Partially Transparent Bath Toy Mold Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bath toys made from hollow, blow-molded synthetic polymers often develop mold and mildew due to the presence of a vent hole, making it difficult for parents to detect when these toys need cleaning and disinfecting, especially since they are typically brightly colored and not transparent.
Innovation Solution
Manufacturing hollow plastic toys with a combination of transparent and opaque regions using an extrusion blow molding process, where a clear and opaque plastic are fed through an extruder to form a parison with transparent and opaque sections, allowing for visual detection of mold and mildew growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the toy is made opaque to maintain bright colors that children prefer, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but visual detection of mold and mildew becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The toy body is divided into two distinct regions: an opaque region containing the vent hole and a transparent region allowing visual inspection. This segmentation enables the toy to simultaneously maintain aesthetic appeal through bright opaque colors and provide mold detection capability through the transparent window portion.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the toy have different optical properties - the vent hole area is made opaque for aesthetic purposes while a specific window portion is made transparent for inspection purposes. This local differentiation of material properties allows the toy to fulfill both aesthetic and functional requirements in different locations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the vent hole is sealed to prevent mold and mildew growth, then hygiene is improved, but air pressure equalization and squirting functionality are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent window portion acts as an intermediary between the interior and exterior environments. It allows visual monitoring of the interior conditions without creating a direct opening that would compromise hygiene, while still enabling the vent hole to perform its pressure equalization and squirting functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent window provides continuous visual feedback about the interior conditions of the toy, allowing parents to monitor for mold and mildew growth without needing to disassemble or open the toy. This feedback mechanism enables timely cleaning while maintaining the integrity of the sealed vent hole.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the entire toy is made transparent to enable mold detection, then hygiene monitoring is improved, but aesthetic appeal and child preference are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than making the entire toy transparent, the design segments the toy body into opaque and transparent portions. The transparent window is strategically placed only where inspection is needed, preserving the overall aesthetic appeal and bright colors that children prefer while providing sufficient visibility for mold detection.
Data Source
AI summary
A hollow thermoplastic toy for use in a child's bath, having a vent hole, is provided with a transparent region and an opaque region. The transparent region serves as a window into the interior, permitting visual detection of the growth of mold or mildew within the toy. This represents an improvement over prior art toys of completely opaque construction, within which mold and mildew can grow unseen and unchecked. The toys of the invention facilitate timely cleaning of the toys' interior surfaces.