Weighted blanket

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional weighted blankets suffer from poor breathability, uneven pressure distribution, and limited flexibility due to additional weighting materials, which restrict airflow, shift within the blanket, and prevent conforming to body contours.

Innovation Solution

A weighted blanket knitted from a thick yarn with a flexible mesh body that forms ventilation holes, eliminating the need for additional weighting materials, ensuring even pressure distribution and enhanced breathability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If additional weighting materials are embedded between fabric layers, then the blanket provides sufficient weight for deep pressure therapy, but breathability deteriorates due to impeded natural airflow

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveweightVSAvoidbreathability

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a knitted fabric structure with inherent porosity and ventilation holes that allow airflow while distributing weight. The knitted construction creates natural channels for air circulation, eliminating the breathability problems associated with dense multilayered fabric structures containing weighted materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite structure combining knitted fabric with distributed weighting elements that maintain breathability. The weighting is achieved through the fabric's construction rather than embedding discrete materials, creating a composite effect that provides both weight and airflow channels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Weight of moving object

If additional weighting materials are placed in units within the blanket, then the blanket achieves sufficient weight, but pressure distribution becomes uneven as materials move and shift

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveweightVSAvoidpressure distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements uniform weight distribution through the knitted fabric structure itself, where each stitch contributes to the overall weight. This local uniformity prevents the shifting and concentration problems that occur with discrete weighted units, ensuring consistent pressure distribution across the blanket surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The knitted fabric provides homogeneous weight distribution throughout the blanket area. The continuous knitted structure ensures that weight is evenly spread rather than concentrated in discrete units that can move and shift, maintaining stable pressure distribution during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #33Homogeneity

3Weight of moving object

If multilayered structure with additional weighting materials is used, then sufficient weight is achieved, but flexibility deteriorates and the blanket cannot conform to body contours

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveweightVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a flexible knitted fabric construction that can conform to body contours. The knitted structure inherently provides flexibility and drape, allowing the blanket to adapt to various body shapes without requiring multiple rigid layers or embedded weighted materials that would restrict movement and conformability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

4Weight of moving object

If multiple fabric layers are used to embed weighting materials, then sufficient weight is achieved, but device complexity increases due to complicated construction

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveweightVSAvoidblanket construction

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of multiple fabric layers and embedded weighting materials into a single knitted fabric structure. The knitting process integrates weight distribution and breathability into one construction step, eliminating the need for separate layers and embedded materials, thereby simplifying the overall blanket construction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The knitted fabric serves multiple functions simultaneously: providing weight, ensuring breathability, maintaining flexibility, and distributing pressure uniformly. This multi-functionality in a single structure eliminates the need for separate components, reducing construction complexity while achieving all required performance characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12490846B1Weighted blanket

Publication Date: 2025.12.09 CHENG MIN

AI summary

A weighted blanket is provided, including a blanket body. The blanket body is knitted from a thick yarn, the thick yarn includes a flexible mesh body, the flexible mesh body extends along an axial direction of the thick yarn, and the flexible mesh body forms ventilation mesh holes. The thick yarn inherently provides sufficient weight, eliminating a need for additional weighting materials, thereby preventing uneven pressure distribution. The flexible mesh body of the thick yarn combines softness with enhanced breathability, effectively addressing issues of poor breathability, uneven pressure distribution, and limited flexibility of current weighted blankets.