Wetsuit storage and drying apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wetsuit drying methods are inefficient, taking over 24 hours and can cause material degradation, especially when using sunlight or clothes dryers, leading to stretching, brittleness, and seam separation.
Innovation Solution
A wetsuit storage and drying apparatus with a housing, adjustable racks, and an integrated dehumidifier that creates a controlled environment for rapid drying, using an electric dehumidifier to remove moisture and maintain humidity levels, while avoiding excessive heat and protecting the wetsuit material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wetsuit is dried by hanging or draping over a tube or rod, then the wetsuit material is not damaged, but the drying time exceeds 24 hours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, air flow) within the housing to create optimal drying conditions. The dehumidifier removes moisture from the air, while the heating element and fan create warm, dry, moving air that accelerates evaporation without damaging the wetsuit material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a controlled air environment as an intermediary between the wetsuit and the external environment. The housing encloses the wetsuit and creates a specific microclimate with regulated temperature, humidity, and air flow that promotes rapid drying while protecting the material.
2Loss of time
If a wetsuit is dried in a clothes dryer, then the drying time is reduced, but the wetsuit experiences stretching, brittleness, and seam separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls temperature and air flow parameters to avoid the excessive heat and mechanical tumbling of clothes dryers. The heating element provides gentle warmth, and the fan creates soft air movement that accelerates drying without causing material stress or seam separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing acts as a protective intermediary that shields the wetsuit from the harsh conditions of conventional dryers. It creates a controlled environment that mimics the benefits of machine drying (faster drying) while eliminating the harmful effects (stretching, brittleness, seam damage).
3Loss of time
If a wetsuit is dried in direct sunlight, then the drying time is reduced, but the ultraviolet light degrades the material causing thinning and brittleness
Solution Approach 1:
The housing serves as a physical barrier that blocks ultraviolet light from reaching the wetsuit material. It creates an enclosed environment where natural light is excluded, preventing photo-degradation while still allowing rapid drying through controlled thermal and humidity conditions inside the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of sunlight (UV degradation) by completely excluding it, while still achieving the beneficial effect of sunlight (rapid drying) through artificial heating and dehumidification. The system captures the drying benefit without the damaging radiation.
4Reliability
If a wetsuit is dried by hanging, then the material is protected from damage, but water drips or spills on the floor underneath
Solution Approach 1:
The housing encloses the wetsuit and captures all water that drips from it, preventing contact with the floor. The enclosed space directs condensate and drip water to a collection area or drainage system, eliminating the mess problem while the wetsuit remains suspended in a protective environment.
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
Significantly reduces drying time to a few hours, preventing material damage and maintaining the wetsuit's insulating properties, while keeping the drying process safe from sunlight and tumble dryer effects.
Implementation Method 1
an integrated dehumidifier that creates a controlled environment for rapid drying, using an electric dehumidifier to remove moisture and maintain humidity levels
Implementation Method 2
a housing, adjustable racks, and an integrated dehumidifier that creates a controlled environment for rapid drying
Data Source
AI summary
A wetsuit storage and drying apparatus includes a housing that defines an interior space, an opening that is closable by a door, the opening through which a wetsuit can be provided and retrieved, and one or more racks connected with an inner wall of the housing and on which a wetsuit can be draped. The apparatus further includes a dehumidifier for drawing moisture from a proximity of each wetsuit to condense the moisture and dispense with the condensation from the interior space, allowing each wetsuit to dry quicker and more efficiently than conventional techniques.