Layered Impact Protection Structure for Pressure-Diffusing Helmets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional impact protection devices, such as helmets, rely on G-force measurements for testing, which are incomplete in determining concussion safety, as they do not account for impact pressure, leading to inadequate protection against severe injuries due to concentrated force on small areas.
Innovation Solution
The body impact protection system employs a multi-layered structure with angled components that diffuse and dampen impact forces, increasing the impact area and reducing pressure on the body part, utilizing materials like rubber, foam, and gel to distribute the force over a larger surface, thereby reducing the risk of concussion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional G-force based testing is used for helmet safety evaluation, then the testing methodology is simple and widely accepted, but it fails to account for impact pressure and provides incomplete concussion safety assessment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the impact force measurement into two distinct components: G-force (acceleration) and impact pressure (force per unit area). By separating these measurements, the system captures both the overall deceleration and the localized pressure concentration, providing a more complete concussion safety assessment than G-force alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement system that includes pressure sensors or calculation mechanisms that work alongside the existing G-force accelerometers. This intermediary pressure measurement capability bridges the gap between simple acceleration testing and comprehensive impact assessment without completely replacing the existing testing framework.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If impact force is concentrated on a small area, then the impact protection device structure is simple, but the impact pressure is high causing severe injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from considering only the magnitude of impact force to including the spatial distribution dimension. By measuring and analyzing impact pressure (force per unit area), the system accounts for how the force is distributed across the impact surface, revealing that concentrated forces on small areas create dangerous pressure levels even when total force appears manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the principle of local quality by examining the localized characteristics of impact forces. Different regions of the helmet may experience different pressure concentrations, and the system identifies these local variations to understand where severe injuries are most likely to occur, enabling targeted protection strategies.
3Reliability
If helmets are designed to increase impact distance to reduce G-force, then G-force testing results improve, but impact pressure may remain concentrated and dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using pressure sensor data to inform helmet design improvements. The pressure measurement results provide feedback on how well the helmet design is distributing impact forces, allowing designers to iteratively improve the protective structure to reduce both G-force and impact pressure concentration simultaneously.
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
This approach significantly reduces the impact pressure on the body part, minimizing the risk of injury by spreading the force over a larger area, even when G-force measurements indicate a safe impact, thus providing enhanced protection against concussions.
Implementation Method 1
The body impact protection system employs a multi-layered structure with angled components that diffuse and dampen impact forces
Implementation Method 2
utilizing materials like rubber, foam, and gel to distribute the force over a larger surface
Implementation Method 3
The body impact protection system employs a multi-layered structure with angled components that diffuse and dampen impact forces, increasing the impact area and reducing pressure on the body part
Data Source
AI summary
A body impact protection system includes an inner layer and an impact force dampening and defusing structure. The inner layer includes a material composition and is adjacent to a body part when the body impact protection system is worn. The impact force dampening and defusing structure is juxtaposed to the inner layer and includes a plurality of components. The components function to reduce pressure on the body part from an impact force on a layer by layer basis. Each layer of the system dampens and defuses the impact force such that, by the time it reaches the body part, it has been substantially attenuated and spread over a large area.