Animal Crate Door Latch with Blocking Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional animal enclosures, particularly exercise pens, often have doors that are not securely latched, allowing animals to escape and making it difficult for owners to access the interior when multiple animals are present.
Innovation Solution
An animal enclosure design featuring a door assembly with a latch system comprising a handle structure and pin, a key hole assembly, and a tab assembly, where the door is pivotable about a pivot wire, allowing secure latching and easy access by moving the handle and pin relative to the frame, and a blocking member positioned between wires to prevent accidental opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional door design is used in an animal enclosure, then the enclosure provides basic access and containment, but the door cannot be securely latched and allows animals to escape
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly is segmented into multiple functional components: a door body, a latch mechanism with movable latch member, a blocking member, and a handle structure. Each component performs a specific function, with the latch member providing secure engagement and the blocking member preventing accidental opening, while the handle structure enables easy operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking member is positioned to preliminarily prevent door opening before the latch is fully engaged. This preliminary action ensures that even if the latch mechanism is not perfectly aligned, the blocking member prevents accidental opening, enhancing reliability while maintaining ease of operation through proper latching.
2Ease of operation
If a large door is used to provide access to the enclosure, then the owner can reach in to retrieve animals, but the door becomes difficult to securely latch and animals can escape
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly incorporates a latch mechanism that segments the door's function into access provision and secure containment. The latch member and blocking member work together to provide reliable latching on a large door, while the handle structure maintains ease of operation despite the door's size.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch member acts as an intermediary between the door body and the frame, providing secure connection. The blocking member serves as a secondary intermediary that prevents accidental opening, enabling large doors to be both accessible and secure through these mediating components.
3Ease of operation
If a conventional latch is used on the door, then the door can be opened and closed, but it cannot prevent accidental opening or secure containment
Solution Approach 1:
The latching system is segmented into a movable latch member for easy engagement and disengagement, and a stationary blocking member for preventing accidental opening. This segmentation allows the door to be easily opened and closed by the owner while providing reliable prevention of accidental opening through the blocking member's positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking member is positioned to preliminarily prevent door opening before the latch is fully engaged. This preliminary blocking action ensures that accidental opening is prevented while the latch mechanism provides easy operation for intentional door opening and closing by the owner.
Data Source
AI summary
A door assembly for an animal enclosure includes a frame having a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires that defines an opening for an animal to pass therethrough and a door having a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires and being coupled to the frame. The door is disposable between a closed position and an open position. A latch assembly is coupled to either the door or frame, and removably couples the door to the frame in the closed position. A blocking member is coupled to the door and located between at least two adjacent wires of the plurality of interconnected wires of the door. The blocking member is disposed adjacent to the latch member such that a portion of the latch member is in contact with the blocking member in a rest position.