Convertible blanket with storage sack
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor blankets lack versatility and efficient packing solutions, making them cumbersome for campers and outdoor enthusiasts who seek compact and hands-free options.
Innovation Solution
A convertible blanket design featuring a pocket and sack system that allows conversion between wearable and storage configurations, utilizing a closure device like a drawstring and fastener to manage the opening size, enabling compact storage and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the blanket is designed to be wearable and provide warmth, then comfort and versatility are improved, but the blanket occupies more space and is harder to pack compactly
Solution Approach 1:
The sack is integrated within the pocket structure of the blanket body. When the blanket is in wearable configuration, the sack nests inside the pocket, making the compact storage feature invisible and maintaining the blanket's aesthetic and functional integrity. This nesting approach allows the blanket to provide warmth and wearability while containing a compacting mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The blanket transitions between two dynamic states: wearable configuration where the blanket is extended and the sack is contained within the pocket, and storage configuration where the blanket is compressed into the sack. The closure device dynamically adjusts between open and closed positions to enable these transitions, allowing the blanket to adapt between providing warmth and occupying minimal space.
2Volume of moving object
If the blanket includes a compact storage sack, then packability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sack is merged with the blanket body through the pocket structure, creating an integrated system rather than separate components. The closure device is attached to the sack and works in conjunction with the pocket opening, combining multiple functions (storage, compression, and securing) into a unified structure that minimizes additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pocket serves multiple functions: it provides the structural opening for the sack, acts as the receiving space for the compressed blanket, and maintains the blanket's wearable form. The closure device serves dual purposes of securing the sack closed during storage and allowing easy access during use. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
3Volume of moving object
If the sack opening is kept small for compact storage, then compression efficiency is improved, but access and usability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The closure device dynamically adjusts the opening size between two states: closed position for compact storage where the opening is minimized to allow efficient compression of the blanket, and open position for accessibility where the full pocket opening is available. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing the opening to be small only when needed for storage, not during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure device is extracted as a separate functional element attached to the sack, allowing independent control of the opening size. This separation enables the opening to be closed tightly for compression while the closure mechanism itself can be easily manipulated for quick access, resolving the contradiction between small opening size and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A blanket includes a pocket comprising a cavity positioned between a first outer layer and the second outer layer of a body of the blanket. The pocket has a receiving edge that coincides with a portion of the first outer layer, a portion of the second outer layer, or both. The blanket also includes a sack that includes an opening having a perimeter, at least a portion of which is attached to at least a portion of the receiving edge of the pocket. When the blanket is in a wearable configuration, the sack is contained within the pocket. When the blanket is in a storage configuration, the body is at least substantially contained within the sack. Methods of converting the blanket between the wearable configuration and the storage configuration are also disclosed.