Crab Pot Tunnel Gate With Trigger Bars to Prevent Egress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional crab pots face issues with crabs being frightened or discouraged from entering, and their entrances may not be durable, leading to undesired egress, necessitating improved tunnel gates and crab pots.
Innovation Solution
The tunnel gates feature a gate frame with a trigger mount and pivotally attached trigger bars that rotate about a parallel axis, controlled by a trigger stop to allow entry and restrict egress, with a flat tunnel floor encouraging crab entry and preventing exit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional entrances are configured with inclined surfaces or raised lower surfaces, then crab egress is restricted, but crab entry is discouraged and catch rates decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The tunnel gate inverts the conventional approach by using a flat floor instead of an inclined surface, and employs trigger bars that actively open for entry rather than passively blocking exit. This inversion resolves the contradiction by making entry easy while still preventing egress through the one-way trigger mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger bars are designed to be dynamic rather than static, rotating about a horizontal axis to transition between blocking and non-blocking positions. This dynamic behavior allows the same structure to facilitate entry (when open) and restrict exit (when closed), resolving the contradiction between encouraging entry and preventing egress.
2Device complexity
If conventional entrances use simple fixed structures, then device complexity is low, but durability is insufficient and crabs can defeat the entrance
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger bars rotate about a horizontal axis to transition between blocking and non-blocking positions. This dynamic behavior allows the same structure to facilitate entry (when open) and prevent egress (when closed), resolving the contradiction between simplicity and effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger mechanism is self-actuating through crab interaction - crabs naturally trigger the bars to open as they approach, eliminating the need for external actuators or complex control systems while maintaining durability and reliability.
3Productivity
If trigger bars are allowed to rotate freely, then crab entry is facilitated, but crab egress cannot be restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger stop positions the trigger bars in a preliminary closed state before crab arrival, preventing egress. When crabs approach, they naturally trigger the bars to open for entry. After passage, the bars return to the closed position, maintaining egress restriction. This preliminary positioning resolves the contradiction between facilitating entry and restricting exit.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger stop acts as an intermediary element that controls the trigger bar position, mediating between the crab's entry action and the egress restriction requirement. It ensures the bars are positioned correctly to allow entry while maintaining the ability to block exit.
Data Source
AI summary
Tunnel gates for crab pots, crab pots including the same, and related methods. The tunnel gates include a gate frame that defines an entry opening. The tunnel gates also include a trigger mount, which is positioned within an upper gate region of the tunnel gate, and a plurality of trigger bars, which are pivotally attached to the trigger mount and extend toward a lower gate region of the tunnel gate. The plurality of trigger bars is configured to rotate, relative to the gate frame, about a rotation axis. The tunnel gates also include a trigger stop positioned within the upper gate region. The trigger stop is configured to restrict rotation of the plurality of trigger bars about the rotation axis between an open orientation and a closed orientation. The crab pots include the tunnel gates. The methods include methods of utilizing the tunnel gates.