Elastomeric Temple Pad with Asymmetric Apertures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for reducing contact and pressure between a wearer's skin and facial equipment like eyeglass frames or nasal cannulas with oxygen hoses fail to effectively minimize surface contact and pressure, often resulting in slippage, discomfort, and pain, especially for individuals with sensitive skin or migraine headaches.

Innovation Solution

An elastomeric body with an ellipsoidal shape and specific opening sizes is used to create an interior void that allows facial equipment to pass through without compressing, maintaining softness and minimizing contact by gripping the equipment with a smaller opening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an elongated foam piece is used to provide friction and comfort, then the facial equipment can be kept in place, but the device becomes bulky and applies tremendous pressure to the wearer's ears, temples, or face

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of facial equipmentVSAvoidpressure on wearer's face

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a thin film or shell structure instead of bulky foam pieces. The flexible shell conforms to the contours of the face and equipment, providing stability through form-fitting design rather than through compression and friction of thick foam material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential function of friction and stability from the bulky foam piece, separating the stabilizing function from the bulk material. The thin film provides the necessary friction and stability through its surface properties and contoured design rather than through material volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the foam device is compressed to grip the facial equipment, then it can provide friction to prevent slippage, but it becomes dense and hard, turning into something extraordinarily firm that presses against the wearer's face

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefriction to prevent slippageVSAvoidfirmness of foam device

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The thin film or shell structure provides friction through its surface characteristics and conformal fit rather than through compression-induced density. The flexible material maintains its softness while gripping the facial equipment through adhesion and form-fitting design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the contact material from thick, compressible foam to thin, flexible film. This parameter change allows the material to provide friction and grip without undergoing compression that would increase density and hardness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If an elongated foam piece is used to cushion the contact between facial equipment and skin, then comfort is provided, but the device does not minimize contact and pressure between the facial equipment and the wearer's face

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomfort of wearerVSAvoidsurface contact area

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The thin flexible film or shell conforms precisely to the contours of both the facial equipment and the wearer's face, minimizing the contact surface area while maintaining comfort through form-fitting design rather than through大面积 cushioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a three-dimensional bulky foam piece to a two-dimensional thin film structure. This dimensional reduction minimizes the contact surface area while the film's flexibility ensures it conforms to the face contours for comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 solution reduces surface contact and pressure, providing comfort and preventing the elastomeric body from becoming rigid, thus addressing the discomfort and slippage issues associated with prior devices.

Implementation Method 1

an elastomeric body with an ellipsoidal shape and specific opening sizes is used to create an interior void that allows facial equipment to pass through without compressing, maintaining softness and minimizing contact by gripping the equipment with a smaller opening

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10261339B2Skin contact reduction device for eyewear and other human ear and temple resting equipment

Publication Date: 2019.04.16 SUGAREK STEVEN

AI summary

Embodiments of a skin contact reduction device that is substantially spherically shaped and attaches to the temple portion of facial equipment that goes over the ear or alongside the wearer's face. The device is directionally positioned with a larger opening pointing towards the front of the wearer's face and a smaller opening towards the rear. Both the larger front opening and interior of the device are significantly larger than the width of the temple portion of the facial equipment and therefore the device does not compress or stiffen when installed. The smaller rear opening of the device resiliently grips the temple portion of the facial equipment. Once attached, the device is adjusted by the wearer to a preferred position to keep a wearer's equipment on their face while minimizing contact and pressure between the temple or ear portion of the equipment frame and the wearer's head.