Pre-moistened cloth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Football and baseball players face the challenge of moistening their fingers to improve ball grip and spin without the unsanitary practice of licking their fingers, which introduces dirt and bacteria.
Innovation Solution
A pre-moistened cloth with absorbent textile, leather grips, and a hook-and-loop fastener, designed to be folded and sewn, providing a compact, easily attachable device that can be secured to a football helmet or baseball cap, allowing players to moisten their fingertips for better grip and hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If players lick their fingers to moisten them for better ball grip, then ball control is improved, but hygiene deteriorates due to introduction of dirt and bacteria
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pre-moistened cloth as an intermediary object between the player's mouth and fingers. Instead of directly licking fingers, players use the cloth which has been pre-moistened with a sanitary solution, thereby achieving the desired grip enhancement without direct contact to the mouth and eliminating the hygiene problem of introducing saliva bacteria to the ball and other players
2Adaptability or versatility
If a pre-moistened cloth is designed with multiple components (absorbent textile, grips, fastener), then functionality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional components into a single integrated device: the absorbent textile is merged with leather grips on both ends and a fastening system, all stitched together as one unit. This merging provides the benefits of multiple functions (moistening, gripping, attaching) while simplifying usage compared to separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-moistened cloth is designed as a multi-functional device that can be used for different purposes: the absorbent textile provides moistening for grip enhancement, the leather grips provide durability and comfort, and the fastening system allows attachment to various surfaces. This multi-functionality justifies the integrated structure
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 effectively enhances ball control and throwing distance while maintaining hygiene by providing a sanitary means to moisten fingertips, reducing the risk of germ transmission and allowing for easy re-moistening during play.
Implementation Method 1
a section of absorbent textile
Implementation Method 2
a fastener which has a first half and a second half. The first half of the fastener is disposed on a first grip of the pair of grips and the second fastener half is disposed on a second grip of the pair of grips
Data Source
AI summary
A pre-moistened absorbent cloth material has opposing portions of leather at each distal end and a mating pair of fasteners. The absorbent cloth material is particularly suited for attachment to a sporting helmet.