Breathing Mask Headgear with Ultrasonic Welded Neck Strap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory therapy devices, such as those for PAP therapy, often suffer from discomfort, poor fit, and increased material costs due to bulky designs and complex manufacturing processes, which can lead to reduced patient compliance and increased material waste.
Innovation Solution
A neck strap and crown strap assembly for headgear that eliminates the joint in the sagittal plane, features a reduced footprint, and uses different materials and thicknesses to enhance comfort and adaptability to the user's head shape, while reducing material waste and costs through ultrasonic welding and simpler manufacturing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a bulky design with complex manufacturing processes is used, then structural strength and stability are improved, but device complexity and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The headgear is divided into separate components: a headgear body and detachable crown straps. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using simpler processes, while maintaining overall structural strength through modular assembly. The crown straps can be attached to or detached from the headgear body as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The crown straps are integrated with the headgear body through attachment mechanisms, merging two separate components into a unified structure when assembled. This combining approach provides structural strength equivalent to a monolithic design while enabling simpler, more cost-effective manufacturing of individual parts.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a bulky design with complex manufacturing processes is used, then structural stability is improved, but material costs and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the headgear into a body and separate crown straps, the design enables precise cutting and utilization of materials for each component, reducing off-cut waste. The modular nature allows for optimized material selection and usage in each part, minimizing overall material consumption while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable crown straps can be removed and stored separately when not in use, allowing for recovery and reuse of materials. This facilitates material recovery and reduces waste by enabling the straps to be retained and reused across multiple therapy sessions rather than being discarded.
3Ease of operation
If a reduced footprint design is used, then comfort and adaptability are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The headgear body is designed with a reduced footprint to enhance comfort, while the crown straps maintain sufficient width and structural properties where needed. This local differentiation allows the overall design to be compact and comfortable, with manufacturing precision concentrated only in critical areas rather than throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Segmenting the design into a compact headgear body and separate crown straps allows each component to be manufactured with appropriate precision levels. The headgear body can be produced with higher precision for comfort, while the crown straps can be manufactured with standard precision, reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If different materials and thicknesses are used, then adaptability to user head shape is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the headgear can utilize different materials and thicknesses to match various head shapes and user preferences. The headgear body and crown straps can be made from different material compositions, allowing optimization for specific functional requirements while maintaining overall design simplicity through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design separates the headgear body from the crown straps, enabling independent material selection for each component. This allows the use of different materials and thicknesses in each segment to optimize for adaptability to different head shapes, without the complexity of integrating multiple materials into a single monolithic structure.
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 solution improves the comfort and fit of respiratory therapy headgear, reduces material usage and costs, and enhances the overall appearance, leading to increased patient compliance and reduced manufacturing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
uses different materials and thicknesses to enhance comfort and adaptability to the user's head shape, while reducing material waste and costs through ultrasonic welding and simpler manufacturing processes
Data Source
AI summary
A neck strap, a crown strap assembly and a headgear for a breathing mask. The neck strap for a headgear includes a one-piece main body adapted to engage a patient's neck, first and second lower connection portions adapted to connect to first and second lower mask connection straps, and first and second upper connection portions adapted to connect to respective first and second lateral crown straps.