Pneumatic Pogo Stick with Variable Air Chambers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic pogo sticks face challenges in providing variable jumping and landing characteristics, making them less versatile for different tricks and environments, and are difficult to disassemble and reassemble for transportation and storage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates multiple air chambers within the pogo stick's housing, allowing air to be selectively transferred between them, which changes the volume, pressure, and compression ratio, enabling users to dynamically adjust the jumping and landing characteristics, and facilitates easy collapse for storage and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If air is trapped in a sealed cylinder to provide spring-like functionality, then propulsion force is improved, but ease of disassembly and reassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic system is divided into multiple air chambers that can be independently collapsed or inflated. The housing is segmented into telescoping sections that can be easily assembled and disassembled. This allows the propulsion function to be maintained when needed while enabling easy breakdown for transportation and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The air chambers are designed to be dynamically adjustable between inflated (functional) and collapsed (storage) states. The housing sections can telescope between extended and retracted positions. This dynamic capability allows the system to transition between providing maximum propulsion force and being easily assembled or disassembled.
2Force
If a single large air chamber is used, then propulsion force is improved, but adaptability for different jumping characteristics deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single large air chamber is divided into multiple smaller air chambers. Each chamber can be independently adjusted in volume and pressure, allowing the system to provide a range of propulsion forces. Users can configure the chambers to match different weight classes, skill levels, and trick requirements, thereby achieving both high propulsion force and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different air chambers are designed with different volumes, pressures, or compliance characteristics to provide localized optimization. This allows certain chambers to be tuned for high-force applications while others provide smoother transitions, giving the overall system both high propulsion capability and variable jumping characteristics.
3Length of moving object
If air pressure is increased to achieve greater height, then jump height is improved, but smoothness of jumping and landing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The propulsion function is distributed across multiple air chambers rather than relying on a single high-pressure chamber. This segmentation allows the total pressure to be divided, with each chamber contributing a portion of the propulsion force. The result is that greater jump height can be achieved through cumulative effect while maintaining smoother pressure transitions and reducing harshness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates compliance elements and progressive resistance mechanisms that cushion the transition during compression and expansion. The multiple chambers are designed to equalize pressure progressively, preventing sudden pressure spikes that would cause harsh jumps or landings, thereby maintaining smoothness even at higher operating pressures.
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
This solution allows for smoother jumping and landing, increased height, and greater hang-time, while enabling users to tailor the pogo stick's performance for specific tricks and environments, and simplifies transportation and storage by allowing the pogo stick to be easily collapsed.
Implementation Method 1
an air-filled cylinder/piston arrangement can produce increased propulsion or lift
Implementation Method 2
compressed air as a spring
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to pneumatic pogo sticks having features that allow for the jumping and/or landing characteristics of the pogo stick to be varied. These characteristics may even be modified by a user during use. For example, the housing of the pogo stick may have multiple air chambers and air may be selectively transferred between the multiple air chambers. The transfer of air may change the volume, air pressure, compression ratio, and spring-characteristics of the one or more air chambers in which air is compressed during the compression stroke of the pogo stick. These changes will affect the jumping and/or landing characteristics of the pogo stick and in some cases may allow the user to obtain a greater jump height. At the same time, these features may also allow the pogo stick to be collapsed so that it can be easily stored, packaged, and transported.