Protective Garment Composite Using Alternating Woven Fabric and Thermoplastic Films
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for wearable composites that provide specific stiffness and toughness while minimizing weight and cost, particularly for protective garments where existing solutions fail to achieve these properties at a low price point.
Innovation Solution
A composite material with an alternating pattern of woven fabric and biaxially oriented thermoplastic films, where each grouping comprises warp and weft tape elements interwoven and bonded with a strain-oriented olefin polymer and thermoplastic layers, respectively, to achieve a thin, strong, and flexible structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If woven fabric layers are used to provide strength and flexibility, then toughness and flexibility improve, but weight and thickness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining woven fabric layers with biaxially oriented thermoplastic film layers. The woven fabric provides toughness and flexibility, while the thin thermoplastic films (total thickness 0.05-2.0 mm) provide structural support and protection, creating a lightweight composite that achieves both strength and low weight
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure assigns different functions to different layers: the woven fabric layers specifically provide toughness and flexibility where needed, while the thermoplastic film layers provide structural support and weight reduction. This localized functional assignment optimizes the weight-strength balance
2Weight of moving object
If composite thickness is reduced to minimize weight, then weight decreases, but structural integrity and protection capability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin biaxially oriented thermoplastic film layers (total thickness 0.05-2.0 mm) that provide structural integrity and protection capability despite the overall thinness of the composite. These thin films maintain structural strength while enabling the lightweight design
Solution Approach 2:
The alternating composite structure of woven fabric and thermoplastic films creates a lightweight yet structurally sound protective garment. The total composite thickness is kept minimal while maintaining structural integrity through the synergistic combination of materials
3Reliability
If more material layers are added to improve protection, then protection capability improves, but cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses thin thermoplastic film layers (total thickness 0.05-2.0 mm) that provide adequate protection capability without requiring thick, expensive material layers. The thin films deliver necessary protection while minimizing material cost and weight
Solution Approach 2:
The alternating composite structure provides effective protection through the synergistic combination of woven fabric and thermoplastic films, achieving reliable protection at lower cost by using thin, strategically placed layers rather than thick uniform material
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 composite material offers a lightweight, high-strength, and flexible solution for protective garments, providing resistance to unraveling, improved tear resistance, and stability with a thickness of less than 5 mm, suitable for applications requiring flexibility and protection.
Implementation Method 1
The tape elements comprise a base layer of a strain oriented olefin polymer disposed between covering layers of a heat fusible olefin polymer. The warp elements are bonded to the weft elements within the woven fabric layer at the crossover points.
Implementation Method 2
each film comprises a core layer of thermoplastic disposed between covering layers of a thermoplastic able to bond to polypropylene. The layers within each grouping are bonded together, the woven fabric layers and adjacent biaxially oriented thermoplastic films are bonded together
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable container containing a composite which has an alternating pattern containing groupings of woven fabric and groupings of biaxially oriented thermoplastic films. The composite has a thickness of less than about 5 mm. Each grouping of woven fabric contains at least one woven fabric layer, each woven fabric layer containing tape elements having a base layer of a strain oriented olefin polymer disposed between covering layers of a heat fusible olefin polymer. Each grouping of biaxially oriented thermoplastic films contain at least one biaxially oriented thermoplastic film which has a core layer of thermoplastic disposed between covering layers of a thermoplastic able to bond to polypropylene.