Spherical Grooved Pet Toy With Open Core for Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional dog toys, particularly balls, pose a choking hazard due to potential lodging in a dog's throat and can be easily chewed through, with sizing issues exacerbating the risk, and existing designs do not adequately prevent asphyxiation or provide safe play for various dog breeds.
Innovation Solution
A spherical pet toy with triangular sections and V-shaped grooves between them, a central opening, and a uniform sidewall thickness, made from resilient rubber, designed to maintain airflow and prevent deep penetration into a dog's throat, optionally with a rope for added safety and play features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional ball is used as a dog toy, then it is easy to throw and retrieve, but it can become lodged in the dog's throat causing asphyxiation
Solution Approach 1:
The ball surface is segmented into multiple quadrants separated by grooves, creating a non-smooth surface that prevents the ball from becoming lodged in the dog's throat while maintaining its spherical shape and throwing characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are strategically positioned at specific locations on the ball surface to create airflow channels that prevent throat lodging, while other areas maintain the smooth spherical shape needed for easy throwing and retrieving
2Weight of moving object
If a hollow ball is used to reduce weight, then it is easier to throw, but the flexing or deformation may allow the ball to penetrate deeper into the dog's throat
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves segment the ball surface into rigid quadrants that maintain structural integrity even when the ball is hollow and flexible, preventing the ball from deforming enough to penetrate deeply into the throat
Solution Approach 2:
The ball combines a flexible hollow core for lightness with a reinforced surface structure featuring grooves that maintain rigidity and prevent excessive deformation, creating a composite structure that balances weight and safety
3Ease of manufacture
If a single size ball is manufactured for all dog breeds, then manufacturing is simplified, but proper sizing for preventing choking is not achieved for all breeds
Solution Approach 1:
The grooved design provides universal safety features that work across different dog breeds and ball sizes, making the choking prevention mechanism effective regardless of the specific size or shape variations in manufactured balls
4Adaptability or versatility
If tennis balls are used as dog toys, then they are widely available and easy to use, but dogs can easily chew through the material and ingest pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The ball combines a resilient rubber core for chew resistance with an outer material layer that provides the desired texture and play characteristics, creating a composite structure that prevents dogs from chewing through while maintaining versatility
Data Source
AI summary
The pet toy of the invention comprises a spherical shaped body with eight distinct quadrants formed on the exterior surface thereof. Each section is three sided, similar to an equilateral triangle except each corner of the triangular-shaped is curved or rounded. A central opening is formed through the pet toy. Preferably, the pet toy is hollow and the pet toy has a substantially uniform sidewall thickness, thereby creating an open core. Measured parameters of the pet toy are provided to minimize the potential of the toy becoming caught in an animal's throat yet the pet toy is still configured to maximize play potential. The measured parameters include, in various combinations of a weight of the pet toy, a diameter of the pet toy, depths of grooves in the pet toy, widths of the grooves and shapes of the grooves.