Sportswear Back-Pull Guide for Wet Garment Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wet, skintight sportswear, particularly the upper part, is difficult to remove over the head without assistance, posing a challenge especially for individuals with health conditions or obesity, and existing solutions like zippers or snaps are cumbersome and affect the user experience.

Innovation Solution

A device with guides equipped with drawing means, such as strips or mesh, attached to the hemline of the sportswear, allowing the wearer to lift and capture the back portion with their hand, facilitating easy removal without damaging the garment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If zippers or mechanical/magnetic snaps are used to facilitate takeoff, then the sportswear can be unzipped or unfastened, but the solution becomes cumbersome to handle and locally changes the user's wearing experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetakeoff procedureVSAvoidzipper or snap mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the takeoff assistance function from complex mechanical mechanisms (zippers, snaps) and implements it through a simple cord system that pulls the hemline upward. The cord is integrated into the garment structure with guides and attachment points, providing a minimalist solution that avoids cumbersome mechanisms while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cord acts as an intermediary element between the wearer's hand and the hemline. By pulling the cord, the wearer indirectly lifts the hemline through the guidance of guides and the distribution of force through attachment points, transforming a difficult direct manual maneuver into an easy pulling action.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the sportswear is designed to be extremely skintight for performance, then sweat is moved away from the body effectively, but the wet sportswear becomes impossible to take off over the head

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesweat management functionVSAvoidtakeoff procedure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The takeoff assistance system is pre-integrated into the garment structure during manufacturing. The cord is attached to the hemline, guides are positioned along the garment, and attachment points are predetermined. This preliminary configuration enables the wearer to easily initiate the takeoff process by simply pulling the cord, without requiring any additional tools or complex maneuvers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention enables the wearer to independently take off the wet sportswear without assistance from others. The cord system is designed to be operated by the wearer themselves, providing self-service functionality that maintains dignity and independence while solving the takeoff difficulty caused by the skintight design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If a cord system is integrated into the sportswear structure, then the sportswear can be easily pulled off, but the solution may affect the aesthetic appearance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetakeoff procedureVSAvoidaesthetic appearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The cord system is strategically positioned and integrated in a way that minimizes its visual impact. The cord can be routed through guides and attached at points that are less visible when the garment is worn, or the cord material and color can be matched to the garment fabric. The guides and attachment points are designed to be unobtrusive, maintaining the overall aesthetic quality of the sportswear while providing the necessary takeoff assistance function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3217820B1Wet sportswear takeoff helping means
Publication Date: 2019.01.02 FORKO MICHEL
  • EP3217820B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1D
  • EP3217820B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~4C
  • EP3217820B1 patent drawingFigure 5A~5D

AI summary

A wet sportswear (10) takeoff helping mean, situated at the back part of the sportswear (10) and consists of one or more identical guides selected from strip guide (20), mesh guide and tuck-in guide. Said guides are equipped with the corresponding drawing means; drawing means being selected from strips (30), mesh and sliding back part. All drawing means are attached on one side to the hemline (11) within a joint region (12); and on the opposite side to the griping mean directly, or to intermediate connection point. The guides are attached on any sportswear (10) surface. A griping mean is situated close to the sportswear' s top, within a neck region, to be easily griped and pulled by hand causing the lifting of sportswear' s back part despite the friction with the wearer skin (90). The invention is useful in protection of the sportswear during takeoff over the head, especially when being wet. The invention can be useful for helping elderly or disabled people to take off upper garment such as T-shirts.