• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.179-193
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• 2012

The development of modern transportation technology has required many people in spaces (such as vehicle seats, airports, and train stations) for long periods. The public seats provided in these places are manufactured in a standard size; however, fatigue sets in if the seats are unsuitable for the person's physical size. For this reason, this study developed an air cushion vest that would enhance the comfort of vehicle seats. Passengers in vehicles, trains, airplanes, and buses were observed and surveyed to understand the demand for seat comfort. Our analysis found that the greatest source of discomfort was involuntary nodding of the head while asleep and discomfort around the waist area. For this reason, the air cushion vest was designed to support the head and the waist. The neck cushion of this vest was designed to strengthen head support to counter forward nodding because existing commercial neck cushions had no support for forward nodding. For the waist cushion, at lumbar and below-lumbar parts were chosen as the key parts to be supported, the cushion was designed to contain air at those parts. To cover the embedded waist cushion, the vest was designed to be long. The closure was constructed with zippers from the neck to waistline, and with invisible snaps from the waistline to the hemline so that the wearer could open them easily while seated. A subjective comfort evaluation was conducted to verify the effectiveness of the developed vest. In the test, the developed cushions received a better evaluation than cushions currently available on the market. The volume of the vest could be adjusted by the inflow and outflow of air. It was proven that the vest was effective in terms of comfort and portability. This shows that the developed vest could enhance passenger comfort while sitting on vehicle seats.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.222-237
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• 2012

Air-containing fashion, which can offer diverse functions through the inflow and outflow of air, is highly relevant in today's mobile society, where people are experiencing a wider range of environments. This study attempts to suggest the possibility of air-containing multi-functional fashion that could continuously be utilized by developing a design for an air-containing jacket using modular systems. In this research, the modular systems in architecture and furniture design were referenced through a review of the literature for the purpose of establishing modular systems in fashion. Functions relevant to the mobility of today's society are derived from the results of advanced research and applied to the design of modules of the jacket. The modules are integrated through the modular systems. The folding and unfolding structure in architecture and furniture is applied as a folding system in fashion, the vertical accumulation structure as a layering system, and the horizontal integration structure as a combining system, and in addition, the containing system has emerged in fashion. Each module is designed to fulfill certain functions, such as cushioning, heat insulation, and portability. The folding system is utilized in designing the cushion module to support the neck and back of a wearer by making its hood and hem fold in the back. The application of a layering system was suggested by making the vest, combined with the neck cushion and back cushion via the combining system, layered with its insulation module. By applying the combining system, the hood that includes the neck cushion, the skirt that includes the back cushion, the body that includes the insulation module, and the sleeves can be connected and separated by a zipper. The applicability of this concept was proven by applying a developed design to an actual item.