Toy Duck Piston Assembly for Complete Water Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bath toys, such as plastic yellow ducks, retain water due to incomplete drainage, leading to bacterial growth and health risks for children, as they provide a conducive environment for microorganisms.
Innovation Solution
A toy duck design featuring a piston assembly with a circular top, cylindrical end, and a base with central hole and grooves, allowing complete water drainage by sealing the cavity and preventing leaks, ensuring the toy remains clean and hygienic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If water is sprayed into the cavity through the nozzle, then the toy duck can function as a bath toy with water spraying capability, but water remains in the cavity after draining leading to bacterial growth
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful element (retained water) by introducing a drainage structure with a piston assembly that actively removes water from the cavity through the bottom hole, separating the water retention problem from the spraying function
Solution Approach 2:
The piston assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the cavity and the external environment, controlling water flow through the bottom hole to enable complete drainage while maintaining the spraying function through the nozzle
2Device complexity
If a single opening at the mouth is used for draining water, then the structure is simple, but water cannot be drained completely from the cavity
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage function is segmented into multiple pathways: the original mouth opening and an additional bottom hole, allowing water to drain from multiple locations simultaneously to ensure complete evacuation of the cavity
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage approach transitions from a single-point drainage at the mouth to a multi-point drainage system including the bottom hole, adding a spatial dimension to water evacuation pathways
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the piston assembly is added to seal the cavity and enable complete drainage, then water can be fully drained and hygiene is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The piston assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it seals the bottom hole to maintain water pressure during spraying, controls water flow during drainage, and can be actuated by simple external pressure, combining sealing, flow control, and actuation in a single component
Solution Approach 2:
The piston assembly operates automatically based on pressure differential - when water pressure increases during filling, the piston seals the hole automatically; when pressure decreases during drainage, the piston opens automatically, requiring no external control mechanism
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 piston assembly enables complete water drainage, reducing bacterial growth and health risks by preventing water retention within the toy, maintaining hygiene and safety for children, while being cost-efficient and simple in structure.
Implementation Method 1
air in the cavity can be released, resulting in a pressure difference between the internal cavity and the external duck. And water can be flowed into the cavity when the said duck is disposed in water due the pressure difference
Implementation Method 2
allowing complete drainage of water in the cavity when the toy duck is disposed on a horizontal panel
Data Source
AI summary
The present discloses a toy duck comprising a main body shaped as a duck; a nozzle disposed on the main body for spraying water in case the main body is pressed externally; a hole at the bottom of the main body for receiving a piston assembly; and a piston assembly disposed in the hole for sealing the main body so as to prevent water from leaking from the main body, and allowing complete drainage of water in the toy duck when the toy duck is disposed on a horizontal panel to keep the duck toy clean and hygienic. The internal cavity of the main body will not contain water any more due to the piston assembly, and can be kept clean and hygienic, which is not suitable for generation and growth of bacteria therein. The new toy duck will not cause harm to health of the children.