Lower Leg Knee Support Device with Dual Contact Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current knee pads fail to provide adequate support for both knees and legs, leading to strain, fatigue, and discomfort during prolonged kneeling, especially in professions like floor laying, where they do not distribute body weight effectively and often move out of position, causing repetitive strain injuries.
Innovation Solution
A lower leg supporting and knee protecting device with adjustable contact surfaces and a connection system that allows switching between two operational modes, reducing strain on knees and ankles by distributing body weight through the shins and feet, featuring a design with angled contact planes and adjustable components for customizable fit and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional knee pads are used, then knee protection is provided, but they do not provide adequate support for both knees and legs together, leading to strain and fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: a knee pad element for knee protection and a lower leg support element for leg support. These segments work together to simultaneously address knee protection and leg support needs, with the knee pad element having a first contact surface for the knee and the lower leg support element having a second contact surface for the lower leg.
Solution Approach 2:
The device extends support from just the knee area into the lower leg dimension by adding the lower leg support element with the second contact surface. This dimensional extension allows the device to distribute body weight across multiple contact points (knee and lower leg), providing both protection and support that traditional single-point knee pads cannot achieve.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the device provides fixed support structure, then stability is achieved, but it cannot adapt to different working positions and movements
Solution Approach 1:
The connection element is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to pivot and adjust as the user moves between different working positions. This dynamic connection maintains device stability during use while adapting to various knee and lower leg positions, enabling the user to work comfortably in multiple postures without the device becoming misaligned or uncomfortable.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the knee pad is positioned to protect the knee, then knee protection is optimized, but the device moves out of position during walking and position changes
Solution Approach 1:
The knee pad element and lower leg support element are merged into a single integrated device through the connection element. This merging ensures that both components move together as a unified system, preventing the knee pad from shifting independently during walking or position changes. The integrated design maintains proper positioning by coordinating the movement of both support elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable connection element allows the device to dynamically adjust to user movements while maintaining proper positioning. As the user walks or changes position, the connection element pivots to accommodate these movements, ensuring the knee pad remains correctly positioned on the knee while the lower leg support element adjusts accordingly, preventing device displacement.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the device distributes body weight through shins and feet, then strain on knees is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The weight distribution function is segmented between two distinct elements: the knee pad element that contacts the knee and the lower leg support element that contacts the lower leg. This segmentation allows each element to be relatively simple in design while collectively achieving sophisticated weight distribution across multiple body points, reducing strain without requiring an overly complex single-structure design.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a lower leg supporting and knee protecting device (1) which is intended to be connected to a user's (2) legs (3) and be used in connection with kneeling work and the like. The lower leg supporting and knee protecting device (1) includes at least one underlay supporting element (6), at least one padding (7) and at least one connection device (8). Unique to the present lower leg supporting and knee protecting device (1) is that the underlay supporting element (6) includes at least one contact surface (11) which allows the device to be used in a first operational mode and that a second contact surface (12) allows the device to be used in a second operational mode.