Eyewear Modular Pods for Buoyancy and Impact Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recreational eyewear fails to prevent slipping off the face and sinking in water, with prior buoyancy solutions being inadequate for long-term floatation and impact resistance, especially in turbulent environments, leading to difficulties in retrieval and potential eye injury.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates modular pods with convex and concave aspects, including a bridge modular pod with a resilient element, positioned to maintain a perpendicular lens frame profile on water, distributing buoyant forces effectively to keep the eyewear afloat and reduce the risk of slipping, while being impact and fracture-resistant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air chambers are added to enable floatation, then buoyancy is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates under impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the floatation system into multiple separate air chambers (first air chamber in the first arm, second air chamber in the second arm, third air chamber in the bridge) rather than one large chamber. This segmentation allows the floatation function to be distributed throughout the eyewear structure, reducing stress concentration on any single point and improving overall structural integrity during impact while maintaining buoyancy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates foam material within the air chambers to provide cushioning before impact occurs. This foam material absorbs and distributes impact forces, protecting the air chamber walls from rupturing during frontal impacts or turbulent water conditions, thereby maintaining both floatation capability and structural integrity
2Strength
If lens frame portion weight is increased for durability, then impact resistance is improved, but floatation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the buoyant force generated by the air chambers to counteract the weight of the lens frame portion. The air chambers are positioned and sized to provide sufficient upward buoyant force to keep the heavier lens frame portion above water, enabling the eyewear to float in an upright position even with durable, heavier materials used for impact resistance
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple air chambers are distributed throughout the eyewear, then floatation stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the air chambers into the existing structural components of the eyewear (arms and bridge) rather than adding separate floatation devices. Each air chamber is housed within a structural element that also provides mechanical support, combining structural and floatation functions in a single component to minimize overall complexity while achieving stable floatation
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 ensures the eyewear remains afloat in turbulent waters, reduces the likelihood of slipping off the face, and provides superior protection against impacts, allowing for easy retrieval and maintaining floatation functionality even after traumatic events.
Implementation Method 1
the bridge modular pod, the first arm modular pod and second arm modular pod are capable of displacing the lens portion to sustain a perpendicular profile on the water surface
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to eyewear capable of floating above the surface in water and thus easy to spot in open bodies of water. This invention further relates to eyewear comprising an arrangement of modular pods to enable sustain floatation above the surface of water. The invention further relates to modular pods for floating eyewear that comprise an impact-resistant structure.