Nutty Buddy Flex Athletic Cup
Male Genital Athletic Protection Cup for Battle Sports Science
The Nutty Buddy Flex is a redesign of the original athletic cup, with additional attention towards increasing comfort and protection. In response to customer feedback, the new Flex cup allows for a more comfortable fit for all types of body movements. The soft edges of the cup have been modified to better cushion the contact between the cup and the skin. The redesign also better absorbs impact, "protecting the boys" by distributing force to the pubic bone and soft tissues. The redesign maximizes comfort and effectiveness of the original design, creating a better quality product overall.
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Nutty Buddy Flex Athletic Cup by Dosun Shin
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Male Genital Athletic Protection Cup by Dosun Shin
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Dosun Shin Nutty Buddy Flex Athletic Cup
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Dosun Shin Male Genital Athletic Protection Cup
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Nutty Buddy Flex Athletic Cup Male Genital Athletic Protection Cup Media Articles
We provide articles ready for publication on Nutty Buddy Flex Athletic Cup, offered in several languages: English.
Unique Properties
The Nutty Buddy Flex is a redesign of the original, anatomically-shaped athletic cup design. The original polycarbonate cup had a thin co-molded soft polymer perimeter edge to cushion the contact between the cup and the skin. The new Flex cup increases the content of the soft polymer edge to include the side areas on the cup, permitting a more comfortable fit during dynamic body movements. This Flex cup redesign absorbs and more evenly distributes impact forces to the pubic bone and soft tissues
Tags
Nutty Buddy, Anatomical Cup, Killer Whale Cup
Production Technology
This cup was made by PC injection mold with TPE overmold. Polycarbonate (Sabic 124R-701) for the cup and Thermoplastic Elastomer (GLS 1040X-1) overmolding for the flex side. OM 1040X-1 is a medical compliant overmolding TPE with very good adhesion to PC or ABS-based plastics.
Design Challenge
After 5 years of use, feedback and surveys, we knew which areas needed improvement. Taking those areas – 1) added comfort 2) more flex 3) increased ventilation 4) greater security of location – and turning them into CAD design was one of the most challenging tasks. At the same time, we needed to maintain structural integrity and superior protection. In addition, collecting human body data and defining different sizes of cup were a challenge. The head and tale part rubber were pilled off from the cup body after several months of use. The designer added some contacts and punched holes on the over molding part, so the inner and outer rubber were connected together. The tale part was broken by the high impact of water surface from a water ski jumper. The designer added 3 ribs inside of the tale part, and also added circle rings in the center of cup to increase the durability.
Project Duration
The redesign process started in July of 2014 and finished in February of 2015 in Arizona. After the design work, it took 8 months from the start of manufacturing to reach the market.
Operation Flow
The Flex cup high impact resistant polycarbonate material protects the male wearer’s genitals from external impact forces. The soft rubber wing provides cushioning comfort and absorbs any impacts. This cup can be easily installed into existing sport pants and jock straps.
Research
The difficult nature of observational research to get the measurements required the development of multiple sized vacuumed formed shells that were used to obtain user size and comfort feedback. Then, the designer collected and organized the human body data from the shell selections based on Large, Medium, and Small. Next, different sizes of prototype models were 3D-printed and tested by users. Again, feedback received from professional baseball players allowed the designer to modify the final shapes and sizes for each cup category.
Inspiration
The redesigned Flex cup continues to follow the anatomically-correct shape of the human male’s anatomy using the design principle of Form Follows Function. The original Nutty Buddy design has been on the market for seven years. Inventor and pitching coach Mark Littell has received feedback from players about possible revisions to the original cup. The Flex redesign is in response to the users’ comments and feedback and to give athletes increased range of motion and added comfort.
Image Credits
Professor Dosun Shin, 2017
Project Overview
Nutty Buddy Flex Athletic Cup Male Genital Athletic Protection Cup has been a Iron winner in the Safety Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment Design award category in the year 2016 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
Iron Recognition
Dosun Shin was recognized with the coveted Iron A' Design Award in 2017, a testament to excellence of their work Nutty Buddy Flex Athletic Cup Male Genital Athletic Protection Cup.
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