Powder-Filled Dart Cap With Impact Marking for Hit Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toy projectile launchers face challenges in accurately determining hits during high-speed play due to the small size and speed of foam darts, leading to disputes and the need for visual supervision or slow-motion playback.
Innovation Solution
A toy dart loaded with a powdered substance that marks the target upon impact, featuring a hollow chamber and balanced design to maintain accuracy and speed, with a cap containing openings for substance release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a powdered substance is added to the dart cap to mark hits, then hit detection is improved, but the dart weight increases and accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies counterweight principles by adding a weight portion to the dart body that compensates for the added weight of the powdered substance in the cap. This ensures the dart maintains its original weight and flight characteristics, resolving the contradiction between adding marking material and maintaining dart performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the dart by incorporating a hollow chamber with specific volume and opening configurations. This allows precise control over the amount of powdered substance that can be added while maintaining the dart's overall weight and aerodynamic properties.
2Speed
If the dart is made smaller and faster for competitive play, then gameplay intensity is improved, but hit verification becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses colored powdered substance (such as red, blue, or yellow chalk) that is released upon impact to create visible marks on the target. This color-based marking system allows referees and players to easily verify hits even when darts are small and fast, eliminating the need for slow-motion playback.
Solution Approach 2:
The powdered substance acts as an intermediary between the dart and the target verification system. Instead of relying on direct visual tracking of the small fast dart, the powder creates a permanent visual mark that serves as evidence of the hit, making verification straightforward.
3Ease of operation
If thick clothing is worn in cooler weather, then player comfort is improved, but hit perception becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The colored powdered substance provides a visual marking system that is independent of the player's clothing. Even when players wear thick clothing that obscures physical sensation, the colored powder marks on the target provide clear visual confirmation of hits, ensuring fair play regardless of weather conditions or clothing thickness.
4Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are used to record play, then hit verification is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dart system performs self-marking by automatically releasing colored powder upon impact, creating its own verification evidence. This eliminates the need for external recording systems and manual review, as the mark is created instantly at the moment of impact, providing immediate verification without time loss.
Data Source
AI summary
A toy dart including a main body and a cap connected to the main body. The cap includes a side wall, a front wall, a hollow chamber defined by the side wall and the front wall, and at least one opening formed in the front wall and in communication with the hollow chamber. A powdered substance is disposed within the hollow chamber. In an exemplary embodiment, the powdered substance is loaded into the dart through the at least one opening using a bottle with a nozzle.