Tuesday, October 30, 2012

NU12 Idea #9 by Mariko Franca “Auto-Dry Umbrella & Raincoat”


One thing that's a hassle when it rains is when you use your umbrella and go inside a building (i.e. mall, school, or office).  You bring in your dripping umbrella.  It's good if you go inside a mall because they usually have plastics available where you can put your umbrella but offices or schools do not usually have those.  Some establishments provide a box where you can place your wet umbrella but I hesitate in leaving mine there because someone might steal it or take it by mistake.  So I thought what if the umbrella has its own heating or drying capability.  We will call it the Auto-Dry Umbrella.  There will be a central mechanism located in the handle and minute "arteries" that branch out to the shade part.  You will push a button to release heat that will dry your umbrella in less than 30 seconds.

I would also like to have an Auto-Dry Raincoat especially when there is strong rain and the wind is blowing diagonally.  The raincoat provides better protection and can keep your clothes dry.  The only problem is when you ride a jeep or bus, the raincoat drips and wets the floor and your seatmate.  It is also a hassle to remove it then hold it while inside the vehicle then put it on again.  With the Auto-Dry Raincoat, you can dry your coat as you enter the vehicle and you don't need to remove it anymore.

The central mechanism will be battery-operated.  We can also make the central mechanism solar-powered so that whenever you use it on a sunny day (for the umbrella) or hang it out to dry (raincoat), the mechanism will recharge.4

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