Inflatable Bladder Garment for Emergency Flotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a dress unit that can be worn comfortably like conventional pants or shorts but also serves as a flotation device in emergencies, offering ease of use, reusability, lightness, and quick inflation/deflation without compromising comfort.
Innovation Solution
A dress unit comprising a garment assembly with an inflatable bladder, an inflation assembly for manual or automatic inflation, and a connection system that allows the garment to be converted from a conventional wear position to a flotation position, along with a waterproof pocket for a communication device, enabling emergency signaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a life vest is worn at all times to provide flotation protection, then safety is improved, but comfort deteriorates due to bulkiness
Solution Approach 1:
The life vest integrates an inflatable bladder that transitions from a collapsed state (when worn as regular clothing) to an expanded state (when providing flotation). This dynamic transformation allows the garment to adapt its form and function based on the situation, eliminating the need for constant bulkiness while maintaining safety readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable bladder is nested within the garment assembly, specifically integrated into the front portion. When deflated, the bladder occupies minimal space and conforms to the garment's regular thickness. When inflated, it expands to provide flotation while remaining contained within the garment structure, avoiding external bulkiness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an inflatable bladder is integrated into the garment assembly, then flotation capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inflation device is merged with the garment assembly as an integrated component rather than a separate attachment. The bladder, inflation mechanism, and garment structure are combined into a single unified system, reducing the number of separate parts and simplifying the overall device while maintaining dual functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment assembly serves multiple functions: it acts as regular clothing when the bladder is deflated and as a flotation device when the bladder is inflated. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate life vest equipment, reducing overall device complexity while enhancing adaptability.
3Reliability
If the inflatable bladder has sufficient thickness to provide flotation, then flotation performance is improved, but comfort deteriorates when worn in conventional position
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder dynamically changes its physical state between collapsed (thin) and expanded (thick) configurations. When deflated, the bladder's thickness is substantially coincident with the garment assembly's regular thickness, providing comfort. When inflated, the bladder expands to the thickness required for effective flotation, ensuring safety performance.
4Ease of operation
If manual inflation is required to inflate the bladder, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of time increases during emergency deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The inflation device is pre-positioned and pre-configured within the garment assembly, with the inflation mechanism already connected to the bladder. In an emergency, the user simply needs to activate the pre-positioned inflation device, which immediately begins inflating the bladder. This preliminary preparation minimizes the time required for deployment while maintaining ease of operation through simple activation.
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 dress unit provides comfortable, reliable, and quick conversion to a flotation device while maintaining the wearer's head above water, with the ability to send emergency signals even when submerged, enhancing safety and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
the inflatable bladder may provide flotation to the individual while maintaining the head of the individual above water
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable dress unit comprising a garment assembly, an inflatable bladder connected to the garment assembly, a plurality of connection structures disposed on an exterior of the garment assembly, an inflation assembly disposed in fluid communication with an inside of the inflatable bladder, and a pocket structure. The garment assembly is wearable at all times when worn in a conventional position, and provides flotation when removed and disposed in a flotation position. The plurality of connection structure forms a retaining engagement that at least partially secures the garment assembly to the individual. The inflation assembly may dispose the inflatable bladder into an expanded and a collapsed orientation. When respectively disposed in the flotation position and in the expanded orientation, the garment assembly and the inflatable bladder are cooperatively configured to provide flotation to the individual. The pocket structure may retain and permit operation of a communication device.