Reconfigurable Helmet Liner for Scalable Ballistic Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing helmet systems require adjustment or removal of active system components to add or remove ballistic appliques, and ballistic appliques provide insufficient coverage, leaving significant areas of the head unprotected.
Innovation Solution
A helmet system with a first portion and a second portion that allows for the addition or removal of functional layers, such as ballistic protection, without disturbing active system components, and ensures comprehensive coverage by allowing the second portion to translate and rotate relative to the first portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ballistic appliques are added to the outside of a known helmet, then ballistic protection is improved, but active system components must be adjusted or removed
Solution Approach 1:
The helmet is divided into modular components: a fixed outer shell with active systems and a separate removable liner with ballistic appliques. This segmentation allows the ballistic protection layer to be independently added or removed without affecting the active system components mounted on the outer shell, resolving the contradiction between improved ballistic protection and ease of operation.
2Strength
If ballistic appliques are added to a known helmet, then some ballistic protection is provided, but coverage is insufficient covering only approximately two thirds of the protected area
Solution Approach 1:
The ballistic protection is extended from partial surface coverage to comprehensive coverage by wrapping the ballistic appliques around the entire perimeter of the liner. The liner is configured to extend around the entire head, allowing ballistic appliques to cover substantially the entire area of the user's head that is covered by the helmet, not just portions of the outer shell.
3Adaptability or versatility
If ballistic appliques are added to a known helmet, then scalable protection is achieved, but the process requires removing or reconfiguring active system components
Solution Approach 1:
The helmet system is segmented into a fixed outer shell containing active systems and a separate removable liner containing ballistic appliques. This allows users to add or remove ballistic protection by simply attaching or detaching the liner, maintaining adaptability while significantly reducing configuration complexity and avoiding the need to handle active system components.
Solution Approach 2:
The ballistic protection function is extracted from the outer shell and placed into a separate removable liner. This extraction allows the ballistic appliques to be independently added or removed without affecting the active system components, simplifying the configuration process while maintaining scalable protection capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A reconfigurable helmet and exemplary uses thereof are disclosed. The reconfigurable helmet includes a first portion that includes an outer shell and a second portion that includes a liner. The first portion can translate relative to a second portion to expose one or more functional layers for removal or replacement. A user can configure and reconfigure the helmet by adding, removing, or replacing one or more of the functional layers.