Collapsible ground sheet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional beach or picnic blankets are bulky, cumbersome to deploy, transport, and store, and lack protection from wind-borne sand and dirt.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible ground sheet made of lightweight, waterproof material with resilient memory wire structures that deploy into a convenient configuration, featuring walls around the perimeter to prevent sand and dust from being blown onto the surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional thick bulky material like terrycloth is used for beach blankets, then protection from ground contact is provided, but the blanket becomes bulky and cumbersome to deploy, transport and store
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin flexible waterproof membrane or sheet material instead of traditional thick terrycloth. This thin film provides ground contact protection while being lightweight and easy to fold into compact configurations for transport and storage, directly resolving the contradiction between protection and ease of operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional thick bulky material is used for beach blankets, then some protection from contact with the beach is provided, but the blanket is cumbersome to prepare for transportation and storage by folding or rolling
Solution Approach 1:
The thin flexible waterproof membrane enables rapid folding and compact storage preparation. The material's flexibility and thinness allow it to be quickly folded into a small package without the time-consuming preparation required for traditional thick blankets, resolving the contradiction between protection and preparation time.
3Device complexity
If traditional beach blankets are made without additional protective structures, then they are simple in design, but there is no provision to prevent sand or dirt from being blown by the wind onto the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the blanket structure into separate functional components: the flat waterproof membrane for ground protection and detachable vertical wall structures for wind protection. These segments can be assembled together when needed and separated when not required, maintaining design simplicity while adding comprehensive protection against both ground contact and wind-borne debris.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a collapsible ground sheet with walls is created, then protection from sand and dust is provided, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The wall structures are designed as separate detachable segments that can be assembled around the periphery of the waterproof membrane when protection is needed. This segmentation allows the basic blanket to remain simple while providing the option to add protective walls, resolving the contradiction between protection and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall structures are designed to be flexible and collapsible, allowing them to be easily assembled and disassembled. This dynamic design enables the walls to adapt to different usage scenarios - standing upright when protection is needed and collapsing flat when not required - thereby reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining protective functionality.
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 provides a lightweight, easy-to-deploy and store ground cover that effectively shields users from sand and dust, offering improved stability and convenience for various uses such as beach, picnic, or camping applications.
Implementation Method 1
The collapsible ground sheet includes resilient memory wire structures which exert a force tending to deploy the ground cover when removed from the storage bag
Implementation Method 2
Each of the walls comprises a fabric portion and a wire loop, the wire loop disposed near the periphery of the fabric portion such that the fabric portion is supported by the wire loop
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible ground sheet has a floor made of a sheet of flexible, waterproof or water-resistant material, and walls attached to the floor and extending from the floor in a top direction. The walls are arranged about the periphery of the floor in series in a ring formation such that each of the walls has two neighboring walls. Each wall has a fabric portion and a wire loop, the wire loop disposed near the periphery of the fabric portion such that the fabric portion is supported by the wire loop. Each of the walls attached to its two neighboring walls by hourglass-shaped gussets made of a sheet of flexible material.