Detachable Hock Protector With Elastic Bands And Absorbent Lining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal hock protectors are cumbersome, prone to repositioning, and fail to maintain effective airflow, leading to skin irritation and moisture issues, while also restricting movement and being difficult to install and secure.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring elastic bands and protective sheets with absorbent lining that encircle the animal's limb, allowing for expansion and maintaining position during movement, with a convex cup design to reduce rubbing and improve airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a semi-cylindrical hock protector is used, then the joint is protected from abrasion and infection, but the device restricts free movement of the animal joint
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device is divided into multiple detachable components: a protective pad, a convex cup, and a securing strap system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently - the pad provides abrasion protection, the convex cup maintains positioning without restricting movement, and the strap system secures the device without creating rigid constraints on joint motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates dynamic elements including an elastic securing strap that can stretch and contract with joint movement, and a convex cup that allows controlled motion while maintaining protective positioning. These dynamic components enable the protector to adapt to the animal's natural movement range while maintaining protection effectiveness.
2Ease of manufacture
If a one-size-fits-all hock protector is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but the device fails to maintain effective positioning due to variance in joint circumferences
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses detachable components with adjustable features, allowing the securing strap length and pad positioning to be modified to fit different joint circumferences. This segmentation enables customization for each animal without requiring multiple sized versions of the entire device, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while improving positioning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates adjustable parameters including variable strap lengths, repositionable pads, and flexible securing mechanisms that can be modified to accommodate different joint circumferences. These parameter changes allow the same basic device design to adapt to variance in animal joints while maintaining effective positioning.
3Reliability
If a padded device is applied to cushion limbs, then protection from contact with harmful objects is provided, but heat is retained on animal skin causing skin irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The protective pad is constructed with porous or breathable materials that allow airflow through the padding layer. This porous structure maintains the cushioning protection from abrasion while simultaneously allowing heat and moisture to pass through, preventing heat retention and skin irritation that would occur with solid, non-breathable padding materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates a thin film or mesh overlay on the protective pad that functions as a flexible barrier. This thin film maintains the protective function while being permeable to heat and moisture, allowing the skin to breathe and cool while still receiving abrasion protection from the underlying pad structure.
4Area of stationary object
If a semi-cylindrical pad is used to protect the hock, then the joint is covered, but the pad is prone to changing position and falling off
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the protective coverage function (performed by the pad and convex cup) from the positioning and securing functions (performed by the detachable strap system). This segmentation allows the pad to maintain comprehensive coverage while the independent securing mechanism ensures stable positioning without the pad sliding or falling off during animal movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The convex cup acts as an intermediary element between the pad and the animal joint. This intermediary structure provides a stable base that distributes the securing force evenly across the joint, preventing the pad from shifting position while maintaining comprehensive protective coverage. The convex cup mediates between the pad's coverage function and the securing mechanism's positioning 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 effective protection against abrasions and infections by maintaining secure positioning, reducing skin irritation, and allowing for airflow to manage moisture, while accommodating the animal's natural movement.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic band or an elastic extension is attached to a pair of coupled protective sheets
Implementation Method 2
a lining is provided that may be or comprise an absorbent and/or moisture wicking fabric
Implementation Method 3
moisture wicking fabric
Data Source
AI summary
A device for protecting the skin of an animal from damage, abrasion and/or moisture is provided. A first version includes an elastic element attached to a pair of protective sheets. The elastic element in combination with the protective sheets encircles an animal limb proximate to a hock, wherein the protective sheets are positioned over the hock. One or more protective sheets may be partially curved to form a cup shape for at least partially enclosing the hock. A moisture absorbent material may be attached to and disposed between the skin of the animal limb and both the elastic sheet and the protective sheets. The absorbent material may be a wicking material, such as a moisture wicking fleece. The protective sheet may optionally be asymmetric as positioned about a sagittal plane central to the hock.