Curved Neck Protection Device for Contact Sports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective gear in contact sports often fails to adequately prevent violent neck movements during collisions, leading to serious injuries such as brain and spinal cord damage, despite efforts to enhance helmet design and player safety.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a curved body connected to a helmet, featuring planar surfaces with a slot for the chin cup and a fourth surface to absorb impact, which restricts forward and downward neck movement through a connecting member like adhesive tape or Velcro, preventing violent neck movement during collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heavier helmets and neck collars are used to prevent violent neck movement, then neck protection is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective system is divided into separate functional components: a helmet with chin cup for head protection, and a separate neck protection device with curved body for neck protection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function without unnecessarily increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The neck protection device acts as an intermediary element between the helmet and the neck. It includes a curved body that fits along the front part of the neck, with a fourth surface that absorbs impact forces, thereby mediating the transfer of forces from the helmet to the neck and reducing direct impact on the neck.
2Reliability
If heavier helmets and neck collars are used to prevent violent neck movement, then neck protection is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The neck protection device utilizes changes in material parameters and structural configuration. The curved body is designed with specific geometric parameters to conform to the neck shape, and the fourth surface is configured to absorb impact forces through controlled deformation, providing effective protection without requiring excessive material weight.
3Reliability
If a device with curved body spaced from the neck is used, then neck movement restriction is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The neck protection device features a curved body with specific local geometric characteristics that conform to the front part of the neck. The third surface is configured to be spaced from the user's neck during normal use, providing localized protection in the critical neck area without requiring complex overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates a curved body that follows the natural curvature of the neck. This curved geometry allows the device to conform to the neck shape and provide effective movement restriction while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured efficiently.
4Reliability
If impact absorbing surface is added to the device, then impact force absorption is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The neck protection device may incorporate composite material structures, particularly in the fourth surface designed to absorb impact forces. This could involve using energy-absorbing materials such as foam or gel inserts within a protective housing, providing effective impact absorption while maintaining manufacturability through standardized composite material construction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively absorbs impact forces and restricts neck movement, reducing the risk of catastrophic injuries by providing enhanced neck protection without obstructing the player's vision or restricting athletic motion.
Implementation Method 1
a fourth surface to absorb an impact force during sports collisions
Implementation Method 2
The device is configured to absorb an impact force and restrict the user's neck from moving forward during a sports collision
Data Source
AI summary
A device for use with a helmet in contact sports, which includes a curved body connected with the helmet and configured for disposal along a front part of a user's neck. The body includes: (i) planar first and second surfaces, the first surface defining a slot; and (ii) a third surface that is curved along the front part of the user's neck and configured to be spaced from but does not contact the user's neck. The device is configured to absorb an impact force and resist the user's neck from moving forward during a sports collision. Systems and methods are disclosed.