Impermeable Swimwear Shell with Segmented Antimicrobial Lining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current swim nappies are not 100% effective in retaining faecal matter, leading to contamination of swimming pool water due to bacteria and pathogens, and existing antimicrobial garments can cause discomfort and discoloration.
Innovation Solution
A swimwear design featuring a substantially impermeable shell with a permeable inner lining and an antimicrobial agent, such as Silver, disposed between the shell and inner lining to contain and neutralize pathogens without compromising comfort or safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an antimicrobial agent is incorporated into swimwear to kill bacteria and pathogens, then the effectiveness of pathogen neutralization is improved, but the comfort and safety of the wearer deteriorates due to skin irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The swimwear is divided into distinct functional layers: an outer shell layer that contacts faecal matter and an inner lining layer that contacts the wearer's skin. The antimicrobial agent is incorporated into the outer shell layer, segmenting the antimicrobial function from the skin-contact function. This allows the antimicrobial agent to effectively neutralize pathogens in faecal matter while the inner lining provides a comfortable, skin-safe barrier.
2Reliability
If a Silver based antimicrobial solution is used to treat the garment, then the antimicrobial effectiveness is improved, but the garment attractiveness deteriorates due to discolouration over time
Solution Approach 1:
The garment structure segments the Silver-based antimicrobial treatment into the outer shell layer only, separating it from the inner lining layer that determines the garment's visible appearance. This segmentation allows the use of highly effective Silver-based antimicrobial agents in the outer layer without causing discolouration to affect the garment's aesthetic appeal, as the inner lining maintains colour stability.
3Reliability
If the swim nappy is designed to provide a good seal to contain faecal matter, then the containment effectiveness is improved, but the wearer comfort and safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The swimwear incorporates an inner lining layer that segments the sealing/containment function from the skin-contact function. The outer shell provides the seal to contain faecal matter effectively, while the inner lining layer ensures wearer comfort and safety by providing a soft, breathable barrier against the skin, preventing irritation from tight sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The swimwear uses composite material construction with an outer shell made from substantially impermeable material for containment and an inner lining made from permeable, breathable material for comfort. This composite structure combines materials with different properties to simultaneously achieve effective sealing and wearer comfort, resolving the contradiction between containment effectiveness and comfort.
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 effectively contains faecal matter and neutralizes bacteria, reducing swimming pool contamination while allowing for the use of effective antimicrobial agents without discomfort or discoloration issues.
Implementation Method 1
an antimicrobial agent disposed between the shell of substantially impermeable material and the inner lining material
Data Source
AI summary
A garment, particularly swimwear, to cover a wearer's body between the waist and thighs has a shell of substantially impermeable material, a permeable inner lining material which lies next to the wearer's skin in use and an antimicrobial agent disposed between the shell of substantially impermeable material and the inner lining material. The antimicrobial agent may be Silver which has been deposited by a physical deposition process onto a textile disposed between the shell and inner lining material. The garment may form a lining of a swim nappy, the combination providing an article of swimwear.