Animal Feeding Bucket With Breakaway Locking System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal feeding buckets are prone to tipping over, especially when multiple animals feed from the same bucket, and can cause injury if stepped on by large animals, as they may not provide adequate stability or safety features to prevent accidents.
Innovation Solution
A portable animal feeding bucket design featuring a container secured to a base plate with a locking system that includes spike holes and mounting spikes for ground anchoring, along with a breakaway mechanism to prevent harm in case of accidental contact by animals, ensuring the bucket remains upright and stable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the bucket is made sturdy to prevent tipping, then stability is improved, but the risk of injury to animals increases when they accidentally step on it
Solution Approach 1:
The bucket incorporates a breakaway mechanism that allows the bucket to detach from the base plate when subjected to excessive force (such as when an animal steps on it). This dynamic feature transforms the static sturdy structure into a safety mechanism that adapts to abnormal conditions, preventing injury while maintaining stability during normal use.
Solution Approach 2:
The bucket system is divided into separable components: the bucket itself and the base plate, connected through a breakaway mechanism. This segmentation allows the bucket to remain stable during feeding while providing a safety release path when accidental contact occurs, resolving the contradiction between sturdiness and animal safety.
2Ease of operation
If the bucket is made portable for easy transport, then ease of operation is improved, but stability during feeding deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bucket system separates the portable bucket component from the stable base plate component. The bucket can be easily removed and transported by detaching it from the base plate, while the base plate remains stationary during feeding to provide stability. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between portability and feeding stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The breakaway mechanism serves as an intermediary between the bucket and base plate, allowing easy detachment for transport while maintaining secure connection during feeding. This intermediary enables the system to switch between portable and stable configurations as needed.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the bucket is designed with ground anchoring for stability, then anti-tipping performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring function is segmented into simple spike holes in the base plate that accept mounting spikes. This segmented approach provides effective ground anchoring for stability while keeping each individual component simple, avoiding the need for complex anchoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The base plate with spike holes and mounting spikes creates a self-anchoring system that requires no additional complex mechanisms. The spikes simply engage with the ground through the spike holes, providing automatic stabilization without requiring external anchoring devices or complex installation procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
An animal feeding bucket includes a container, a locking system, and a base plate. The container has a top edge, a bottom, and sidewalls. The base plate has a peripheral rim with an interior surface and an exterior surface. The locking system includes a first locking member coupled to the base plate interior surface, a second locking member coupled to the container bottom, a third locking member coupled to the base plate exterior surface, and a fourth locking member coupled to the container top edge. The base plate may be used as a base when the first locking member is coupled with the second locking member, or used as a lid when the third locking member is coupled with the fourth locking member.