Telescoping Walls for Collapsible Pet Litter System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing litter boxes are bulky, odor-prone, and inconvenient for travel with pets, especially for pet owners who need to transport multiple animals or during natural disasters, as they are difficult to assemble and inefficient to transport.
Innovation Solution
A portable animal litter system featuring collapsible, telescoping walls that can quickly expand and seal with a secure lid, allowing for easy storage and use within animal carriers, with a design that prevents litter from spilling and allows for multiple configurations for different uses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional litter boxes are used, then they provide adequate containment for animal waste, but they are bulky and difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The litter box employs dynamic walls that can transition between extended and retracted positions. The walls include telescoping sections with guides that allow them to move smoothly, enabling the litter box to change its volume dynamically based on whether it is in use or being transported
Solution Approach 2:
The walls are designed with nested telescoping sections that allow the walls to collapse into a compact configuration. When retracted, the walls nest within the base container, significantly reducing the overall volume for transport while maintaining full containment volume when extended
2Ease of operation
If litter boxes are designed for portability, then they are easier to transport, but they may have inadequate containment or spill litter
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic wall system allows the litter box to maintain a secure enclosed configuration during use, with walls that extend to prevent litter spillage. The same walls can be retracted during transport without compromising containment when in the extended position
Solution Approach 2:
The lid is designed with a curved configuration that overlaps the front wall of the container. This curved, overlapping design creates an effective barrier that prevents litter from spilling over the front edge during transport, while the lid can still be easily attached and removed
3Quantity of substance
If multiple litter boxes are transported for multiple animals, then all animals can be accommodated, but the equipment becomes excessively bulky
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple litter boxes can be nested within each other when in the retracted configuration, significantly reducing the total volume required for transport. The telescoping wall design allows one litter box to fit inside another, enabling pet owners to transport equipment for multiple animals in a compact manner
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic expandability of each litter box allows them to be compact during transport but fully functional when deployed. This dynamic characteristic enables the transport of multiple units without proportionally increasing the space required, as each unit can be minimized to a fraction of its full size during transit
4Ease of operation
If litter boxes are made collapsible, then they are more portable, but they are time-consuming and difficult to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The walls incorporate telescoping sections with integrated guides that enable smooth, quick extension and retraction movements. These guides ensure the wall sections align properly during assembly, reducing the time and effort required to set up the litter box while maintaining portability benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The wall sections are pre-configured with attachment mechanisms and guides that facilitate quick assembly. The telescoping sections are designed to naturally align and connect, reducing the complexity and time of assembly compared to traditional collapsible designs that require multiple manual connection steps
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a portable animal litter system is disclosed. The system includes a base container having a perimeter wall protruding substantially upward from a perimeter of a bottom panel. A plurality of looped inner walls is positioned concentrically so that the looped inner walls are in a telescoping arrangement. In a fully collapsed state, the looped inner walls are configured within the base container such that an upper end of each of the looped inner walls are proximate to each other. In an expanded configuration the upper ends of each looped inner wall are distal from each other. A lid is configured to attach to the base container when the system is in a collapsed configuration.