Thermoplastic Coupling Elements for Modular Pet Cage Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pet cages face challenges in being easily adaptable, intuitive to assemble, cost-effective to produce, and user-friendly, with issues such as non-dismantlable welded meshes, complex assembly processes, and increased production costs due to the need for specialized tools and materials.
Innovation Solution
The use of thermoplastic coupling elements that allow for modular and flexible assembly of mesh walls, enabling the cage to be easily disassembled and reassembled, with features like 100° openable roofs and removable front walls, made through injection molding for reduced production costs and improved visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welded mesh is used to construct cage walls, then structural strength and stability are improved, but the cage becomes non-dismantlable and transport volumes increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cage is divided into modular components (base, walls, roof) that can be independently assembled and disassembled. Each wall is a separate grid structure that connects to the base and other walls through coupling elements, allowing the cage to be taken apart for transport and reassembled for use.
Solution Approach 2:
The grid walls are designed to nest within each other when disassembled, with longer walls containing shorter sections. This nesting arrangement minimizes transport volume while maintaining structural integrity when assembled.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional temporary fixing means are used to retain internal grid walls, then assembly is simplified, but production costs increase and automation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides mechanical retention of grid walls, enables angular positioning at corners, and facilitates both manual assembly and automated production through consistent geometry that can be molded and programmed into robotic assembly systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element is produced through injection molding of thermoplastic material, transitioning from traditional metal fasteners requiring manual installation to molded plastic components that can be automatically positioned and attached, enabling production automation while maintaining ease of assembly.
3Stability of the object's composition
If frames are used to constrain vertical walls at upper edges, then structural stability is improved, but the front wall becomes non-openable and visibility of the animal is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element enables dynamic reconfiguration of the cage structure. The front wall can be detached and reattached at different positions or removed entirely, while the coupling mechanism maintains structural stability when walls are connected. The system transitions between fixed and movable states as needed.
4Ease of manufacture
If slots and folds are used to couple mesh walls, then wall coupling is achieved, but the roof becomes non-openable and production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element serves multiple functions: it couples vertical walls to the base, connects adjacent walls at corners, and provides attachment points for the roof. This universal coupling mechanism simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for separate connection mechanisms for different cage components.
5Strength
If plastic columns are used to increase solidity and ensure dimensional flexibility, then structural strength is improved, but assembly complexity increases and production costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element extracts and concentrates the structural reinforcement function into small corner components rather than requiring full-length plastic columns. This removes the complexity of assembling long plastic support elements while maintaining structural solidity through strategically placed coupling points at critical corners and joints.
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
This solution results in cages that are cost-effective, easy to assemble and disassemble, with reduced production costs and transport volumes, while maintaining animal safety and visibility, and allows for the creation of cages of various sizes with minimal materials and tools.
Implementation Method 1
made through injection molding for reduced production costs and improved visibility
Data Source
AI summary
A cage for pets comprises two lateral metal mesh grid walls with a substantially vertical arrangement, two respectively front and rear metal mesh grid walls, a horizontal upper metal mesh grid wall that forms the roof and a base (36) on a peripheral edge of which said grid walls are fixed, in which the cage further comprises at least one angular coupling element arranged at an upper corner of the cage where a lateral metal mesh grid wall and/or the front metal mesh grid wall and/or the upper metal mesh grid wall join.