Reinforced Hand Protector With Flexible Impact-Resistant Digit Skeleton
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective equipment for hands in contact sports fails to adequately protect the digits, dorsal, and palmar regions from high-impact injuries, particularly from lacrosse balls and hockey pucks, which can cause bone fractures and nerve damage.
Innovation Solution
A reinforced hand protector with a main body and digit portions forming a digit-reinforcing skeleton, featuring arcuate shells with edges that may wrap around the digits, providing protection and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional protective equipment is used, then basic hand protection is provided, but the digits, dorsal, and palmar regions are not adequately protected from high-impact injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device is divided into multiple segmented components: a main body portion and multiple digit portions that can be separately positioned on different anatomical regions (dorsal region, palmar region, and individual digits). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for protecting specific high-risk areas while maintaining overall hand mobility and dexterity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective device implements local quality by providing enhanced protection specifically at vulnerable anatomical locations. The digit portions are designed to protect the distal phalanges and digits, while the main body portion protects the dorsal and palmar regions. This localized protection approach ensures that high-impact areas receive appropriate protection without unnecessarily restricting overall hand function.
2Strength
If rigid protective structures are added to protect digits and hand regions, then impact resistance improves, but flexibility and mobility of fingers and thumb are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device incorporates dynamic characteristics by allowing the digit portions and main body portion to move relative to each other, enabling the hand to close into a fist and perform gripping motions. The protective components are designed to accommodate natural hand movements while maintaining protection during impact events.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective device utilizes flexible protective portions that can deform and adapt to hand movements. The digit portions and main body portion are constructed with materials and structures that provide impact resistance while allowing flexibility for finger and thumb mobility, enabling the hand to maintain dexterity while protected.
3Reliability
If comprehensive hand protection is implemented, then injury prevention improves, but device complexity and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device is segmented into a main body portion and multiple digit portions that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows for comprehensive protection of all hand regions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that does not excessive bulk.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective device is designed with multi-functionality, where the main body portion and digit portions work together to provide protection across multiple anatomical regions (dorsal, palmar, and digits) simultaneously. This universal design approach achieves comprehensive injury prevention without requiring separate protective devices for each hand region, thereby reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A reinforced support device suitable for the protection of a hand and its digits from impacts, particularly those found in contact sports. The support device providing an outer skeleton and/or selected reinforcement portion(s), protects the digits of the hand and permits flexion of the fingers and/or thumb. The reinforcement portions can be of various shapes, sizes, materials, and weights. They may also be connected in various ways to one another.