Partial Turn Faceguard Fastener for Rapid Helmet Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sports headgear faceguards are difficult to quickly and safely remove without moving the wearer's head or neck, hindering medical assessments and access during injuries.
Innovation Solution
A helmet design featuring partial turn fasteners with nuts and studs that connect loopstraps to the helmet shell, allowing for rapid disconnection with minimal head movement, using a tension spring to facilitate quick removal and reconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional threaded fasteners are used to secure the faceguard, then the faceguard is securely attached to the helmet, but the removal process requires excessive head movement and time
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener system is segmented into modular components: loopstraps that engage around wire segments, T-nuts that thread into the helmet shell, and screw-type fasteners that connect the loopstraps to the T-nuts. This segmentation allows each component to be independently optimized and enables rapid disassembly by simply unscreving the fasteners without requiring head movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener mechanism incorporates dynamic elements including threaded T-nuts that can be quickly screwed in and out, and screw-type fasteners that provide secure attachment when tightened but allow rapid removal when unscrewed. This dynamic design transitions the system from a static, permanent attachment to a controllable, reversible connection that prioritizes quick medical access.
2Reliability
If the faceguard is securely fastened to protect the player, then head and face protection is maximized, but rapid removal for medical assessment is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The loopstraps are pre-configured to engage around the wire segments of the faceguard, and the T-nuts are pre-installed in the helmet shell with threading oriented for quick engagement. This preliminary preparation ensures that when a medical emergency occurs, the fasteners can be rapidly unscrewed and removed without requiring complex manipulation or head movement, thus reducing response time while maintaining secure attachment during normal use.
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional fasteners are used, then the faceguard remains stable during play, but the removal process causes neck movement that may worsen injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener system is designed to be extractable from the helmet shell structure. The T-nuts thread into dedicated holes in the shell, and the screw-type fasteners connect externally to the loopstraps. This extraction design allows the entire faceguard assembly to be quickly detached from the helmet by simply unscreving the fasteners and removing the loopstraps, without requiring any movement or manipulation of the player's head or neck, thus preventing potential worsening of neck injuries.
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
Enables rapid and secure removal of the faceguard with minimal head movement, improving access for medical evaluations and allowing for quick reconnection when not injured, enhancing safety and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
A tension spring between a head of the stud and the loopstrap urges the stud away from the nut when the stud is rotated to unlock the stud for facilitating a quick removal of the stud from the nut
Data Source
AI summary
A helmet has a shell with a front opening covered by a faceguard of elongated wire segments. Loopstraps engage around wire segments at sides and a crown of the shell and fasteners connect the loopstraps to the shell. The fasteners each have a nut extending from an inside of the helmet shell out into a hole of the shell and an aperture of the loopstrap, and a stud removably connected to the nut by pushing and turning the stud by about a quarter turn to lock the stud to the nut. A tension spring between a head of the stud and the loopstrap urges the stud away from the nut when the stud is rotated to unlock the stud for facilitating a quick removal of the stud from the nut and a quick disconnection of the loopstrap and faceguard from the helmet shell.