Stackable Duck Decoy with Pivoting Body and Nested Stake
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current duck decoy systems are cumbersome to set up and carry, requiring separate handling of decoys and stakes, limiting the number that can be conveniently carried at one time and increasing the number of trips needed for setup and takedown.
Innovation Solution
A duck decoy design featuring a support system with a pivoting mechanism and stackable bases that allows decoys to be easily rotated and stacked, enabling up to 16 decoys to be carried in a single trip by utilizing the decoy bodies' ability to pivot 90 degrees and stackable bases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If decoys and stakes are handled separately, then the setup process is simple, but the number of trips required increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the decoy body and stake into a single integrated unit where the stake is permanently attached to the base of the decoy. This merging eliminates the need to handle decoys and stakes separately, allowing hunters to carry multiple complete decoy-stake assemblies in one trip, thereby reducing the number of trips required while maintaining ease of operation.
2Loss of time
If multiple decoys are carried at once, then setup time is reduced, but the weight and size limits of what one person can carry are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the stakes with hollow cylindrical shafts that can receive and hold other stakes or decoy bases. This nesting capability allows multiple decoys to be stacked vertically within the structure of a single decoy, enabling hunters to carry far more than the traditional three decoys in one trip without exceeding weight limits, as the nested configuration optimizes space utilization.
3Reliability
If stakes have wide bases for stability, then they work well in frozen ground, but they are difficult to pierce into regular ground
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a two-stage stake design where the insertion portion has a pointed tip for easy penetration into regular ground, while the base portion expands to provide stability in frozen conditions. This dynamic transition from pointed to flared geometry allows the same stake to excel at both insertion and stabilization, eliminating the need to choose between the two conflicting requirements.
4Ease of operation
If decoys are carried horizontally, then they are stable, but only three can be conveniently carried at one time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the carrying configuration from horizontal to vertical by utilizing the nested stake structure. Instead of carrying decoys side-by-side horizontally (limiting capacity to three), hunters can stack multiple decoys vertically within the nested stake assemblies and carry them upright, dramatically increasing the number of decoys that can be transported in a single trip while maintaining convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
A duck decoy includes a support and a decoy body carried on the support. The support includes a base section, a decoy support section and a stanchion connecting the base section to the decoy support section. A related method for carrying a plurality of duck decoys together in a single hand includes the steps of displacing each decoy body on each support from a home position to a carry position, stacking the base sections together while orienting the decoy bodies in different directions with chests together and holding the stacked base sections in one hand.