Hinged Head and Neck Support for Helmet Restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing head and neck support devices do not conform to the anatomical shape of the shoulder and front torso, leading to discomfort for users wearing helmets.
Innovation Solution
A head and neck support device with hingedly mounted front carrier portions and a U-shaped yoke that extends behind the high collar, along with tethering systems and belt locating formations, to provide adjustable and secure restraint for the helmet, accommodating different anatomical shapes and positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the head and neck support device uses a fixed rigid structure, then it provides stable support for the helmet, but it does not conform to the anatomical shape of the shoulder and front torso, leading to discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The front carrier portions are hingedly mounted to the high collar, allowing articulation and movement to conform to the user's anatomical shape while maintaining stable helmet support. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between rigid stability and anatomical comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier structure is divided into separate front carrier portions that can articulate independently relative to the high collar. This segmentation allows each portion to be positioned to match the user's anatomy while the overall structure maintains support stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the front carrier portions are rigidly fixed to the high collar, then the structure is simple and stable, but it cannot accommodate different anatomical shapes and positions
Solution Approach 1:
The hinged connection between front carrier portions and high collar enables articulation to accommodate different anatomical shapes. The hinge mechanism adds minimal complexity while providing significant adaptability for various user configurations.
3Reliability
If tethering straps are attached at multiple separate points, then secure restraint is achieved in multiple directions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple tethering straps are attached to the helmet at a common attachment point, consolidating the connection infrastructure. This merging approach maintains secure multi-directional restraint while reducing the number of separate attachment points on the helmet, thereby lowering device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A head and neck support device for use by a person wearing a helmet. The head and neck support device include a pair of flexible shoulder straps, a stiff carrier structure and a pair of tethering systems. The shoulder straps are each configured to fit a torso and different shoulder of a person. The stiff carrier structure includes a U-shaped yoke (18) and a high collar (20) which is hingedly connected to the yoke (18). The carrier structure includes an upper attachment formation near an upper end of each front carrier portion for attachment to a different one of the shoulder straps and a lower attachment formation near a lower end of each front carrier portion for attachment to a different one of the shoulder straps. The tethering systems include tether straps (44) which extend between the carrier structure and the helmet for providing a restraint between the carrier structure and the helmet.