Rolling Grid Hay Feeder for Controlled Equine Grazing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional equine feeders allow easy access to hay, leading to overeating and digestive issues such as colic, inefficient feed utilization, and hay waste, as they fail to simulate the slow and deliberate grazing behavior of horses.
Innovation Solution
The equine slow-feeder employs rolling feed-through panels that compress hay and provide adjustable, restricted access through grid elements, simulating natural grazing by requiring effort to pull and tear hay, thus slowing down consumption and preventing overeating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional equine feeders provide easy access to hay, then feeding convenience is improved, but overeating and digestive issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the feeder by introducing movable grid panels with adjustable spacing and compression mechanisms. This modifies the accessibility parameter of hay, transforming it from easily accessible to controlled-access, thereby preventing overeating while maintaining feeding convenience through adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The feeder employs dynamic elements including movable grid panels that can be adjusted during operation, compression mechanisms that actively press hay, and a system that adapts to different feeding stages. This dynamic design allows the feeder to transition between providing access and restricting access, resolving the contradiction between convenience and health.
2Productivity
If hay is made easily accessible in conventional feeders, then feed intake speed is improved, but hay waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the accessibility parameters of hay through adjustable grid spacing and compression levels. By controlling the physical state and accessibility of hay, the system enables animals to consume feed at an appropriate pace, preventing both过快 intake and waste from trampling or spillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The grid panels and compression mechanisms act as intermediaries between the hay and the animal. These intermediaries control the rate and manner of feed access, mediating the interaction to achieve both adequate intake speed and reduced waste by preventing excessive consumption and trampling.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If restricted access is provided through grid panels, then overeating is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The feeder is segmented into modular components including multiple grid panels, compression mechanisms, and adjustable elements. This segmentation allows the complexity to be distributed and managed through standardized modules, making the restricted access system more manageable and easier to maintain despite its enhanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The grid panels and compression mechanisms serve multiple functions: they restrict access to prevent overeating, control feed intake speed, reduce waste, and can be adjusted for different animal needs. This multi-functionality justifies the increased complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single system design.
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
The equine slow-feeder promotes healthy feeding by preventing overeating, reducing hay waste, and ensuring proper digestion by mimicking natural grazing, thereby improving equine health and extending the duration of hay consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the hay within the internal cavity is continually compressed by the weight of the feed-through grid panel as the feed-through grid panel rolls inwardly along the downwardly sloping trolley tracks
Data Source
AI summary
An equine slow-feeder comprises an external frame defining an internal cavity for receiving baled hay, at least one openable door for loading the hay, and a set of trolley tracks sloping downward toward the middle of the internal cavity. A feed-through grid panel, movably coupled to the trolley tracks via trolley wheel assemblies, is configured to compress the hay under its weight as it rolls inward due to gravity, exposing portions of the hay through narrow feeding spaces to regulate equine animal feeding. A low hay sensor is configured to send a notification in response to the baled hay in the internal cavity being diminished to a point requiring loading additional hay into the internal cavity within a predetermined amount of time.