Animal Nose Ring With Pivot Locking Projections

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing nose rings for animals, such as calves, often cause injury and infection to adult cows and pose a risk of injury to calves, as they rely on thorn-like spikes to deter milk-sucking, which can lead to unintended harm and infection.

Innovation Solution

A nose ring with a ring body and a gap for the nasal septum, featuring pivot locking projections that press against the nasal wall, creating an uncomfortable sensation to deter milk-sucking without causing pain or injury, allowing the animal to voluntarily stop suckling by adjusting the nose ring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If thorn-like spikes are used to deter milk-sucking, then the calf is prevented from suckling, but the adult cow's udder is injured and infections may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of milk-suckingVSAvoidinjury and infection to adult cow
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention converts the harmful effect of physical injury into a beneficial psychological deterrent. Instead of using spikes that physically harm the cow, the patent employs a mechanism that creates an unpleasant sensation or fear response in the calf when it attempts to suckle, thereby preventing milk-sucking without causing physical damage to the adult animal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The nose ring acts as an intermediary device between the calf and the adult cow. Rather than direct contact between the calf's teeth and the cow's udder causing injury, the nose ring mediates this interaction by providing a deterrent mechanism that prevents the harmful contact while allowing the calf to remain attached to the cow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If thorn-like spikes are used to deter milk-sucking, then the calf is prevented from suckling, but the calf may be seriously injured by the frightened adult cow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of milk-suckingVSAvoidinjury risk to calf
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention converts the potential harm of calf injury into a beneficial outcome by using a non-violent deterrent. The unpleasant sensation or fear response experienced by the calf serves as an effective warning that prevents future milk-sucking attempts, eliminating the need for violent reactions from the adult cow that could injure the calf.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The nose ring provides immediate feedback to the calf when it attempts to suckle by creating an unpleasant sensation. This feedback loop allows the calf to learn and adjust its behavior without experiencing the extreme fear response or potential injury that would result from the adult cow's violent reaction to spike penetration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If the nose ring hangs downwards with spikes, then it can be easily attached, but it causes pain and injury when the calf pushes it upwards to suckle

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of attachmentVSAvoidpain and injury to adult cow
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention maintains the simple downward-hanging attachment design while converting the harmful spike penetration into a beneficial non-violent deterrent. The nose ring still hangs downwards for easy attachment, but the deterrent mechanism creates an unpleasant sensation rather than physical injury when the calf attempts to push it upwards during suckling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentEP3494782B1Nose ring for animals
Publication Date: 2020.09.23 SPRITZGUSS MÜLLER GMBH
  • EP3494782B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3494782B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3494782B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

A nose ring for animals, such as calves, is described, comprising a ring body and a gap interrupting the ring body to accommodate the animal's nasal septum. The ring body has an inner nasal section in the area of ​​the gap, which rests within the nasal cavity of the animal when the nose ring is attached. This nose ring is designed to wean the animal from its suckling instinct directed towards lactating animals, ensuring that the lactating animal experiences neither pain nor injury, and that the animal being weaned is not exposed to any risk of injury from the lactating animal's discharge.To solve this problem, it is proposed to arrange at least one pivot-locking projection in the inner nasal section of the ring body, which protrudes from the ring body and defines a pivot-locking position of the nasal ring located on the animal's nose, in which the pivot-locking projection presses against a nasal wall of the nasal cavity of the animal's nose.