Athletic Shorts Rib Pocket Fluid Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Athletic shorts, particularly tennis shorts, often fail to effectively manage moisture and provide easy access to stored items like tennis balls during a match, as existing designs may not adequately direct fluid away from pocket openings and lack convenient access mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates ribs biased toward the centerline of pocket openings to direct fluid away and features waterproof liners with adhesive connections, allowing for easy retrieval of items without fasteners or flaps, using a hydrophobic and breathable material blend for moisture resistance and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pocket opening is made accessible without fasteners or flaps, then ease of access to stored items is improved, but moisture protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A rib structure serves as an intermediary element between the pocket opening and the external environment. The rib projects from the shorts material and directs moisture away from the opening while allowing easy access to stored items. This mediator structure resolves the contradiction by providing both accessibility and protection without requiring fasteners or flaps.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib structure is positioned locally at the pocket opening area, providing targeted moisture protection exactly where needed. The rib's strategic placement creates a localized barrier that directs fluid away from the opening while maintaining overall accessibility, addressing the moisture protection need without compromising the ease of access feature.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a rib structure is added to direct fluid away from the opening, then moisture protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The moisture protection function is segmented into a separate rib structure that is integrated into the shorts but distinct from the main body fabric. This segmentation allows the rib to be optimized specifically for fluid direction while the rest of the shorts maintain their original simplicity, thus improving protection without proportionally increasing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib is constructed as a flexible structure that can be integrated into the shorts material without requiring rigid components or complex assemblies. This flexible approach allows the rib to perform its fluid direction function while maintaining compatibility with the existing shorts design, minimizing the increase in device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If waterproof material is used in the liner, then moisture protection is improved, but breathability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is constructed as a composite structure combining waterproof material with breathable properties. This composite approach allows the liner to block moisture while still permitting breathability, resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements through material science rather than structural compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The material properties of the liner are optimized by changing parameters such as material composition, weave density, or treatment characteristics to achieve both waterproofness and breathability simultaneously. This parameter optimization allows the liner to fulfill both protection and ventilation functions without requiring separate structures.
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 ensures that the shorts remain dry and comfortable by diverting sweat and water, while providing easy access to stored items like tennis balls without compromising waterproof integrity or comfort, making them suitable for athletic activities.
Implementation Method 1
a rib biased toward a centerline of the opening and configured to direct fluid away from the opening
Implementation Method 2
a rib biased toward a centerline of the opening and configured to direct fluid away from the opening
Implementation Method 3
using a hydrophobic and breathable material blend for moisture resistance and comfort
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to athletic shorts, such as those that can be worn while playing tennis, with moisture protection features and including readily accessible pockets, such as pockets that hold tennis balls in a manner that makes those balls readily accessible during a tennis match. An example pair of shorts includes a pocket accessible via an opening, and a rib biased toward a centerline of the opening and configured to direct fluid away from the opening. This disclosure also relates to a corresponding method.