Offset Chin Cup Assembly for Helmet Ergonomic Fit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Chin cups for helmets, particularly in sports like hockey, lack sufficient adjustability to accommodate different face shapes and helmets, limiting ergonomic fit and comfort.
Innovation Solution
A chin cup assembly with offset engaging structures on the chin cup and strap, allowing for adjustable positioning in depth, height, and angle through a combination of sliding and rotational mechanisms, facilitated by teeth sets on the plug and receptacle for secure yet adjustable engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If chin cups are made fixed in position and design, then manufacturing and installation are simplified, but adaptability to different face shapes and helmets is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The chin cup incorporates movable components including a sliding mechanism along the chin strap and rotational capability via the plug-receptacle interface. The plug can rotate within the receptacle to change the angle of the chin cup relative to the helmet, and the chin cup can slide forward and backward along the strap to adjust depth. This dynamic design allows the same chin cup to adapt to different face shapes and helmet configurations without requiring multiple fixed designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The chin cup assembly is divided into separate functional components: the chin cup itself, the chin strap, the plug with engagement structures, and the receptacle. This segmentation allows each component to be independently adjusted - the plug can be positioned at different locations on the strap, the chin cup can be angled independently via rotation, and the depth can be adjusted via sliding. This modular approach provides adaptability while keeping individual components relatively simple.
2Ease of operation
If chin cups provide multiple adjustment options for depth, height, and angle, then ergonomic fit is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple adjustment functions are combined into a unified plug-receptacle mechanism. The plug contains both the rotational engagement structures for angle adjustment and the sliding capability for depth adjustment. By merging these functions into a single integrated component rather than separate mechanisms, the design achieves multiple adjustment capabilities while minimizing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug-receptacle engagement mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it allows rotational adjustment for angle variation, enables sliding for depth adjustment, and provides secure attachment to hold the chin cup in position. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate mechanisms for each adjustment type, improving ergonomic fit while controlling device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A chin strap assembly comprises a chin cup and a chin strap for mounting the chin cup to a helmet. The chin cup has a first side for contacting a user's chin and a second side opposite the first side, the second side including a first engaging structure. The chin strap has a second engaging structure for coupling the chin strap to the chin cup via the first engaging structure. The first engaging structure is offset on the chin cup and the second engaging structure is offset on the chin strap to provide various positioning options of the chin cup relative to the helmet.