Aquatic Goggles Fairing and Strap Extension for Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aquatic goggles face challenges in reducing drag and enhancing hydrodynamic properties during swimming, while maintaining effective eye protection and vision isolation from water.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a fairing that reduces drag by positioning it within the outer area of the eyepiece, an extension member that secures the headstrap with a strap connection point located under a swim cap to minimize drag-inducing areas, and a gasket with varying indentation depth to enhance sealing and flexibility, all while maintaining an eye-air interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the headstrap is secured close to the lens, then the structural complexity is reduced, but the drag increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the strap connection point from the immediate lens area by introducing an extension member that carries the strap connection point away from the lens. This separates the drag-inducing strap connection from the streamlined lens profile, allowing the lens to maintain its hydrodynamic shape while the strap connects at a location that minimizes drag interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension member extends the strap connection point in a direction away from the lens, utilizing additional spatial dimension. This allows the strap to connect at a location that is both functionally accessible and hydrodynamically favorable, resolving the conflict between structural simplicity and drag reduction.
2Manufacturing precision
If the gasket has uniform depth, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the sealing effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the indentation depth of the gasket at different locations. The gasket has deeper indentation in areas requiring enhanced sealing (such as around the lens periphery) and shallower indentation in areas where flexibility is prioritized. This non-uniform design optimizes sealing effectiveness at critical interfaces while maintaining manufacturability through controlled variation rather than complete complexity.
3Device complexity
If the strap connection point is close to the lens, then the device complexity is reduced, but the fit and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The extension member extracts the strap connection point from the immediate lens vicinity and relocates it to a more ergonomically favorable position. This allows the strap to connect at a location that better distributes pressure and improves comfort, while the extension member itself remains a simple structural element that does not significantly increase overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Aquatic goggles may incorporate a pair of eyepieces, a nosebridge extending between the eyepieces, and a headstrap. In some configurations, at least one of the eyepieces includes a lens, a gasket extending around the lens, and an extension member extending outward from the lens. The extension member defines a strap connection point, with a distance along the extension member and between the lens and the strap connection point being at least three centimeters, and the headstrap is secured to the strap connection point. In other configurations, a fairing extends outward from the lens, and a majority of the fairing may be located within an outer area of the lens. In further configurations, the gasket defines an indentation with varying depth.