Differential Force Lead Adjustment Apparatus for Pet Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lead adjustment apparatuses for companion animals require constant user manipulation and fail to differentiate control methods between lead winding and unwinding, leading to inconvenience and difficulty in managing the companion animal.
Innovation Solution
A lead adjustment apparatus controlled by different forces for each direction, featuring a cover portion with locking means, a rotating member, latches, an elastic member, and a spiral spring, which allows the latches to be locked into locking means when the lead is unwound and not when it is wound, enabling differential control based on applied force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lead is automatically fixed when the companion animal moves away, then the safety is improved, but the lead becomes fixed at extended length even when the animal is closer, making control difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lead adjustment apparatus uses different elastic forces for winding and unwinding directions. The first elastic body provides stronger resistance during unwinding to trigger automatic locking, while the second elastic body provides weaker resistance during winding to prevent unnecessary locking, enabling dynamic adaptation to different operational states
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different elastic characteristics to different functional regions: the first elastic body (with greater elastic force) is positioned to resist unwinding motion, while the second elastic body (with lesser elastic force) resists winding motion. This localized differentiation allows the system to respond differently to forces applied in opposite directions
2Measurement precision
If the user directly controls the lead adjustment apparatus by pressing a button, then the control precision is improved, but the user must always carry the apparatus and quickly respond to emergencies
Solution Approach 1:
The lead adjustment apparatus automatically detects the force direction and magnitude applied to the lead, and self-adjusts the locking state without requiring user intervention. The system uses the applied force itself as the control signal, eliminating the need for separate user manipulation while maintaining appropriate control precision
3Device complexity
If a single elastic force is used for both winding and unwinding, then the device complexity is reduced, but the lead cannot be controlled differently for each direction
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic member is segmented into two distinct elastic bodies: the first elastic body responsible for resisting unwinding motion with greater elastic force, and the second elastic body responsible for resisting winding motion with lesser elastic force. This segmentation enables differential control while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
Different elastic forces are applied to different directional motions through the first and second elastic bodies. The first elastic body provides stronger resistance for unwinding, while the second provides weaker resistance for winding, enabling the system to adapt to different operational requirements without significant complexity increase
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 apparatus allows for seamless control of the lead during both winding and unwinding, enhancing user convenience and enabling effective management of companion animals without the need for constant user intervention.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member, and a spiral spring... the plurality of latches are controlled by the elastic member to be locked into some of the plurality of locking means when the lead is unwound and not to be locked into the plurality of locking means when the lead is wound
Implementation Method 2
a spiral spring adding a rotational force to the rotating member such that the lead is wound
Data Source
AI summary
A lead adjustment apparatus includes a cover portion including locking means, a rotating member around which a lead is wound, latches coupled to the rotating member, and rotating with respect to the same axis as the rotating member when force of a preset range is applied to the lead, and opened so as to be locked into some of the locking means, an elastic member allowing the latches to be gathered together, and a spiral spring adding a rotational force to the rotating member such that the lead is wound. The latches are controlled by the elastic member to be locked into some of the locking means when the lead is unwound and not to be locked into the locking means when the lead is wound. Accordingly, the lead may be controlled differently with respect to each of cases where the lead is wound and the lead is unwound.