Segmented Horse Jacket with Flexible Joint for Weather Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional horse blankets restrict movement, cause chafing, and allow wind and precipitation to enter due to their non-form-fitted design, which limits the horse's freedom and provides inadequate protection.
Innovation Solution
A horse jacket with a front and rear portion, featuring attachment means and filling elements that absorb pressure, provide flexibility, and prevent weather elements from entering, while ensuring protection for sensitive areas and minimizing the work for the stableman.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional blanket is made in one piece to cover the chest, back, and sides, then protection from weather elements is provided, but the blanket restricts the horse's movements and causes chafing at pressure points
Solution Approach 1:
The blanket is divided into a front section and a rear section that are detachably connected, allowing each section to move independently. This segmentation enables the blanket to accommodate the horse's movements without restricting them, while still providing continuous weather protection when the sections are connected.
Solution Approach 2:
The blanket incorporates a flexible joint between the front and rear sections, allowing the blanket to dynamically adapt to the horse's movements. The flexible joint enables the blanket to bend and move with the horse's body, preventing restriction of movement while maintaining protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional blanket is made in one piece to cover the chest, back, and sides, then weather protection is provided, but chafing occurs at certain pressure points
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the blanket into separate front and rear sections connected by a flexible joint, the pressure distribution is optimized. The segmentation allows each section to independently accommodate the horse's body contours, reducing concentrated pressure at specific points and preventing chafing.
Solution Approach 2:
The blanket design incorporates local variations in structure, with the flexible joint providing enhanced flexibility in specific areas where movement occurs. This local quality adjustment allows the blanket to better conform to the horse's body shape, distributing pressure more evenly and preventing chafing at pressure points.
3Ease of manufacture
If a conventional blanket is not form-fitted to the horse's shape, then the blanket is simpler to manufacture, but wind and precipitation can slip in under the blanket
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable front and rear sections allow each part to be independently shaped and fitted to the horse's body contours. This segmentation enables better form-fitting without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity, as each section can be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible joint between sections allows the blanket to dynamically adapt to the horse's body shape, creating a form-fitted appearance that prevents wind and precipitation from slipping in. The dynamic flexibility maintains protection while keeping the design relatively simple to manufacture.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the blanket is made to be form-fitted to prevent weather ingress, then protection is improved, but the blanket restricts the horse's movements
Solution Approach 1:
The front and rear sections can be independently shaped to fit the horse's body contours, providing form-fitted protection in each area. The detachable connection allows each section to be optimized for its specific function, maintaining weather protection while enabling movement freedom through the flexible joint.
Solution Approach 2:
The blanket incorporates local variations in fit and flexibility, with the flexible joint providing movement freedom in specific areas while maintaining form-fitted protection in other areas. This local quality differentiation allows the blanket to be form-fitted where needed for protection while remaining flexible where movement occurs.
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 horse jacket allows for ergonomic movement, reduces chafing, and offers extended protection by distributing pressure and preventing weather ingress, enhancing the horse's comfort and the stableman's efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
absorbs the pressure from the jacket which is caused by the horse's movements, hence avoiding the occurrence of chafing
Implementation Method 2
The U-shape of the front portion and the elastic portion facilitates a fit which is sufficiently tight to provide protection from the elements, while at the same time being flexible enough such that the front portion yields when the horse's neck is directed downwards
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a horse jacket comprising a front portion (1) and a rear portion (2), wherein the front portion (1) is adapted for covering a chest part of a horse and the rear portion (2) is adapted for covering back and side parts of the horse. The jacket further comprises first/second attachment means (4, 5) arranged to connect a first/second side (6, 8) of the front portion to a first/second side (7, 9) of the rear portion. The front portion (1) further comprises at least one filling element (33).