Elastomeric Wrist Support with Variable Protrusion Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Carpal tunnel syndrome is not adequately addressed by existing wrist supports, as they often fail to provide adjustable and customizable support to maintain a natural wrist position during work, leading to discomfort and nerve compression.
Innovation Solution
A sheet with elastic protrusions that can be used as either a wristband or a mat on a work surface, featuring adjustable height and lateral dimension variations to conform to the wrist's angle and contour, providing support and relief through a single manufacturing process, typically using silicone rubber or other elastomeric materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional wrist supports are used, then wrist support is provided, but they fail to provide adjustable and customizable support to maintain a natural wrist position
Solution Approach 1:
The wrist support device incorporates elastic protrusions with varying heights and lateral dimensions distributed across the sheet. These protrusions create localized zones of different support characteristics, allowing the device to adapt to the specific contour and angle of the user's wrist. The non-uniform distribution of protrusion heights provides customized support at different locations without requiring multiple adjustable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes variations in the physical parameters of the elastic protrusions, specifically their heights and lateral dimensions, to achieve adjustable support. By changing these geometric parameters across different regions of the sheet, the device provides customizable adaptation to various wrist positions and angles, eliminating the need for mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a sheet with elastic protrusions is used, then customizable wrist support is provided, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process combines the formation of the sheet and the elastic protrusions into a single integrated step. The protrusions are formed directly from the same elastomeric material as the sheet through a unified molding or casting process, eliminating the need for separate assembly operations. This merging of components simplifies manufacturing despite the complex three-dimensional geometry of the protrusions.
3Strength
If silicone rubber is used for manufacturing, then durable and flexible support is provided, but heat treatment is required to set the material
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process utilizes the phase transition of silicone rubber from a pliable uncured state to a rigid cured state through heat treatment. The material is molded in its uncured, flexible state to achieve the desired complex geometry, then heat is applied to cure and set the final shape. This phase transition enables both complex geometry formation and material setting in a unified manufacturing approach.
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 solution effectively reduces wrist discomfort and alleviates nerve compression by providing customizable support, allowing workers to maintain a natural wrist position, thereby improving hand strength, dexterity, and sensation.
Implementation Method 1
Rubber elasticity, also known as hyper elasticity, describes the mechanical behavior of many polymers, especially those with cross linking. Invoking the theory of rubber elasticity, one considers a polymer chain in a cross linked network as an entropic spring. When the chain is stretched, the entropy is reduced by a large margin because there are fewer conformations available. Therefore, there is a restoring force, which causes the polymer chain to return to its equilibrium or unstretched state
Implementation Method 2
Normally, heat is required to set the silicone rubber. Silicone rubber articles are typically injection molded.
Data Source
AI summary
A wrist of a person may be supported as the person operates equipment over a flat work surface by using an article of manufacture having only a sheet and a plurality of protrusions extending from the sheet by placing the article of manufacture as a flat mat for placement on the flat work surface or by wearing the article of manufacture as a wristband.