ClipCap

What it does

It combines swimming goggles and swimming cap and give it an overall design and more functionality and practicability.

Your inspiration

I swim for myself in my free time for years and did a rescue swimming licence. I am struggling on my own with finding a pair of swimming goggles which suit well and I am not happy with the different styles of swimming goggles which not always suit to the swimming cap.

How it works

I decided that the overall product should consist of the cap and the goggles as two separate pieces: It should always be possible to remove the goggles. To this end, I added these functions to my design: For the cap, a hybrid material is used: The inside will be made out of polyester lycra blend to prevent the pulling on the hair. The outside will be made out of silicon for water resistance. The ear area will be cut out. This will allow water to drain from the ear. The goggles can be fastened by clasping them against the cap. Once they are in this position, tiny but strong magnets help to keep them in place. This mechanism also gives the product its name “ClipCap”. A similar approach is used by FIDLOCK, but with an additional button to unfasten the goggles.

Design process

First, I did some research what kinds of swimming goggles and caps already exist. Then, I collected ideas how a new product could solve the issues of the existing products. Then, I started with a simple prototype: I took an old swimming cap, cut it in shape and built a pair of swimming goggles out of paper and polystyrene. On that, I saw that the main concept could work and started iterating my idea: I crafted my own sewing pattern for the swimming cap of the next model in an asymmetric way and a cut out for the ear area. For the goggles, I've applied some transparent foil on a polystyrene head and drew different kind of goggle shapes to see, which one fits the best. The asymmetric sewing pattern didn't suit well, so I crafted a new symmetric pattern and started building a 3D model in Fusion 360 for the goggles. For the material, I did a material study to build my own hybrid fabric: I've applied silicone on a jersey fabric which worked really well. So, I've crafted a new model with a 3D-printed pair of goggles and a sewed cap out of the hybrid material. After that, I finished the design and added other colours, a logo and a refined design for the goggles in a functional prototype with built in magnetics.

How it is different

It combines both products, swimming cap and a pair of swimming goggles in an overall design language. It is made out of an hybrid material (which already is used in other products) but with cut outs at the ear area. Also, the magnetic clasps and the attachable goggles on the cap are a new design idea.

Future plans

I hope that a company could produce and sell my product. For that, some more research and product testing will be necessary. I would love to solve the existing issues with swimming equipment with my product idea.

Awards

Taking part at the aed neuland competition (https://www.aed-neuland.de)