Modular Leg Weather Protection with Flexible Struts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing weather protection solutions for cyclists, such as ponchos and rain pants, are bulky, heavy, aesthetically unpleasing, and increase drag and air resistance, while also being cumbersome to put on and take off, and often provide unnecessary thermal insulation when only leg protection is needed.
Innovation Solution
A two-part weather protection system with detachable and foldable components that attach to outer clothing via Velcro or similar fasteners, featuring flexible struts and sector parts that reduce air resistance and facilitate storage, using lightweight materials and incorporating a hem band for rigidity and a lead strip for stability, allowing for easy handling and integration into existing garments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a poncho is used for weather protection, then coverage and protection are improved, but volume, weight, and material consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The weather protection is divided into a jacket part and separate leg protection parts that can be independently attached or detached. This segmentation allows the leg protection to be stored separately when not needed, significantly reducing storage volume while maintaining full weather protection capability when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg protection function is extracted from the main jacket body and implemented as separate attachable components. This extraction allows the core jacket to remain compact for storage while leg protection can be added only when needed, eliminating the need to carry or store a large poncho-like structure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a poncho is used for weather protection, then coverage is improved, but weight and material consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The weather protection system is segmented into essential components only covering the legs when attached to the jacket. This eliminates the need for excessive material used in full ponchos, reducing overall weight while providing targeted protection where most needed during cycling.
Solution Approach 2:
Weather protection is applied locally to the leg areas rather than covering the entire body with a poncho. This local quality approach uses material only where weather protection is critically needed, significantly reducing total material consumption and weight.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If rain pants are used for leg weather protection, then leg protection is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to time-consuming putting on and taking off
Solution Approach 1:
The leg protection parts are merged with the jacket through detachable connections that allow quick attachment and detachment. This merging approach enables the leg protection to be integrated with the jacket in seconds rather than requiring time-consuming rain pant procedures, while maintaining easy separation when not needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between leg protection and jacket is made dynamic and adjustable through detachable fastening mechanisms. This allows the user to quickly transition between protected and unprotected states without the permanent commitment of rain pants, improving operational ease through flexible, rapid attachment/detachment cycles.
4Temperature
If a poncho is used for thermal insulation, then thermal protection is improved, but comfort deteriorates due to overheating during cycling
Solution Approach 1:
Thermal insulation is segmented to cover only the leg areas rather than the entire body. This allows targeted thermal protection where needed during cycling while leaving the upper body and other areas breathable, preventing overheating and maintaining cycling comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
Thermal insulation properties are applied locally to the leg protection components rather than uniformly across the entire garment. This local quality approach provides warmth to the legs while maintaining breathability and temperature regulation in other body areas, ensuring cycling comfort is not compromised.
5Loss of substance
If thin film material is used for poncho-like rain protection, then material consumption is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to balloon-like inflation in wind
Solution Approach 1:
The thin film material is segmented into small leg protection panels rather than a large continuous poncho structure. This segmentation prevents the material from catching wind and inflating like a balloon, as the smaller panels have reduced surface area and can flex independently, maintaining reliability in windy conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg protection panels are designed to attach vertically along the legs rather than creating a horizontal poncho surface. This dimensional change from horizontal to vertical orientation reduces the surface area exposed to horizontal wind forces, preventing balloon-like inflation while maintaining material efficiency.
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 provides effective leg protection with reduced material and resource usage, minimizing weight and air resistance, while being easy to use and store, and integrates aesthetically into outer clothing, enhancing cycling comfort and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A two-part weather protection system with detachable and foldable components that attach to outer clothing via Velcro or similar fasteners
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6~11
Figure 12~15
AI summary
The weather protection (1) is designed in one or more parts for the leg area of a user, in particular a cyclist, and has means for connecting it to a jacket- or coat-like outer garment (11) worn by the same person. It consists of several sector parts which are connected to each other along their edges, which extend radially away from the center of the outer garment or from the cyclist, forming a ridge-like fold. Each such fold is part of a flexible strut (22, 23) of the weather protection (1), which provides its advantageous function.