Pet Feeder Insect Trap Assembly for Food Contamination Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pet feeders fail to effectively trap and prevent insects and bugs from contaminating pet food, as they either do not address flying insects or are difficult to maintain, especially in scenarios where pets graze or leave food residue exposed.
Innovation Solution
A pet feeder assembly with a holder that uses UV lights and adhesive sheets to redirect and trap pests, combined with fans to prevent contamination, and a design that allows for easy replacement of traps without direct contact with adhesive materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If adhesive strips are used to trap insects on the outside of the pet food dish, then crawling insects can be trapped, but removal of the adhesive strips with trapped insects becomes difficult and disgusting for users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adhesive trap mechanism from the main pet food dish body by placing it in a separate removable container. This allows the trap to be easily removed and disposed of without handling the main dish, resolving the contradiction between effective insect trapping and ease of trap removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary removable container that holds the adhesive trap. This intermediary structure allows users to handle and dispose of trapped insects indirectly through the container rather than directly contacting the adhesive strips, making the process less disgusting and more convenient.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If insecticide strips are placed in the pedestal space of the pet dish, then crawling insects can be repelled, but flying insects are not addressed and remain a contamination threat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional system that addresses both crawling and flying insects. The removable container serves multiple purposes: it holds adhesive traps for crawling insects, can contain insecticide for chemical repulsion, and creates a physical barrier against flying insects. This universal design resolves the contradiction between targeting specific insect types and comprehensive protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If lidded pet feeders are used to physically obscure food from pests, then direct contact contamination is prevented, but grazing pets cannot access their food whenever they please
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the protection mechanism from the food storage function. Instead of using a lid that blocks both pests and pets, the invention uses a removable container with adhesive traps that protects food while leaving the main dish accessible. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between contamination prevention and pet accessibility.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If adhesive strips are fastened circumferentially to the outside of the pet food dish base, then insects can be trapped near the food, but the adhesive material becomes difficult to handle and replace
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adhesive trap system from the permanent dish structure and places it in a removable container. This extraction makes the trap easily installable and replaceable without modifying the main dish, resolving the contradiction between effective insect trapping and ease of maintenance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively redirects and traps pests away from pet food, preventing contamination and minimizing discomfort for pets and owners by keeping pests out of sight and reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Implementation Method 1
uses UV lights and adhesive sheets to redirect and trap pests
Implementation Method 2
uses UV lights and adhesive sheets to redirect and trap pests
Implementation Method 3
combined with fans to prevent contamination
Data Source
AI summary
A pet feeder is provided to redirect pests such as insects and bugs attracted to the scent of exposed pet food, trap the redirected pests, and further prevent untrapped pests from contaminating any exposed pet food. The feeder may comprise a hollow holder configured to suspend a portion of a pet food receptacle in the hollow space. Such holder may comprise a plurality of apertures disposed thereon, and UV lights and attractive scents may be provided to redirect the pests from the pet food by attracting them into the hollow interior of the holder. Then, the pests may be trapped in the hollow interior by way of replaceable traps such as flypaper. Additionally, fans may be disposed on the holder and configured to define a forceful barrier that prevents any untrapped pests from contaminating pet food by the entering a space immediately above the pet feeder.