Portable Blanket Folding Guide for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blankets and tarps are bulky and difficult to fold into a compact package for storage, making them inconvenient to transport and store.
Innovation Solution
A portable blanket with a folding guide marked on its flexible material, featuring a series of lines that represent sequential half-folds to reduce the surface area, along with optional features like a storage pouch, carrying handle, weights, and a storage tray, facilitates easy folding and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the blanket is folded to reduce its size for storage, then the storage convenience is improved, but the folding process becomes difficult or impossible to perform correctly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-marking the blanket with folding guide lines that indicate the correct folding sequence and patterns. These markings are applied before use and guide the user through the folding process, eliminating the need to figure out the complex folding sequence during storage. The markings include arrows and numbered steps that show exactly how to fold the blanket into a compact package.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses folding guide markings as an intermediary between the blanket and the user. These markings serve as a mediator that translates the complex folding requirements into simple visual instructions. The markings include reference lines, fold indicators, and step-by-step guidance that mediate the interaction between the user and the blanket, making the folding process intuitive and error-proof.
2Area of stationary object
If the blanket is made large to provide sufficient coverage area, then the coverage is improved, but the bulk and storage inconvenience increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the large blanket into smaller manageable sections through systematic folding. The folding guide markings divide the blanket surface into grid patterns or geometric sections that can be folded sequentially. This segmentation allows a large-area blanket to be compacted into a small volume by breaking down the continuous surface into discrete foldable units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes another dimension by transforming the blanket from a two-dimensional spread-out surface into a three-dimensional compact package through folding. The folding guide markings incorporate depth and layering instructions that convert the flat blanket into a multi-layered compact form, effectively using the third dimension (height/depth) to reduce the footprint and storage volume while maintaining the original surface area.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable blanket is made from flexible material and has opposed front and back faces bounded by perimeter edges, and has a first surface area in an unfolded condition. The flexible material incorporates a folding guide thereon, the folding guide having lines which represent a sequence of two or more folds defining a folded condition of the blanket, the folded condition having a second surface area smaller than the first surface area.