Breathable Foam Pit Cover for Faster Daily Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foam pits in recreational entertainment and trampoline parks are difficult to disinfect and clean daily due to the time-consuming process and high payroll costs, posing hygiene concerns and revenue loss for park owners.
Innovation Solution
A removable foam pit cover with a breathable, durable material design featuring a gator clip, perimeter skirt, apron, and toggle bungee cords that allows for easy installation, expansion, and contraction, facilitating daily cleaning and hygiene maintenance while preventing dust and airborne particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If foam pit cubes are cleaned daily to maintain hygiene, then hygiene quality is improved, but labor cost and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The foam pit system is segmented into two parts: the foam cubes themselves and a removable cover. The cover can be detached and cleaned separately, allowing the foam cubes to remain in place while maintaining hygiene through frequent cover cleaning rather than cleaning the entire foam pit structure daily.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is extracted as a separate removable component from the foam pit system. This allows the cover to be removed, cleaned, and disinfected independently and frequently, while the foam cubes remain in the pit structure. The cover acts as a removable barrier that can be sanitized without moving or cleaning the foam cubes themselves.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If foam pit cubes are cleaned daily to maintain hygiene, then hygiene quality is improved, but payroll cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the foam cubes from the cover, allowing the cover to be cleaned independently. This segmentation enables park staff to clean and disinfect the cover frequently at minimal labor cost, while the foam cubes remain in place and do not require repeated handling or cleaning, thereby reducing payroll expenses.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting the cover as a removable component, the system allows for frequent, low-cost cleaning of the cover surface without requiring labor-intensive cleaning of the entire foam pit. The cover can be quickly removed, wiped down, and reinstalled, significantly reducing the labor time and cost compared to cleaning the foam cubes themselves.
3Ease of operation
If a cover is added to the foam pit to enable easy cleaning, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed as a dynamic, removable component rather than a permanent fixture. It can be easily installed and removed from the foam pit using simple fastening mechanisms (grommets, elastic cords, or clips), allowing staff to quickly cover or uncover the pit as needed for cleaning or operation without complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is constructed as a flexible sheet or fabric structure that can drape over the foam pit and conform to its shape. This flexible design requires no rigid framework or complex support structure, achieving both ease of cleaning access and minimal structural complexity through a simple, adaptable covering material.
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 provides a safer, more hygienic experience for patrons, reduces payroll expenses, and decreases downtime by enabling frequent cleaning and foam maintenance, while preventing objects from falling into the foam pit.
Implementation Method 1
The unique features of the perimeter skirting and apron allows the invention to expand and contract with use, thereby reducing tension on the main cover. This feature also prevents the cover from bunching up and provides a deeper impact landing zone for safety.
Implementation Method 2
The gator clip comprising two opposing strips of hook-and-loop fastener being joined at a hinge to form a jaw-like opening
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of toggle bungee cords
Data Source
AI summary
A foam pit cover having a cover sheet with a gator clip along its perimeter, a perimeter skirt, an apron, and a plurality of toggle bungee cords. The perimeter skirt is made of primary and second sheets, the primary sheet being longer than the secondary sheet. The toggle bungee cords are configured to fit within grommets in the secondary sheet of the perimeter skirt and the bottom part of the apron. The top part of the apron is attached to the bottom part of the primary sheet of the perimeter skirt. The cover sheet and apron are made of a PVC-coated polyester material, and the perimeter skirt is made of a breathable, durable fabric. The invention optionally includes a top sheet with customized graphics and corner pieces to further secure the cover sheet to the perimeter skirt.