Modular Pet Carrier with Interchangeable Rigid and Flexible Domes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carriers for small pets are inflexible, fail to improve hygiene and comfort, do not prevent urine dispersion, and complicate the removal of droppings during transport and static use.
Innovation Solution
A modular carrier design featuring a rigid plastic base with interchangeable rigid and flexible domes, an inner supporting frame, and an absorbent pad for urine containment, along with a removable mat for comfort and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single fixed carrier design is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot be configured differently for short or long journeys
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is divided into separate modular components: a base body, an interchangeable floor assembly (combining litter tray and absorbent pad), and removable upper covering means. This segmentation allows different configurations by swapping components rather than redesigning the entire structure, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor assembly serves multiple functions: it acts as both a litter tray for static use and an absorbent base for transport, while the interchangeable upper coverings provide different protection levels. This multi-functionality enables a single carrier design to adapt to various journey types without increasing structural complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional carrier design is used, then the structure is simple, but it does not improve hygiene and comfort conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent pad is pre-positioned on the floor assembly before the animal is placed in the carrier. This preliminary placement ensures immediate hygiene protection and comfort absorption capability, preventing urine dispersion from the start rather than requiring complex active systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorbent pad acts as an intermediary layer between the litter tray and the animal, providing a hygienic barrier that absorbs urine and prevents direct contact with the hard plastic base. This intermediary element improves hygiene and comfort without requiring complex structural modifications.
3Reliability
If traditional carrier design is used, then the structure is simple, but it does not prevent urine projections from being dispersed
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent pad functions as a flexible thin film layer that conforms to the litter tray surface, creating an effective barrier that contains urine projections through absorption rather than through rigid structural containment. This approach prevents urine dispersion without adding complex containment mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If traditional carrier design is used, then the structure is simple, but removal of droppings is complicated and not hygienic
Solution Approach 1:
The litter tray and absorbent pad are extracted as a single removable assembly from the base body, allowing droppings to be removed by simply taking out the entire floor assembly rather than manually cleaning the carrier interior. This extraction principle greatly simplifies the hygiene maintenance operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The litter tray and absorbent pad are merged into a single integrated floor assembly that can be removed as one unit. This combination ensures that both the litter material and absorbed urine are removed together, making droppings removal more hygienic and simpler without requiring separate cleaning components.
Data Source
AI summary
Carrier (10) for a small pet, comprising a box body (11, 81) with a door (11.1, 81.1) that can be opened to introduce/remove the animal, comprising: —a base body (11.3) shaped like a rigid basin, made of plastic material, having lateral walls (11.31, 11.32, 11.33, 11.34) and a bottom (11.30); —an inner supporting frame (20), made of plastic material, fixed in said base body (11.3) between said lateral walls (11.31, 11.32, 11.33, 11.34), in a position parallel and at a distance with respect to said bottom (11.30), wherein said inner frame (20) supports plate means (40, 50.3) which form a floor for the transported pet; characterized in that it comprises: —first upper covering means (11.2), connected in a detachable manner with respect to said base body (11.3) and configured as a rigid dome half-shell, made of plastic material, provided to house a pet resting on said floor and having a plurality of lateral walls and a roof, —first detachable connecting means (11.35) of said first upper covering means (11.2) with respect to said base body (11.3); —second upper covering means (81.2), connected in a detachable manner with respect to said base body (11.3) and configured as a self-supporting dome canopy, of flexible material, provided to house a pet resting on said floor and having a plurality of lateral walls and a roof, —second detachable connecting means (81.3, 81.3a, 81.3b, 81.3c) of said second upper covering means (81.2) with respect to said base body (11.3); and in that said first upper covering means (11.2) and said second upper covering means (81.2) are connected with respect to said base body (11.3) alternatively to each other, respectively by means of said first detachable connecting means (11.35) and said second detachable connecting means (81.3, 81.3a, 81.3b, 81.3c), and configure said carrier (10) as a cage with rigid walls, respectively as a cage with flexible walls, in the housing part of the pet at least above said floor.