Portable Ice Rink Sprinkler with Controlled Spray Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a cost-effective and efficient method to create outdoor ice rinks suitable for winter sports, as existing methods are time-intensive and require manual labor.
Innovation Solution
A portable ice rink sprinkler apparatus comprising a spray head, riser, coupling, movable support, and clamp, which allows for the formation of an ice rink by spraying water in controlled patterns to freeze into ice, with a method involving the use of a water hose and movable support to cover desired areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual spraying with a hose is used to create outdoor ice rinks, then the ice rink can be formed, but the process is time-intensive and requires repeated manual application
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler system is designed to automatically spray water in controlled patterns without requiring repeated manual intervention. The apparatus includes a spray head with nozzles that can be positioned and controlled to automatically deposit water across the desired area, allowing the system to service itself rather than requiring continuous manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical action of holding and directing a hose is replaced with an automated sprinkler apparatus. The spray head mechanism, supported by a movable stand, automatically positions and directs water spray patterns, substituting the manual mechanical system with an automated one that reduces time and labor requirements.
2Ease of operation
If a portable sprinkler apparatus is used to form ice rinks, then manual labor is reduced, but the device must be easily storable and movable
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler apparatus is divided into separable components including a spray head assembly, a movable support stand, and a base. This segmentation allows the device to be easily assembled and disassembled for storage and transport, reducing the complexity burden while maintaining functionality. The modular design enables easy storage in a garage or shed when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure incorporates movable elements that allow the spray head to be repositioned and adjusted during operation. The stand can be moved to different locations around the ice rink area, and the spray head can be adjusted to different spray patterns and positions, providing dynamic adaptability without requiring a complex fixed structure.
3Manufacturing precision
If water is sprayed in controlled patterns to form ice, then the ice surface becomes smooth and suitable for sports, but the spray pattern control mechanism adds device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the spray head are designed to produce different spray patterns tailored to specific areas. The apparatus can create various spray patterns including fan patterns, stream patterns, and circular patterns by adjusting individual nozzles or groups of nozzles, allowing localized control of water distribution to achieve uniform ice surfaces in different regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray pattern control mechanism works by adjusting parameters such as nozzle angle, spray direction, and water flow distribution. By changing these physical parameters of the spray system, the apparatus can create different ice surface characteristics without requiring complex electronic controls or mechanisms, maintaining simplicity while achieving precision.
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
Facilitates the creation of outdoor ice rinks suitable for winter sports, providing a compact and easily storable solution that reduces manual labor and time, allowing for the formation of ice rinks in various sizes and shapes.
Implementation Method 1
at temperatures sufficient to freeze water into ice over ground to form at a first location a part of an ice rink
Data Source
AI summary
A movable apparatus for creating an outdoor ice rink and a method of using it comprising a spray head configured to apply a water spray from a height sufficient to maintain a stable vertical spray head orientation and periodically repositioning it until a desired ice rink s formed.