Moisture Controlling Lattice Liners for Helmets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current helmet liners lack effective ventilation and perspiration management, which can lead to discomfort and reduced performance during athletic activities, and existing additive manufacturing techniques have not fully explored the potential for developing unique components for protective devices.
Innovation Solution
A helmet liner with an open lattice body portion made of polymer, featuring a helmet contact surface and a skin contact surface designed for air circulation, integrated with breathable wicking fabric, produced using additive manufacturing techniques such as stereolithography or selective laser sintering, which includes a base portion with fingers and side openings for ventilation and perspiration management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional helmet liners are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but ventilation and perspiration management are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous lattice structures made of polymer materials with controlled porosity to enable air circulation through the liner. The open-cell foam and lattice configurations provide channels for ventilation while maintaining structural integrity, directly addressing the contradiction between improved ventilation and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple materials including polymer lattices, open-cell foams, and breathable wicking fabrics to create a composite liner system. This composite approach enables simultaneous achievement of ventilation, moisture management, and structural support functions that cannot be realized with single materials.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing techniques are not used, then manufacturing processes remain conventional, but unique components for protective devices cannot be developed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the liner into multiple functional components including face portions, circumferential side portions, and discrete lattice structures that can be manufactured separately using additive manufacturing and then assembled. This segmentation enables complex geometries to be created with simplified manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes additive manufacturing to vary geometric parameters of the lattice structures, including cell size, strut thickness, and porosity distribution, to optimize performance characteristics. This parametric design capability enables customization of ventilation and moisture management properties without changing the fundamental manufacturing process.
3Ease of operation
If air circulation paths are not provided, then liner structure remains simple, but comfort during athletic activities is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements different lattice configurations and porosity levels in different regions of the liner, with higher porosity in areas requiring greater ventilation and different structural characteristics in load-bearing regions. This local optimization provides enhanced comfort where needed while maintaining structural integrity elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates three-dimensional air circulation paths through vertically stacked lattice layers and interconnected channels that extend in multiple spatial dimensions. This multi-dimensional approach enables efficient ventilation without requiring large lateral openings that would compromise structural strength.
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 solution provides enhanced ventilation and perspiration management, improving comfort and performance by allowing air circulation and rapid dispersal of sweat, while also being adaptable to various types of helmets and wearable protective devices.
Implementation Method 1
a breathable wicking fabric connected to the liner and overlying the skin contact portion... configured to wick perspiration away from a wearer, and/or wick perspiration along the skin contact portion to thereby more rapidly disperse perspiration of a wearer
Implementation Method 2
the skin contact portion configured with the lattice body portion so air can circulate through both the body portion and the skin contact portion
Data Source
AI summary
A helmet liner includes: (a) an open lattice body portion comprised of a polymer, the body portion having opposite face portions and a circumferential side portion; (b) a helmet contact surface portion formed on one of the face portions; and (c) a skin contact portion formed on the other of the face portions, the skin contact portion configured with the lattice body portion so air can circulate through both the body portion and the skin contact portion.