Athletic Headband With Removable Cooling Elements And Neck Pocket

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Solution Overview

Problem

Athletic headbands do not provide sufficient cooling, especially during intense exercise and high ambient temperature/humidity, as they primarily absorb and draw away perspiration without effectively lowering body temperature.

Innovation Solution

An athletic headband with removable cooling elements, including a body with pockets for insertable cooling elements and a dropdown pocket for enhanced neck cooling, utilizing gel or water-filled packs that can be cooled or frozen to provide endothermic cooling, and stretchable materials for comfort and fit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If athletic headbands only absorb and draw away perspiration, then perspiration management is improved, but cooling effectiveness is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebody temperatureVSAvoidheadband structure

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The headband is divided into multiple functional segments: perspiration-absorbing fabric layers and removable cooling element pockets. This segmentation allows the headband to provide both perspiration management and active cooling functions simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between cooling effectiveness and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling elements are nested within pockets integrated into the headband structure. The pockets are formed by stitching that creates cavities within the headband body, allowing cooling elements to be embedded while maintaining the overall headband form factor. This nesting approach adds cooling functionality without significantly increasing external complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Temperature

If cooling elements are added to provide active cooling, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehead and neck coolingVSAvoidheadband structure

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling elements are designed to be removable and interchangeable, providing dynamic adaptability. Users can insert or remove cooling elements based on activity intensity and environmental conditions. The stretchable headband body also dynamically adapts to different head sizes and shapes, maintaining proper cooling element positioning while enhancing comfort and fit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The headband incorporates stretchable materials that change physical parameters (elasticity, fit) to accommodate different users and conditions. The cooling elements themselves can be changed in temperature state (frozen, refrigerated, or ambient) depending on usage requirements, providing parameter flexibility that enhances cooling effectiveness without permanently increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the headband is made stretchable for comfort and fit, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheadband fit and comfortVSAvoidpocket alignment and cooling element positioning

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The headband body is constructed from flexible, stretchable materials that can elastically deform to fit different head shapes and sizes. This flexibility is achieved through material selection and construction methods that maintain structural integrity while allowing stretch, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and manufacturing precision by using inherently flexible components rather than rigid precision-assembled parts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 headband provides continuous cooling to the head and neck, reducing overheating and the risk of heat stress by utilizing removable cooling elements that can be adjusted for optimal comfort during and after athletic activities.

Implementation Method 1

The fill material can include components capable of providing cooling via an endothermic reaction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEndothermic reaction: Endothermic Reaction

Implementation Method 2

utilizing gel or water-filled packs that can be cooled or frozen to provide endothermic cooling

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10314351B2Athletic headband with removable cooling elements

Publication Date: 2019.06.11 PEAK CONDITION LLC

AI summary

Provided is an athletic headband with removable cooling elements. The headband includes a body, first cooling elements, dropdown pocket, and second cooling element. The body has first and second openings. The body includes pockets disposed about the body between the first and second openings. The pockets have respective openings. The first cooling elements are configured to be received into the pockets through the respective openings to provide cooling about the head of the user. The dropdown pocket is secured to an interior of the body, extends below the body, and has an opening. The second cooling element is received into the dropdown pocket through the opening, wherein a first cooling element in a pocket of the body overlaps at least partially the second cooling element in the dropdown pocket and is configured to press the second cooling element into the neck of the user to provide cooling to the neck.