Toy Projectile Launcher With Segmented Soft-Hard Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toy launch devices are often complex, expensive, dangerous for children, or insufficiently robust, failing to provide superior play value and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A toy launcher with a soft exterior projectile and a robust inner wall, featuring a pivotal launch arm and launch spring, allowing for easy operation by young children, with a simple, safe, and compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing toy launch devices are designed with complex housing and internal elements, then they may achieve launching functionality, but they become difficult to use and dangerous for children
Solution Approach 1:
The projectile is segmented into a soft exterior layer and a hard inner wall bordering the open bottom. This segmentation allows the exterior to be safe for children while the inner wall provides structural robustness for effective launching, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation/safety and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The projectile uses composite construction with a soft foam exterior covering and a robust hard inner wall. This composite structure enables the projectile to be both safe for children (soft exterior) and effective for launching (hard inner wall), addressing the contradiction without requiring complex launch device internals
2Reliability
If existing toy launch devices are designed to be robust, then they may provide durability, but they become too expensive and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The projectile employs composite materials with a soft foam exterior and a hard inner wall, providing robustness and reliability for repeated use without requiring complex or expensive launch device construction. The robustness is achieved in the projectile itself rather than through complicated device design
Solution Approach 2:
The projectile design allows the inexpensive soft exterior to be replaced if needed, while the robust hard inner wall provides long-term durability. This approach enables reliable performance without requiring expensive, complex, and permanently robust device construction
3Object-affected harmful factors
If existing toy launch devices use hard projectiles, then they provide good flight characteristics, but they become dangerous for children
Solution Approach 1:
The projectile combines a soft foam exterior covering with a hard inner wall. The soft exterior eliminates the harmful factor of hard surfaces contacting children, while the hard inner wall maintains the strength needed for good flight characteristics and effective launching
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the projectile have different properties: the exterior surface is soft and safe for children, while the inner wall bordering the open bottom is hard and robust for structural integrity and flight performance. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between safety and strength
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 toy launcher provides a fun, safe, and effective way to launch projectiles with good flight characteristics and distance, while being easy to use and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
a launch spring connected to the launch arm, the launch arm being movable to engage the inner wall of the projectile
Implementation Method 2
the launch spring to be released from a tensioned position and cause the launch arm to strike the robust inner wall of the projectile through the open bottom
Data Source
AI summary
A toy launch apparatus for projectiles having a soft exterior and an open bottom with a bordering strong inner wall. The projectile's open bottom is positioned atop a slot, with respect to a launch deck and a carriage in a housing assembly. A cocking assembly includes a pivotal launch arm and a launch spring connected to the carriage movable with an engaged slide, a slide link and carriage lock, which are cocked when a user pulls the slide rearward. At a first rearward position of the slide the carrier is restrained in a cocked configuration. On the way to a second rearward position of the slide, the slide, slide link and carriage lock disengage from the carriage, launch arm and launch spring. When the carriage and launch arm are triggered, the launch spring releases and the launch arm impacts the inner wall of the projectile for discharge.