Pet Vestibule Trapezoidal Buffer Zone Weather Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pet doors allow animals to come and go freely but lack a buffer between the interior and exterior environments, leading to issues like water intrusion and discomfort during inclement weather, and do not allow for easy cleaning before entry.
Innovation Solution
A pet vestibule configured adjacent to a door with a trapezoidal prism design, featuring a translucent or transparent sloping top, a vestibule pet door, and sealing means like a gasket to inhibit exterior elements, along with adjustable legs and optional features like interior lighting and warming elements, which creates a buffer zone and allows for easy animal passage while preventing weather intrusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a pet door is installed to allow animals to come and go freely, then animal flexibility and convenience are improved, but protection from exterior elements (wind, rain, etc.) deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vestibule as an intermediary space between the interior home environment and the exterior. This buffer zone allows animals to pass through the pet door while preventing direct exposure of the home interior to exterior elements like wind and rain. The vestibule acts as a mediator that maintains animal flexibility while protecting against harmful external factors.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a pet door leads to an isolated area (kennel or mud room) to contain mess, then cleanliness of main home is improved, but space utilization and animal comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the home environment by creating a distinct vestibule zone that is separated from both the interior living spaces and the exterior. This segmentation allows mess containment without requiring the animal to enter a fully isolated kennel or mud room, thereby improving space utilization while maintaining cleanliness in the main home areas.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a heavy flap is used in the pet door to block elements, then protection from exterior elements is improved, but animal ease of passage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vestibule serves as an intermediary that eliminates the need for heavy flaps in the pet door itself. Animals can easily pass through the pet door into the vestibule, and the vestibule's structure (with its own door or enclosure) provides the element blocking function, thereby maintaining animal ease of passage while achieving protection from exterior elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A pet vestibule configured for being attached to a door and to swing open with the door. Vestibule provides a protected shelter area for pets and animals to come and go into a structure without the need for human assistance, while also inhibiting rain, snow, and other inclement weather from entering the structure through the pet door.