Stowable Pet Toy Tail Structure for Compact Interactive Play
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is challenging for humans to provide stimulation to pets through interactive playtime activities using existing pet toys, particularly those that require easy operation and engagement.
Innovation Solution
A pet toy with a stowable and extendable tail that provides stability and additional grasping points, incorporates a noise-making device, and can store treats, allowing pets to engage in interactive play by extending and retrieving the tail, which may also include a puzzle element for food reward.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the tail is extended from the housing, then the pet toy provides stability of flight and additional grasping points, but the toy occupies more space and is less compact for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The tail is designed to be extendable and retractable, allowing it to transition between extended and retracted states. When extended, it provides stability and grasping points; when retracted, it minimizes storage space. This dynamic configuration resolves the contradiction between needing space for interaction and needing compactness for storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The tail can be stored within a portion of the housing, creating a nested configuration where the tail fits inside the housing structure. This nesting approach allows the tail to be compact during storage while still being accessible when needed for play.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the tail is made extendable for stability and engagement, then the pet interaction is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The toy is divided into distinct functional portions: the housing containing the noise-making device, the barrier partitioning the interior space, and the attachable tail. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while simplifying the overall assembly and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tail serves multiple functions: providing stability during flight, offering additional grasping points for pets and humans, and potentially storing food treats. By making the tail multi-functional, the design enhances pet engagement without requiring multiple separate components, thereby controlling complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the housing is partitioned to separate tail attachment from noisemaker, then the structural organization is improved, but the internal space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is partitioned into distinct portions: a first portion for the noise-making device and a second portion for tail attachment and food storage. This segmentation improves manufacturing by allowing each portion to be produced and assembled separately, simplifying the overall construction process despite the added structural element.
Data Source
AI summary
A pet toy with a stowable tail includes a body defining an interior space. The body includes an opening. A barrier extends within the interior space. A tail is attached to the barrier and is extendable through the opening in the body. The barrier may partition the interior space and may include an anchor to which an attachment portion of the tail is attached. An elongate portion of the tail extending from the attachment portion may be sufficiently flexible to permit stuffing of an entirety of the tail within a portion of the interior space.