Foldable Implement Case With Rigid-Flexible Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cases for recreational or sporting implements are cumbersome when not in use and do not provide optimal impact protection during transport.
Innovation Solution
A foldable case with body panels comprising a flexible central segment and rigid longitudinal segments, allowing for compact storage and impact-resistant protection by pivoting about lateral and longitudinal axes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional rigid body panels are used for case construction, then impact protection is improved, but portability and ease of transport deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The case is divided into multiple body panels (first body panel, second body panel, third body panel) that can be independently positioned and folded. This segmentation allows the case to maintain structural integrity for protection while enabling flexible folding configurations for portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The case transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic foldable structure with multiple movable joints. The body panels can pivot relative to each other, allowing the case to adapt between an extended protective configuration and a compact portable configuration.
2Ease of operation
If traditional flexible body panels are used for case construction, then portability is improved, but impact protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The case employs a composite construction combining rigid substrates (providing impact protection) with flexible substrates (enabling folding). This composite approach allows the case to simultaneously achieve both protection and portability that neither material could provide alone.
3Ease of operation
If the case is designed to fold compactly, then portability is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foldable case design allows body panels to nest within each other when folded, creating a compact configuration. The third body panel can be positioned within the space created by the first and second panels, maximizing compactness while using straightforward hinge mechanisms rather than complex folding systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable case for storing and transporting an implement is provided. The foldable case comprises a pair of body panels, each defining a first longitudinal segment, a second longitudinal segment, and a central segment disposed between the first and second longitudinal segments and defining a lateral fold axis therethrough. An attachment panel connects the pair of body panels and defines a longitudinal fold axis. The body panels further comprise a flexible substrate that extends continuously through the first and second longitudinal segments and the central segment, and a rigid substrate coupled to the flexible substrate at only the first and second longitudinal segments. The body panels are pivotable about the longitudinal fold axis to move the foldable case between an open position and a closed position, and the body panels are further pivotable about the lateral fold axes to move the foldable case to and from a portable condition.