Hexagonal Honeycomb Helmet Shell with Reinforced End Caps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Helmets for sporting use face challenges in balancing lightweight construction, impact absorption, airflow, comfort, and aesthetic considerations, particularly with traditional EPS molding techniques, which compromise mechanical properties and safety due to issues like crumpling, knife-like walls, and crack propagation when holes are introduced for ventilation.
Innovation Solution
The use of a hexagonal honeycomb structure with cylindrical or elliptical end caps for reinforcement, integrated columns at intersections, and constant-force pads with springs to enhance 3D printability and structural integrity while maintaining airflow, incorporating additive manufacturing techniques like FDM to create a lightweight yet robust helmet shell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional EPS molding techniques are used to create helmet shells with ventilation holes, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but mechanical properties deteriorate due to crumpling, knife-like walls, and crack propagation
Solution Approach 1:
The helmet shell is divided into multiple hexagonal tubes arranged in a honeycomb pattern, where each tube acts as an independent structural unit. This segmentation allows ventilation holes to be created within individual tubes without compromising the overall structural integrity, as the failure of one tube does not propagate to adjacent tubes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining hexagonal tube geometry with specific material properties. The tubes are designed with optimized wall thicknesses and geometries that provide both ventilation functionality and mechanical strength, creating a composite structure that overcomes the limitations of traditional EPS molding.
2Ease of operation
If ventilation holes are introduced in traditional EPS helmets, then airflow is improved, but structural integrity worsens due to crack propagation and knife-like walls
Solution Approach 1:
Ventilation holes are integrated into the hexagonal tube structure itself, where each tube serves as both a structural element and a ventilation channel. This eliminates the need to cut holes through the shell, preventing crack propagation and knife-like wall formation while maintaining airflow through the tube lumens.
Solution Approach 2:
The hexagonal tube geometry provides curved, continuous walls without sharp knife-like edges. The rounded corners and smooth transitions in the tube structure prevent stress concentration and crack initiation, while the hexagonal cross-section optimizes both structural strength and airflow characteristics.
3Weight of moving object
If the helmet shell is made lightweight, then comfort is improved, but impact absorption capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The honeycomb arrangement of hexagonal tubes creates a lightweight lattice structure that provides high strength-to-weight ratio. The segmented tube design allows material to be distributed optimally throughout the shell, providing impact absorption through the collective resistance of multiple tubes while minimizing overall material usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The honeycomb structure inherently creates a porous, cellular architecture that provides excellent energy absorption characteristics. The void spaces within the hexagonal tubes and between adjacent tubes allow for controlled deformation during impact, dissipating energy while maintaining low weight.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal protective item, such as a helmet, includes a substrate formed of a hexagonal structure comprising a plurality of hexagonal tubes, each hexagon tube having a first end and a second end and being formed by a plurality of walls, the first and second ends being defined by edges of the plurality of walls. A cylindrical end cap is provided on at least some of the edges of the plurality of walls. The personal protective item may further comprise supporting columns along the hexagonal tubes where the walls of adjacent hexagonal tubes meet. A pad for providing user comfort may also be provide., the pad comprising a plate that is deflectable relative to a substrate of the personal protective time, the pad being coupled to the substrate by one or more constant force springs. Parts of the protective item may be joined using splines and grooves.