Final presentation

Today the product was introduced to the big audience in the exposition from D4E1. We had some great comments and responses. Because some of the visitors where interested in the product for personal use, you can also contact us at the email address knielap2014@gmail.com if you also want  a personal knee pad. If there is a handy man in you, then the full instructable you can find at this link.

We also want to thank Feline and her family for the warm welkom every time we visited to test prototypes and for the collaboration. We are happy that we could help a person with such great personality and perseverance.

If you want to know more about Feline, she got her own blog page called “my MS, my strength” that you can visit on this link.

instructable

The full instructable is available at: http://www.instructables.com/id/Kneeguards/

prototype 52: antislip

The house where the knee protector will be used has a lot of slippery floors, for that reason we began to search for an anti-slip solution. A latex mixture was found that was sold in 4 colors: pink, yellow, green and orange. This gave us the freedom to to whatever figures we want on the fabric.

Elements of experience:

Positive expected:

Positive unexpected: dries faster than expected, very detailed when using a plastic shape

Negative expected: you must have a spatula to spread it properly

Negative unexpected:

Time:5min needs to dry for half an hour depending on how thick your layer is

prototype 51: photoshoot model

This model was made for the photoshoot on 15 may.
Here are some photo's of how it is made. The used techniques you can find in the previous post (prototype 48-50)

Elements of experience:

Positive expected:

Positive unexpected: the blind stitching to secure the opening is a ideal finishing touch

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected: the closing with the pushbuttons isn’t ideal, it gaps open

Time:15min

Perstext + groepsfoto

Hoewel ze op haar jonge leeftijd de diagnose kreeg, heeft Feline, 17jaar, nooit opgegeven van er tegen te vechten. Ze helpt graag mensen maar deze keer mochten wij haar helpen.

Omdat het moeilijk en vrijheidbeperkend is om met een rolstoel in huis rond te bewegen, gaat ze rond op haar knieën. Ze gebruikte hiervoor kniebeschermers van vloerleggers om drukwonden en blauwe plekken op haar knieën tegen te gaan. Deze beschermers waren voorzien van een plastieken sluitband die in haar been sneed en snel afbrak.

We kozen om een knielap te maken waarvan de banden uit een rekbare stof bestonden en verder van de knieholte verwijderd was. De knielap wordt bevestigd aan het boven en onderbeen doormiddel van BH sluitingen, de lengte van de banden kan dus ingesteld worden naargelang Feline kiest om het over een broek te dragen of rechtstreeks op de huid. Door het nemen van een knieafdruk konden we een opmaat gemaakte vulling produceren die ervoor zorgt dat de knielap minder breed uitvalt dan de universele kniebeschermers. Door de knielap uit stof te maken is er een optie om de vulling eruit te halen en het geheel gewoon in de wasmachine te leggen om het weer proper te krijgen. De stoffen zijn zo uitgekozen dat deze ademend en vocht opnemend zijn zodat deze zo aangenaam mogelijk zit bij het dragen.
Het uiteindelijke resultaat is een elegantere, kleinere knielap die comfortabel te dragen is en op de maat van haar knieën is gemaakt.

New sewing techniques: Sewing new binding prototype 50

When tested by our client, elastic band where not so comfortable. They pull to hard and are too rough on the skin.
For that reason we took the same elastic fabric used in the mid-part, this one is softer and less pulling than the elastic.

The problem now was how to sew this in a proper way.

50a: with an elastic line

Elements of experience:

Positive expected: keeps its elasticity

Positive unexpected:

Negative expected: takes long to sew, can only be done by hand

Negative unexpected: it comes lose very fast

Time:10min

50b: with sewing machine

When prototype 50a was taking to long, the idea came to use the sewing machine while pulling the band to its maximum. By putting the machine on a loose knot and pulling the fabric, the fabric is loosely bind together.

After a second tryout I got all the parameters wright and it became a piece of cake.

