Expandable Polymer Rings with Antimicrobial Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rings lack breathability and antimicrobial properties, leading to issues such as moisture retention, bacterial growth, and discomfort due to tight fits, especially during physical activities or in environments prone to sweating.
Innovation Solution
The development of a toroid-shaped ring made from an expandable polymer with an elastic modulus of no greater than 5 GPa, incorporating antimicrobial particles like ionic silver and precious material particles such as gold, copper, and crushed pearls, along with grooves on the inner surface to enhance breathability and expandability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional rings are made with tight fits to ensure they stay on digits, then they provide secure wear, but they cause moisture retention and bacterial growth
Solution Approach 1:
The ring incorporates a porous structure with interconnected channels that allow moisture vapor to pass through while maintaining a secure fit. This porous architecture enables breathability without compromising the ring's ability to stay on the digit, resolving the contradiction between secure wear and moisture retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring features localized antimicrobial treatment applied to specific regions where moisture accumulation is most problematic. This targeted approach provides bacterial protection in critical areas while maintaining overall fit security, addressing the harmful effects without sacrificing reliable wear.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rings are made from rigid materials to maintain shape and appearance, then they provide structural stability, but they cause discomfort during physical activities
Solution Approach 1:
The ring is constructed from composite materials that combine rigid structural components with flexible elements. The rigid portions maintain shape and appearance, while flexible segments adapt to digit movement during physical activities, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to adapt its rigidity based on movement. During physical activities, the structure becomes more flexible to accommodate digit expansion and contraction, while returning to its stable shape during periods of rest, balancing structural integrity with comfort.
3Manufacturing precision
If rings are made from non-expandable materials to maintain precise fit, then they provide consistent sizing, but they cannot accommodate fluctuations in digit size
Solution Approach 1:
The ring is divided into multiple segments or zones with different mechanical properties. Some segments maintain precise dimensional tolerances for consistent sizing, while other segments are designed with controlled expandability to accommodate digit size fluctuations, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring utilizes materials or structures whose physical parameters (such as elasticity or porosity) can change in response to environmental conditions or mechanical stress. This allows the ring to maintain precise fit under normal conditions while expanding or contracting to accommodate digit size variations during physical activities.
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 ring effectively allows for moisture and dirt to escape, reducing bacterial growth and discomfort, while maintaining a snug fit that accommodates fluctuations in digit size, ensuring hygiene and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
an expandable polymer with an elastic modulus of no greater than 5 gigapascals (GPa)
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of antimicrobial particles disposed within the expandable polymer
Data Source
AI summary
User-wearable rings are disclosed that are expandable, antimicrobial, and/or breathable. Each ring is shaped into a toroid formed at least partly of an expandable polymer having an elastic modulus no greater than 5 gigapascals (GPa). The toroid is sized to fit snugly over a digit of a user and is configured to expand as needed. Some ring implementations include antimicrobial elements disposed within the expandable polymer. In some implementations the antimicrobial elements include ionic silver. Some ring implementations include precious materials, such as precious metals or crushed pearl, interspersed within the expandable polymer. Some ring implementations include one or more colorants having a color matching the color of one or more precious materials interspersed in the ring. Some ring implementations include grooves formed on an inner surface of the ring and allowing moisture, dirt, grime, and the like to exit from between the digit of the user and the ring.