Garment With Segmented Knitted Zones For Concave Body Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clothing technologies are unable to generate pressure on concave areas of the body, as conventional knitted fabrics cannot conform to these areas due to their flat surface design.
Innovation Solution
A clothing design featuring a knitted fabric with a core area of reduced flexibility, surrounded by a more flexible edge area, which allows the fabric to adapt to concave body areas and apply pressure, utilizing a combination of different knitted bonds and elastic connecting elements to create a three-dimensional contact pressure elasticity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional homogeneous flat knitted fabric is used, then the garment is simple to manufacture and comfortable to wear, but it cannot generate pressure on concave body areas
Solution Approach 1:
The knitted fabric is segmented into distinct functional zones: a core area with reduced flexibility containing raised elements for pressure application, and an edge area with higher flexibility for conforming to body contours. This segmentation allows different regions to perform specialized functions - the core area generates pressure on concave body parts while the edge area provides adaptive fit, resolving the contradiction between pressure generation capability and fabric simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the fabric are assigned different mechanical properties - the core area has reduced flexibility and contains raised elements optimized for pressure application, while the edge area has higher flexibility for conforming to body surfaces. This local differentiation enables the fabric to simultaneously achieve pressure generation on concave areas and overall comfort, without requiring complete redesign of the entire fabric structure.
2Stress or pressure
If the core area has reduced flexibility to build pressure, then pressure can be applied to concave areas, but the core area becomes less compliant
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric design incorporates dynamic behavior through the interaction between the rigid core area and the flexible edge area. When the garment is worn, the flexible edge area dynamically adapts to body contours while transmitting elastic tensile forces to the core area, enabling it to dynamically conform to concave surfaces and build pressure simultaneously. This dynamic interaction resolves the contradiction between maintaining core area rigidity for pressure generation and achieving compliance for conformability.
Solution Approach 2:
The edge area acts as an intermediary between the wearer's body and the core pressure-generating area. It mediates the mechanical interaction by conforming to the body surface and transmitting forces to the core area, enabling the rigid core to adapt to concave geometries without compromising its pressure-generating capability. This intermediary role resolves the contradiction by decoupling the compliance requirement from the core area and placing it in the edge area.
3Manufacturing precision
If different knitting weaves are combined to create three-dimensional contact elasticity, then precise adaptation to concave areas is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric incorporates three-dimensional raised elements within the knitted structure, adding a vertical dimension to the otherwise planar fabric. This dimensional addition enables the core area to protrude and conform to concave body surfaces, achieving precise fit without requiring complex multi-layer constructions or post-manufacturing assembly. The raised elements are integrated directly into the knitting process, balancing manufacturing precision with ease of manufacture.
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
Enables pressure to be applied to concave areas, mimicking the effect of a massage, improving lymphatic drainage by opening lymph nodes and enhancing the overall massage experience through dynamic pressure distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a higher degree of compliance corresponds to a higher elasticity of the knitted fabric in question, and a lower degree of compliance corresponds to a lower elasticity of the knitted fabric
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to create a garment comprising at least one pressure area in which the garment exerts a pressure effect on the body of the wearer when worn, wherein the pressure area comprises a knitted fabric and wherein the pressure area comprises several raised elements which, when worn, are arranged on an inner surface of the garment facing the body of the wearer, and which makes it possible to generate pressure on the skin of the wearer even on concave areas of the wearer's body, it is proposed that the garment comprise at least one core area which, when worn, rests against a concave area of the wearer's body, and an edge area adjacent to the core area, wherein the compliance of the edge area is higher than the compliance of the core area.