Squirting Toy Cap Threading for Secure Closure and Easy Detachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing squirting toys face issues such as mold growth due to water absorption, leakage, and difficulty in cleaning, which leads to frequent disposal. Additionally, they often lack ergonomic design and are not environmentally friendly.
Innovation Solution
A squirting toy with a compressible body and a cap having apertures, designed to maximize water storage while ensuring the cap remains secure during use. The toy is constructed from food-grade silicone, allowing for easy cleaning and safety for children. The cap can be secured by twisting and is designed to detach easily when thrown against a surface, mimicking a water balloon experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cap is secured tightly to prevent detachment, then the cap remains secure during squeezing, but the cap becomes too tight for children to close
Solution Approach 1:
A threading mechanism serves as an intermediary between the cap and body, allowing the cap to be securely fastened through rotational engagement rather than direct friction fit. The threads translate small rotational movements into secure locking, making it easy for children to close while ensuring the cap remains tightly secured during use.
2Quantity of substance
If the inner cavity is made large to increase water storage, then the liquid capacity increases, but the toy becomes larger and more awkward for children to use
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is designed to nest within the body structure, with the cap's outer surface fitting into a recess or groove on the body. This nesting arrangement maximizes the use of available space, allowing a larger inner cavity for water storage while keeping the overall toy size compact and child-friendly.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the toy is made from 100% silicone to ensure safety, then the toy is safe for children, but mold growth occurs in the inner cavity
Solution Approach 1:
The toy is divided into separable components (cap and body) that can be easily detached from each other. This segmentation allows the inner cavity to be accessed, emptied, and dried thoroughly after use, preventing mold growth while maintaining the use of safe 100% silicone material throughout.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the cap is made to detach easily when thrown, then the toy mimics water balloon experience, but the cap may detach during normal squeezing
Solution Approach 1:
The cap retention mechanism is designed with dynamic characteristics where the threading provides strong retention during normal use conditions, but the connection can be easily broken by sufficient impact force. The threads engage firmly during squeezing but can be disengaged by the shock of throwing against a surface, providing both reliable retention and playful detachment.
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 design provides a secure and leak-proof squirting experience, increased water storage capacity, and ease of cleaning. It also meets children's developmental needs through dexterity training and sensory development, while being environmentally friendly and safe for infants to mouth.
Implementation Method 1
a compressible body and may have a cap having one or more apertures disposed therein. The combination of the compressible body with the cap having apertures may allow water to be squirted from the one or more apertures when the compressible body is squeezed by a user
Data Source
AI summary
A squirting toy including a cap and a body. The body includes a reservoir and a neck, enclosed by an outer wall of varying thickness. Closures are provided on the neck to engage complementary closures on the cap. The cap includes a wall of varying thickness and one or more apertures. The coupling between the body and cap facilitates maintaining the cap coupled to the body under pressure and impact. Segments of the outer walls having increased thickness improve impact resistance and decrease distortion, further facilitating a secure coupling between the body and cap.