Helmet Cover with Embedded Visor for Head Orientation Training
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head injuries in football remain a significant concern despite the use of helmets, as players often fail to maintain proper head orientation during tackling and blocking, leading to potential helmet-to-helmet contact and resulting injuries.
Innovation Solution
A removable, pliable textile helmet cover with an embedded semicircular or similarly shaped insert made from durable materials that can be securely attached to the helmet, obstructing the player's vision when needed to train them to keep their head up and avoid helmet-first contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If players wear standard helmets without vision obstruction, then they have unobstructed vision and can see clearly, but they tend to look down and hit opponents with the crown of their helmet first
Solution Approach 1:
The vision obstruction element is attached to the helmet before play begins, preemptively blocking the downward view that leads to dangerous head-first contact. This preliminary intervention prevents the harmful action before it can occur by altering the player's visual field and forcing proper head orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision obstruction element serves as an intermediary between the player's natural tendency to look down and the harmful result of crown-first contact. By introducing this intermediate visual barrier, the system redirects the player's head position without directly controlling their movements, allowing them to self-correct their technique.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a vision obstruction element is attached to the helmet, then proper head orientation is forced and crown-first contact is reduced, but the player's natural vision is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The vision obstruction element is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be dynamically adjusted or removed based on training needs. This dynamic characteristic enables the obstruction to be applied only when training proper head orientation is the priority, while allowing normal vision when the training objective has been achieved or when playing in standard conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision obstruction is applied periodically during specific training sessions rather than continuously during all activities. This periodic application allows players to experience both the obstructed and unobstructed vision conditions, reinforcing proper technique during obstruction periods while maintaining comfort and normal play during non-obstruction periods.
3Reliability
If training devices are permanently fixed to helmets, then consistent training effect is achieved, but the device cannot be removed for regular play or storage
Solution Approach 1:
The training device is segmented into separate components that can be independently attached and detached from the helmet. This segmentation allows the vision obstruction element to be reliably fixed during training sessions for consistent effect, while enabling easy removal for regular play, storage, or when the training objective has been achieved, thus providing both reliability and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method that provides a helmet cap with an embedded visor on the inside of said helmet cap to train a wearer of a football helmet to correctly position the head in an up position when tacking and blocking during sports play. The cap can be detachably but securely attached to a football helmet and upper facemask in a position where it does not obstruct the view of the helmet wearer to a position where it does obstruct the helmet wearer's view and thus forces the helmet wearer to look up.