Bag With Integrated Collapsible Weather Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bags used to carry and store equipment are vulnerable to damage from inclement weather, as existing designs fail to effectively keep contents dry, especially when left outdoors, due to precipitation entering through seams and porous surfaces, and lack a convenient and non-intrusive protective feature.
Innovation Solution
A bag design incorporating a collapsible, water-resistant cover that can be easily deployed and stowed away, featuring a strap coupling system allowing for continued use and transport while providing weather protection, with the cover being either non-releasably or releasably attached to a pocket within the bag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective cover is added to protect the bag from precipitation, then the protection capability is improved, but the device complexity and portability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is stored within a dedicated pocket of the bag when not in use, creating a nested configuration. This allows the cover to be integrated into the bag's structure without adding external bulk, resolving the contradiction between protection capability and device complexity by hiding the protective feature within the existing bag volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag is designed with a multi-functional pocket that serves dual purposes: storing the protective cover when not needed and providing access to the cover when protection is required. This universal design allows the same structural element to fulfill multiple functions, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining protection capability.
2Reliability
If a protective cover is added to shield contents from precipitation, then the protection capability is improved, but the ease of operation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is pre-positioned within an easily accessible pocket of the bag, allowing users to quickly retrieve and deploy the cover when protection is needed. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need to search for or assemble the cover, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring protection capability is readily available.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover is extracted as a separate, removable component from the bag's pocket, allowing it to be independently deployed and positioned over the bag as needed. This extraction approach simplifies operation by allowing the cover to be used only when necessary without permanently altering the bag's configuration or requiring complex assembly steps.
3Reliability
If the cover is made non-releasably connected to the pocket, then the reliability of cover retention is improved, but the ease of operation for cover removal is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The cover-pocket connection is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to function as a permanent attachment for secure retention during normal use, while enabling easy separation when the cover needs to be removed for storage or replacement. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction by providing both secure retention and operational flexibility depending on the situation.
Data Source
AI summary
A bag includes an outer body portion or outer shell which encloses a storage compartment. The bag also includes a pocket non-removably attached to the bag which is accessible through the outer body portion or outer shell and is freely contained within the storage compartment. The pocket is configured to retain a cover, which is non-removably attached thereto. The cover is a flexible material that is water resistant or water repellant. The cover can be collapsed and stored within the pocket or can be withdrawn from the pocket and spread over the outer body portion or outer shell of the bag, thereby protecting it, for example, from inclement weather.