Collapsible Pet Carrier with Segmented Rigid Board
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pet carriers are either heavy and difficult to transport or structurally unstable, lack proper ventilation and support for pets, occupy excessive space when not in use, and often lack storage options for accessories or items.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible pet carrier design featuring an expandable rigid board that supports the carrier in both expanded and collapsed states, along with mesh windows and storage pockets, allowing for easy folding and conversion into a compact pouch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional pet carriers are made heavy to provide structural stability, then stability is improved, but portability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid board is divided into multiple segments that can be collapsed into each other, allowing the board to provide full structural support when extended and to be compacted to a fraction of its extended length for storage, resolving the contradiction between stability and portability
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid board transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one that can extend and collapse, enabling the carrier to adapt between providing maximum structural support during use and minimizing size for transport, thus resolving the stability-portability tradeoff
2Volume of stationary object
If conventional pet carriers are made collapsible to reduce storage space, then storage efficiency is improved, but structural support deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid board is segmented into collapsible sections that can be stored within the carrier's interior space, allowing the carrier to collapse to a compact form while still providing structural support when the board is extended during use
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible rigid board sections are nested within each other and stored inside the carrier's interior space, enabling the carrier to collapse to minimal volume for storage while maintaining the capability to provide full structural support when needed
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional pet carriers use simple designs to reduce complexity, then manufacturing is improved, but functionality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible rigid board serves multiple functions: providing structural support when extended, collapsing to reduce storage space, and being stored within the carrier interior. This multi-functionality adds versatility without significantly complicating the overall design
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic collapsible board mechanism adds functionality by enabling both structural support and compact storage, while the overall design remains relatively simple and manufacturable
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible pet carrier includes: an interior space defined between opposing side walls, opposing end walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall. One of the walls may be opened to allow access to the interior space. An expandable rigid board is located at least partially within one the walls. In an expanded configuration of the pet carrier the board is located substantially along a length of one of the walls to provide support to the collapsible pet carrier when the collapsible pet carrier is expanded. In a collapsed configuration of the pet carrier the board extends along less than half of the length of one of the walls to allow the pet carrier to be folded along one of the opposing side walls, opposing end walls, bottom wall, and top wall.