360-Degree Foldable Brim for Headwear UV Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current headwear designs, such as baseball caps, provide insufficient protection against UV and heat exposure for the neck, ears, and face due to their limited brim width, leaving these areas vulnerable to harmful sunlight.
Innovation Solution
A foldable 360-degree brim accessory with a UV-protective material and adjustable cord system that can be placed over existing headwear or worn alone, offering enhanced sunshade and UV protection by expanding the brim coverage to 360 degrees, and allowing for easy storage and adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a baseball cap with limited brim is used, then the headwear structure remains simple and lightweight, but the UV and heat protection coverage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the headwear system into two separate components: a base headwear (e.g., baseball cap) and a detachable 360-degree brim accessory. This segmentation allows the user to wear the simple base headwear for everyday use and attach the protective brim only when UV and heat protection is needed, thus improving protection coverage without permanently increasing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The 360-degree brim accessory is designed to be placed over and嵌套 with the base headwear, creating a nested structure where the brim encircles the entire headwear. This nesting approach allows the protective brim to integrate with various headwear types without requiring fundamental structural changes to the base headwear design.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a 360-degree brim accessory is added, then UV and heat protection coverage is improved to 360 degrees, but the headwear becomes more complex and bulkier
Solution Approach 1:
The brim incorporates a dynamic cord system with pull cords and drawstrings that allow the user to adjust the brim's circumference and fit. This dynamic adjustment mechanism enables the brim to adapt to different head sizes and preferences, providing optimal protection while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through functional adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The brim's protective parameters can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the cord system, changing the circumference and fit of the brim. This parameter adjustment capability allows the same brim structure to provide effective protection for various users without requiring multiple fixed-size brim designs, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a 360-degree brim accessory is added, then UV and heat protection coverage is improved, but the storage and portability become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The brim is designed with flexible, movable components including foldable panels and adjustable cords that allow the structure to be collapsed and compressed. This dynamic flexibility enables the brim to be folded into a compact form that can be easily stored in a bag or pocket when not in use, significantly improving portability while maintaining the 360-degree protection capability when deployed.
4Ease of operation
If the cord is made adjustable with multiple tightened states, then the fit and comfort are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cord adjustment mechanism is designed to be operated directly by the user through simple pulling and tightening actions, without requiring additional tools or complex mechanisms. The self-adjusting nature of the cord system allows users to easily achieve the desired fit and comfort level, reducing device complexity while improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A 360-degree brim from improving the sun protection of a separate headwear. The 360-degree brim may have a pull cord for selectively adjusting the fit of its head opening. The 360-degree brim may have fold lines for moving the 360-degree brim between a plurality of successively smaller folded conditions for storage and ease of access.