Strap for Head Worn Device

I was asked to do some exploration on a strap for a device to be worn on the user's head. The lead designer on this project had specified neoprene as the strap material, however the rest of the strap design had not yet been determined.

In addition to the work outlined below, I also found sources for neoprene and did research on various types and coatings. After completing my research, I determined that the actual neoprene rubber was not important for our purposes, but rather the fabric laminated to each side, and provided some appropriate lamination suggestions.

We started by creating straps out of neoprene in various styles and widths. From this exploration, we found that most designs fell into three categories: single strap, double strap and cap.

The above decision matrix and part breakdown were used to narrow the choices within the three categories for comfort and complexity.

I prepared this document to aid in the decision of how to finish the neoprene edge.