Multi-Material Odor Control System for Camouflage Clothing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing odor-control systems for camouflage clothing, relying on activated carbon alone, fail to effectively mask the full spectrum of human odors detectable by wild game and other animals, leaving some odors uncontrolled and potentially revealing the presence of humans.
Innovation Solution
A combination of odor-control materials, including activated carbon, carbon treated to adsorb hydrogen sulfide, zeolite, ammonia stone, and carbon treated to adsorb mercaptan, are strategically integrated into different areas of clothing to create a layered scent reduction system, addressing the limitations of single-material solutions by adsorbing a broader range of human odors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If activated carbon alone is used for odor control, then the system is simple and cost-effective, but it fails to adsorb the full spectrum of human odors detectable by target species
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple odor-controlling materials (activated carbon, activated alumina, zeolite, silica gel, molecular sieves) into a composite filtering system. Each material targets specific odor molecules through its unique pore structure and chemical properties, creating a synergistic effect that adsorbs a broader spectrum of human odors than any single material could achieve alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The odor control system is divided into multiple functional layers or zones, each containing different odor-controlling materials optimized for specific odor types. This segmentation allows each material to specialize in capturing particular odor molecules while the collective system provides comprehensive odor control across the full human odor spectrum.
2Reliability
If a combination of multiple odor-control materials is used, then the full spectrum of human odors is adsorbed, but the system complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a multi-functional filtering system where a single integrated structure incorporates multiple odor-controlling materials that work together to address diverse odor types. This universal approach allows one system to handle the complete spectrum of human odors (organic compounds, inorganic compounds, volatile fatty acids) without requiring separate specialized systems for each odor type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies key parameters of the odor-controlling materials including pore size distribution, surface area, chemical composition, and material density to optimize performance for different odor molecules. By adjusting these parameters across multiple materials in the composite system, the invention achieves comprehensive odor adsorption while maintaining manufacturability through standardized material selection and assembly procedures.
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 multi-material approach significantly reduces the human odor profile, enhancing concealment by adsorbing both organic and inorganic compounds that are not effectively controlled by activated carbon alone, thereby improving the effectiveness of camouflage in natural environments.
Implementation Method 1
activated carbon formed from coconut shells may be integrated in some camouflage clothing
Implementation Method 2
Adsorption of human odors using carbon has been found to reduce the odor profile of hunters
Implementation Method 3
a combination of odor-control materials, including activated carbon, carbon treated to adsorb hydrogen sulfide, zeolite, ammonia stone
Implementation Method 4
carbon treated to adsorb hydrogen sulfide, and carbon treated to adsorb mercaptan
Data Source
AI summary
A jacket has a torso portion, a pair of underarm portions adjacent the torso portion, and a pair of arms, one of each of the arms being adjacent one of each of the underarm portions, the cloth defining a first area and a second area. The article further includes a first assembly including one or more scent control materials provided within the first area defined by a cloth and a second assembly including one or more scent control materials provided within the second area defined by the cloth, the second assembly having a different composition than the first assembly. The first assembly and the second assembly together include activated carbon and at least one of carbon treated to adsorb hydrogen sulfide, zeolite, ammonia stone, and carbon treated to adsorb mercaptan.