Inflatable Poncho Support Structure for Wind Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rain ponchos fail to reliably prevent wind-driven rain and condensation from reaching the user, as they are often pressed against the body due to lack of stabilizing elements, leading to inadequate protection in heavy rain or snow conditions.
Innovation Solution
A supporting structure composed of interconnected hollow bodies that span a rain poncho like a tent, forming air chambers and using fastening hooks and elastic straps to maintain the poncho away from the body, ensuring it is not directly in contact with the user's skin, with optional additional struts for increased stability and easy inflation/deflation for storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rain poncho is used without stabilizing elements, then it is simple and lightweight, but it is pressed against the body by headwind and allows moisture penetration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses inflatable hollow bodies (air chambers) as stabilizing elements integrated into the poncho structure. These air chambers can be inflated to provide structural support that prevents the poncho from being pressed against the body by headwind, while maintaining a relatively simple and lightweight design when deflated.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting structure is divided into multiple separate hollow bodies distributed across the poncho surface. These segmented air chambers can be independently inflated or deflated, allowing flexible adjustment of support levels while maintaining overall structural integrity.
2Reliability
If finger-shaped hollow bodies are used to prevent poncho contact with body, then protection is improved, but stability under wind load is insufficient due to lack of stabilizing elements at free ends
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the hollow bodies beyond simple finger-shaped protrusions to include stabilizing elements at their free ends. These extended elements create a three-dimensional stabilizing structure that prevents poncho shifting and maintains stability under wind load, rather than merely protruding in one direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing elements at the free ends of the hollow bodies are pre-positioned to anticipate and counteract wind loads before they act on the poncho. This preliminary structural arrangement prevents poncho shifting and maintains stability proactively rather than reactively.
3Reliability
If the poncho is kept away from the body using a supporting structure, then moisture protection is improved, but the structure adds bulk and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting structure uses thin-walled inflatable hollow bodies made from flexible membrane material. When deflated, these chambers occupy minimal space and add negligible weight. When inflated, they provide sufficient structural support to keep the poncho away from the body and prevent moisture penetration.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural support properties of the hollow bodies can be changed by adjusting the inflation pressure and volume. This allows the poncho to transition between a compact low-weight state for storage and a fully supported protective state during use, optimizing the weight-support ratio.
4Stability of the object's composition
If multiple separate air chambers are used for stability, then poncho support is improved, but inflation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides embodiments where multiple hollow bodies can be fluidically connected to share a common air inlet, allowing simultaneous inflation of multiple chambers through a single access point. This merging of inflation pathways simplifies operation while maintaining the stability benefits of multiple distributed air chambers.
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 structure effectively keeps the poncho spaced from the user's body, preventing moisture ingress and providing reliable protection from headwinds, with minimal additional bulk or weight, allowing for easy inflation and folding for storage.
Implementation Method 1
at least the first hollow body and the second hollow body and the third hollow body form a common first air chamber and at least the fourth hollow body and the fifth hollow body and the sixth hollow body form a common second air chamber
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
In a supporting structure composed of several hollow bodies (3, 7, 8, 13, 14, 16, 19) and serving to support a poncho, in particular a rain poncho (24), - a second and a third hollow body (7, 8) extend from the ends (6) of a first hollow body (6), running parallel to each other and at an angle such that a first leg (10) connected to the first hollow body (3) transitions into a second leg (11) whose end points in a direction opposite to that of the first hollow body (3), - a fourth and a fifth hollow body (13, 14) extend from the first hollow body (3), their ends being arranged in the region of the ends of the second legs (11) of the second or third hollow body (7, 8), and - a sixth hollow body (16) is aligned parallel to the first hollow body (3) and in the region of its ends of the second, third, fourth and fifth hollow bodies (7, 8, 13, 14).