Dual-Material Hockey Helmet Shell for Impact Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hockey helmets with solid plastic outer shells can cause injuries due to pressure on the head during impacts, as they may contact and cut the player's head, highlighting a need for a more comfortable and safer design.
Innovation Solution
A hockey helmet with an outer shell made of two materials, where the first material is relatively rigid for protection and the second material is more flexible, particularly in regions that come into contact with the head, allowing for increased comfort and reduced risk of injury by accommodating different head structures and distributing impact forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the outer shell is made of solid rigid plastic for protection, then the protective capability is improved, but the risk of cutting or injuring the player's head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outer shell is constructed with different materials in different regions: a rigid material in impact-prone areas (front, top, back) for protection, and a flexible material in regions that contact the head (occipital portion, projections, sections near ears) to prevent injury. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing both protection and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer shell combines two distinct materials with different properties (rigid and flexible) into a single composite structure. This allows the helmet to simultaneously achieve the protective strength of rigid plastic and the injury-preventing flexibility of softer material in specific regions.
2Area of stationary object
If the outer shell extends all the way to the edges of the helmet for complete coverage, then the protective coverage is improved, but the comfort and risk of contact with the head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible material is strategically placed in the occipital portion, projections, and sections that are most likely to contact the player's head and ears. This local application maintains complete coverage while preventing injury in contact zones.
3Strength
If a single rigid material is used for the entire outer shell, then the protective strength is improved, but the adaptability to different head structures decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible material in the occipital portion, projections, and ear sections allows the shell to conform to various head shapes and structures, while the rigid material maintains protective strength in impact zones. This local differentiation provides both strength and adaptability.
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 dual-material outer shell provides enhanced comfort and safety by reducing the likelihood of cuts and injuries, while maintaining protective properties through strategic use of flexible regions that deform to absorb impact and accommodate various head shapes.
Implementation Method 1
the second flexibility is greater than the first flexibility... flexible regions that deform to absorb impact
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention covers a hockey helmet for receiving a head of a player. The helmet comprises an outer shell made of first and second materials having respective first and second flexibilities. The outer shell comprises a front portion for at least partially facing the crown region of the head, a top portion for at least partially facing the top region of the head, a back portion for at least partially facing the back region of the head, an occipital portion for at least partially facing the occipital region of the head, and left and right portions for at least partially facing the left and right side regions of the head, the left and right portions comprising respective left and right projections that extend downwardly in front of the respective left and right ears and left and right sections located above and behind the respective left and right ears wherein one of the occipital portion, left and right projections and left and right sections is made of the second material and wherein the second flexibility is greater from the first flexibility.