Collapsible Pet Step Design for Space-Efficient Bed Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for helping small dogs or cats climb onto and descend from a bed are either always present and obstructive or require frequent relocation, failing to provide a seamless and space-efficient pet access solution.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible step or ramp apparatus that fits between a mattress and its support, featuring pivoting links and trunnions for easy deployment and storage, allowing pets to ascend and descend while being concealed during the day.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If steps are placed beside the bed to help pets climb and descend, then pet access is facilitated, but the steps obstruct bedroom activities and occupy space
Solution Approach 1:
The steps are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be deployed when needed and stored when not in use. The collapsible structure enables the steps to transition between an extended configuration for pet access and a compressed configuration for storage, resolving the contradiction between facilitating pet access and maintaining bedroom space availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The steps are designed to collapse into a compact form that can be stored within or near the bed frame, similar to nested dolls. This nesting capability allows the steps to be kept out of the way during the day while remaining readily accessible when needed, eliminating the need for permanent floor space occupation.
2Ease of operation
If steps remain beside the bed 24 hours a day to assist pets, then pet access is always facilitated, but the steps are constantly present and obstructive
Solution Approach 1:
The steps are deployed periodically rather than continuously - extended during nighttime when pets need access and collapsed during daytime when they do not. This periodic deployment pattern eliminates constant obstruction while ensuring pet access is available when needed, resolving the contradiction between continuous accessibility and constant obstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic, collapsible nature of the steps allows them to transition between deployed and stored states, enabling selective visibility and presence. This dynamic characteristic permits the steps to be absent from the bedroom environment during periods when they are not needed, eliminating continuous obstruction while maintaining accessibility when required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bed top needs to be free of pets during the day, then the steps must be moved away, but this requires frequent relocation
Solution Approach 1:
The step structure is segmented into collapsible sections that can be quickly folded and stored. This segmentation allows for rapid deployment and storage operations, significantly reducing the time required to relocate the steps between deployed and stored configurations, thereby resolving the contradiction between bed availability and relocation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic, collapsible design enables quick transformation between extended and compressed states, allowing the steps to be rapidly stored when the bed needs to be clear and quickly deployed when needed. This dynamic capability minimizes the time investment required for relocation while maintaining adaptability to different usage scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for aiding a pet in descent and ascent of a bed includes a sleeve configured to be positioned between a mattress and a mattress support on a bed, and a set of steps or ramp sized to fit within the sleeve and configured to be pulled from one end of the sleeve and to extend toward a floor to provide ease of ascent and descent of a pet to a top of the mattress.