Inflatable Balaclava Hood Impact Sensor Deployment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional balaclava hoods primarily provide warmth and lack effective protection against impact injuries during sports and athletic activities, failing to deploy a protective mechanism in response to acceleration, angular, rotational, or flexion motions resulting from impact forces.

Innovation Solution

A disposable aspirated inflatable safety protection balaclava hood system incorporating a bladder airbag system deployed via an actuation mechanism and inert compressed gas cartridge, triggered by an impact sensor arrangement, which inflates to protect the head and neck from impact forces, utilizing a breathable double fabric knit hood with sensors and an inflation tube system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If conventional balaclava hoods are used for warmth, then thermal protection is improved, but impact protection capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal protectionVSAvoidimpact injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the thermal protection function of traditional balaclava hoods with the impact protection function of an inflatable airbag system. The breathable double fabric knit hood provides warmth while housing sensors and an inflation system that deploys an airbag upon impact detection, thereby simultaneously addressing both thermal comfort and impact safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The balaclava hood system is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides thermal insulation through the breathable double fabric knit material, monitors impact through integrated sensors, and deploys protective airbag structure when needed. This multi-functional design allows a single device to address both warmth and impact protection requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If an inflatable airbag system is added to provide impact protection, then safety capability is improved, but device complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpact protectionVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a nested structure where the inflatable airbag system is integrated within the balaclava hood. The sensors, inflation tube, and gas cartridge are concealed within the hood's fabric layers and interior pockets, creating a compact nested arrangement that minimizes external complexity while maintaining full protective functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a disposable design where the entire balaclava hood system, including the inflatable airbag and gas cartridge, is intended for single-use. After deployment during an impact event, the entire unit is discarded, eliminating the need for complex maintenance, repair, or reuse mechanisms, thereby simplifying the overall system design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Extent of automation

If sensors and actuation mechanisms are integrated into the hood, then automated deployment is improved, but manufacturing complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic deploymentVSAvoidproduction process

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the balaclava hood into distinct functional segments: the breathable double fabric knit hood structure, the sensor arrangement with acceleration and angular sensors, the actuation mechanism with gas cartridge, and the inflatable bladder system. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using standard processes and then assembled, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while enabling automated deployment functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 system effectively deploys an inflatable bladder to protect the head and neck from various impact forces, providing enhanced safety during sports and athletic activities by utilizing a breathable and durable design that integrates sensors and a gas cartridge actuation mechanism.

Implementation Method 1

release of the inert compressed gas contained in a cartridge actuation mechanism

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompressed gas expansion: Compression

Implementation Method 2

crash sensor arrangement in which acceleration, angular, rotational, extension or flexion motion resulting from an impact force

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImpact force detection: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentUS9986777B2Balaclava hood system

Publication Date: 2018.06.05 TATE TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

A disposable aspirated inflatable safety protection balaclava hood system and apparatus designed to protect the human head and neck from injury resulting from sports impacts with a crash sensor arrangement in which acceleration, angular, rotational, extension or flexion motion resulting from an impact force requires deployment of an apparatus protection device. The method embodies an inherent bladder airbag system that is deployed with resulting impact force on the sensor arrangement using an actuation mechanism and an inflation interconnected bladder system, or tube(s) resulting in release of the inert compressed inert gas in a cartridge actuation mechanism using a triggering mechanism, which is held in an interior pocket of the hood resulting in aspiration of the inflatable safety bladder protection hood.