Fiber Reinforced Helmet Shell with Localized Impact Zones

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional baseball batting helmets with fiber reinforced polymer inserts enhance stiffness and protection but increase weight, size, and offset, making them less comparable to standard helmets.

Innovation Solution

A helmet with a fiber reinforced polymeric outer shell, featuring a higher fiber concentration in critical impact areas and overlapping layers oriented in different directions, maintains a similar weight and size to conventional helmets while providing enhanced stiffness and protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a fiber reinforced polymer insert is added to enhance stiffness and protection, then the protective performance is improved, but the weight and dimensions of the helmet increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestiffness and protectionVSAvoidweight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating fiber reinforcement specifically in critical impact areas (front, rear, and sides of the helmet) rather than uniformly throughout the entire helmet shell. This localized fiber placement provides enhanced stiffness and protection where needed while minimizing additional weight in non-critical areas, directly resolving the contradiction between protective performance and weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining fiber reinforcement (such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or aramid fiber) with a polymer matrix to create a fiber reinforced polymer shell. This composite structure provides superior strength-to-weight ratio compared to conventional solid polymer helmets, achieving enhanced protection without proportional weight increase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If a fiber reinforced polymer insert is added to enhance stiffness and protection, then the protective performance is improved, but the size and offset of the helmet increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestiffness and protectionVSAvoidsize and offset

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating fiber reinforcement specifically in critical impact areas (front, rear, and sides of the helmet) rather than uniformly throughout the entire helmet shell. This localized fiber placement provides enhanced stiffness and protection where needed while minimizing additional weight in non-critical areas, directly resolving the contradiction between protective performance and weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining fiber reinforcement (such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or aramid fiber) with a polymer matrix to create a fiber reinforced polymer shell. This composite structure provides superior strength-to-weight ratio compared to conventional solid polymer helmets, achieving enhanced protection without proportional weight increase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If the fiber concentration is increased in critical impact areas, then the stiffness and protection are enhanced, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestiffness and protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the helmet shell into distinct regions (critical impact areas versus non-critical areas) with different fiber concentrations. The mold is designed with separate cavities or zones that allow independent control of fiber placement, enabling high fiber concentration in critical areas while maintaining lower concentration elsewhere, thus managing manufacturing complexity through regional differentiation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by varying the fiber concentration parameter across different regions of the helmet shell. The manufacturing process controls fiber density to be higher in critical impact areas and lower in non-critical areas, optimizing protective performance while managing manufacturing complexity through controlled parameter variation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9585433B1Fiber reinforced helmet

Publication Date: 2017.03.07 RAWLINGS SPORTING GOODS COMPANY INC

AI summary

A helmet with an outer shell made from a fiber reinforced material, and preferably a fiber reinforced polymer. The helmet preferably has a critical impact area that contains a greater concentration of fibers. Preferably, the helmet has a weight, offset, and dimensions which are comparable to a helmet with an outer shell that is not made from a fiber reinforced material. The helmet is preferably stiffer and more protective than a conventional helmet not having a fiber reinforced outer shell.