Modular Wire Animal Enclosure With Top-Hung Door Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional animal enclosures have limitations such as hinged doors that can swing open too quickly, potentially causing damage, and are often not adaptable in size to accommodate different animal sizes or allow coupling of multiple enclosures to increase volume.
Innovation Solution
An enclosure assembly system comprising interconnected horizontal and vertical wires, with support frames and pegs or latches, allowing for coupling of multiple enclosures to form larger spaces and enabling independent door operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hinged door is used to provide access to the cage, then ease of operation is improved, but the door can swing open too quickly and cause damage to objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hinge mechanism entirely from the door design. Instead of being attached to the cage frame, the door is suspended from the top wire using a separate suspension mechanism, allowing it to hang freely and open/close slowly without the swinging motion caused by hinges.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of attaching the door to the bottom or side of the cage (conventional approach), the patent inverts the attachment point to the top wire. This inversion changes the door's motion characteristics, allowing it to swing gently from the top rather than pivot rapidly at the bottom or side.
2Volume of stationary object
If a single large cage is designed to accommodate larger animals, then volume is improved, but it cannot be adapted for smaller animals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cage into modular sections that can be independently assembled or disassembled. The cage consists of multiple panels and components that can be configured in different arrangements, allowing the same components to form either a large single enclosure or multiple smaller enclosures depending on assembly configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The cage design incorporates dynamic reconfigurability, allowing users to change the cage configuration from a single large enclosure to multiple smaller enclosures as needed. This dynamic adaptation enables the same physical components to serve different volume requirements for different animal sizes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cages are coupled to increase volume, then adaptability is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs universal connection components that can join cage panels in multiple configurations. The same connectors and joining mechanisms work whether assembling a single large cage or coupling multiple smaller cages together, reducing the need for different specialized parts for different assembly scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
An animal enclosure is coupled to a second animal enclosure. The animal enclosure includes a first member, a second member, a third member, and a fourth member. The first member, second member, third member, and fourth member are at least partially formed by a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires. A support frame is coupled to at least two member of the plurality of members. The first member includes a first plurality of wires and a second plurality of wires, the first plurality of wires extending in a first direction and the second plurality of wires extending in a second direction. The first member has at least on U-shaped wire coupled to at least one of the second plurality of wires.