Corner bracket, a frame assembly using corner brackets and an aquarium utilizing said frame assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard fish aquariums are inadequate for housing amphibians, lizards, and reptiles due to issues such as insect escape, poor ventilation, and lack of a front door, which complicates feeding, cleaning, and providing a platform for these animals to rest out of water.
Innovation Solution
A corner bracket and frame assembly design that includes hollow frame members and sliding doors, allowing for secure adhesion and preventing insect escape, with a non-waterproof design to accommodate both aquatic and terrestrial needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard fish aquarium is used to house amphibians, then the basic enclosure is provided, but insects can escape through the open top and ventilation is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements sliding doors that can move between open and closed positions, allowing dynamic control of the enclosure. The doors slide along tracks formed by the channel walls, enabling ventilation when open and insect containment when closed, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding door mechanism uses a flexible sealing approach where the door fits within the channel formed by parallel walls, creating a movable barrier that maintains containment when closed while allowing ventilation when open
2Ease of operation
If a standard fish aquarium is used, then the enclosure is simple, but there is no front door making it hard to insert food and clean
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the enclosure into modular components including corner brackets with hollow base members, hollow frame members, and sliding doors. This segmentation allows the front to be opened for access while maintaining structural integrity through the corner bracket connections, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding door is nested within the channel formed by the parallel walls of the hollow frame members and corner brackets. The door fits inside the structural framework, allowing front access without compromising the overall enclosure structure
3Adaptability or versatility
If an aquarium is made water-tight, then it can hold water, but it cannot accommodate both land and water habitats for amphibians
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aquarium into water-containing portions (bottom and sides) and land habitat portions (top platform area). The corner brackets and frame members are configured to hold water in the lower sections while providing open top sections for land habitat, resolving the contradiction between water containment and dual habitat capability
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the aquarium structure have different properties: the lower portions are designed for water containment while the upper portions are designed for land habitat. The corner brackets and frame members transition from water-tight construction at the bottom to open construction at the top, allowing each local area to serve its specific function
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 solution provides a secure, ventilated, and easily maintainable enclosure that prevents insect escape and meets the dual habitat requirements of amphibians, lizards, and reptiles, offering an economical and practical alternative to traditional aquariums.
Implementation Method 1
The longitudinal groove allows an expandable adhesive, that is placed in the hollow core, to pass there through and contact an inner periphery of the first hollow frame member and hold the first hollow fame member secure to the corner bracket
Implementation Method 2
The transverse partition creates cavities in which an expandable adhesive can be placed and which can contact an inner periphery of the second hollow frame member and hold the second hollow frame member secure to the corner bracket
Data Source
AI summary
A frame assembly for an aquarium is disclosed. The frame assembly supports a pair of doors, each enclosed by a door frame, which can slide back and forth on the frame assembly. The frame assembly can be secured to both a front wall and to a pair of sidewalls of an enclosure having an open top. A cover can close the open top to form an aquarium for amphibians.