Rotating Chicken Coop Door for Safe Closure Over Droppings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chicken coop doors face issues with pinching or trapping chickens during opening/closing and getting obstructed by chicken droppings, leading to incomplete closure.
Innovation Solution
A chicken coop door design incorporating a door body connected to a pivot through a connecting component, driven by a driving device, which rotates and moves downward during closure, using a hinge and torsion spring to avoid obstruction and ensure complete closure, with light sensors for automated operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a motor is used to raise and lower the door for opening and closing, then the door can be automatically opened and closed, but there is a high risk of pinching or trapping chickens during the opening/closing process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transitioning from a vertical sliding door motion to a rotational door motion. The door rotates around a horizontal axis rather than moving vertically, changing the dynamic characteristics of the closing process. This rotational movement allows the door to clear chickens more safely during closure while maintaining automatic operation through the motor-driven rotation mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If a rotating pivot is used for flipping the side door, then the door can rotate for opening and closing, but the bottom of the door gets stuck in chicken droppings, preventing complete closure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the door closing motion into two distinct phases: first rotation around a horizontal axis, then downward movement along the rotational path. This segmentation of the closing motion allows the door to rotate initially to clear droppings, then move downward to achieve complete closure, preventing the door from getting stuck while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Reliability
If the door body moves downward during closing, then the door can avoid obstruction by chicken droppings, but additional components are needed to achieve this downward movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the merging principle by combining the rotational movement and downward movement into a single integrated motion sequence. The door rotates around a horizontal axis while simultaneously moving downward along the rotational path, merging two movements into one continuous action. This eliminates the need for separate mechanisms for each movement, reducing overall device complexity while ensuring reliable complete closure.
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
Mitigates the risk of trapping or injuring chickens and ensures complete door closure by addressing the obstruction caused by chicken droppings, while providing a simple and cost-effective solution.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring is positioned on a core of the hinge. Two pressure feet of the torsion spring are located on the same side of the hinge.
Implementation Method 2
One side of gear portion of the dial has a light source, and the other side of the gear portion has a first light sensor. The first light sensor is connected to a circuit board of the driving device. The circuit board determines the rotational angle of the door body by counting the light emitted from the light source to the surface of the first light sensor.
Implementation Method 3
the connecting component is a hinge. One leaf of the hinge is connected to the pivot, while the other leaf of the hinge is connected to the door body.
Data Source
AI summary
A chicken coop door includes a door body, a connecting component, and a driving device. One end of the door body is connected to the pivot of the driving device through the connecting component, with the other end serving as the movable end. The rotation of the pivot propels the connecting component and door body to rotate. During the closing process, the connecting component guide the downward movement of the door body after rotation. The chicken coop door achieves rotational opening by placing connecting component, a driving device, and their pivot connection on the door body. This design prevents injuries to chickens during door closure and resolves the issue of the door being obstructed by chicken droppings during the rotational closing process, ensuring complete closure.