Tapered Balloon Tying Tool with Notched Head for Dexterity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tying tools for balloons and other elastic media often require the user to grip the device in the palm of the hand, limiting dexterity, and may have complex designs or be fixed to a surface, leading to hand fatigue and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
A tying tool with a finger grip and a tapered tube having an opening with nonparallel walls, allowing for easy retention of the material and providing mechanical leverage, which can be held without hindering hand use and is simple to manufacture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the tool is designed to be gripped in the palm of the hand, then the tool can be securely held, but the fingers cannot be used to help secure the balloon or assist in the tying operation
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into separate functional components: a handle portion for gripping and a head portion with multiple posts for the tying operation. This segmentation allows the handle to be简单地 gripped while the head provides the necessary tying functionality without requiring finger dexterity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool acts as an intermediary device that transfers the user's hand motion to the balloon-tying process. The handle provides a simple gripping interface while the head portion with its multiple posts mediates the complex tying operation, allowing users to perform knotting without direct finger manipulation.
2Ease of operation
If the tool has multiple posts or complex features, then the tying operation can be assisted, but the device becomes more complex and harder to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The tool head features multiple posts with different heights and configurations, creating parameter variations that facilitate the tying operation. These parameter changes in post geometry provide functional benefits for securing and manipulating the balloon while remaining manufacturable through standard molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple posts on the tool head serve multiple functions: they provide gripping surfaces, create notches for material retention, and facilitate different knotting configurations. This multi-functionality is achieved through a single integrated head structure that can be manufactured efficiently.
3Ease of manufacture
If the tool is designed with a single-piece structure, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the functionality may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The handle and head portions are merged into a single integrated structure that can be manufactured as one piece. This merging reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while the integrated design maintains full functionality by incorporating the gripping handle and multi-post head in a unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-piece design incorporates multiple functional elements including the gripping handle, multiple posts of varying heights, and material retention notches. This universal design achieves diverse functionality within a single manufactured component, eliminating the need for separate parts while maintaining operational versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool to assist with hand-tying of knots in balloons, cords, and the like. The tool has a head consisting of a hollow tube with an opening running the length of the tube. The tube is typically tapered with a flange toward the larger end, and the opening is incorporated at an angle nonparallel to the center line of the tube, forming a notch feature that passively retains material on the head until removed by the user. The head is connected to a handle with two or more functionally independent finger loops. The tool may be retained on the hand without unduly impeding dexterity and provides for greater control of the tool when in use.