Hinged Animal Water Container With Rotating Funneled Dish
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid containers for animals, such as dogs and cats, often require multiple items for hydration and food, leading to inconvenience during travel or recreation, as they are not designed for efficient dispensing and storage, and may introduce debris or contaminants when refilling.
Innovation Solution
A combined container and dish system where the dish is rotatably connected to the container, allowing for easy dispensing and refilling, with features like a screen to prevent contaminants, a cap for controlled liquid flow, and a funnel structure for quick and spill-free transfer, along with a carrying strap for convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate containers are used for water and food, then the animal can have both hydration and food supplies, but the owner must carry around multiple items and the device becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a water container and food dish into a single integrated unit. The food dish is hinged to the water container, allowing both functions (water storage and food serving) to be provided by one device rather than requiring separate containers. This merging eliminates the need to carry multiple items while maintaining both hydration and food supply capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated unit serves multiple functions: the container portion stores water, the dish portion serves as a food dish, and the hinge mechanism allows the dish to be positioned for both storage and dispensing. This multi-functionality enables a single device to replace what would traditionally require separate water container and food dish.
2Quantity of substance
If water is transported in a separate container from the drinking container, then water supply is ensured, but it is difficult to return unused water from the drinking container to the carrying container
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the drinking dish and carrying container into a single hinged unit, the patent enables direct pouring of unused water from the dish back into the container without requiring separate containers or complex transfer mechanisms. The hinge allows the dish to be positioned conveniently for this return flow operation.
3Device complexity
If the dish is permanently attached to the container, then the structure is simple, but the animal cannot access water easily during travel
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism allows the dish to rotate between a stored position (attached to the container) and a dispensing position (extended outward). This dynamic capability enables the dish to be easily accessed by the animal during travel while maintaining a compact configuration during transport, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and ease of operation.
4Volume of moving object
If the container is designed for compact storage, then it is easy to transport, but the animal cannot access water without being held by the owner
Solution Approach 1:
The hinged dish can be rotated to a dispensing position where it extends from the compact container body. This allows the container to maintain a compact form for transport while enabling the animal to access water independently when the dish is in the extended position, without requiring the owner to hold the container.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a container and dish. In certain embodiments, the container and dish includes a container portion having a plurality of sides defining a cavity in the container portion. A mouth on one of the plurality of sides is in communication with the cavity in the container portion. In particular implementations, the container and dish includes a funnel on at least one of the plurality of sides of the dish portion. In further implementations, the dish portion and the container portion are movable from a nested, storage configuration to an open configuration for dispensing and/or refilling where the container portion and the dish portion are at least substantially co-planar. In yet further implementations, the dish portion is movable with respect to the container portion and may be nested within a depression formed in the container portion.