Lateral Displacement Shock Absorbing Material for Impact Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impact attenuating materials, such as expanded polystyrene and air bladders, 'bottom out' when input energy exceeds their deformation capacity, limiting their effectiveness in absorbing a wide range of impact energies, and designers face challenges in balancing thickness, stiffness, and cost to create commercially viable and protective helmets for various activities.
Innovation Solution
A lateral displacement shock absorbing material comprising elongated tubular members with parallel axes, interconnected by webbing, featuring frustoconical surfaces and a central passageway, allowing for greater energy absorption through lateral displacement and enhanced ventilation, manufactured from thermoplastics or rubber, which can crush to a significant extent without losing attenuation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the initial thickness of the impact attenuating material is increased to absorb higher energy impacts, then the energy absorption capability is improved, but the helmet dimensions become too large to be commercially viable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces lateral displacement as a new dimension of deformation beyond traditional vertical compression. The frustoconical tubular members are oriented at angles to the impact direction, allowing them to deform laterally and absorb energy through side-to-side movement. This adds a dimensional aspect to energy absorption that increases effectiveness without proportionally increasing helmet volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the tubular members by using frustoconical shapes with specific taper angles (1-45 degrees) and orienting them at various angles to the impact direction. These parameter changes enable the material to achieve greater energy absorption per unit volume by optimizing the deformation characteristics of each tubular member.
2Loss of energy
If traditional impact attenuating materials are compressed to maximum degree, then energy absorption is achieved, but the material bottoms out and further compression does not occur
Solution Approach 1:
The frustoconical tubular members provide multiple deformation modes including lateral displacement, radial expansion, and axial compression. When oriented at angles to impact, they can deform in combination modes, extending the duration and range of the attenuation process before bottoming out occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic attenuation system where the tubular members progressively deform through different mechanisms as impact energy is applied. The varying wall thicknesses and angular orientations cause sequential engagement of different tubular members and deformation modes, extending the effective duration of energy absorption.
3Reliability
If a helmet is designed to protect from both MTBI and life threatening impacts, then protection capability is improved, but the helmet thickness must be 1.5 to 2 times greater than single-purpose helmets
Solution Approach 1:
The frustoconical tubular member structure serves multiple protective functions simultaneously. The same material and geometric configuration provide protection across a broad spectrum of impact energies from mild traumatic brain injury to catastrophic impacts, eliminating the need for separate helmet designs for different protection levels.
Solution Approach 2:
By varying the density, wall thickness, and angular orientation of the tubular members, the material's energy absorption characteristics can be tuned to handle multiple impact severity levels. The frustoconical geometry with tapered walls (1-45 degrees) enables progressive deformation that adapts to different impact energy levels within a single helmet structure.
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 material achieves enhanced energy absorption and ventilation, allowing for a 50-75% increase in impact absorption efficiency compared to traditional materials, while maintaining a compact and lightweight design, suitable for a broad range of impact energies and activities.
Implementation Method 1
A lateral displacement shock absorbing material comprising elongated tubular members with parallel axes, interconnected by webbing, featuring frustoconical surfaces and a central passageway, allowing for greater energy absorption through lateral displacement
Implementation Method 2
During the process of energy absorption, the impact attenuating material is compressed
Implementation Method 3
The objective achieved through operation of an impact attenuating material is absorption and dissipation of energy
Data Source
AI summary
A lateral displacement shock absorbing material includes a material consisting of elongated tubular impact absorbing members, each having an axis of elongation. The axes of elongation are parallel to one another by virtue of lateral webbing interconnecting them together. Each of the tubular members has an outer surface made up of two frustoconical surfaces with their larger diameter ends abutting one another and their smaller diameter ends facing away from one another. Each tubular member includes a passageway defined by two frustoconical shapes with the smaller diameter ends abutting one another, and the larger diameter ends facing away from one another and defining the openings of each passageway. Upon impact, the side walls of the tubular members bulge or displace laterally to absorb impacts.