Bolster Crate Pad with Foldable Trapezoidal Subpads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pet crates often require multiple sizes of pads to accommodate different crate dimensions, leading to inefficiencies in manufacturing and storage due to existing solutions only fitting crates with small size variations.
Innovation Solution
A bolster crate pad design featuring a central rectangular pad with fabric cover and filling, surrounded by an inner bolster pad and outer bolster pads, including trapezoidal subpads that connect and fold to fit various crate sizes without corner bunching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-size pad is used for a specific crate size, then it provides comfort for that crate size, but it cannot accommodate other crate sizes and requires multiple pad variants
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is divided into a central rectangular section and four corner bolsters that can be independently folded. This segmentation allows the pad to be configured in different shapes (rectangular, square, or L-shaped) to fit various crate sizes without requiring multiple complete pad designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner bolsters are designed to be foldable rather than fixed, allowing the pad structure to dynamically change its configuration. The bolsters can be folded up or down depending on the crate size, enabling a single pad to adapt to multiple crate dimensions.
2Ease of operation
If traditional pillows or pads are placed in crates, then pets are more comfortable, but the pads slide around or crowd the pet due to size mismatches
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the pad into a central section and separate corner bolsters, the design allows the bolsters to be positioned precisely in the corners of any crate size. This prevents the pad from sliding around while maintaining comfort, as each segment can be optimally positioned for the specific crate dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable bolster design makes the pad universally applicable to multiple crate sizes. The same pad can be configured to fit small, medium, and large crates by adjusting the bolster positions, eliminating the need for size-specific pads and ensuring stable placement in any crate.
3Adaptability or versatility
If foldable bolsters are added to fit different crate sizes, then versatility improves, but the design only works for crates with very small size variations
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation into a simple central rectangle and four corner bolsters creates a design that is versatile yet structurally simple. The bolsters are attached at corners and can be folded independently, allowing adaptation to a wide range of crate sizes without requiring complex mechanisms or multiple attachment points.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire pad foldable or adjustable, the invention keeps the central section fixed and simple while making only the corner bolsters foldable. This inverted approach minimizes structural complexity while maximizing versatility, as the bolsters are the only elements needing adjustment for different crate sizes.
Data Source
AI summary
A bolster crate pad has a central pad that is rectangular with a pair of long ends and a pair of short ends. The central pad has a fabric cover and a filling. An inner bolster pad extends around a periphery of the central pad. An outer bolster pad is connected along a short end of the inner bolster pad. In one case, a second outer bolster pad is connected to a second short end of the inner bolster pad. In another case, the inner bolster pad has a number of trapezoidal subpads. The trapezoidal subpads can be isosceles trapezoids and they are connected together at their tops. The bolster crate pad may have two other outer bolster pads. This arrangement allows the bolster crate pad to fit a wide variety of crates without bunching in the corners.