Hinged Foam Panel Water Mat for Folding Storage and Weight Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water mats are limited in size and storage convenience due to the need to roll them, which restricts thickness and dimensions, making it cumbersome to store and support significant weight.
Innovation Solution
A water mat system comprising multiple polymeric, closed-cell foam panels connected by hinges, allowing transition between a deployed and stored state without rolling, enabling thicker panels and larger sizes while maintaining ease of storage by stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If water mats are constructed as large single pieces to support more weight and provide larger surface area, then weight capacity and usable area are improved, but storage convenience deteriorates due to the need to roll them up
Solution Approach 1:
The water mat is divided into multiple interconnected panels that can be folded relative to each other. Each panel maintains structural integrity while the segmented design allows the entire mat to be collapsed into a compact folded state for storage, eliminating the need to roll large mats and significantly improving storage convenience while maintaining large surface area when deployed.
2Strength
If water mat thickness is increased to support higher weights, then weight capacity is improved, but storage convenience deteriorates because thick mats resist rolling and exceed practical roll diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The mat is segmented into multiple panels connected by hinges, allowing thick panels to be folded onto each other in a compact stack. This segmentation enables the use of thicker, higher-capacity foam panels while maintaining storage convenience through folding rather than rolling.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage approach transitions from one-dimensional rolling to three-dimensional folding/stacking. Thick panels are folded vertically and stacked, utilizing vertical space rather than creating large horizontal rolls, thereby accommodating greater thickness while maintaining compact storage dimensions.
3Area of stationary object
If water mat length and width are increased to provide larger surface area, then usable area is improved, but storage convenience deteriorates as the mat becomes too large to roll up practically
Solution Approach 1:
The large mat is segmented into multiple smaller panels connected by hinges. When deployed, the panels form a large continuous surface area. When stored, the panels are folded relative to each other in a compact configuration, transforming the large two-dimensional surface into a compact three-dimensional package that is easy to store.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from storing a large two-dimensional mat as a rolled cylinder to folding the segmented mat into a compact three-dimensional stack. This dimensional transformation allows large surface area mats to be stored in a compact footprint by utilizing vertical folding rather than horizontal rolling.
4Stability of the object's composition
If water mats are made as single large pieces, then structural integrity is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for rolling mechanisms and storage solutions
Solution Approach 1:
The mat is segmented into panels connected by simple hinge joints. Each panel maintains local structural integrity, while the hinge connections provide controlled flexibility for folding. This segmentation with simple connectors reduces overall system complexity compared to designing a single large rigid mat with integrated rolling mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge connections introduce controlled dynamic flexibility to the otherwise rigid panel structure. This allows the mat to transition between rigid deployed states (maintaining structural integrity) and flexible folded states (enabling compact storage), reducing the need for complex mechanical rolling mechanisms.
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 system allows for easier storage and support of higher weights and larger sizes without the need for rolling, enhancing user convenience and weight capacity.
Implementation Method 1
The water mats are configured to float on a large body of water such as a pool, or lake, or ocean in order to provide a floating surface desirable for play or lounging. Depending on the materials of construction and size dimensions, water mats known and used in the art may be operable to support anywhere from about 600 pounds to 1500 pounds of distributed weight without sinking.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments of an improved water mat system comprise a plurality of polymeric, closed-cell foam panels, each of the plurality of panels taking any suitable shape and defining a top surface and a bottom surface. A plurality of hinge components are configured and placed to connect the plurality of panels and operable to transition the water mat system between a deployed state and a stored state. When the water mat system is in the deployed state the plurality of panels are positioned in an end-to-end arrangement such that the top surfaces of the panels collectively define a substantially common plane (i.e., the panels are laid out end-to-end). When the water mat system is in the stored state the top surface of a first one of the plurality of panels is juxtaposed to the bottom surface of a second one of the plurality of panels (i.e., the panels are stacked).