Flexible Feed Rate Control Member for Livestock Hay Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Domesticated horses do not have access to natural pasture grazing, leading to rapid consumption and wastage of loose hay, which is soiled, trampled, or blown away, resulting in inefficient feeding and resource loss.
Innovation Solution
A livestock feeding device with a flexible feed rate control member that meters hay consumption, allowing horses to graze naturally while preventing soiling and waste, and enabling easy restocking without motorized equipment, featuring a body member with legs, side walls, and a top portion connected by a rail system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If loose hay is spread on the ground for horses to eat, then horses can access their feed freely, but the hay is consumed too quickly and wasted through soiling, trampling, and wind blow
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding device segments the hay storage into a contained structure with controlled access points. The body member divides the interior space to hold multiple bales, and the flexible feed rate control member creates segmented openings that regulate hay dispensing to individual horses, preventing the hay from being scattered and wasted on the ground.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible feed rate control member acts as an intermediary between the hay storage and the horses. It controls the flow of hay from the interior volume to the exterior, metering the feed rate and preventing horses from accessing large quantities at once, thereby reducing waste through soiling and trampling.
2Quantity of substance
If a rigid body structure is used to contain large quantities of hay, then capacity and durability are improved, but the device becomes heavier and more difficult to restock without motorized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding device uses a flexible feed rate control member instead of a rigid structure for the feed dispensing mechanism. This flexible component can be easily manipulated, extended, and repositioned by hand to control hay flow and facilitate restocking, eliminating the need for motorized equipment while maintaining large hay capacity in the rigid body member.
3Productivity
If the flexible feed rate control member is extended to control hay flow, then feed rate control is improved, but access to the inner volume for restocking is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible feed rate control member is designed to be dynamically repositionable. It can be extended into the interior volume to control hay flow during feeding, then retracted or moved aside to allow full access for restocking. This dynamic flexibility resolves the contradiction between maintaining feed rate control and enabling easy restocking operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject livestock feeding device consists of a body member and a flexible feed rate control member to optimize the feeding rate of hay through the top of the body member. The flexible feed rate control member conforms to the volume and shape of the hay within the device providing a simulated-natural feeding environment for horses to nibble hay. The flexible feed rate control member is operationally retractable to quickly facilitate top loading of hay into the body member.