Flexible Disk Pet Collar with Elastic Cuff for Licking Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pet leak protections restrict the animal's natural movement and orientation, fail to prevent scratching injuries, and require individual customization for each neck diameter, leading to discomfort and limited usability.

Innovation Solution

A disk-shaped, flexible body with an elastic cuff that adapts to different neck diameters and head shapes, providing effective protection against licking and scratching while maintaining the animal's freedom of movement and orientation, made from foam with a fabric cover for comfort and durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rigid tubular object is used to prevent licking, then protection against licking is improved, but the animal's freedom of movement is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against lickingVSAvoidfreedom of movement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a flexible disk-shaped body made of soft material that can deform to accommodate head movements while maintaining the protective function. The flexibility allows the device to adapt to different positions and movements without restricting the animal's natural behavior.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the protective device from rigid to flexible, and from tubular to disk-shaped. This transformation allows the device to maintain protection while adapting to various head positions and movements, thereby preserving freedom of movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If a hard plastic funnel is used to prevent licking, then protection against licking is improved, but the animal's ability to orient itself is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against lickingVSAvoidability to orient itself

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the rigid hard plastic funnel with a flexible disk-shaped body that can move with the animal's head. This flexibility allows the animal to orient itself naturally without the artificial widening of a hard funnel interfering with whisker movement or optical detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of creating an artificial structure that forces protection, the patent uses a flexible disk that passively provides protection while allowing all natural movements. The disk is positioned to block licking attempts but does not constrain head movement or orientation abilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If a disk-shaped flexible body is used, then the animal's freedom of movement is maintained, but the protection effectiveness may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefreedom of movementVSAvoidprotection effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a disk-shaped body with circular geometry that provides omnidirectional protection. The curved, symmetric shape ensures that the animal cannot lick or scratch from any angle, while the flexibility maintains freedom of movement. The disk is positioned perpendicular to the neck axis to maximize protective coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Manufacturing precision

If an individual leak protection is manufactured for each neck diameter, then the fit precision is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefit precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs a universal disk-shaped protective device with an opening that can accommodate different neck diameters. The flexible material and adjustable positioning mechanism allow a single design to fit various animals without requiring individual customization, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining adequate fit precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 solution ensures high wearing comfort, universal fit, and effective protection against licking and scratching without restricting the animal's movement or orientation, allowing for normal activities like eating and sleeping without the risk of damage to objects.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic, soft cuff which encloses a portion of the pet's neck

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

made from foam with a fabric cover for comfort and durability

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPorosity: Porosity

Data Source

PatentEP1932491B1Lick protection for pets

Publication Date: 2009.06.24 SCHWARZ ALEXANDRA INES

Figure 1
Figure 2~3

AI summary

The guard has a plate-shaped flexile base plate (9) having an opening, where the plate is connected with an elastic soft sleeve (10) in the area of the opening. The sleeve closes the section of a cervix of a domestic animal. The plate and the opening are circular-shaped, where the diameter of the opening is determined in such a manner that the diameter is larger than the diameter of the cervix of the animal. The plate is made of foam plastic, where the outer diameter of the plate is determined in such a manner that the mouth of the animal cannot come over the outer edge of the plate.