Species-Selective Feeder Gate with Dynamic Width Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal feeders fail to selectively dispense feed to intended species, such as deer, due to their design relying on fixed muzzle width and tongue length differences, allowing larger animals like cattle to access the feed.
Innovation Solution
An image-recognition based active control system for a feeder chute gate that uses cameras to detect and classify animals by species, age, and gender, adjusting the gate's opening to allow only permitted species to access the feed, and can be adapted to existing feeder systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed muzzle width and tongue length design is used for feeders, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot effectively prevent larger animals like cattle from accessing the feed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the gate opening adjustable rather than fixed. The gate can be dynamically repositioned to different opening widths to accommodate different animal species. This allows the feeder to adapt to varying muzzle widths of different animals (deer, cattle, etc.) while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and species selectivity reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of gate opening width from a fixed value to an adjustable parameter. By allowing the gate opening width to be modified based on the target animal species, the feeder can effectively prevent unauthorized species from accessing feed while maintaining structural simplicity. This parameter change enables the system to adapt to different animal sizes without complex redesign.
2Reliability
If the gate opening is made adjustable to accommodate different species, then species selectivity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the gate adjustment mechanism into discrete, simple components. The gate can be positioned at multiple fixed opening widths corresponding to different animal species. This segmented approach allows for effective species selectivity while keeping each individual adjustment mechanism simple and easy to operate, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary mechanism (such as a movable gate with positioning features) that simplifies the adjustment process. Instead of requiring complex automated systems, the intermediary gate structure enables manual or semi-automatic adjustment to different opening widths, achieving species selectivity without significantly increasing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If a passive fixed opening chute is used, then the device is simple to operate, but it cannot adapt to different animal species
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the gate opening dynamic and adjustable, allowing the operator to adapt the feeder to different animal species as needed. This dynamic adjustment capability maintains ease of operation through simple manual or semi-automatic mechanisms while significantly improving species adaptability, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting component and an adapting component provide a plurality of configurations of an adapting and mounting system for attaching a species-selective feed nozzle to a variety of animal feeders.