Porous Polymer Under-Saddle for Moisture Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional under-saddle materials for horse-riding, such as textiles and synthetic laminates, deteriorate due to body temperature, surface abrasion, and sweat, leading to reduced performance and increased risk of accidents over time.
Innovation Solution
An under-saddle with a flexible base and visco-elastic separation elements that create aeration chambers to drain sweat and increase friction, featuring through holes for communication between base surfaces and polymer injection for mechanical anchoring and adhesion, ensuring effective moisture drainage and improved grip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional materials (textiles or synthetic laminates) are used for under-saddle, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the materials deteriorate due to humidity, abrasion, and body temperature, reducing performance over time
Solution Approach 1:
The under-saddle incorporates a porous polymer material that allows sweat to pass through from the horse's back to the outside, preventing moisture accumulation that causes deterioration. This porous structure maintains the material's performance stability and extends service life by enabling effective moisture drainage throughout the product's lifespan.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining a flexible base with a porous polymer material layer. This composite approach integrates the flexibility needed for comfort with the moisture-draining properties of the porous material, creating a product that resists deterioration from humidity and abrasion while maintaining reliability over time.
2Reliability
If traditional under-saddle materials are used, then manufacturing is simple, but friction coefficient decreases over time due to sweat and abrasion, increasing slipping risk
Solution Approach 1:
The porous polymer material structure allows sweat to drain through rather than accumulate on the surface. By preventing sweat buildup, the material maintains its friction coefficient and anti-slip performance throughout its service life, reducing the risk of saddle slipping while extending the effective duration of use.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If sweat accumulates under the saddle, then moisture management fails, but the under-saddle structure becomes more complex with additional drainage components
Solution Approach 1:
The porous polymer material inherently provides drainage functionality through its material structure rather than requiring separate drainage channels or components. Sweat passes through the porous material by capillary action and gravity, effectively managing moisture without adding structural complexity to the under-saddle design.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous material structure itself performs the drainage function automatically through its physical properties. The material's porosity enables sweat to pass through without requiring external power sources, complex mechanisms, or additional active components, allowing the under-saddle to self-manage moisture.
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 enhances the under-saddle's performance by preventing slipping, reducing moisture accumulation, and providing comfort and anti-slip characteristics, thus minimizing the risk of accidents and maintaining effectiveness over time.
Implementation Method 1
said under-saddle comprises a porous polymer material characterised in that it allows the sweat of the horse to pass through from the back of the horse to the outside
Implementation Method 2
one or more separation elements 8, 8′, 10, 10′, which extend in at least one of the base surfaces (4 or 4′) to distance the flexible base 2 from an opposite abutment surface 12, 12′... one or more separation elements 8, 8′, 10, 10′ are at least partly made from a polymer, preferably a visco-elastic material
Data Source
AI summary
Under-saddle (1) comprising a flexible base (2) which defines a pair of base surfaces (4, 4′) separated through the relative thickness (6), and a plurality of separation elements (8, 8′, 10, 10′) which extend from at least one (4, 4′) of said surfaces to distance the flexible base (2) from an opposite abutment surface (12, 12′) in contact with said elements. The separation elements 8, 8′, 10, 10′ are reciprocally distributed in such a way that at least a pair of them delimits with the base surface (4; 4′) and with the abutment surface (12, 12′) an aeration chamber or duct (14) open on at least one side. The present invention further relates to a manufacturing method of an under-saddle.