Pet Launcher with Sensor-Triggered Feeder for Automatic Projectile Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pet exercise devices require human involvement for loading and managing projectiles, leading to inefficient use of power, potential safety issues, and loss of pet interest due to untimed launches and tipping over.
Innovation Solution
A pet-controlled exercise and entertainment device with a housing, feeder, and sensor system that automatically launches projectiles after a predetermined time, allowing pets to control the activity by placing projectiles into a feeder, thus reducing human intervention and optimizing power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the device continually launches projectiles until all loaded projectiles are exhausted, then the device maintains continuous operation, but power is wasted and unretrieved projectiles create a mess
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates a sensor that detects when a projectile has been retrieved by the pet and returns it to the loading area. This feedback mechanism triggers the launcher to automatically reload and launch another projectile, ensuring continuous operation only when projectiles are successfully retrieved, thereby preventing power wastage on unretrieved projectiles
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects when a projectile is retrieved through the sensor, autonomously reloads from the stored projectiles, and relaunches without human intervention. This self-service capability maintains continuous operation while eliminating the need for manual monitoring and preventing energy waste
2Ease of operation
If the device requires human involvement to load and manage projectiles, then the device can be operated, but human availability and interaction are required
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed to automatically load projectiles from an internal storage magazine, launch them, detect when they are retrieved, and reload subsequent projectiles without any human intervention after initial setup. This maximizes automation while maintaining ease of initial operation
Solution Approach 2:
The device pre-loads a magazine of projectiles before operation begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for continuous human loading during operation, allowing the device to autonomously manage its projectile supply throughout the exercise session
3Device complexity
If the device launches projectiles at a fixed pace, then the launching mechanism is simple, but the pet may not be able to keep up with the pace
Solution Approach 1:
The launch interval is dynamically adjusted based on the pet's performance. The sensor detects each retrieved projectile and automatically adjusts the timing of subsequent launches to match the pet's retrieval speed, ensuring the pace adapts to the individual pet's capabilities while maintaining automatic operation
4Loss of energy
If the device allows pets to control launch timing by placing projectiles in the feeder, then power usage is optimized and pet interest is maintained, but the device requires pet interaction to function
Solution Approach 1:
The pet itself serves as the control mechanism by placing retrieved projectiles back into the feeder. This action triggers the sensor, which automatically initiates the next launch sequence. The system optimizes power usage by only operating when the pet actively participates, while requiring minimal instruction from the owner
Data Source
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AI summary
Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems, apparatuses, and methods for exercising and entertaining a pet. In one implementation, a pet exercise and entertainment device (100, 200) includes a launch funnel for launching projectiles for a pet to retrieve. The launch funnel has a feeder (210) and a chute (212). The feeder is configured to receive a projectile and transport the projectile to an intake end (216) of the chute. A sensor (220) is configured to sense the projectile in the intake end of the chute and to command one or more motors (222) to power up in response to sensing the projectile. An actuator (224) is configured to release the projectile from the intake end of the chute into the launch end (218) of the chute after a pre-determined time has elapsed. One or more wheels (226), rotated by the one or more motors, are configured to launch the projectile from the launch end of the chute.