Athletic Training Box with Foam Edges and Wood Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional jump boxes with hard edges and corners pose a risk of injury during use, and alternatives made entirely of foam are expensive and lack stability, failing to provide a suitable balance between safety and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An athletic training box design featuring internal support structures that allow for firm plywood surfaces and rounded, impact-absorbing foam edges, reducing the weight and cost while enhancing safety by eliminating sharp edges and corners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the box is made of heavy wood to withstand jumping force, then strength and durability are improved, but weight increases and safety decreases due to sharp corners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the box: the main structure uses rigid wood for strength, while the corners use soft foam material for safety. This local differentiation allows the box to simultaneously provide structural integrity and injury protection, resolving the contradiction between strength and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The box combines two distinct materials - rigid wood and soft foam - into a composite structure. The wood frame provides the necessary strength to withstand jumping forces, while the foam corners provide cushioning and safety. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by allowing each material to perform its optimal function.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If foam covering is added to minimize injury, then safety is improved, but footing firmness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The foam covering is applied selectively only to the corners and edges of the box, not the entire surface. This localized application provides safety cushioning where injuries are most likely to occur while preserving the firm, non-slip wood surface on the jumping areas, thus maintaining footing firmness.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the entire box is made of foam to reduce sharp edges, then safety is improved, but cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire box from expensive foam material, the patent uses foam only for the corners and edges where safety is needed. The main body remains as lighter wood, significantly reducing overall weight and cost while still eliminating sharp edges at the critical safety points.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of wood and foam materials allows the box to achieve safety without the excessive weight and cost of a full-foam construction. The wood provides lightweight structural support while the foam provides edge protection, creating a cost-effective and lightweight solution.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If foam covering is added to minimize injury, then safety is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foam corners are designed as separate, pre-formed components that are attached to the wood box frame. This modular approach simplifies manufacturing compared to attempting to foam the entire box or create integrated foam structures, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining safety benefits.
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 design provides a stable and cost-effective jump box that minimizes injury risk by using internal support to maintain structural integrity, allowing for the use of soft foam edges and reducing the weight of the box, making it safer and more affordable than traditional options.
Implementation Method 1
rounded, impact-absorbing foam edges
Data Source
AI summary
An athletic training box that includes firm planar surfaces that transition to soft edges. On the outer surface of the athletic training box the soft edges transition directly from the outer surface into a rounded foam edge without a ridge, or substantial obstacle being presented to cause a safety hazard. An internal frame structure is provided within the athletic training box to support the planar surfaces receiving the force of the jump while also maintaining the “square” 90 degree angles, and thus the parallel jump surfaces of the athletic training box.