Pet Toy Defensive Deflection Curves for Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pet toys are not durable enough to withstand the biting and chewing forces of powerful dogs, as they lack defensive deflection curves in their geometry, leading to easy destruction and increased material costs for durability.
Innovation Solution
A hollow bone-type pet toy with defensive deflection curves, featuring a narrow mid-section and tapering lobes with walls that thicken towards the ends, using cubic Bézier curves to deflect biting forces and reduce material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pet toys are made with thicker cross sections to achieve higher durability, then durability is improved, but material usage and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curved deflection surfaces instead of flat or straight edges. The toy features rounded edges and curved surfaces that deflect biting forces away from the material, allowing thinner cross-sections to achieve equivalent durability. This curvature principle reduces material usage while maintaining reliability against aggressive chewing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the toy edges from sharp or flat to curved and rounded. By modifying the shape parameters (radius of curvature, edge profile), the design achieves force deflection without increasing material thickness, thus reducing material quantity while maintaining durability.
2Reliability
If conventional pet toys use thicker cross sections to achieve higher durability, then durability is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The curved edges and rounded surfaces designed in the patent are more efficient in deflecting biting forces compared to flat or sharp edges. This allows the use of thinner, less expensive materials while achieving the same durability level, thereby reducing manufacturing costs without sacrificing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
By optimizing geometric parameters such as edge radius and surface curvature, the patent achieves force deflection with minimal material thickness. This parameter optimization reduces material consumption and manufacturing cost while maintaining the durability needed for aggressive chewers.
3Reliability
If conventional pet toys use expensive materials to achieve higher durability, then durability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The curved deflection surfaces and rounded edges designed in the patent allow the use of standard, less expensive materials to achieve durability that would otherwise require expensive materials. The geometry itself provides the protective function, eliminating the need for costly material substitutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the toy to optimize force deflection. By using curved surfaces with specific radius values and edge profiles, the design achieves high durability with inexpensive materials, avoiding the need to use expensive materials solely for durability enhancement.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional pet toys have simple geometry without defensive deflection curves, then ease of manufacture is improved, but durability against aggressive chewing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The curved edges and rounded surfaces are integrated into the toy's overall form rather than being separate add-on features. This approach maintains ease of manufacture through standard molding processes while achieving the durability needed to withstand aggressive chewing forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies standard geometric parameters (edge radius, surface curvature) within the scope of conventional manufacturing capabilities. These parameter changes achieve force deflection and improved durability without requiring complex manufacturing processes or specialized equipment, thus maintaining ease of manufacture.
Data Source
AI summary
A hollow bone-type pet toy having defensive curves includes a body having a narrow mid-section and at least two hollow lobes extending therefrom. Each lobe tapers outward from the narrow mid-section to a wide end and has walls defining an inner cavity. In cross-section, each lobe wall is thinnest adjacent the narrow mid-section and tapers outward in thickness such that the wall is thickest at a distal end; at a distal end of an outer surface, the outer surface terminates in a defensive deflection curve that extends around a distal end of the wall; and at a distal end of an inner surface of each lobe wall, the inner surface terminates in the defensive curve. The defensive deflection curve is defined in two-dimensional space using a set of cubic Bézier curves. A pet's teeth are thus deflected by the distal ends of the walls when the pet bites the pet-toy.