Wearable Snowball Scoring Device with Permeable Layer and Stopper

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Solution Overview

Problem

Snowball fights lack a systematic way to score the game, making it difficult to determine winners due to chaos and lack of measurement for impacted snow.

Innovation Solution

A wearable scoring device with a target portion and a scoring chamber portion that accumulates and measures snow impact, featuring a permeable layer to allow snowballs to pass through and prevent manual intervention, along with a stopper element to retain snow, allowing for accurate scoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a water collecting cavity is used in a targeting vest, then water can be collected and measured, but the device becomes complex and requires manual intervention to empty and reset

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesnow impact measurementVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into distinct functional segments: a target portion for receiving snowballs, a permeable layer for filtering, and a scoring chamber for accumulation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall system while maintaining measurement capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The permeable layer automatically filters snow from snowballs as they pass through, and the scoring chamber automatically accumulates the filtered snow. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual intervention to empty and reset the device, reducing complexity while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If snow accumulates in the scoring chamber, then measurement is enabled, but snow may exit when the person moves such as bending over

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesnow accumulation measurementVSAvoidsnow retention
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A stopper element acts as an intermediary component between the target portion and the scoring chamber. This stopper prevents snow from exiting the scoring chamber when the person moves, while still allowing filtered snow to accumulate for measurement. The stopper maintains reliability without interfering with the measurement function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the target portion is open to receive snowballs, then snow impact can be measured, but manual intervention is required to clear and reset

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescoring efficiencyVSAvoidmanual clearing requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The permeable layer automatically separates snow from snowballs as they pass through the target portion, and the scoring chamber automatically accumulates the filtered snow. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual clearing and resetting, improving both productivity and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The permeable layer uses porous material properties to automatically filter snow from snowballs. The porous structure allows snow particles to pass through while retaining the snowball structure, enabling automatic separation without manual intervention and improving scoring efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

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

The device provides a structured method to quantify snow impact, enabling easy determination of winners by measuring the accumulated snow, bringing organization and fairness to the game.

Implementation Method 1

the permeable layer configured to allow snow from snowballs to pass through the permeable layer and into the interior region before falling into the scoring chamber portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3490767B1Scoring device and methods for scoring a snowball fight
Publication Date: 2022.06.08 MOLONEY PETER
  • EP3490767B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP3490767B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP3490767B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b

AI summary

A scoring device and methods of scoring a snowball fight. The device worn by a person has a target portion and a scoring chamber portion. The target portion includes a target, and the scoring chamber portion is coupled below the target portion and is arranged to accumulate and store snow falling from the target portion. In some embodiments the target portion also includes a permeable layer coupled to the target in a spaced apart construction to form an interior region between the permeable layer and the target, the permeable layer configured to allow snow from snowballs to pass through the permeable layer and into the interior region before falling into the scoring chamber portion. In some embodiments a stopper element at least partially separates the target portion from the scoring chamber portion, to limit the amount of snow that exits the scoring chamber portion when the person bends over.