Selection and Design of Functional Area of Compression Garment for Improvement in Knee Protection

무릎 안전성 향상을 위한 컴프레션 의복의 기능적 디자인 영역 선정과 설계법

Recently, because the market for compression wear now includes all consumers, not just professionals, various items for recovery after exercising or for enhanced effects from exercise have been introduced. In this research, a systematic and stepwise design process was proposed to develop compression garment that has both functional area and appropriate pressure to protect the knee when exercising. The U-V format functional area that wraps underneath the knee was selected by considering the shape and change in the skin length when bending the knee. After the selection of the functional area, a total of seven knee design areas, including the existing product, were designed to determine the appropriate pressure. After various movements, the compression garment was ranked in terms of support of the knee, level of pressure, discomfort of seam line, and comfort of popliteal; the preferred design was selected using the quad method. Four compression wear garments were produced using two selected preferred designs; the wear evaluation was performed using a seven-point Likert scale. As a result, the optimal reduction rate of the pattern was calculated based on Ziegert and Keil's method. The applied percentage of the fabric stretch at the upper part of the crotch was 66% for the width and 50% for the length; for the lower part of the crotch, only 66% for the width was applied. Moreover, it was determined that the design of the U-V knee protection part was preferred when a 7 mm square was placed at a 1 mm distance because this not only supports the knee but also allows the fabric to accommodate various skin deformations.