Collapsible Disc with Air Chambers for Animal Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flying disc amusement devices are prone to damage from frequent interaction with animals' teeth, leading to the need for frequent replacements, which is time-consuming and costly.
Innovation Solution
A disc amusement device featuring a central body with convex surfaces and a peripheral body made from a resilient material with air release apertures, allowing the device to be fully or partially collapsible for improved comfort and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional rigid flying disc is used, then the device provides consistent flight path and gyroscopic stability, but it becomes damaged quickly from animal interaction requiring frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the peripheral body from rigid to collapsible by incorporating air chambers that can be deflated. This parameter change allows the disc to deform under bite force without structural failure, significantly improving durability during animal interaction while maintaining flight functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates air chambers within the peripheral body that act as pre-designed cushioning elements. When an animal bites the disc, the air chambers compress to absorb impact forces, preventing damage to the overall structure. This beforehand cushioning mechanism reduces replacement frequency by protecting the disc from bite-induced damage.
2Reliability
If a rigid flying disc is used, then the structure maintains structural integrity, but it offers poor comfort to animals biting and holding it between teeth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different physical properties to different parts of the disc. The central body maintains rigid structural integrity for stable flight, while the peripheral body becomes collapsible and compliant through air chambers to provide comfort during animal interaction. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between structural integrity and animal comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the peripheral body from a static rigid structure to a dynamic collapsible structure. The air chambers allow the peripheral body to deform under load and recover, providing adaptability during animal interaction while maintaining overall structural integrity of the disc assembly.
3Reliability
If the peripheral body is made collapsible with air chambers, then animal comfort and durability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible membranes to enclose air chambers within the peripheral body. These thin film structures create collapsible compartments that add durability and comfort functions without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms. The flexible shell approach simplifies the overall structure compared to traditional collapsible mechanisms while achieving the desired longevity.
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 device provides enhanced durability and longevity, reducing the need for frequent replacements and offering improved comfort for animals interacting with it.
Implementation Method 1
The peripheral body may be made from a resilient material and may comprise one or more air release apertures that may be in communication with one or more peripheral cavities. The resilient material along with the one or more air release apertures and one or more peripheral cavities may enable the peripheral body to be fully or partially collapsible
Data Source
AI summary
A disc amusement device may include a central body and a peripheral body. The central body may have an upper convex surface that may be circular shaped and a lower convex surface that may be circular shaped, and the upper convex surface may be opposingly positioned relative to the lower convex surface. The peripheral body may have an annular shape, and the peripheral body may be coupled to the central body so that the peripheral body may be concentric with the central body. The peripheral body may include an interior convex wall and an exterior convex wall. The interior convex wall may be coupled to the central body, and the exterior convex wall may be distal to the central body. An upper valley may be formed between the interior convex wall and the upper convex surface, and a lower valley may be formed between the interior convex wall and the lower convex surface.