Horse Leg Protector Elastic Slots Metacarpal Guards
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional horse leg protectors made of hard materials cause discomfort and restrict movement due to poor fit when a horse's legs bend during running or jumping, as they fail to maintain close contact with the leg surface.
Innovation Solution
A perforated horse leg protector with elastic slots and metacarpal guards that allow for flexible movement by compressing and expanding with the leg, providing protection and support through a combination of high-strength plastic, cushioning, and ventilation holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a hard material protector is used to provide strong protection, then protection strength is improved, but comfort and movement freedom deteriorate due to poor fit when the horse's leg bends
Solution Approach 1:
The protector is divided into multiple rigid guards (first guard, second guard, third guard) separated by elastic slots. This segmentation allows each rigid section to maintain protection strength while the elastic slots provide flexibility and adaptation to leg movement, resolving the contradiction between strength and movement freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The protector incorporates elastic slots that can dynamically deform and expand with the horse's leg movement. The elastic material in the slots allows the protector to adapt its shape during running and jumping, maintaining both protection and movement freedom throughout the motion cycle.
2Strength
If a hard material protector is used to ensure protection, then protection strength is improved, but comfort deteriorates due to inability to contact the horse leg surface closely
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the protector into multiple guards with elastic slots between them, the design creates a combination of rigid protection points and flexible connection areas. The elastic slots can compress and expand to match the horse's leg contour, ensuring close contact and comfort while the rigid guards maintain protection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic slots change their dimensional parameters (width, shape) dynamically based on the horse's leg position and movement. This parameter change allows the protector to maintain close contact with the leg surface throughout the movement range, eliminating discomfort while preserving protection.
3Ease of operation
If the protector is made flexible to allow movement, then movement freedom is improved, but protection strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protector uses segmentation to separate flexible elements (elastic slots) from rigid elements (guards). The elastic slots provide flexibility for movement while the multiple rigid guards maintain protection strength, achieving both movement freedom and protection simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The protector combines different material properties: rigid materials for the guards to provide protection strength and elastic materials for the slots to provide flexibility. This composite structure allows the protector to fulfill both protection and movement requirements.
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 protector offers maximum protection while ensuring unrestricted movement by dynamically adjusting to the horse's leg position, dispersing impact forces and preventing injuries with its unique design.
Implementation Method 1
at least two elastic slots, formed on the protective surface corresponding to the posterior side of the metacarpal bone
Implementation Method 2
the width of each elastic slot is gradually reduced by the compression of each metacarpal guard
Data Source
AI summary
A horse leg protector comprising a protection body. At least two elastic slots formed on the protective surface corresponding to the posterior side of the metacarpal bone. At least three metacarpal guards formed on the protective surface and corresponding to the posterior side of the metacarpal bone, any two metacarpal guards are formed on the upper side and lower side of the elastic slot respectively, and the outer periphery of each metacarpal guard has a first slope and a second slope. The protection body is bent towards the direction of the protective surface, the slopes of each metacarpal guard facing the elastic slot gradually approach each other, the width of each elastic slot is gradually reduced by the compression of each metacarpal guard. This protector utilizes the combined action of elastic slots and multiple guards to offer maximum protection to the horse's leg while allowing for unrestricted movement.