Evaporative Bicycle Helmet Vent Structure for Passive Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bicycle helmets primarily rely on air circulation through ventilation openings for cooling, which is insufficient for enhancing wearing comfort during prolonged use.
Innovation Solution
Integration of an evaporative cooler with a rigid grid structure and evaporation openings in the ventilation openings, utilizing passive cooling through drying and evaporation, enhanced by airflow alignment and optimized fluid film formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If only air circulation through ventilation openings is used for cooling, then the helmet structure remains simple, but the cooling efficacy is insufficient for prolonged use
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporative cooler utilizes a porous sponge material that allows water to be absorbed and distributed throughout its structure. The porous structure enables efficient evaporation of water from multiple surfaces, significantly enhancing cooling efficacy while maintaining a relatively simple overall helmet structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention exploits the phase transition of water from liquid to vapor through evaporation. By providing a porous sponge structure that facilitates water evaporation, the system converts liquid water into water vapor, absorbing heat in the process and thereby achieving enhanced cooling效果 without complex mechanical systems.
2Temperature
If evaporative cooler is added to ventilation openings, then cooling efficacy is significantly enhanced, but the ventilation opening structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporative cooler is designed as a nested structure where the porous sponge element is positioned within the ventilation opening framework. This nesting approach allows the evaporative cooler to be integrated into the existing ventilation opening structure, enhancing cooling functionality while minimizing additional structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of porous sponge material provides a high surface area to volume ratio, enabling efficient evaporation within a compact form factor. This allows the evaporative cooler to deliver significant cooling enhancement while occupying minimal space within the ventilation opening, thus limiting structural complexity.
3Temperature
If cooling fluid is added to the evaporative cooler, then evaporation and cooling are optimized, but the risk of fluid running into wearer's eyes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporative cooler is strategically positioned in the rear ventilation opening, away from the front area where the wearer's eyes are located. This localized placement ensures that cooling fluid remains confined to the rear portion of the helmet, optimizing cooling effect in the rear area while eliminating the hazard of fluid running into the wearer's eyes.
Solution Approach 2:
By positioning the evaporative cooler in the rear ventilation opening, the design converts what could be a harmful situation (fluid running into eyes) into a beneficial arrangement (optimized rear cooling). The rear positioning ensures fluid safety while maintaining or enhancing cooling efficacy in the typically less-cooled rear head region.
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
Significantly improves cooling efficacy and wearing comfort by maximizing fluid evaporation and airflow, while maintaining a cost-effective and non-obstructive design.
Implementation Method 1
cooling through drying and evaporation
Implementation Method 2
operates purely passively according to the principle of cooling through drying and evaporation
Implementation Method 3
The elongated shape of the evaporation openings promotes the surface tension effect and thus facilitates the formation of a cooling fluid film across the openings
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a helmet (10), in particular a bicycle helmet, with several ventilation openings (16) and at least one evaporative cooler (18) which is arranged in a ventilation opening (16).