Folding Hayrack with Retractable Legs and Hinged Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing farm animal feeding racks require a large number of spare parts for assembly, making the assembly process lengthy and complex, which hinders their sale and distribution in retail stores.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible rack design with retractable legs and foldable elements connected via articulated connections, allowing for easy assembly and compact storage and transport by folding the elements against the chassis, reducing the number of spare parts and simplifying the assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the rack is delivered as spare parts for assembly, then storage and transport are facilitated, but the assembly process becomes long and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rack is divided into modular components (chassis, foldable elements, barriers, legs) that can be separately packaged and transported, then easily assembled. The foldable elements are segmented into uprights and barrier structures that connect via articulated joints, enabling compact packaging while maintaining ease of assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable elements are pre-assembled with their barrier structures attached during manufacturing, so that upon delivery, the user only needs to unfold and position the elements rather than assembling all components from scratch. This preliminary assembly reduces on-site assembly time while maintaining compact storage capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the rack is delivered as spare parts, then packaging and transport are simplified, but the assembly process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier structure is merged with the uprights of the foldable elements, forming an integrated assembly that moves as a single unit. This combining of components reduces the number of separate parts to manage during assembly, simplifying the overall assembly process while maintaining compact packaging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack employs articulated connections and foldable elements that can dynamically transition between folded (for transport) and unfolded (for use) states. This dynamic design allows the same structure to be both easily packaged and simply assembled, as the elements self-position when unfolded.
3Ease of operation
If the rack uses a fixed structure, then assembly is simple, but storage and transport efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rack transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic, foldable structure where elements can be collapsed and reconfigured. The articulated connections enable the rack to be folded into a compact form for transport while maintaining structural integrity when unfolded for use, thus achieving both assembly simplicity and storage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable elements are designed to nest against each other and against the chassis when folded, creating a compact packaged volume. The barrier structures nest within the uprights, and the entire assembly can be stacked with other racks, maximizing storage and transport efficiency while remaining easy to assemble.
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 collapsible design significantly reduces assembly time, facilitates storage and transport, and allows for efficient distribution by forming a compact structure, enhancing the sales and distribution of the racks in retail settings.
Implementation Method 1
each collapsible element comprising two uprights and an openwork barrier structure extending between and being carried by the two uprights, the two uprights of each collapsible element each being fixed to the chassis by means of an articulated connection
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A folding hay rack (1) for livestock such as cattle, comprising a chassis (10) having a frame (12) supporting a floor structure (11) configured to receive animal fodder, legs (50) retractably attached to the chassis (10), and at least two folding elements (20) fixed to two opposite sides of said chassis (10), each folding element (20) comprising two uprights (24) and a perforated barrier structure (22) extending between and supported by the two uprights (24), the two uprights (24) of each folding element (20) being each fixed to the chassis (10) by means of a hinged connection, so that the folding elements (20) are movable between an unfolded position allowing the animals' heads to pass through the barrier (22), and a folded position in which the folding elements (20) are folded onto an upper face of the floor structure (11), the elements foldable (20) being lateral elements,the rack (1) further comprising a rear barrier (30) and a front barrier (40) arranged between the side elements (20) when they are in the unfolded position, and fixed to the uprights (24) of said side elements.