Curved Soother Shield Segmentation for Ventilation and Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional soothers often cause skin irritation due to trapped moisture between the shield and the infant's skin, as the shield's design prevents air from circulating and leads to unwanted pressure on the face, which can result in discomfort and skin sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
A curved shield design with angled sections that slope away from the mouthpiece, providing ventilation and structural rigidity, allowing air to flow freely and reducing moisture accumulation, while positioning the center of gravity closer to the mouthpiece for easier retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shield wraps around the face to prevent entering the mouth, then safety is improved, but moisture becomes trapped between shield and skin causing skin irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is segmented into multiple sections (first section, second section, third section) with different orientations. The first and second sections wrap around the face for safety, while the third section angles away to provide ventilation and prevent moisture trapping, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and skin irritation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the shield have different local qualities: the first and second sections are positioned to wrap around the face for safety, while the third section is specifically designed to angle away from the face to provide ventilation and prevent moisture accumulation, addressing the skin irritation problem locally without compromising overall safety.
2Strength
If the shield is made rigid to support the mouthpiece, then structural strength is improved, but the shield becomes heavier and more likely to fall out of the infant's mouth
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is divided into multiple sections with different functions. The first and second sections provide structural support and rigidity, while the third section is designed to angle away and can be made lighter, thus reducing overall weight while maintaining necessary structural strength through the support sections.
3Ease of operation
If the center of gravity is positioned towards the mouthpiece for easier retention, then ease of operation is improved, but the shield design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is segmented into three sections with the third section specifically designed to angle away. This segmentation allows the center of gravity to be positioned towards the mouthpiece for easier retention, while the segmented design itself provides a systematic approach that manages complexity through modular functional sections.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~3A
AI summary
The present invention relates to a soother, as well as a method of manufacturing a soother, including a curved shield and a mouthpiece arranged for insertion into an infant's mouth. The mouthpiece extends away from a substantially convex side of the shield along a central axis of the shield so that a first end is adjacent to the shield and a tip is distal from the first end. The shield and the mouthpiece each have an axial length and the soother is configured so that its centre of gravity is in a region which extends from the tip of the mouthpiece, along the axial length of the mouthpiece and along up to 50% of the axial length of the shield. In a second embodiment, the soother is configured so that its centre of gravity is in a region lies which extends from an innermost limit of the shield along up to 50% of the axial length of the shield.