Animal Rescue Rigging with Stiff Abdominal Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing riggings for rescuing animals stuck in water, such as horses or cows, are difficult to apply due to the slick bank and swampy bottom, making it hard to approach and secure the rigging, especially when the animal is stressed.
Innovation Solution
A rigging with a bending-stiff insert element in the abdominal portion that can be easily inserted behind the animal's forelegs, allowing for controlled placement and use of a pulling line to extract the animal, featuring a back portion and neck strap for secure attachment and distribution of pulling force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional riggings are used to rescue animals stuck in water, then the animal can be pulled out, but the rigging is difficult to apply due to slick banks and swampy bottoms
Solution Approach 1:
The rigging is divided into separate functional components: an abdominal portion with insert elements for insertion behind forelegs, a back portion for dorsal placement, and a pulling portion. This segmentation allows each component to be applied independently, making the overall rigging process easier and safer by reducing the need to handle the entire rigging at once in difficult terrain.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert elements act as intermediaries that facilitate the placement of the abdominal portion behind the animal's forelegs. These stiff elements provide structural support and guidance during insertion, enabling the rescuer to secure the rigging from a safer position without directly contacting the animal or navigating the slick/swampy terrain as closely.
2Force
If the rigging is secured tightly to pull the animal out, then the pulling force is effective, but it increases stress on the stressed animal
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the rigging are designed with different properties: the abdominal and back portions are designed to distribute pressure over larger surface areas to minimize stress on the animal's body, while the pulling portion is designed to transmit effective pulling force. This local differentiation allows effective force application without excessive stress on the animal.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigging design anticipates the stress that will be applied to the animal during rescue. By distributing the pulling force through multiple contact points (abdominal portion, back portion, and properly positioned insert elements), the design cushions the animal from concentrated stress points, allowing effective extraction while minimizing harm to the already stressed animal.
3Ease of operation
If the abdominal portion is made flexible to conform to the animal's body, then it is comfortable for the animal, but it cannot be easily inserted behind the forelegs
Solution Approach 1:
The abdominal portion incorporates discrete insert elements (stiff components) within a flexible strap structure. This segmentation allows the insert elements to provide the necessary stiffness for easy insertion behind the forelegs, while the surrounding flexible strap material maintains comfort and conformability to the animal's body during and after insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The abdominal portion has localized stiffness at the insert element regions to facilitate insertion, while the rest of the strap remains flexible to conform to the animal's body. This local differentiation of mechanical properties allows the rigging to satisfy both insertion ease and animal comfort requirements simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Rigging for pulling an animal stuck in the water, such as a horse or cow, includes at least one elongated abdominal portion which is adapted for placement along a ventral side of the animal behind at least one foreleg of the animal; and a back portion which is adapted for placement along a dorsal side of the animal, where the abdominal portion includes at least one bending-stiff insert element, so that the abdominal portion can be inserted with an inserting motion behind at least one foreleg of the animal.