Toy Mesh Surface with Loop Structures and Rattle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional balls and toys with smooth surfaces are difficult to grasp for small children and infants and lack features for attaching accessories that provide visual, acoustic, and tactile interest.
Innovation Solution
A toy apparatus featuring a mesh of loop structures with cooperative mating surfaces that form a surface, including a rattle with a mounting structure, allowing for easy grasping and providing visual and auditory stimulation, and optionally attaching accessories.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a smooth surface is used for the ball or toy, then the surface is easy to manufacture and simple in structure, but it is difficult for small children and infants to grasp
Solution Approach 1:
The surface is segmented into multiple discrete loop structures arranged in a grid pattern. Each loop structure consists of interconnected nodes and segments, creating a textured surface that is easy for small hands to grasp while maintaining structural integrity through the segmented design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a smooth surface is used for the ball or toy, then the structure is simple, but it lacks features for attaching accessories that provide visual, acoustic and tactile interest
Solution Approach 1:
The loop structures are strategically positioned at locations where accessories need to be attached. Each loop structure serves as a localized attachment point with specific geometric properties that enable secure mounting of characters, bells, or other accessories, providing visual, acoustic, and tactile interest without requiring a completely different surface design.
3Ease of operation
If loop structures with cooperative mating surfaces are used to form the surface, then the toy provides tactile interest and easy grasping, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh is constructed by segmenting the surface into repeating units of loop structures. Each loop structure can be manufactured as a modular component with standardized cooperative mating surfaces, allowing for efficient assembly through repeated patterns while maintaining the tactile benefits of the looped texture.
Data Source
AI summary
A toy apparatus having a surface is provided. The toy apparatus may include a mesh including a plurality of loop structures having cooperative mating surfaces disposed at least partially around an outer perimeter of each loop structure. The plurality of loop structures may have curved inside perimeter surfaces, and the cooperative mating surfaces of adjacent loop structures may be configured to couple together for a distance along their lengths. The loop structures form the surface of the toy when the cooperative mating surfaces are coupled with each other. The toy apparatus may further include a rattle positioned in a loop structure in the mesh, the rattle having a body with a mounting structure having an outer perimeter sized to conform to the curved inside perimeter surface of the loop structure in which the rattle is mounted.