Modular Catching Protection Assembly to Reduce Gear Donning Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
The time-consuming process of putting on catcher's protective gear for practicing pitchers is inefficient and often unnecessary.
Innovation Solution
A catching protection assembly comprising a catching protection kilt with pads for toes, knees, and groin areas, a container serving as a seat and storage, and a groin protector attached to the container to protect the groin area during catching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full catcher's protective gear is used, then protection coverage is improved, but time consumption and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective gear is divided into separate modular components: a catching protection kilt with knee and shin pads, separate toe protectors, and a groin area protector. This segmentation allows the catcher to wear only the necessary protective elements rather than a complete traditional gear set, reducing time to don equipment while maintaining essential protection coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes unnecessary components from traditional catcher's gear, keeping only the essential protective elements (knee pads, shin guards, toe protectors, groin protector). This extraction eliminates redundant gear that adds time and complexity without providing proportional protection benefits for practice catching.
2Reliability
If traditional catcher's gear is used, then protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective system is segmented into distinct, simple components that can be independently worn and removed. The catching protection kilt integrates knee and shin pads as separate attachable elements, while toe protectors and groin protectors are standalone pieces. This segmentation reduces overall system complexity compared to traditional integrated catcher's gear.
Solution Approach 2:
The catching protection kilt serves multiple protective functions simultaneously - protecting knees, shins, and providing structural support. The groin area protector integrates both protection and storage functions. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall gear system.
3Loss of time
If minimal protection is used, then time consumption is reduced, but protection coverage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The groin area protector is pre-attached to the catching protection kilt, so that when the catcher puts on the kilt, the groin protection is already in place. This preliminary action ensures comprehensive protection is achieved simultaneously without requiring separate steps for each protective element, maintaining both speed and coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple protective functions are merged into integrated components - the catching protection kilt combines knee pads, shin pads, and structural support elements. The groin area protector merges protection with a storage container. This merging ensures that essential protection coverage is maintained while reducing the total number of separate items to be donned.
Data Source
AI summary
A catching protection assembly comprising a catching protection cover configured to be donned by a catcher to protect to protect at least the catcher's knees, shins, and toes during catching; a groin area protector operatively associated with the container to protect at least the catcher's groin area during catching; a combination container and seat configured to contain and transport at least the catching protection cover and the groin area protector in a transport configuration and support a catcher in a seat configuration, wherein, in the transport configuration, the container contains and transports at least the catching protection cover and the groin area protector, and in a seat configuration, the container supports a catcher seated thereon.