Separable Protective Garment Inner Outer Shells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional upper body protective garments for contact sports become dirty and malodorous due to sweat absorption by the inner cushioning layer, making them difficult to clean and requiring full replacement when the cushioning layer becomes unsanitary.
Innovation Solution
A protective garment design featuring a separable outer shell with rigid protective pads and a form-fitting, stretchable inner garment with cushioning pads, allowing for easy washing of the inner garment and independent replacement of worn-out components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inner cushioning layer is made integral to the outer rigid layer, then the protective garment provides comprehensive protection, but the garment becomes difficult to clean and requires full replacement when the cushioning layer becomes dirty
Solution Approach 1:
The protective garment is divided into separate components: an outer shell with rigid protective pads and an inner cushioning layer that can be independently removed and washed. This segmentation allows the inner layer to be cleaned separately while retaining the outer protective shell, resolving the contradiction between comprehensive protection and cleanability.
2Reliability
If the outer rigid layer is made bulky to provide protection, then the protective capability is improved, but the garment becomes hard to manipulate for cleaning purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The inner cushioning layer is extracted as a separate removable component from the outer rigid shell. This allows the bulky outer shell to remain for protection while the inner layer can be easily removed, washed, and dried without manipulating the entire protective garment, resolving the contradiction between protective capability and ease of cleaning.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the entire protective garment is replaced when the inner cushioning layer becomes dirty, then sanitation is maintained, but cost and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
Only the inner cushioning layer is discarded and replaced when dirty or malodorous, while the outer shell with rigid protective pads is retained and reused. This selective replacement approach maintains sanitation by removing the soiled component while recovering and reusing the durable outer shell, reducing material waste and cost.
4Ease of operation
If the inner cushioning layer is made flexible for comfort, then wearability is improved, but it becomes more susceptible to dirt absorption and odors
Solution Approach 1:
The inner cushioning layer is designed as a dynamic, removable component that can be taken off and washed regularly. This flexibility allows the layer to maintain comfort during wear while enabling periodic cleaning to remove accumulated dirt and odors, resolving the contradiction between wearability and susceptibility to contamination.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective garment comprising a form-fitting, stretchable inner garment for covering part of a body of a wearer, the inner garment including a plurality of cushioning pads attached thereto with portions of the inner garment being free of the cushioning pads, and an outer shell partially overlying the inner garment, the outer shell including a plurality of flexibly interconnected protective pads cooperating with the cushioning pads to protect at least a major pan of the portion of the body, the protective pads being more rigid that the cushioning pads, and the outer shell being separable from the inner garment.