ETPU-Shell Weighted Toy With Dense Core for Longer Throws
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing throwing toys made of expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU) are too lightweight, leading to undesirable flight characteristics and limited throwing range due to air resistance.
Innovation Solution
A toy configuration with an ETPU outer shell and a core portion made of a higher-density material, such as rubber, combined using steam chest molding, where a mold with projections suspends the core within the expanding ETPU shell to achieve the desired weight and throwing properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the toy is made entirely of ETPU to ensure durability and elasticity, then the toy is lightweight and pet-safe, but the flight characteristics are poor and throwing range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The toy is divided into two distinct segments: an outer shell made of lightweight ETPU material and an inner core made of higher-density material. This segmentation allows each part to serve its specific function - the ETPU shell provides durability and pet-safety while the dense core provides weight for proper flight characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The toy uses a composite structure combining ETPU (expanded thermoplastic polyurethane) with a higher-density core material. This composite approach allows the toy to simultaneously achieve the lightweight properties of ETPU and the weight characteristics of denser materials, resolving the contradiction between being lightweight and having proper flight characteristics
2Ease of operation
If the toy is made entirely of ETPU to ensure pet-safety and elasticity, then the toy is resilient and chew-resistant, but the throwing range is limited due to air resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The toy is segmented into an elastic ETPU outer shell and a dense inner core. The ETPU shell maintains the desired elasticity and resilience for pet interaction, while the dense core provides sufficient weight to overcome air resistance during throwing, extending the throwing range
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the toy have different material properties optimized for their specific functions. The outer shell has high elasticity and resilience for pet-safety and bounce, while the inner core has high density for weight and flight stability, creating local quality differentiation throughout the toy structure
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 solution retains the durability and elasticity of ETPU while increasing the toy's weight, improving throwing and bouncing characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
introducing an amount of at least partially unexpanded polyurethane beads into at least one of the first cavity, the second cavity, and/or the combined cavity, and injecting steam into the mold to cause the polyurethane beads to expand
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
In some embodiments, a toy is disclosed. In some embodiments, the toy includes an expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU) outer shell portion and a core portion formed of a material with a higher density than the ETPU forming the outer shell portion. In some embodiments, a mold for forming a toy with an ETPU outer shell portion and with a core portion formed of a different material is disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of forming a toy with an ETPU outer shell portion and core portion formed of a different material is disclosed.