Collapsible Crab Trap with Weighted Side Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crab trap designs lack a bait feeder cage and fail to ensure immediate opening of side panels, which hampers bait accessibility and crab entrapment, and often lack stability in strong currents.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible crab trap with a unique centrally-located bait feeder and weighted side panels that automatically open, featuring a U-shaped lock for easy baiting and stability, and can be assembled in one step from a collapsed state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bait feeder cage is added to improve bait accessibility, then the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bait feeder cage is nested within the crab trap structure, with the cage positioned centrally and the access door integrated into the trap's side panel. This nesting approach allows the bait feeder functionality to be incorporated without adding external components, thereby improving bait accessibility while minimizing increases in overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If weighted side panels are added to ensure immediate opening, then the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Weight is added locally to specific portions of the side panels rather than throughout the entire structure. The weighting is applied selectively to the lower portions of the side panels, creating the necessary gravitational force for automatic opening while minimizing overall material usage and structural complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If weighted side panels are added to provide stability in currents, then the weight of the object increases
Solution Approach 1:
Weight is concentrated in the side panels that serve dual functions: enabling automatic opening and providing current stability. This localized weighting achieves both objectives without requiring additional weight throughout the entire trap structure, thereby improving stability in currents while minimizing overall weight increase.
4Volume of moving object
If the trap is designed to collapse into a flat configuration, then the volume of the object decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The crab trap is divided into multiple hinged segments including side panels, end panels, and a top panel that can fold relative to each other. This segmentation allows the trap to collapse into a substantially flat configuration for compact transport, while the hinged connections enable easy reassembly without requiring complex assembly 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 crab trap ensures easy baiting, immediate crab entrapment, and stability on the ocean bed, while being easy to transport and assemble, with weighted side panels ensuring effective operation in currents.
Implementation Method 1
the trap can be assembled in one manual step from a collapsed state to an open state by simply attaching one spring to the side bait panels and top panel of the bait feeder
Implementation Method 2
The crab trap has weighted side panels to positively insure the immediate opening of those side panels which entices the crabs to enter the trap
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible crab trap is provided with a centrally-located bait feeder made of wire mesh material. The trap and bait feeder are movable between a collapsed configuration and an assembled configuration. When in a collapsed configuration, it is easy to store or transport. The centrally-located bait feeder is constructed in such a manner that the crabs cannot remove an entire piece of bait from the bait feeder. Another feature of this crab trap is that the two side panels are weighted along their upper edges to positively open the side panels when on the ocean bed for the catching of crabs. These weighted side panels also provide a stable placement of the crab trap in strong moving currents.