Wearable Air Purifier Nozzle Segmentation for Head Width Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable air purifiers face challenges in accommodating varying head widths and maintaining consistent airflow direction due to nozzle flexibility, which can cause discomfort and airflow irregularities.
Innovation Solution
A wearable air purifier design with a flexible nozzle having side portions that sacrifice flexing to minimize central portion flexing, combined with a movable coupling system allowing adjustable positioning, ensures stable airflow delivery and comfort across different head sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the nozzle is made flexible to accommodate varying head widths, then adaptability to different users is improved, but airflow consistency and direction stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is divided into multiple sections with different flexibility characteristics. The distal section (closer to the user's face) is made relatively rigid to maintain stable airflow direction, while the proximal section (closer to the headgear) is made more flexible to accommodate head width variations. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the nozzle are assigned different mechanical properties (rigidity/flexibility) based on their functional requirements. The local quality of rigidity is applied where airflow stability is critical, while local flexibility is applied where adaptation to head geometry is needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the central portion of the nozzle is made flexible to accommodate head width variation, then adaptability is improved, but airflow characteristics are adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is segmented into a central portion and side portions with differentiated flexibility. The central portion is kept relatively rigid to prevent harmful airflow concentration and trajectory deviation, while the side portions are made flexible to accommodate head width variations without compromising central airflow stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The central portion of the nozzle is assigned a different mechanical quality (higher rigidity) compared to the side portions (higher flexibility). This local differentiation ensures that the central airflow path remains stable while the sides can adapt to individual head geometries.
3Reliability
If the nozzle is made rigid to maintain stable airflow direction, then airflow reliability is improved, but adaptability to different head sizes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle structure is segmented into rigid and flexible sections. The central portion maintains rigidity for stable airflow direction, while the side portions incorporate flexibility to adapt to different head sizes, achieving both reliability and adaptability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different mechanical properties are applied locally within the nozzle structure. The central region has high rigidity for airflow stability, while the lateral regions have controlled flexibility for size adaptation, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively reduces exposure to air pollution by maintaining consistent airflow direction and minimizing discomfort, accommodating various head sizes while reducing mechanical stress and airflow turbulence.
Implementation Method 1
a fan assembly operable to generate a filtered airflow
Implementation Method 2
the side portions being more flexible than the central portion. The side portions are thus located between a respective point of coupling of the nozzle to the headgear and the central portion. The nozzle is thus flexible to vary a distance between points of coupling of the nozzle to the headgear.
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable air purifier that includes headgear for mounting on a wearer's head, a fan assembly operable to generate a filtered airflow, and a nozzle for directing airflow from the fan assembly, the nozzle being couplable to the headgear at opposite sides of the wearer's head to extend across a front of the wearer's head. The nozzle includes side portions located on respective sides of the central portion between the central portion and the respective point of coupling of the nozzle to the headgear, the side portions being more flexible than the central portion.