Hip Protector Pad Honeycomb Foam Sandwich
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hip protectors either cause bruising and discomfort due to their rigid design or fail to effectively distribute impact energy, leading to incomplete protection against hip fractures during falls.
Innovation Solution
A hip protector pad composed of a flexible honeycomb material sandwiched between two layers of high-density closed-cell foam, which absorbs and distributes impact energy to reduce peak force on the greater trochanter area, providing comfort and effective fracture prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hard shell is used to redistribute impact energy, then impact protection effectiveness is improved, but comfort and skin health deteriorate due to bruising and tissue tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure combining a rigid outer shell with a compliant inner layer. The rigid shell (first material) redistributes impact energy across a wider area, while the compliant inner layer (second material) cushions direct contact with soft tissue, preventing bruising and skin tearing. This multi-material approach resolves the contradiction by combining the advantages of both rigid and flexible materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection pad features non-uniform material distribution with different regions having distinct properties. The outer shell provides rigid impact redistribution, while the inner compliant layer provides soft tissue protection. This spatial variation in material quality allows the device to simultaneously achieve effective impact protection and comfort/skin health.
2Reliability
If a rigid structure is used for impact protection, then impact energy redistribution is improved, but comfort during rest and pressure application deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-material construction allows the outer rigid shell to maintain structural integrity for effective impact energy redistribution, while the inner compliant material provides comfort during rest and daily activities. The combination enables the device to adapt to different usage states - rigid during impact, compliant during rest.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection pad transitions between different mechanical states depending on applied load. During normal rest conditions, the compliant inner layer remains soft and comfortable. Upon impact, the rigid outer shell activates to provide structural support and energy redistribution. This dynamic response resolves the contradiction between rigidity for protection and compliance for comfort.
3Ease of operation
If a flexible foam pad is used to absorb impact energy, then comfort is improved, but impact energy distribution effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines flexible foam material with a rigid shell structure. The flexible foam inner layer maintains comfort and conformability to body shape, while the rigid outer shell provides effective impact energy redistribution across a wider area. This composite approach allows both comfort and effective energy distribution to coexist.
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
The foam-honeycomb-foam sandwich design significantly reduces peak impact forces below the average hip fracture threshold, minimizing the risk of hip fractures while maintaining user comfort and preventing bruising.
Implementation Method 1
the pad is effective to reduce an impact of a fall of an adult human on said vulnerable area
Implementation Method 2
absorbs and distributes impact energy to reduce peak force on the greater trochanter area
Data Source
AI summary
A hip protector pad absorbs impact energy at a vulnerable area of a greater trochanter of an adult human hip. The pad has a continuous sheet of flexible honeycomb material having faces covered with an optional cover material and a layer of compliant and resilient foam on an inner side and an outer side of the honeycomb material. The pad is flexible to conform to a shape of the hip area. The pad is effective to reduce an impact of a fall of an adult human on the vulnerable area and minimizes the chance of a hip fracture resulting from the fall.