Adjustable Maternity Belly-Support Band for Targeted Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional maternity pants and leggings often fail to provide adequate support to both the upper and lower regions of a pregnant belly, leaving the middle region uncovered, and do not address lower back pain effectively.
Innovation Solution
Integrally designed maternity pants and leggings with adjustable and movable elastic fabric bands that can be positioned to cover various belly regions, including upper, lower, or both, and include additional lower-back support, using varying elasticity properties to accommodate belly growth and provide comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional maternity pants and leggings are designed with fixed support structures, then manufacturing is simpler, but they cannot accommodate belly growth and provide adequate support to various belly regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustability through movable elastic fabric bands that can be repositioned along the garment. The bands are designed to slide or move to different locations on the belly, allowing the support structure to adapt to changing belly size and shape throughout pregnancy. This dynamic repositioning capability resolves the contradiction by providing adaptability without requiring complete structural redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic fabric bands change their position parameter along the garment length, allowing them to move from one belly region to another. This parameter change enables the same physical structure to provide support at different locations (upper belly, lower belly, or both) as needed, accommodating belly growth while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If the belly-support band covers the entire belly region, then support coverage is maximized, but comfort is reduced due to lack of breathability and access
Solution Approach 1:
The belly-support band is segmented into multiple independent elastic bands that can be positioned at different locations. Instead of covering the entire belly continuously, the bands can be placed at specific regions (upper, lower, or both) where support is most needed. This segmentation allows for targeted support while leaving other areas exposed for breathability and comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies support coverage locally rather than uniformly across the entire belly. The elastic fabric bands can be positioned to provide concentrated support at specific regions (upper belly, lower belly) while leaving other areas uncovered. This local quality approach ensures support effectiveness where needed while maintaining comfort and breathability in exposed areas.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the elastic fabric bands are made highly elastic to accommodate belly growth, then adaptability improves, but the bands may slide down and lose positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic fabric bands incorporate visual indicators (such as colored markers or contrasting fabric sections) that provide feedback to the wearer about the band's position. This feedback mechanism allows the wearer to monitor and adjust the band position to maintain accuracy while the elastic material continues to accommodate belly growth. The feedback loop resolves the contradiction by enabling precise positioning despite material elasticity.
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 offers customizable support to the pregnant belly, alleviating discomfort and lower back pain by allowing adjustable coverage and support throughout pregnancy and post-delivery, enhancing comfort and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic fabric band remains connected to the rear side of the pants or leggings, and can be angularly pivoted or slanted upwardly, to cover an upper region of the pregnant belly of the wearer
Data Source
AI summary
Maternity pants and maternity leggings having an integral user-adjustable belly-support elastic fabric band or elastic fabric strap. The elastic fabric band remains connected to the rear side of the pants or leggings, and can be angularly pivoted or slanted upwardly, to cover an upper region of the pregnant belly of the wearer, while leaving an uncovered front-side aperture that enables a portion of the pregnant belly to remain uncovered. Optionally, a lower-back covering fabric-region of the pants or leggings provides lower-back support, by providing one or two generally-horizontal elastic bands that are generally parallel to the waistband.