Composite Click Fastener for Debris-Resistant Garment Closure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hook-and-loop fasteners are prone to damage garments, accumulate debris, and lose effectiveness over time due to elongation and moisture absorption, posing challenges in durability and hygiene.
Innovation Solution
A composite fastener system comprising click elements with pins and recesses, featuring flexible materials and geometric designs that ensure secure interlocking without damage, reducing debris accumulation, and maintaining effectiveness through adjustable connection strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hook-and-loop fasteners are used to connect two components, then quick closure is achieved, but garments can be damaged during removal
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is divided into two separate components: a first component with protrusions and a second component with recesses. This segmentation allows the fastening action to be distributed across multiple discrete engagement points rather than a continuous bond, enabling quick closure while reducing concentrated stress that could damage garments during removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction where the first and second components are made from different materials with complementary properties. The first component material provides protrusion formation while the second component material provides recess formation, creating a composite fastening system that achieves secure connection without the garment-damaging characteristics of traditional hook-and-loop fasteners.
2Reliability
If hook-and-loop fasteners are used for connection, then fastening is achieved, but debris accumulates in hooks after months of use
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using hooks that trap debris within their structure, the patent inverts the approach by using recesses that receive protrusions. This inversion eliminates the hook structure that is prone to debris accumulation, while maintaining fastening effectiveness through the complementary engagement of protrusions and recesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the hook element from the fastening system entirely, replacing it with a protrusion-recess mechanism. This extraction removes the structural feature that causes debris accumulation, while the fastening function is maintained through the complementary interaction of the remaining components.
3Reliability
If hook-and-loop fasteners are used for connection, then fastening is achieved, but loops become elongated or broken after prolonged use
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening mechanism is segmented into discrete protrusions and recesses that engage independently, distributing mechanical stress across multiple engagement points. This segmentation prevents the elongation and breaking that occurs in traditional loop structures, as each protrusion-recess pair acts as an independent load-bearing unit rather than a continuous loop system.
4Reliability
If hook-and-loop fasteners are used for connection, then fastening is achieved, but moisture and perspiration are absorbed causing odor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs homogeneous material construction for both the first and second components, using the same material type that resists moisture absorption. This homogeneity ensures that the fastening mechanism itself does not absorb moisture and perspiration, preventing odor formation while maintaining fastening effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved assembly of joining two different kinds of anchoring elements, at least one of which is flexible, each equipped with anchoring in such a way that when the two surfaces are positioned against each other, they grip and clamp together.