate different animal sizes and dimensions, providing versatility without requiring a completely complex adjustable mechanism throughout the entire locking gate structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

This design enhances the stability and safety of the confinement fence, prevents animal injury, ensures reliable self-locking, and allows for easy adjustment to different animal dimensions while maintaining cost-effectiveness.

Implementation Method 1

By arranging an additional weight on the catching tube on the side facing the base tube, in relation to the bearing point of the catching tube and above the bearing point, the center of gravity of the catching tube is shifted in the direction of the base tube

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCenter of gravity shift: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP2160941B1Stanchion for large livestock
Publication Date: 2012.04.04 BRAUN GMBH
  • EP2160941B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2160941B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2160941B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b

AI summary

The barrier grid has upper and lower support tubes (3,3') between which a fixed tube is vertically mounted. A double elbowed base tube (5) is pivotedly mounted at the lower support tube and is longitudinally guided at the upper end of the upper support tube. A capturing tube (6), running from the upper support tube to the lower support tube, is pivotedly mounted on the fixed tube side of the base tube. An additional weight, particularly in the form of a solid metal rod in the interior of the capturing tube is arranged at the capturing tube, particularly in the area of its crank.