Swiveling Pet Carrier Boarding Aid for Safe Vehicle Exit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport boxes for pets, particularly dogs, fail to ensure safety and well-being during transport and handling, as they do not effectively facilitate easy boarding and exiting from vehicles while providing adequate protection in case of accidents.
Innovation Solution
A transport system for animals that includes a carrier and a boarding aid with swiveling tread elements, allowing the boarding aid to move from a transport position, where it acts as an obstacle, to a boarding position, enabling the animal to exit the vehicle safely, and featuring a mechanical coupling that allows single-hand operation for easy swiveling between extended and stowed conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed barrier is used to prevent animals from exiting the vehicle, then safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier is designed as a movable component that can transition between a first position (blocking the opening) and a second position (allowing exit). This dynamic structure resolves the contradiction by providing safety when needed (barrier in first position) and ease of operation when needed (barrier in second position), rather than being fixed in one state.
2Ease of operation
If a movable barrier is used to allow animal exit, then ease of operation is improved, but safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier's movability allows it to adapt between safety and ease of operation requirements. When the barrier is in the first position, it provides safety by blocking the opening. When moved to the second position, it enables easy animal exit. The dynamic nature allows the system to provide both functions at different times as needed.
3Reliability
If a complex mechanism is used to provide both safety and ease of operation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier integrates multiple functions into a single component: it serves as both a safety barrier and an exit facilitator. The barrier is combined with the carrier structure and includes integrated features like the movable design, the opening/closing mechanism, and the interaction with the boarding aid. This merging reduces overall system complexity while maintaining both safety and ease of operation functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier performs multiple functions: it blocks the opening for safety, allows animal exit when moved, and works in conjunction with the boarding aid to facilitate safe boarding. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components for each function, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
4Reliability
If the barrier is always in position to block exit, then safety is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier transitions from a static blocking position to a dynamic movable structure. When safety is required, it remains in the first position blocking the opening. When animal boarding/exiting is required, it moves to the second position allowing efficient animal movement. This dynamic adaptation optimizes both safety and productivity at different operational stages.
5Productivity
If the barrier is always moved to allow exit, then productivity is improved, but safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier's movable design allows it to be positioned in the second location to facilitate animal exit (improving productivity) while maintaining the capability to return to the first position for safety blocking. The dynamic nature ensures that safety is not permanently compromised for the sake of productivity, but rather optimized at appropriate moments in the operational cycle.
Data Source
AI summary
A transport system for an animal to be received in a motor vehicle. The transport system comprises a carrier configured to be received on a transport surface of the motor vehicle and a boarding aid including a first tread element and at least a second tread element. The first tread element can be swivelably attached to the carrier, wherein the boarding aid is movable from a transport position to a boarding position. The boarding aid can be arranged in the transport position on a first side of a plane defined by the carrier, and the boarding aid is an obstacle for the animal after the transport system has been received in the motor vehicle. The boarding aid can be arranged in the boarding position on a second side of the plane defined by the carrier and the animal is able leave the motor vehicle via the boarding aid.