Elements of experience:

Positive expected: it keeps it elasticity to it maximum that I can pull

Positive unexpected: no damage on the line when pulled

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected: is quite exhausting to constant pull the fabric

Time:15min

New sewing techniques: Sewing it together prototype 49

Now we are going to sew the two parts of prototype 48 together.

Elements of experience:

Positive expected:

Positive unexpected:

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected: very difficult to sew the bra-closures on, they must be turned a little when sewed on 

Time: 20min

New sewing techniques: Sewing the round bits prototype 48

48a

This picture shows how little cuts were made and fold over to then sew them with a sewing machine.

Elements of experience:

Positive expected: easier to fold over

 Positive unexpected:

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected: hard to sew, is difficult to not see the cuts that are made

Time: 10min

48b

When it was difficult to hold the cut flaps when being sewed, the idea came to first glue the pieces on the inside so that it is easier to sew.

Because it stayed in place, it was directly sewed upon the elastic part.

This came with the problem that there was a gab, because it was sewed to far from the edge. Of course if it was sewed this way it would always have a little gab where filth can accumulate.

Elements of experience:

Positive expected: more beautiful finish

 Positive unexpected:

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected: gap between the two fabrics, see picture

Time: 15min

48C

The problem with 48b was solved when an extra stitching was applied

Elements of experience:

Positive expected: problem with gap solved

 Positive unexpected: a fun finishing feature

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected:

Time: 2min

48d

After seeing the fun aspect of sewing with zigzag pattern. It was used to attach the top of the casing.

Elements of experience:

Positive expected: no need in using an extra stitching

 Positive unexpected: maybe isn’t needed to bend the fabric in first place because this stitching covers the edge of the fabric so that it can’t fripper

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected:

Time: 10min

48e

The other side of the prototype is completely made of the technique used in 48d

Elements of experience:

Positive expected: faster and easier to make

 Positive unexpected:

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected:

Time: 15min 

Making the filling

The first filling was made with the measures of the knee from Mindy. This was made by pushing her knee into plasticine

Then from that a hard cast is made that is put in a mold to make a new cast from silicone

When it is dry, we get it out of the mold and just have some edges cut away

Elements of experience:

Positive expected:

 Positive unexpected: sits very good, the thought of using another silicone for the end prototype may not be needed

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected: very hard to get it out of the mold.

#	Time	#parts	#materials	# tools
47	1h	3	plasticine Wood silicone	Drill Nail Glue

How to sew it, the wrong way

When the first time I tried to sew it, I had difficulties with sewing the parts together.

First I sewed the elastic part.

Then I sewed the other two parts

To combine the parts afterward

This photo is taking from a video while making the prototype. It is exactly the moment when I realize this won’t work. By sewing the under part first, I don’t have place to sew the elastic part on is without making the room for the form smaller. So I had to go search for another method for sewing it

So it became clear that I must sew the three parts on one side first and then sew the two sides together

Elements of experience:

Positive expected:

Positive unexpected: it’s easier to sew first the front and back and then combining the two

Negative expected:

Negative unexpected: the mistake of first sewing the three parts on its own

#	Time	#parts	#materials	# tools
46	1h	2	Fabric elastic	Sewing machine scissors

How to make the length of the cords

Measuring the upper and lower leg a maximum, when the leg is bend, and a minimum, when you stand straight, shows that the under leg has an average of 35 cm en the upper 46cm. With these measurements we now cut the cords that will attach the knee protector to the legs. This is shown in the next video.

How to draw on fabric (video test for instructable)

Describing test fabrics

This elastic fabric consists of 6% spandex, if it isn’t elastic enough a fabric with a bigger percentage spandex will be used.

The next few fabrics will be tested for the rougher material:

Cotton: chosen because it absorbs water and for that is good against sweat

Water resistance: when uses outside this fabric may have an advantage

Satin: know to feel real nice on the skin

Polyester viscose: synthetic cotton, a bit rougher than the first cotton presented

Rip test:

For the first selection filter the fabrics where damaged with a sharp object to see how it reacts. By doing this we noticed that the satin and the water resistant fabric aren’t ideal because they rip very fast.