Self-Supporting Portable Bedding System with Integrated Carrying Bag
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional portable bedding systems, such as swags, are heavy, cumbersome, and impractical for homeless individuals due to their bulk and the need for additional support poles, pegs, and bracing struts, which are difficult to carry and expose the bedding to damage and soiling.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, portable bedding system integrated with a backpack-style carrying arrangement, featuring a weatherproof ground sheet and top sheet with an insect net, allowing for easy setup and storage without the need for additional support structures, and providing a canopy that can enclose both the user and their belongings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional swags use support poles, bracing struts, and ground pegs to provide structural support, then the bedding can be erected and used, but the weight and bulk of the system increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes support poles, bracing struts, and ground pegs from the traditional swag system, retaining only the essential bedding components (ground sheet, sleeping bag, and cover) to dramatically reduce weight and bulk while maintaining basic functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The swag is designed to be self-supporting through its own structure without requiring external support elements. The cover and ground sheet are configured to provide inherent structural stability, eliminating the need for separate support mechanisms
2Reliability
If traditional swags include multiple components (poles, ropes, pegs, struts) for functionality, then the bedding can be erected and provide protection, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary components such as support poles, bracing struts, guy lines, and ground pegs, keeping only the essential elements (ground sheet, sleeping bag, cover) required for basic protective function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components. The cover serves both as protection from elements and as part of the structural system, while the ground sheet provides both ground protection and structural base, eliminating the need for separate support components
3Ease of operation
If traditional swags are rolled up with attached straps for storage, then the bedding can be packed away, but the swag is exposed to damage and soiling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested storage configuration where the sleeping bag is placed inside the cover, and the ground sheet is folded or rolled within the assembly. This nested arrangement protects each component from damage and soiling while maintaining compact storage
4Adaptability or versatility
If a homeless person carries a large swag with all belongings, then all items can be transported, but the weight and bulk become impractical and visibility indicates homelessness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes unnecessary structural components (poles, struts, pegs) to reduce the overall weight and bulk of the swag system, making it practical for homeless individuals to carry along with their belongings
Solution Approach 2:
The simplified swag design serves multiple functions: the cover provides protection from elements, the ground sheet provides ground protection and can serve as a base for belongings, and the integrated design allows the entire system to be carried as a single compact unit
Data Source
AI summary
A portable bedding system including bedding attached to a bag having a carrying arrangement. The bedding includes a ground sheet attached to a weather proof top sheet that is folded over the ground sheet to form an enclosure for a user, and the bedding can be packed into the attached bag.