Modular Balloon Arch Structure Without Helium
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing balloon arch and column structures face challenges in stability and cost due to the natural flexibility of support structures and the expense of helium-filled balloons, making it difficult to create lasting and attractive decorative assemblies using atmospheric air-filled balloons with conventional assembly techniques.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising base plates, interchangeable poles, and fasteners allows for the creation of stable balloon and fabric decorative structures without helium, enabling various geometric forms that can be easily assembled and disassembled, supported by strong base plates for indoor and outdoor use, and customizable for different events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional flexible support structures are used for balloon arches, then assembly is simple, but structural stability and rigidity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into modular components: base plates with specific geometries, interchangeable poles of various lengths, and connection elements. This segmentation allows for stable configurations while maintaining assembly simplicity through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The base plates and poles are designed as universal components that can be used in multiple configurations to create different arch shapes and sizes. The standardized connection system provides both stability and ease of assembly across various structural arrangements.
2Stability of the object's composition
If helium-filled balloons are used to create arch structures, then buoyancy and natural arch formation are improved, but cost increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid base plates and poles provide counterbalancing structural support that replaces the need for helium buoyancy. The framework itself bears the structural load, allowing atmospheric air-filled balloons to be used without compromising arch stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid support framework acts as an intermediary structure that transfers and distributes loads, enabling the use of cheaper atmospheric air-filled balloons instead of expensive helium-filled balloons while maintaining structural integrity.
3Quantity of substance
If atmospheric air-filled balloons are used instead of helium, then cost decreases, but structural stability and balance deteriorate due to balloon flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is segmented into rigid support elements (base plates and poles) that provide stability and flexible decorative elements (balloons and fabric) that provide aesthetics. This separation allows cost-effective atmospheric balloons to be used while the rigid framework maintains structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines rigid inorganic materials (metal or plastic poles, rigid base plates) with flexible organic materials (atmospheric balloons, fabric drapes). This composite approach provides both the structural stability needed for stability and the flexibility needed for decorative balloon arrangements at lower cost.
4Reliability
If skilled labor is used to manipulate and maintain balloon structures, then structural integrity is improved, but labor requirements and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The modular segmented design with standardized connection interfaces allows unskilled workers to assemble and maintain the structure by simply connecting pre-fabricated components, reducing both labor skill requirements and assembly complexity while maintaining structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for creating decorative arches and columns of balloons or fabric without the need of helium balloons. The system comprises a baseplate to provide a foundation, a mounting pin upon which a starter pole can be mounted, and a plurality of extension poles to attach to the starter pole to create a column or arch of a desired length. Regular balloons without the need for helium can be tied to the poles as decorations creating an arch or column of balloons.