Modular Toy Sword with Replaceable Hilt Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toy swords lack versatility and variety, as they are typically designed as single units, limiting children's ability to change designs and styles, leading to multiple purchases to satisfy diverse preferences.
Innovation Solution
A modular toy sword design featuring a blade with a removable hilt assembly, allowing interchangeable and replaceable components such as a grip, front piece, and pommel, secured by a coupler mechanism like a button clip or detent mechanism, enabling various design combinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If toy swords are made as single-unit designs, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but versatility and variety are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The toy sword is divided into separate modular components including a blade assembly and a hilt assembly that can be independently manufactured and then connected. The hilt assembly further separates the grip, front piece, and pommel as interchangeable parts, allowing children to mix and match different designs while keeping the blade intact.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple complete toy swords are purchased to satisfy diverse design preferences, then variety is achieved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade assembly is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple different hilt assemblies. Each hilt assembly (grip, front piece, pommel combination) can be attached to the same blade, allowing one blade to serve multiple design purposes and replacing the need for purchasing multiple complete swords.
3Reliability
If toy swords use foam or soft plastic materials, then safety is improved, but design flexibility is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The toy sword combines foam or soft plastic blade material for safety with separate hilt components that can be made from different materials. The hilt assembly includes a grip, front piece, and pommel that can be manufactured from various materials and designs, allowing aesthetic variety while maintaining the safe foam blade for contact play.
Data Source
AI summary
A toy sword including a blade having a tip and a base carried by a tubular member having a blade support end and a pommel end. The tubular member extends from the blade terminating in the pommel end. A front piece, a grip and a pommel each include a bore formed therethrough and are slidably received by the tubular member proximate the pommel end. A coupler removably couples the pommel to the tubular member proximate the pommel end, retaining the grip and the front piece in position on the tubular member between the pommel and the base of the blade.