Olfactory Mat Structure for Washable Pet Food Hiding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Domestic animals, especially dogs, often experience boredom due to lack of stimulation in their environment, leading to undesirable behaviors like destruction of property, and existing enrichment products do not effectively engage their olfactory senses for extended periods.
Innovation Solution
A stimulation mat designed with a pile of secured, washable, and stretchable fabric fingers that trap consumable items, encouraging animals to use their olfactory senses to locate and retrieve food or treats, providing a durable and reusable activity outlet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional enrichment devices are used, then animals can engage in activity to reduce boredom, but the devices require frequent refilling and cleaning which reduces ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The mat is divided into multiple finger-like tufts that are separately washable, allowing food debris to be easily removed from individual tufts during cleaning, thereby maintaining ease of operation while providing extended engagement through multiple hidden food locations
Solution Approach 2:
The tufts are designed to be movable and flexible, allowing animals to manipulate them with their snouts to discover hidden food, creating dynamic engagement that lasts throughout the entire cleaning cycle and beyond
2Device complexity
If enrichment products require refilling multiple compartments, then food distribution is controlled, but the complexity of filling and refilling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The food is extracted from complex compartments and placed directly onto the surface of the mat, where it becomes hidden among the tufts, eliminating the need for refilling mechanisms while maintaining controlled food distribution through the tuft structure
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of hiding food inside compartments that require opening and refilling, the invention inverts the approach by placing food on the surface and using the tuft structure to conceal it, thereby simplifying the refilling process to merely adding food to the mat surface
3Ease of operation
If non-washable enrichment devices are used, then food can be effectively hidden, but the devices cannot be cleaned and reused
Solution Approach 1:
The tufts are constructed from flexible fabric material that can be easily removed and washed, maintaining the ability to effectively hide food among the tufts while enabling complete cleaning and reuse of the mat
Solution Approach 2:
The mat combines a washable fabric base with securely attached tufts made of washable material, creating a composite structure that maintains food hiding effectiveness while enabling thorough cleaning and repeated use
Data Source
AI summary
A washable, reusable mat that serves as a stimulation device for animals, the mat having a base with a pile thereon, the pile being formed from a plurality of fingers which are arranged to form a structure with a plurality of spaces. Food or treats for the animal (e.g., a dog), are placed on the mat, and the food or treats fall among the fingers and are captured within the spaces formed in the pile by the fingers. The animal locates the food or treats by employing the animal's olfactory senses, such as smell and taste, to locate the food within the mat pile. The animal may use its nose (or paws) to gain access to the captured food by tunneling among the fingers, moving the fingers aside, or other action to access the hidden food.