Garment Extender with Foldable Jaw for Zip Compatibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garment extenders require a large inventory to accommodate various slide fastener types and often necessitate guessing or specialized assistance to match with existing garments, due to compatibility issues with different brands and models of zip fasteners.
Innovation Solution
A garment extender design featuring an extender body with attachment mounts and jaws that securely engage stringer tapes and teeth of the slide fastener, utilizing foldable material for improved compatibility and frictional retention, allowing for secure attachment to a wide range of slide fastener dimensions while minimizing air and moisture infiltration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing garment extenders are designed to attach to specific slide fastener types, then they can provide secure attachment to that specific fastener, but they require a large inventory to accommodate different brands and models of zip fasteners
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment is designed with a universal structure that can accommodate different slide fastener types. The jaw mechanism with adjustable opening and the foldable material wrapper allow the same attachment design to securely engage various fastener dimensions and configurations, eliminating the need for multiple specialized attachment types.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment incorporates adjustable parameters including the opening distance between jaws and the flexibility of the foldable material wrapper. These parameter changes allow the attachment to adapt to different slide fastener sizes and types while maintaining secure engagement, providing versatility without requiring multiple fixed-design attachments.
2Stability of the object's composition
If existing garment extenders use fixed rigid attachments, then they provide stable structure, but they cannot adapt to different slide fastener dimensions and require specialized salesperson assistance
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment incorporates dynamic elements including the foldable material wrapper that can flex and conform to different fastener shapes, and the jaw mechanism that can adjust its opening distance. This dynamic design maintains structural stability while adapting to various slide fastener dimensions without requiring specialized assistance for selection.
3Reliability
If multiple types of garment extenders are manufactured for different slide fastener types, then each type can be optimized for its specific fastener, but the device complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single attachment design with universal features serves multiple slide fastener types. The foldable material wrapper and adjustable jaw mechanism provide the necessary adaptability to maintain high attachment performance across different fastener types without requiring a complex inventory of specialized attachments.
4Strength
If the attachment uses rigid material only, then it provides strong gripping force, but it allows air and moisture infiltration at the attachment interface
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment combines rigid jaw material for strong gripping force with a foldable material wrapper that seals the interface between the attachment and slide fastener. This composite construction maintains the strength needed for secure attachment while preventing air and moisture infiltration through the foldable material barrier.
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 enables a single garment extender to fit various slide fastener dimensions, providing secure mounting and improved user convenience by eliminating the need for multiple inventory items and reducing the complexity of selecting the correct type, while also enhancing the garment's usability for pregnant women and baby carriers.
Implementation Method 1
the foldable material being between the jaws inner surfaces and the teeth and between the stringer tapes and the jaw free ends
Data Source
AI summary
A garment extender securable to a slide fastener of a garment. The garment extender includes an attachment at least partially covered by a foldable material.