Diving Toy Hydrostatic Depth Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motorized swimming toys are unsuitable for sustained submerged travel, either sinking quickly or being too light for underwater exploration, and lack the ability to continuously maintain a predetermined depth without complex diving controls, making them either ineffective or expensive.
Innovation Solution
A diving toy with a sealed main body, motor, and propeller, featuring a flexible portion that adjusts volume in response to hydrostatic pressure to achieve neutral, positive, or negative buoyancy, allowing it to automatically seek and maintain a predetermined depth through a cycle of diving and rising.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sophisticated diving controls are used to enable sustained submerged travel at predetermined depth, then the diving capability and depth control are improved, but the device size and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible portion automatically adjusts the toy's buoyancy and depth by responding to hydrostatic pressure changes during diving and surfacing cycles, eliminating the need for external control mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the diving motion to trigger volume changes that in turn control depth maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible portion changes its volume parameter in response to hydrostatic pressure, which alters the toy's overall density and buoyancy characteristics. This dynamic parameter change enables automatic depth control without complex mechanical or electronic systems.
2Speed
If the toy is designed to be light for surface travel, then ease of movement is improved, but the ability to dive and sustain submerged travel deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The toy transitions dynamically between surface and submerged states by changing the flexible portion's volume. When surfaced, the flexible portion is expanded for lightness and ease of movement; when diving, it compresses to increase weight and enable sustained submerged travel. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between surface performance and diving capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible portion is constructed from elastomeric material that can be compressed and expanded, allowing the toy to adjust its effective weight and buoyancy. This flexible structure enables the toy to be light for surface travel while becoming sufficiently heavy for sustained submerged travel when compressed.
3Reliability
If the flexible portion volume is reduced to increase weight for diving, then the diving capability is improved, but the volumetric center position changes affecting stability
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible portion is positioned asymmetrically at the rear of the toy, and its volume changes create a deliberate shift in the volumetric center. This asymmetric design allows the center shift to function as a depth control mechanism, with the rearward position of the flexible portion creating a diving moment when compressed and a surfacing moment when expanded.
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
Enables continuous and efficient submerged travel at a predetermined depth, providing amusement while maintaining stability and control without the need for sophisticated controls or large size, making it accessible and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible portion is hydrostatic pressure sensitive varying the fluid displacement volume and volumetric center of the toy as it dives or climbs
Implementation Method 2
The toy may be adapted to have positive, negative or neutral buoyancy when placed in water
Data Source
AI summary
A diving toy having hydrostatic depth control adapted to cause said diving toy to continuously seek a predetermined depth in water. The diving toy includes a sealed main body with a motor and a battery compartment for receiving at least one battery positioned inside the sealed main body. A propeller is attached to an axle of the motor protruding through the sealed main body so that when the motor is activated the propeller spins. The sealed main body has a flexible portion disposed substantially rearward on the sealed main body. The flexible portion is hydrostatic pressure sensitive varying the fluid displacement volume and volumetric center of the toy as it dives or climbs. The toy may be adapted to have positive, negative or neutral buoyancy when placed in water.