Cap Protector Structure for Shape Retention During Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cap protector systems fail to effectively maintain the shape and protect the front portion of baseball caps during storage and travel, as they can be crushed or deformed, and lack a reliable method for attaching to a carrying device without damaging the cap.
Innovation Solution
A cap protector system comprising a substantially rigid body shaped to follow the contours of the cap's front portion, with an adjustable retaining element and connections that allow it to be securely attached to the cap and a carrying device, ensuring the cap's shape is maintained and protected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a rigid body is used to maintain cap shape, then the cap shape is protected, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap protector is designed to nest behind the folded rear part of the cap, with the rigid body conforming to the cap's contours. This nesting arrangement protects the cap shape while keeping the protector integrated with the cap structure, reducing the need for separate complex support systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid body is shaped to follow the specific contours of the cap's front portion, providing localized shape protection where it is most needed. The retaining element is strategically positioned to engage with specific features of the cap, ensuring stable attachment without requiring complex fastening mechanisms across the entire cap structure.
2Reliability
If a retaining element is added to attach the protector, then the attachment reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining element utilizes the cap's own structural features (such as the folded rear part or bill) to anchor the protector. This self-service approach allows the cap structure to contribute to its own secure attachment, eliminating the need for additional complex fastening systems while maintaining reliable attachment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the body is made substantially rigid to prevent deformation, then the protective function improves, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap protector system is divided into functional segments: the rigid body for shape protection and the flexible retaining element for attachment. This segmentation allows the rigid portion to provide deformation prevention while the flexible portion maintains ease of operation during attachment and removal.
Data Source
AI summary
A protector for a cap having a crown and a bill, the crown comprising a front part and a rear part defining an interior cavity for the head of a wearer, the protector comprising a substantially rigid body having a front half-domed surface shaped to follow contours of the front part of the crown, a retaining element configured to extend from a first connection on a left side portion of the body around an outer front surface of the front part of the crown above the bill to a second connection on a right side portion of the body, the body and retaining element configured so the front surface of the body engages the outer rear surface of the rear part of the crown when the rear part is folded into the front part.