Elastic Inflatable Garments for Breathable Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inflatable protection garments suffer from reduced breathability, increased weight, and discomfort due to large, non-elastic airbags that occupy a significant area and reduce flexibility.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of an inflatable protection device made from elastic materials, such as elastomers like rubber or polyurethane, which expands to cover the body while maintaining breathability and reducing weight by occupying a smaller space in the resting state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large-sized airbags are used to ensure adequate body coverage and protection, then protection effectiveness is improved, but breathability and flexibility of the garment are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag is designed with elastic material that allows it to dynamically change its state between deflated and inflated. In the deflated state, the airbag occupies minimal space, preserving garment flexibility and breathability. Upon impact detection, the airbag rapidly inflates to provide full body coverage and protection. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between protection effectiveness and garment flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the airbag by using elastic materials with specific stretchability properties. The airbag's volume and surface area are dynamically adjusted through inflation and deflation cycles. When deflated, the airbag parameters are minimized to maintain garment flexibility; when inflated, the parameters expand to ensure adequate protection coverage.
2Reliability
If airbags are installed in the garment structure to provide protection, then safety level is improved, but transpiration and breathability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag system operates dynamically, remaining in a deflated state during normal wear to allow free transpiration and breathability through the garment. Only upon detection of a crash or impact does the airbag inflate to provide protection. This on-demand operation eliminates the continuous blockage of breathability while maintaining safety when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag is pre-installed in a deflated state within the garment structure, ready to deploy but not actively interfering with garment function. The preliminary positioning allows the garment to function normally regarding breathability and transpiration, while the protection capability is already in place to activate when required.
3Reliability
If airbags with larger dimensions are used to compensate for lateral contraction during inflation, then protection coverage is improved, but weight and flexibility of the garment are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes elastic materials with high stretchability parameters, allowing the airbag to achieve full expansion from a compact deflated state. The material's elastic properties enable the airbag to reach adequate protection dimensions without requiring excessive initial size or weight. The stretchability parameter of the elastic material compensates for the lateral contraction during inflation.
Solution Approach 2:
The airbag is constructed from composite or specialized elastic materials that combine protection functionality with high stretchability. These materials provide the necessary structural integrity for protection while maintaining the ability to expand significantly from a minimal deflated state, thereby reducing the weight penalty associated with traditional non-elastic airbag materials.
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 elastic inflatable bags provide enhanced breathability, reduced weight, and improved comfort by expanding to cover the body effectively without compromising safety, while minimizing the impact on garment flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
The inflatable bag (12) is manufactured with an elastic material and, in its rest condition, is designed to occupy a limited portion of the housing (2). Advantageously, thanks to its elasticity, the inflatable bag (12) is able, in its operating condition, to occupy a portion of the housing (2) which is bigger than the portion occupied when it is in its rest condition.
Data Source
AI summary
A garment (1) comprising an inflatable protection device (10) and a housing (2), the inflatable protection device (10) comprising at least one inflatable bag (12) housed in the housing (2) and designed to move between a rest condition, where it is in a deflated status and an operating condition, where it is in an inflated status and inflation means (14) connected with the inflatable bag (12) and designed, once triggered, for selectively inflating the inflatable bag (12). The at least one inflatable bag (12) is manufactured with an elastic material and, in said rest condition, occupies a limited portion of said housing (2).