Collapsible Silicone Strainer Basket for Pool Skimmers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional strainer baskets for pool equipment are prone to frequent replacement due to harsh environments and lack durability, often made of lightweight materials that fail to effectively filter debris and require multiple inventory configurations for different pool equipment types.
Innovation Solution
Development of durable, collapsible, and configurable strainer baskets featuring a rigid annular member connected to a flexible silicone basket portion with adjustable configurations, allowing for use in various pool equipment designs and reducing storage needs through a collapsible design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional lightweight materials are used for strainer baskets, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but durability and ability to withstand harsh pool environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer basket combines rigid polymer annular members (providing structural strength and durability) with flexible silicone basket portions (providing debris filtration and adaptability). This composite construction maintains durability in harsh pool environments while remaining manufacturable through injection molding processes for both material types.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple inventory configurations are maintained for different pool equipment types, then adaptability to various equipment is improved, but inventory complexity and storage requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer basket design incorporates adjustable rigid annular members with varying outer diameters and configurable flexible basket portions that can adapt to different pool equipment cavity sizes. This universal design allows a single product platform to serve multiple equipment types, eliminating the need for maintaining separate inventory configurations for different pool skimmers and filters.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket is divided into modular components: rigid polymer annular members (first and second annular members) and flexible silicone basket portions that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation enables configuration variations without requiring completely different basket designs, simplifying inventory management while maintaining adaptability.
3Strength
If rigid materials are used for strainer baskets, then structural strength is improved, but ability to collapse for compact storage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible basket portions are constructed from silicone material that forms a flexible shell structure, enabling the basket to collapse for compact storage and shipping while maintaining sufficient structural strength to perform its filtration function during operation. The flexible portions can be compressed into a compact state without permanent deformation.
4Reliability
If heavy-duty silicone material is used, then durability and position stability in pool skimmers is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The basket employs localized heavy-duty silicone material specifically in the flexible basket portions that require position stability within the pool skimmer, while the rigid polymer annular members provide structural support with optimized weight. This localized approach ensures durability and stability where needed without unnecessarily increasing the overall weight of the entire basket assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A durable and collapsible strainer basket for pool equipment includes a rigid annular top portion having a radially extending rim; and a flexible basket extending downward from the rigid annular top portion, the rim of the rigid annular top portion including a downward facing surface that extends radially outward beyond the flexible basket and that is positioned to rest on a ledge of a pool equipment cavity, wherein the flexible basket includes a tapered outer shape formed by two or more flexible silicone annular sections having a plurality of holes passing therethrough, wherein the two or more flexible silicone annular sections are configured to be collapsible such that the flexible basket includes a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration.