Wall-Mounted Hay Feeder With Angled Plate to Reduce Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hay feeders are inefficient, prone to waste, and pose safety risks due to size, accessibility issues, and contamination, particularly for single animals in stalls.
Innovation Solution
A compact, elevated hay feeder with an angled plate and vertical rods that keeps hay clean and accessible, preventing waste and animal conflicts, made from food-grade stainless steel for hygiene and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large free-standing hay feeder is used to feed multiple animals, then feeding capacity is improved, but safety risk increases due to animal fights for access
Solution Approach 1:
The hay feeder is segmented into multiple individual compartments, each capable of holding one animal. This segmentation allows multiple animals to be fed simultaneously in separate sections, maintaining high feeding capacity while preventing conflicts that would occur in a single large feeder.
2Ease of manufacture
If a small single-stall hay feeder is placed on the ground, then ease of installation is improved, but fodder waste increases due to contamination and inaccessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The hay feeder transitions from ground-level placement to vertical wall mounting. This dimensional change elevates the fodder storage area above ground contaminants while maintaining easy installation through simple wall-mounted brackets, thereby preventing contamination-related waste without complicating the installation process.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a wall-mounted hay feeder is elevated above the ground, then sanitation is improved by preventing contamination, but animal accessibility may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The feeder design incorporates locally optimized features: the front opening is positioned at animal head height for easy access, while the main body is elevated on the wall for sanitation. The angled bottom surface also creates a local quality that directs fodder toward the access point, ensuring both sanitation and accessibility are maintained simultaneously.
4Ease of operation
If an angled bottom surface is added to the feeder, then fodder accessibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom surface is designed with a simple angular inclination rather than a complex curved or multi-level structure. This parameter change (from flat to angled) is sufficient to guide fodder toward the access point and improve accessibility, while keeping the structural complexity minimal and easy to manufacture.
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 hay feeder effectively reduces waste, enhances animal safety and convenience by maintaining hay cleanliness and preventing fights, while being easy to load and clean.
Implementation Method 1
The first edge is configured to be above the second edge such that the angle plate extends at a downward angle
Data Source
AI summary
The hay feeder of the present invention includes a top bar having a first end and a second end, and a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical rods. Each vertical rod has an upper end and a lower end extending downward from the top bar. The hay feeder of the present invention also includes a bottom bar having a first end and a second end. The bottom bar attaches to the lower ends of the vertical rods. The hay feeder also includes an angle plate having a first edge and a second edge. The first edge is configured to be above the second edge such that the angle plate extends at a downward angle.