Flat Steel Protective Jacket for Livestock Drinking Bowl
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drinking devices for farm animals, particularly large cattle, face damage from approaching animals, leading to increased material costs due to the need for strong, durable construction materials to prevent damage from horns and accidental impacts.
Innovation Solution
A drinking device design featuring a protective jacket made of flat steel surrounding the drinking bowl, reducing the strength requirements of the bowl itself, allowing for the use of inexpensive materials like plastic or ceramics, with a flat steel bracket providing both protection and a connection to the carrier, and an inwardly drawn peripheral edge to reduce water loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If strong materials are used for the drinking bowl to prevent damage from horns and impacts, then the strength and durability are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function is segmented from the drinking bowl itself and transferred to a separate protective jacket made of flat steel. The bowl can now be made from inexpensive materials (plastic, ceramics) while the jacket provides the necessary strength and damage protection.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective jacket made of flat steel acts as an intermediary element between the animal environment and the drinking bowl. This jacket absorbs the mechanical stress and damage from horns and impacts, protecting the bowl from direct contact with harmful forces.
2Reliability
If a protective jacket made of flat steel is added around the drinking bowl, then the security against damage is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective jacket is merged with the carrier structure through connection points and retaining wings. The jacket is not a separate floating component but is integrated into the overall device structure, reducing the number of independent parts and simplifying assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The flat steel bracket serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical protection against damage, acts as a structural connection element between the bowl and carrier, and forms part of the mounting system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
3Loss of substance
If the peripheral edge is drawn inward to form an overhang, then water loss is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral edge is formed with a specific curvature and profile to create the overhang. This curved geometry is integrated into the bowl's shaping process (such as rotational molding for plastic bowls), allowing the anti-slick edge to be formed in a single manufacturing step without additional complex operations.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The watering unit has a watering cell (9), which is equipped with a supply unit (7,29), particularly for water. A part of the outer circumference of the watering cell is enclosed by a protective shell. The protective shell is formed by a handle (17), which is made of a flat steel bar.