Infant Water Ski Platform With Segmented Handle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water-tow sport handles are tiring to use and require significant manual dexterity, making them unsuitable for young children and infants learning water skiing or wakeboarding, as they cannot maintain a constant grip.
Innovation Solution
A water ski apparatus with a platform wide enough to accommodate two feet, featuring adjustable foot grips and a telescoping handle bar with a grip position between 12 and 36 inches above the platform, allowing easy grip for small children, and a buoyant core for support, enabling safe use by infants before the tow craft accelerates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional water-tow sport handle is used, then the handle can be held onto during water sports, but it requires constant grip which is very tiring and requires good manual dexterity, making it unsuitable for young children and infants
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into two separate components: a handle body and a separate grip portion. The grip portion can be detached and placed in a bucket or container, allowing the child to hold the handle body while the grip portion remains in the container. This segmentation eliminates the need for constant gripping while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A bucket or container serves as an intermediary between the handle and the child's hand. The grip portion is placed in the bucket, and the child holds the handle body while the bucket contains the grip portion. This intermediary mechanism allows the child to participate in water sports without requiring constant manual grip dexterity.
2Reliability
If a conventional water-tow sport handle is used, then the handle can control the water ski, but it requires constant grip which is very tiring for adults, let alone children
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is segmented into a handle body and a separate grip portion that can be detached and placed in a bucket. This allows the child to hold the handle body for the duration of the water sport without needing to continuously grip the grip portion, significantly extending the duration of comfortable use.
Solution Approach 2:
The grip portion is preliminarily placed in the bucket or container before the water sport begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for continuous gripping during the activity, as the grip portion remains stationary in the bucket while the child holds the handle body.
3Ease of operation
If a conventional water-tow sport handle is used, then the handle can be held during acceleration, but it requires significant manual dexterity that infants cannot provide
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is segmented into a handle body and a separate grip portion that can be independently placed in a bucket. This segmentation creates an adapted version of the handle suitable for infants and young children, who can hold the handle body while the grip portion remains in the bucket, eliminating the need for manual dexterity.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle system transitions from a static conventional handle to a dynamic system where the grip portion can be detached and placed in a bucket. This dynamic adaptation allows the same handle to be used by both adults and children, enhancing versatility across different age groups.
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
Facilitates the learning of water skiing and wakeboarding for young children and infants by providing a comfortable and secure grip, reducing fatigue and enabling weight support before acceleration, thus enhancing the learning experience.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyant core for support, enabling safe use by infants before the tow craft accelerates
Data Source
AI summary
A platform board is shown which allows a small child or infant to learn the art of water skiing. The platform is wide enough to accommodate at least the width of two foot grips located on an upper surface of the platform. A handle bar extending upwardly from the upper surface of the platform from a location in front of the foot grips. The handle bar includes a grip portion which can be adjusted to lie in a horizontal plane at a height which allows the grip portion to be conveniently gripped by a small child or infant. The platform board is manufactured similarly to a surf board that will support the weight of a child prior to acceleration of an associated towing craft.