Foldable Pool Pouch with Wire Frame and Mesh Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Homeowners and boaters face challenges in storing and organizing pool and boat accessories, as existing storage solutions are often cumbersome, prone to scattering in the wind, and can be damaged when stored in crowded areas.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, foldable storage unit, or 'pool pouch,' made from water-resistant fabric with elastic properties and a frame structure of wire loops, allowing for easy transport and expansion to store various accessories and flotation devices, while also allowing air flow and water drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If accessories are stacked or piled in a particular location to tidy the pool area, then the pool area becomes tidy, but strong breeze can easily blow and scatter the flotation devices around
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is divided into multiple compartments and sections within the container, allowing accessories to be segmented and organized. This segmentation prevents individual items from being easily scattered by wind while maintaining overall organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The container itself acts as an intermediary between the accessories and the external environment (wind). By placing accessories inside the container with closure mechanisms, the wind cannot directly scatter them, thus resolving the contradiction between tidiness and wind resistance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If accessories are placed inside a garage or pool storage shed, then they are protected from wind scattering, but it becomes difficult to retrieve them and they are subject to possible damage by sharp objects
Solution Approach 1:
The storage solution moves from horizontal/ground-level storage (garage or shed) to vertical/hanging storage. The container can be suspended from hooks, racks, or other support structures, making it easily accessible at eye level or convenient height, thus improving ease of retrieval while maintaining protection from wind.
Solution Approach 2:
The container uses a flexible, durable fabric construction that can be easily opened and closed. This flexible shell provides protection from wind scattering while allowing quick access to contents, resolving the contradiction between protection and ease of retrieval.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid storage container is used to protect accessories, then accessories are protected from damage, but the container becomes heavy and difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The container is constructed from flexible, durable fabric materials (such as polyester or nylon) that provide adequate protection from damage while remaining lightweight. This flexible shell approach resolves the contradiction between protection and weight by using materials that offer sufficient durability without the mass of rigid containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The container uses composite construction combining fabric materials with reinforcing elements (such as welded seams, reinforced handles, and protective coatings) to achieve optimal balance between protection and weight. This composite approach provides damage protection comparable to rigid containers while maintaining the weight advantages of flexible materials.
4Reliability
If a non-foldable storage container is used to securely store accessories, then accessories are securely stored, but the container occupies excessive storage space when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed to be dynamic in its configuration - it can be expanded to full size for secure storage and then folded or collapsed into a compact form for space-efficient storage when not in use. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between security of storage and storage space occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The container can be folded or collapsed into a compact, nested configuration that occupies minimal storage space. The sides and panels can be folded inward or nested together, allowing the container to be stored in a fraction of the space it occupies when fully expanded, thus resolving the contradiction between security and space occupation.
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 pool pouch provides a convenient, secure, and accessible storage solution for water activity accessories, preventing scattering and damage, and can be easily transported and compactly stored when not in use.
Implementation Method 1
The fabric material preferably includes panels that are fabricated from an open mesh fabric material having a plurality of perforations which permits air to flow through the pool pouch and help dry any wet accessories or flotation devices
Implementation Method 2
The pool pouch is preferably fabricated with a light-weight, water-resistant fabric material that has elastic characteristics to enable the sides of the pool pouch to expand outward when filled with the various accessories and flotation devices
Data Source
AI summary
A compactly foldable storage pouch includes a pair of resilient wire loops, a front fabric panel disposed over and covering the interior portion of the first wire loop, a rear fabric panel disposed over and covering the interior portion of the second wire loop, at least one sidewall fabric panel joining the wire loops, the side fabric panel circumscribing at least a portion of the periphery of the wire loops and defining an opening between the front and rear fabric panels and the opposing lateral ends of the sidewall fabric panel and a plurality of removeable lateral cross-members are positionable between the pair of wire loops to maintain the foldable pouch in an expanded configuration. Upon removal of the cross-members, adjacent wire loops can be twisted into a figure-8 configuration and folded over on itself to assume a compact, generally circular flat configuration for packaging, shipment and eventual storage by the user.