Tracked Hockey Puck Layout for Impact Resistance and Signal Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Incorporating a tracking device into a hockey puck is challenging due to alterations in its properties, material selection, signal transmission, and manufacturing difficulties, which affect impact resistance, resilience, and production costs.
Innovation Solution
A hockey puck design with a receptacle for the tracking device aligned with the center of gravity, using a resilient material and isolating layer to withstand molding pressures and temperatures, allowing for secure integration and communication with a controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a tracking device is incorporated into the hockey puck, then data tracking capability is improved, but the puck's mechanical properties (impact resistance, resilience) deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking device is nested within a receptacle that is integrated into the puck body. The receptacle is formed as a cavity within the puck material, allowing the tracking device to be embedded without requiring separate attachment methods that would compromise structural integrity. This nesting approach enables the tracking device to be housed within the puck's existing structure while maintaining overall mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The puck is constructed using composite material formulation that combines rubber or polymer base materials with reinforcement elements. The body material is formulated to provide both the necessary mechanical properties (impact resistance, resilience) and the structural integrity required to house the tracking device. The composite structure allows integration of the receptacle and tracking device while maintaining the puck's performance characteristics.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a tracking device is incorporated into the hockey puck, then smart functionality is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle is pre-formed as an integrated cavity within the puck body during the molding process, before the tracking device is installed. This preliminary formation of the receptacle structure eliminates the need for post-manufacturing modifications or complex assembly steps. The tracking device is then simply received into the pre-prepared receptacle, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while enabling smart functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle serves multiple functions: it houses the tracking device, provides structural support, and maintains the puck's mechanical integrity. By designing the receptacle to fulfill multiple roles, the invention reduces the need for additional separate components or assembly steps, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while achieving smart functionality.
3Reliability
If a tracking device is incorporated into the hockey puck, then signal transmission capability is improved, but material selection constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle is designed with specific local material properties that differ from the surrounding puck body material. The receptacle material is selected to have electromagnetic transparency or signal-permeable characteristics, allowing tracking signals to pass through while the rest of the puck body maintains its mechanical properties. This local quality differentiation enables signal transmission without compromising the overall puck structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle acts as an intermediary structure between the tracking device and the external environment. It provides a interface that allows signal transmission while maintaining the mechanical integrity of the puck. The receptacle material serves as a mediator that permits electromagnetic signal passage while structurally supporting the tracking device and integrating with the puck body.
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology generally relates to a puck comprising a body and a tracking device receivable in the body. The tracking device is generally aligned with a center of gravity of the body of the puck and with a geometrical center of the body of the puck.