Transformable Towel Structure for Wind and Sand Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional towels lack effective wind protection during use, especially in windy conditions at beaches or pools, where they fail to isolate users from wind and sand.
Innovation Solution
A towel with an internal structure of hollow cylindrical pieces and strings that can be rearranged to form a rigid structure, allowing parts of the towel to be positioned vertically, creating a barrier against wind and sand, while maintaining flexibility for standard use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a towel is made flexible for standard use, then it is comfortable for drying and lying, but it cannot protect users from wind
Solution Approach 1:
The towel incorporates a transformable internal structure that can switch between a collapsed flexible state for comfort and an expanded rigid state for wind protection. The hollow cylindrical pieces connected by strings can be compressed into a compact bundle within the towel fabric, then expanded upon activation to form a rigid barrier, allowing the same structure to serve both comfort and protection functions at different times
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid protective structure is nested within the flexible towel fabric. The hollow cylindrical pieces and string mechanism are contained inside the towel in a compressed state, allowing the towel to maintain its soft, flexible characteristics during normal use while housing the capability for rigid wind protection when activated
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid structure is added to provide wind protection, then wind resistance is improved, but the towel loses flexibility for standard use
Solution Approach 1:
The structure transitions from a flexible compressed state during normal towel use to a rigid expanded state when wind protection is needed. The hollow cylindrical pieces can be easily compressed into a compact form that flexes with the towel, then expanded by pulling the string mechanism to form a rigid barrier against wind
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid protective structure is divided into multiple hollow cylindrical pieces connected by strings. These segmented components can be individually compressed and stored within the towel fabric, then assembled into a rigid configuration when needed, allowing the structure to be both compact during storage and rigid during use
3Object-affected harmful factors
If an internal structure is inserted to form a rigid barrier, then wind protection is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow cylindrical pieces serve multiple functions: they form the rigid protective barrier when expanded, and simultaneously compress into a compact form that can be stored within the towel fabric during normal use. The string mechanism both connects the cylindrical pieces and serves as the activation mechanism for expansion, eliminating the need for separate control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The complex rigid structure is extracted from the towel as a separate insertable component rather than being permanently integrated into the fabric. The hollow cylindrical pieces and string mechanism can be removed from the towel and stored separately when not in use, simplifying the towel's construction and allowing the complex structure to be added only when wind protection is needed
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
Toalla antiviento que tiene la caracteristica de aislar al usuario del viento cuando al menos una sección rectangular de la toalla queda en posición vertical. La invención consiste en introducir dentro de la toalla una estructura que sera flexible, para facilitar su uso común, y rígida también, capaz de sustentar al menos una sección de la toalla en posición vertical cuando el usuario lo requiera. El uso o beneficio añadido que se puede dar a la invención, respecto a la toalla común, es la posibilidad de paliar los efectos del viento y arena que tienen sobre el usuario.