Dog Toy with Sliding Rollers and Guide Channels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dog toys fail to maintain a dog's interest over a long period and limit learning effects due to lack of game variations and complexity.

Innovation Solution

A dog toy with a hollow prismatic body and guide channels that allow rollers to cover recesses, featuring locking pins and drawers, providing multiple challenges and rewards, promoting curiosity and intelligence.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If simple trial-and-error toys are used, then ease of operation is improved, but learning effect and duration of play are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of useVSAvoidduration of play
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The toy is divided into multiple independent compartments (first recess, second recess, third recess) each containing separate roller mechanisms and food rewards. This segmentation allows the dog to engage with multiple distinct challenges sequentially, extending play duration while maintaining simple individual interactions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The toy incorporates movable rollers that can be displaced by the dog through smelling and pushing actions. The dynamic movement of rollers between different positions (covering and uncovering recesses) creates varying play scenarios that maintain interest over time while remaining operationally simple for the dog.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If simple trial-and-error toys are used, then ease of operation is improved, but learning effect is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of useVSAvoidlearning effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The toy is divided into multiple independent compartments (first recess, second recess, third recess) each containing separate roller mechanisms and food rewards. This segmentation allows the dog to engage with multiple distinct challenges sequentially, extending play duration while maintaining simple individual interactions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The toy incorporates movable rollers that can be displaced by the dog through smelling and pushing actions. The dynamic movement of rollers between different positions (covering and uncovering recesses) creates varying play scenarios that maintain interest over time while remaining operationally simple for the dog.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If rollers cover all recesses, then challenge and learning effect are improved, but accessibility of food reward is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelearning challengeVSAvoidaccessibility of treat
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rollers are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be displaced by the dog through smelling and pushing actions. This dynamic design ensures that while rollers initially cover recesses to create challenge, the dog can actively move them to access food rewards, balancing difficulty with accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The rollers serve as intermediary elements between the dog and the food rewards. They are positioned to block direct access to recesses, creating a challenge, but can be moved by the dog through olfactory guidance and physical interaction, ultimately allowing access to the treats while maintaining the learning challenge.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3422843B1Toy for animals, in particular dogs
Publication Date: 2019.12.18 CITAK ANDRZEJ
  • EP3422843B1 patent drawingFigure 1~1a
  • EP3422843B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3422843B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a novel toy for sharpening the instincts of dogs, wherein - a hollow prism body (20) of trapezoidal cross section is arranged on a base panel (10) and has its lateral-surface panels (21, 22, 23), which rise up obliquely from the base panel (10), formed with at least one aperture (5), which passes through said lateral-surface panels and beneath which it is possible to place a reachable food reward (9), wherein - the prism body (20) is delimited on either side by vertical flank panels (3), which project beyond the lateral-surface panels of the prism body at a constant projection height (h) throughout and of which the inner projection surfaces (310) are each equipped with a guide channel (35), which follows the course taken by the outer surface of the lateral-surface panels, the two guide channels (35) having arranged in them a plurality of longitudinally mutually abutting rollers (6) which each have their two end regions (61) projecting into the guide channels, cover one of the lateral-surface panels (21, 22, 23), and thereby the at least one aperture (5, 50) present there, and which the dog reaching for the food reward (9) can shift, in particular slide, exposing in the process the at least one aperture (5) and the food reward (9) located therebeneath, beyond the lateral-surface panel which forms the apex of the prism body, that is to say beyond the apex panel (22), and onto or over the lateral-surface panel (23, 21) which is on the other side in each case.