Sideways-Facing Garment Compartments With Single-Zipper Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Garments with traditional pockets or compartments are often difficult to access, insufficient in size, and add manufacturing complexity and cost, while also detracting from their aesthetics.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates sideways-facing compartments with a single zipper that allows easy access and increased internal volume, utilizing a panel structure with a common opening and omission of internal dividers, along with various floor configurations to retain items and enhance usability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional pockets or compartments are used, then manufacturing complexity and cost increase, but access difficulty and aesthetic deterioration occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing complexityVSAvoidaccess difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The garment interior is segmented into multiple sideways-facing compartments that are vertically stacked, allowing independent organization of items while maintaining a unified access structure through a single zipper mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple compartments share a common opening and are accessed through a single zipper, merging what would traditionally require multiple separate access points into one unified interface, simplifying both manufacturing and user interaction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If traditional pockets or compartments are used, then manufacturing complexity and cost increase, but aesthetic quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing complexityVSAvoidaesthetics

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of traditional front-facing pockets that protrude outward, the compartments are inverted to face sideways toward the wearer's body, creating a sleek profile that maintains garment aesthetics while providing accessible storage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Volume of stationary object

If compartment size is increased, then storage capacity improves, but access difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidaccess difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The compartments are arranged vertically along the wearer's body rather than horizontally, utilizing the vertical dimension to maximize storage capacity while keeping the access opening compact and easily reachable by the wearer's hand

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250366551A1Garment compartments

Publication Date: 2025.12.04 AMER SPORTS CANADA INC

AI summary

A garment includes at least one panel forming an interior having an opening facing in a sideways direction, a first compartment within the interior and a second compartment within the interior. The first compartment has a first mouth opposite the opening and facing in the sideways direction. The second has a second mouth opposite the opening and facing in the sideways direction. A single zipper extends along the opening and opposite to the first mouth and the second mouth.