Suction-Mounted Animal Feeder With Guard for Cleaner Long Licking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal feeders fail to effectively distract, entertain, or calm animals for extended periods, often leading to unsanitary conditions and inefficient use of time during tasks like bathing or medical examinations, and require frequent cleaning.
Innovation Solution
An animal feeder with an elastomeric body featuring nubs to slow feeding and suction cups for secure attachment to surfaces, combined with a guard to prevent saliva and drool spread, promoting user-friendly and sanitary use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple receptacle is used for feeding, then the device complexity is low, but the animal devours food quickly and moves the receptacle, reducing the duration of distraction
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding surface is segmented into multiple sections with progressively smaller food portions, requiring the animal to move methodically across the surface rather than devouring all food at once. This segmentation extends the duration the animal remains engaged with the feeder.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction cups provide dynamic attachment that allows the feeder to remain stationary on vertical surfaces while accommodating natural animal movement patterns. The suction mechanism adapts to minor position adjustments while maintaining secure attachment.
2Reliability
If the receptacle is cleaned frequently between uses, then sanitary conditions are maintained, but the time required for cleaning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The feeder utilizes a disposable food container that is discarded after use, eliminating the need to clean the feeding receptacle itself. The container is replaced rather than cleaned, significantly reducing cleaning time while maintaining sanitary conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards the food container after use and recovers the reusable feeder body for continued use. This separation allows the expensive reusable component to be used repeatedly without cleaning, while the disposable component handles contamination.
3Ease of operation
If the receptacle is placed on the floor, then ease of operation is high, but saliva and drool drench the surrounding area, creating unsanitary conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The feeder transitions from floor-level horizontal placement to vertical wall-mounted placement. This dimensional change redirects saliva and drool downward onto a contained tray rather than spreading across the floor, maintaining ease of operation while eliminating the harmful effect of widespread contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
A drip tray or guard structure acts as an intermediary element that intercepts saliva and drool, preventing direct contact with the surrounding environment. This mediator contains the harmful fluid while allowing the feeder to maintain its functional position.
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 feeder effectively distracts and calms animals for extended periods, maintaining them in one location during tasks while minimizing saliva and drool spread, enhancing user convenience and hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
On the reverse side is one or more suction cups to suction the animal feeder to a surface
Data Source
AI summary
An animal feeder and method of use is described herein. The animal feeder is configured to distract, calm, or occupy an animal for an extended period of time. The animal feeder includes an elastomeric body having an obverse side and a reverse side. The obverse side includes a feeding section having a plurality of nubs. The plurality of nubs are configured to slow an animal's ability to lick food therefrom. On the reverse side is one or more suction cups to suction the animal feeder to a surface to secure the feeder system in a single location. The animal feeder further includes a guard extending laterally from the feeding section to keep the surface below the guard free from saliva, drool, or slobber from the animal.