Extensible Garment Sleeves with Elastic Flange System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional garments with fixed shapes restrict motion and can become unsafe by riding up on the wearer's arms during activities like reaching, exposing skin and potentially causing injury in work environments.
Innovation Solution
A garment with extensible sleeves featuring a flange system that includes a gusset and connector, allowing the sleeves to extend when needed and retract for a secure fit, incorporating features like thumbholes for cuff retention and various materials for durability and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the garment is cut and sewn to provide a defined fixed shape, then the garment maintains an attractive appearance and good fit, but the garment restricts motion and hampers activities of the wearer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by incorporating an extensible sleeve mechanism that allows the sleeve length to change dynamically. The sleeve includes a stored length of material that can be extended when the wearer reaches forward and automatically retracts when the motion stops, transforming the fixed shape into a dynamic, adaptive structure that maintains both appearance and mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the nesting principle by tucking a stored length of material within the sleeve structure itself. The extra material is nested inside the sleeve, allowing it to be concealed when not in use and deployed when needed, enabling the sleeve to extend beyond its normal length without permanently altering the garment's external appearance.
2Length of stationary object
If the garment has fixed length sleeves, then the garment maintains a good fit, but the sleeves pull up on the person's arms during reaching motions, exposing wrists and arms
Solution Approach 1:
The extensible sleeve mechanism dynamically adjusts sleeve length based on the wearer's motion. During reaching activities, the sleeve automatically extends to maintain coverage of the wrist and arm, ensuring continuous protection without requiring the wearer to consciously adjust the garment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing extra length of material within the sleeve structure. This stored material is prepared in advance and can be quickly deployed when reaching motion occurs, ensuring that protection is maintained without delay during dynamic activities.
3Ease of operation
If the garment sleeves are made extensible to allow motion, then the wearer's mobility is enhanced, but the garment may lose its attractive appearance and proper fit
Solution Approach 1:
The nested doll principle is applied by concealing the stored length of material within the sleeve structure. The extra material is hidden inside the sleeve when not in use, so the garment maintains its original attractive appearance and proper fit during normal wear, while still providing extensibility when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making only the sleeve portion extensible while keeping the rest of the garment structure fixed. This localized modification allows the sleeve to adapt to motion requirements without affecting the overall appearance and fit of the entire garment, maintaining aesthetic quality in non-functional areas.
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 extensible sleeves provide enhanced mobility and safety by preventing the garment from riding up, maintaining an attractive appearance, and ensuring the wearer's skin is protected from hazards while allowing for comfortable and effective task performance.
Implementation Method 1
a connector is an elastic band of material that allows the flanges to extend out from the armhole when a person is reaching forward
Implementation Method 2
When a person discontinues a motion that causes the sleeves to extend and the flanges to release the stored material, the connectors retract the flange, or stored material, back into the armhole portion of the garment
Data Source
AI summary
A garment, such as a jacket, having extensible sleeves, is described. The garment has an outer layer comprising a torso portion having two armholes, two sleeve portions, and an optional collar portion. An action back configuration enables the sleeves to extend. An action back has a flange of material at least partially tucked within each of the armholes. An elastic connector couples the two flanges and extends across the back portion of the garment. When a person reaches forward the flanges extend to provide additional material for the extension of the sleeve. In addition, the two sleeves are configured with a gusset having two substantially linear sides connected to the sleeve and a curvilinear side coupled to the armhole. The gusset may have a cut to allow the gusset to stretch. The sleeves comprise a cuff having a thumbhole for maintaining the cuff over the thumb of a wearer.