Composite Athletic Cup Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing athletic cups are inadequate for protecting the groin area from severe impacts and projectiles, such as bullets, as they tend to collapse under stress, leading to potential injury and are not suitable for martial arts, police, or military operations due to their weight and lack of advanced materials.
Innovation Solution
A composite athletic cup design featuring a comfort surround with tapered outer walls and a layered primary shell made from materials like carbon fiber, KEVLAR, and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, which elongates upon impact to distribute energy and maintain protection without collapsing, while being lightweight and resistant to projectiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional injection molded polymer athletic cups are used, then they provide basic protection for routine sports activities, but they collapse under severe impacts and projectiles, making them inadequate for martial arts, police, and military operations
Solution Approach 1:
The athletic cup employs a multi-layer composite structure consisting of an outer rigid shell made from high-density polyethylene or polypropylene, an intermediate layer of energy-absorbing foam material, and an inner comfort lining. This composite construction provides both structural integrity to resist collapse and energy absorption to mitigate impact forces, making the cup suitable for severe impacts and projectile protection in military and law enforcement applications.
2Strength
If the athletic cup is made stronger and more protective, then it can withstand severe impacts and projectiles, but it increases the weight and mass, which users want to limit during activities
Solution Approach 1:
The athletic cup features varying wall thicknesses and material densities distributed strategically throughout the structure. The outer shell has increased thickness and density in high-impact zones such as the front and sides, while the rear and less vulnerable areas use thinner walls. The intermediate foam layer is concentrated in impact-prone regions, providing localized reinforcement without uniformly increasing the cup's overall weight, thus maintaining user comfort and mobility.
3Strength
If the cup walls are made thicker and more rigid, then they provide better protection, but they may collapse or deform under severe impacts, potentially causing harm to the user
Solution Approach 1:
The athletic cup incorporates an intermediate layer of energy-absorbing foam material positioned between the outer rigid shell and the user's body. This foam layer is pre-compressed and designed to deform controllably upon impact, absorbing and dissipating impact energy before it reaches the inner structures and the user. This beforehand cushioning prevents the rigid shell from collapsing inward and causing harm, while maintaining protective strength against external threats.
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 composite athletic cup effectively absorbs and deflects impact energies, providing enhanced protection against severe blows and projectiles while minimizing additional weight, suitable for both sports and high-risk activities like military operations.
Implementation Method 1
the present art primary shell layered composite structure provides a very light weight or mass while having the strength to survive impacts from severe blows and projectiles
Implementation Method 2
Unique to the form of the comfort surround is a unique taper structure on the outer walls which forces the outer shell to elongate during severe impacts rather than collapse
Implementation Method 3
Unique to the form of the comfort surround is a unique taper structure on the outer walls which forces the outer shell to elongate during severe impacts rather than collapse
Implementation Method 4
The present art primary shell layered composite structure provides a very light weight or mass while having the strength to survive impacts from severe blows and projectiles
Data Source
AI summary
An improved composite athletic cup having a comfort surround of a flexible material and a front primary shell of a hardened and layered composite material. The comfort surround has a recess into which the primary shell fits and is bonded. The primary shell has a layered structure of carbon fiber, KEVLAR®, fiberglass, and/or DYNEEMA® in an order which provides exterior hardness and structural integrity while protecting a user from blunt impacts and projectiles.