Clothing Control Button with Rigid Frame Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clothing articles with electronic control buttons face issues with structural support and durability, particularly when subjected to stretching forces, leading to potential detachment of the control button assembly from the outer shell.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a rigid frame positioned between the control button assembly and the outer shell, which provides structural support and prevents the outer shell border from pulling away from the control button assembly, even under stretching forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a control button assembly is directly attached to the outer shell of clothing, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential detachment under stretching forces
Solution Approach 1:
A frame structure is introduced as an intermediary component between the control button assembly and the outer shell. This frame acts as a mediator that distributes mechanical stresses and prevents direct detachment forces from acting on the control button assembly, thereby improving attachment reliability without requiring complex assembly mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment structure is segmented into distinct components: the outer shell, the frame structure, and the control button assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier manufacturing and assembly while improving overall reliability through the distributed stress-bearing frame.
2Strength
If the outer shell is made flexible to maintain comfort and wearability, then the ease of operation is improved, but the strength deteriorates as the shell becomes more susceptible to pulling away from the control button assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The shell structure is segmented into a flexible outer shell and a rigid frame structure. The outer shell maintains flexibility for comfort, while the frame structure provides the necessary structural strength to prevent pulling away from the control button assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system uses composite construction combining flexible fabric materials for the outer shell with rigid structural materials for the frame. This composite approach allows the system to simultaneously achieve flexibility for wearability and strength for structural support.
Data Source
AI summary
An article of clothing includes an electronic button assembly including an interface having a face and a base. The face defines a face periphery having a generally rectangular shape with two opposite corners cut-out as defined by six edges. The base defines a base periphery extending beyond the face periphery on all sides to provide structural support to the face. The article of clothing also includes a heater electrically coupled to the electronic control button assembly, and an outer shell coupled to the electronic button assembly. The outer shell has an outer surface and sewing edges. The sewing edges are folded inwardly and define a shell opening receiving the interface. A shape of the shell opening follows the shape of the face periphery. The base is disposed beneath the outer shell.