Underwire End Protector Flexible Zone Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underwire end protectors in supporting garments can break down due to repeated use and stress, leading to discomfort and potential exposure of metal underwires, especially during assembly and wear, particularly in larger cup sizes and during physical activity.
Innovation Solution
A protective device for underwire ends featuring a cushion tip with a proximal portion for receiving the underwire and a distal portion extending outward, including grooves or cutouts that create a flexible, frangible region to break away from the proximal portion, ensuring the underwire remains covered even if the tip breaks, and using a connecting portion of lesser strength to facilitate easy separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid underwire end protector is used to protect the underwire, then the underwire remains covered and protected, but the end protector may break off due to repeated cyclic stresses, potentially exposing the metal underwire
Solution Approach 1:
The end protector is divided into three distinct segments: a proximal portion with high bending strength that remains attached to the underwire, a frangible connecting portion with reduced cross-sectional area designed to break, and a distal portion that may break away. This segmentation allows the protective function to be maintained in the proximal portion while the distal portion can safely detach without exposing the underwire.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the end protector have different structural properties: the proximal portion has high bending strength for reliable attachment and protection, while the connecting portion has reduced strength for controlled breakage. This local differentiation of properties resolves the contradiction between maintaining protection and allowing safe failure.
2Reliability
If the end protector is made as a single solid piece, then it provides continuous protection, but it cannot easily detach when broken, potentially causing discomfort or fabric snagging
Solution Approach 1:
The end protector is segmented into detachable portions connected by a frangible connecting portion. When the distal portion breaks, it can easily detach from the proximal portion, providing both continuous protection during normal use and easy detachment when broken, preventing discomfort and fabric snagging.
Solution Approach 2:
The distal portion is designed to be extractable from the proximal portion through the frangible connecting portion. This extraction capability allows the broken end protector to be easily removed without causing discomfort or fabric damage, while maintaining protection during normal wear.
3Strength
If the end protector has uniform cross-section throughout, then it maintains structural integrity, but it lacks a designated break point for safe failure
Solution Approach 1:
The end protector features non-uniform cross-section: the proximal portion has a larger cross-sectional area for high bending strength and structural integrity, while the connecting portion has a reduced cross-sectional area creating a designated weak point for controlled failure. This local variation in geometry provides both integrity and reliable breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional area parameter is changed along the length of the end protector, with the connecting portion having a smaller area than the proximal and distal portions. This parameter change creates a predictable break point that maintains overall structural integrity while enabling controlled failure when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective device for an end portion of an underwire for a garment including a cushion tip having a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion has “an internal cavity extending over a portion of the length of the proximal portion and is dimensioned to receive the end of an underwire of similar cross-section. The distal end of the cushion tip extends from the proximal portion a distance beyond the cavity length and includes at least one portion of relatively reduced bending strength formed by reducing the cross-sectional area by way of a groove or grooves, or the like. The at least one groove provides a flexible region between the proximal and distal portions. The portion of relatively reduced bending strength can be provided by other known means such as molding the protective device with different materials of relatively different strengths.