Segmented Decal with Dimensional Spacers to Reduce Garment Cling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional decals on athletic garments reduce breathability and cause discomfort due to their solid, non-air-permeable nature, leading to heat retention and cling when wet.
Innovation Solution
A decal design featuring dimensional spacers and discontinuous overlay portions that create offsets, allowing for increased airflow and flexibility by reducing the contact surface area with the skin and incorporating materials like puff ink or reactive foam that expand upon activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional solid decals are applied to athletic garments, then decorative and identification purposes are achieved, but breathability is reduced and cling occurs when wet
Solution Approach 1:
The decal is divided into multiple discrete overlay portions rather than a continuous solid layer. These segmented portions are positioned at specific locations to provide decorative and identification functions while leaving gaps between them that allow air permeability and reduce skin contact area, thereby eliminating cling when wet.
Solution Approach 2:
The decal structure creates local three-dimensional offsets at specific positions where overlay portions are placed. These localized protrusions reduce the contact surface area between the garment and the wearer's skin only in the necessary decorative areas, while maintaining breathability in the spaces between offsets.
2Reliability
If non-air-permeable decal material is used, then graphic durability is improved, but airflow through the garment is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous graphic is segmented into discrete overlay portions that maintain the visual integrity and durability of the design while creating pathways for air flow through the gaps between segments, thus preserving both durability and breathability.
Solution Approach 2:
Dimensional spacers or foam structures serve as intermediaries between the overlay portions and the garment substrate, creating air gaps that facilitate airflow while the overlay portions themselves maintain graphic durability and visual appearance.
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 decal design enhances breathability, reduces cling, and increases comfort by providing greater airflow and flexibility, even when the garment is wet, while maintaining compatibility with existing application methods.
Implementation Method 1
The dimensional spacers of the decal displace the substrate layer such that dimensional offsets are created which reduce the amount of contact (e.g., contacting surface area) that the garment makes with a user's skin
Implementation Method 2
one or more layers of overlay material that may be applied to the garment with heat, pressure, chemical bonds, mechanical bonds, and the like
Data Source
AI summary
Decals with dimensional offsets are disclosed. The decals may be part of a decal kit or may be applied to an article. The decals include an overlay having multiple dimensional spacers. When applied to an article, the decal overlay bonds to the article, securing the dimensional spacers between the overlay and the article creating dimensional offsets. The dimensional offsets are positioned on an interior surface of the article so that contact with a wearer's skin is minimized, reducing the perception of cling.