Retractable Sunshade Cap with Draping Shield Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sunshade caps fail to provide adequate shading for the back of the neck and sides of the face, especially the forward portion, while also lacking retractability and independent targeted shading capabilities, with most designs requiring fasteners on the visor and offering insufficient coverage due to small sunshield sizes.
Innovation Solution
A cap with three large, flexible sunshield members that drape over the visor and crown, using snap fasteners for attachment without needing fasteners on the visor, and featuring angled folded flaps for neat storage and independent deployment/retraction, allowing for targeted shading of the neck, ears, and face.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple large sunshield members are added to provide comprehensive shading coverage, then the shading coverage area is improved, but the device complexity and storage difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sunshade cap divides the shading function into multiple independent sunshield members (rear sunshield, left sunshield, right sunshield) that can be separately deployed and retracted. Each sunshield member is attached to a different location on the cap (rear crown, left side, right side), allowing comprehensive coverage of the neck and face areas while maintaining manageable individual component sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by having sunshield members drape downward from the cap in different directions. The rear sunshield drapes over the back of the neck, while the left and right sunshields drape forward over the sides of the face, creating a three-dimensional shading configuration that maximizes coverage area without requiring excessively large individual shields
2Area of stationary object
If sunshield members are made large and flexible to drape over the visor, then the shading coverage and comfort are improved, but the neatness of storage and retraction becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sunshield members are divided into distinct fabric panels with defined edges and attachment points. The rear sunshield is a separate rectangular fabric piece, while the left and right sunshields are individual panels attached to their respective cap sides. This segmentation allows each panel to be independently folded and stored in an organized manner
Solution Approach 2:
The sunshield members are designed with curved edges and folded flaps that conform to the rounded shape of the cap crown. The folded flaps at the top of each sunshield create a compact, rounded storage configuration that fits neatly against the curved surface of the cap, preventing crumpling and maintaining a tidy appearance when retracted
3Ease of operation
If detachable fastening members are used for independent deployment, then the ease of operation and targeted shading are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into multiple independent snap fastener pairs located at different positions on the cap and sunshield members. Each snap fastener pair controls a specific sunshield member's deployment state, allowing independent operation of each shield without requiring a complex centralized control mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The snap fasteners are positioned and sized to be easily engaged and disengaged by hand without requiring tools or complex manipulation. The male and female snap components are designed with sufficient protrusion and receptacle size to allow quick attachment and detachment, enabling the wearer to independently deploy or retract each sunshield member as needed
4Ease of manufacture
If snap fasteners are used instead of visor fasteners, then the ease of manufacture and comfort are improved, but the attachment reliability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is extracted from the visor area and relocated to the crown and sunshield members. By removing the requirement for visor fasteners, the patent eliminates the manufacturing complexity of attaching fasteners to the curved visor surface while maintaining secure attachment through snap fasteners positioned on flatter, more accessible surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment function is merged with the structural elements of the cap crown and sunshield members. The snap fasteners are integrated into the fabric panels themselves, with the male and female components embedded in the material rather than being separate add-on elements. This integration strengthens the overall construction while maintaining ease of manufacture
Data Source
AI summary
A retractable sunshade cap includes a crown having a forwardly extending visor, three sunshield members, and fastening members. The bottom end of the sunshield members are permanently attached to the base of the crown using permanent fastening members or sewing stitches or other permanent attachment methods. Left and right sunshield members are disposed with their front ends attached near the front centerline of the crown so that they drape forwardly down the side of the visor. Rear sunshield member is disposed so that it drapes down from near the rear crown portion. Detachable fastening members are deployed to secure angled folded flaps that reduce the size of the sunshield members for storage, and are also deployed to secure portions of the sunshield members onto the crown near its vertex for independent retraction and targeted shading of the face and neck.