Protective Headgear With Viscoelastic Layers for Concussion Mitigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing football helmets are inadequate in protecting players from internal brain injuries, such as concussions and subconcussive impacts, as they often exacerbate trauma due to nearly elastic collisions and fail to absorb impact energy effectively.

Innovation Solution

A protective headgear design featuring a core with impact-absorbing layers, including an outer layer that conforms to the head and inner layers made of viscoelastic materials, along with a barrier layer to reduce environmental element flow, aimed at absorbing and dissipating impact energy to prevent brain injuries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a hard shell is used in existing football helmets to protect from broken bones and abrasions, then protection from external injuries is improved, but the helmet creates nearly elastic collisions that conserve and amplify impact force on the brain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from broken bones and abrasionsVSAvoidimpact force amplification on brain

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the helmet shell by incorporating viscoelastic materials that alter the collision characteristics from elastic to inelastic, enabling energy absorption through material deformation rather than force conservation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite material structures combining rigid outer layers for structural integrity with viscoelastic intermediate layers for energy absorption, creating a multi-layer system that simultaneously provides bone protection and impact attenuation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If existing football helmets are designed with hard shell and internal padding, then structural strength is improved, but the helmets fail to absorb impact energy and instead conserve it through elastic collisions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strength of helmetVSAvoidimpact energy absorption

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the viscoelastic phase transition behavior of specialized materials that change from rigid to compliant states during impact, enabling energy dissipation through controlled material deformation and hysteresis losses

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates pre-positioned viscoelastic energy-absorbing layers between the hard shell and head, creating a cushioning system that activates upon impact to absorb energy before it reaches the brain

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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 headgear effectively reduces the occurrence and severity of concussions and subconcussive impacts, providing better protection for the brain by absorbing impact energy and reducing the risk of elastic collisions.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of impact absorbing layers disposed on the core and configured to absorb impact incident on the protective headgear

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImpact absorption: Viscoelasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12324473B2Protective headgear and methods for making same

Publication Date: 2025.06.10 IMPACT SOLUTIONS

AI summary

A protective headgear can include a core and two or more impact absorbing layers coupled to the core. At least one impact absorbing layer can include a number of impact absorbing components that are configured to absorb and reduce the force of impact incident on the protective headgear. The impact absorbing materials can employ cylindrical segments of viscoelastic foam with a sealed central void to absorb high energy impacts. The protective helmet can reduce the occurrence of concussions and subconcussive impacts to the brain.