Adjustable Cord Locks for Hand Wear Retention
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand wear retention systems for children are inadequate as they are not adjustable, pose a strangulation hazard due to inelastic strings, and do not accommodate varying glove or mitten sizes, leading to frequent loss and difficulty in switching or replacing hand wear.
Innovation Solution
A hand wear retention system featuring adjustable cord locks with fasteners like split rings, garment clips, or snap hooks, and elastic cords with breakaway points, allowing for customizable length and secure attachment to garment sleeves, reducing the risk of strangulation and accommodating different sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-length strings are used to retain mittens, then the mittens can be retained near the hands, but the system cannot accommodate child growth or different mitten sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The cord length is made adjustable through cord locks that can be positioned at different locations along the cord, allowing the system to adapt to the child's growth and different mitten sizes without requiring recreation of the entire retention system
Solution Approach 2:
The cord locks enable changing the effective length parameter of the retention system by adjusting their positions on the cord, providing versatility for different mitten sizes and accommodating child growth
2Reliability
If inelastic strings are used to retain mittens, then the mittens can be securely held, but the system creates a strangulation hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The cord material is changed from inelastic to elastic, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties to provide stretch and give under tension, thereby eliminating the strangulation hazard while maintaining secure mitten retention through elastic rebound
3Reliability
If strings are tied or sewn to gloves, then the mittens can be retained, but switching gloves when temperature changes becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The retention system is divided into separable components: the cord with cord locks remains attached to the garment, while the fasteners attach to or near the mittens, allowing the mittens to be easily removed and replaced without affecting the cord infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The retention system transitions from a permanent fixed attachment to a dynamic, reconfigurable system where fasteners can be easily attached and detached, enabling quick glove switching when temperature conditions change
4Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-location hooks are used on jackets, then mittens can be hung from sleeves, but shorter mittens cannot be retained
Solution Approach 1:
The cord locks can be positioned at different locations along the cord, creating a dynamic retention system that adapts to mittens of various lengths, eliminating the limitation of fixed hook locations while maintaining simplicity
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 system effectively retains hand wear near the garment sleeves, adjusts with the child's growth, and reduces the risk of loss and strangulation, facilitating easy switching and replacement while ensuring safety and versatility.
Implementation Method 1
The cord may be static or elastic
Implementation Method 2
a first adjustable cord lock fastened to the first end, a second adjustable cord lock fastened to the second end
Data Source
AI summary
A hand wear retention system has a cord having a first and second end, the cord for passing through sleeves of a garment, a first adjustable cord lock fastened to the first end, a second adjustable cord lock fastened to the second end, wherein the first and second ends protrude from the sleeves, positions of the first and second cord locks on the cord are adjustable and each of the first and second adjustable cord locks has a fastener for retaining hand wear. In another embodiment, the hand wear retention system has two anchors releasably mounted within the sleeves, each having a separate cord attached thereto, wherein the end of the cord has a cord lock which projects from the sleeve, wherein the cord lock has a fastener for engaging hand wear.