Chain-Shaped Splicing Toy for Ball Pool Creativity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Young children playing in ball pools often experience boredom and reduced creativity and imagination due to the lack of interactive and combinable toys, limiting their creative thinking and playfulness.

Innovation Solution

A chain-shaped splicing toy that can be attached to balls, allowing multiple balls to be connected and rearranged into various shapes, featuring coupling, buckling, and connecting portions for stability and versatility, with optional secondary assemblies for three-dimensional configurations, made from soft plastic for safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional toys like jigsaw puzzles and building blocks are used, then children can engage in creative play, but children cannot bring these toys to the ball pool and experience boredom during extended play

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to ball pool environmentVSAvoidduration of play interest

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The chain assembly is designed to function both as a standalone toy structure and as a connector for balls in a ball pool environment. The coupling portions can attach to balls while the chain connecting portions maintain structural integrity, allowing the same toy to serve multiple purposes: creative building and ball pool play enhancement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The toy is divided into distinct functional segments: chain connecting portions for structural linkage, coupling portions for ball attachment, and buckling portions for secure connection. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while contributing to the overall versatility and extended play duration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If balls are simply placed in the pool without connection mechanisms, then children can play freely, but the balls cannot be spliced together to form desired shapes limiting creativity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to form various shapesVSAvoidcomplexity of ball connection system

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The chain assembly provides dynamic connectivity where balls can be easily added, removed, and repositioned. The coupling and buckling portions allow for flexible configuration changes, enabling children to dynamically reconfigure ball arrangements into different shapes and structures without permanent constraints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The chain assembly acts as an intermediary component between individual balls, providing the connection mechanism needed to link balls together. This mediator enables shape formation without requiring complex integrated systems on each ball, maintaining simplicity while achieving versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Stability of the object's composition

If rigid connection mechanisms are used to splice balls, then stable structures can be formed, but safety risks increase for young children

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of ball splicing structureVSAvoidsafety hazards to children

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The material parameter of the chain assembly is changed to soft plastic, fundamentally altering the safety characteristics while maintaining structural functionality. This parameter change allows the connection to provide sufficient stability for shape formation while eliminating the hardness-related safety hazards of rigid materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Object-affected harmful factors

If soft plastic material is used for safety, then children can play safely, but the structural strength may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety for childrenVSAvoidstrength of chain assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The soft plastic material exhibits different mechanical properties at different locations and under different conditions. The material provides flexibility and safety under normal play conditions while maintaining sufficient connection strength through the coupling and buckling portion designs that leverage geometric strength rather than material hardness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10661193B2Chain-shaped splicing toy

Publication Date: 2020.05.26 LI HSEN PLASTICS

AI summary

A chain-shaped splicing toy is attached to a ball so that a plurality of balls can be spliced with each other. The chain-shaped splicing toy includes a first chain assembly. The first chain assembly has two first coupling portions, a first ring, two first buckling portions, and a plurality of first chain connecting portions. Wherein, when the first chain assembly is attached to the ball, the first coupling portion at one end is coupled to the first ring at the other end. The first buckling portions are buckled to the first coupling portion that is not located at one end of another first chain assembly attached to the other ball so that the balls can be spliced with each other in different shapes and models.