Protective Guard With Floating Knee Pad for Flexible Joint Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional knee guards lack flexibility during joint movement while providing adequate protection, leading to discomfort and reduced effectiveness in preventing injuries during outdoor activities like mountain biking.
Innovation Solution
A knee guard design featuring an inner sleeve and a slidable outer layer with a protective pad, where the outer layer is partially attached to the inner sleeve at the sides but not at the front, allowing for flexibility and maintaining protection during joint flexion and extension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the outer layer is fully attached to the inner sleeve, then protection is maintained, but flexibility and joint movement are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The outer layer is segmented into separate attachment zones (left side, right side, bottom) and a detached floating zone (front portion). This segmentation allows the protective pad to remain attached to the leg via side attachments while the front portion floats independently, enabling knee flexion without restricting protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer layer transitions from a static fully-attached structure to a dynamic floating structure. The front portion of the outer layer is detached and can slide relative to the inner sleeve, allowing the protective pad to dynamically adapt to knee movement while maintaining protection through gravity and friction.
2Reliability
If the protective pad is secured to the inner sleeve, then protection is maintained, but the pad cannot slide to maintain coverage during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The outer layer acts as an intermediary between the protective pad and the inner sleeve. The protective pad is secured to the outer layer, which itself is partially attached to the inner sleeve. This intermediary structure allows the pad to slide relative to the inner sleeve while maintaining protection, as the outer layer mediates the movement and attachment forces.
3Strength
If the outer layer is made from rigid material, then protection is improved, but flexibility and comfort are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The outer layer is constructed from flexible materials that can deform and slide over the inner sleeve while maintaining protective function. This flexible shell approach allows the protective pad to move with the knee joint, providing both impact resistance and comfort during dynamic movement.
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 design provides enhanced protection and comfort by allowing the outer layer to slide relative to the inner sleeve, ensuring continuous coverage over the knee joint during movement, thereby reducing the risk of injury and improving user experience.
Implementation Method 1
the inner sleeve is fabricated from elastic fabric, such as Lycra®
Implementation Method 2
the protective pad is fabricated from an impact resistant material such as KoroydTM
Data Source
AI summary
A knee guard for protecting the knee of a wearer is provided including an inner sleeve that fits over the knee of the wearer covering at least front and left and right side portions of a leg of the wearer proximate the knee joint, a knee guard including an outer layer positioned over the inner sleeve proximate the knee joint and slidable with respect to the inner sleeve, the outer layer attached to the inner sleeve at left and right side portions above the knee joint and at left and right side portions below the knee joint, the outer layer not attached to the inner sleeve at the front portion adjacent the knee joint; and a protective pad secured to the outer layer and not secured to the inner sleeve and slidable with respect to the inner sleeve.