Removable Chin Bar Helmet with Pivot Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional helmets with chin bars struggle to balance ventilation and protection during mountain biking, as the chin bar obstructs breathing and ventilation during ascents and may not provide sufficient protection during high-speed descents, leading to a choice between discomfort or danger.
Innovation Solution
A helmet with a removable chin bar that pivots between two angles, featuring attachment anchors with pivot sockets and locking mechanisms, allowing the chin bar to be easily attached and detached, reducing weight and improving ventilation during ascents while providing protection during descents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a chin bar is added to provide protection during descents, then protection is improved, but weight increases and ventilation is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The chin bar is designed as a separate, removable component that can be detached from the helmet body. This segmentation allows the protection feature to be added only when needed during descents, rather than being permanently attached and increasing weight continuously. The chin bar can be quickly removed during climbs to reduce weight and improve ventilation.
Solution Approach 2:
The chin bar attachment system uses dynamic elements including pivot arms that allow angular adjustment, and locking mechanisms with biased latch arms that can be easily engaged and disengaged. This dynamic design enables the chin bar to be quickly attached and removed based on riding conditions, transforming the helmet from a static protection device to an adaptable one.
2Reliability
If a chin bar is added to provide protection during descents, then protection is improved, but ventilation and breathing are obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the chin bar as a removable component rather than an integrated permanent feature, the design allows ventilation to be optimized for climbing conditions when the chin bar is removed, while still providing protection when attached for descents.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic attachment system with pivot arms and easy-release locking mechanisms allows the rider to quickly transition between ventilated (chin bar removed) and protected (chin bar attached) states, adapting to changing environmental conditions during the ride.
3Ease of operation
If a conventional helmet is designed for comfort during climbs, then ventilation is improved, but protection during high-speed descents is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The helmet system achieves multi-functionality by combining a ventilated helmet body optimized for climbs with an attachable chin bar for descent protection. The universal attachment system with pivot sockets and locking mechanisms allows the same helmet to serve both climbing comfort and descent protection functions, eliminating the need for separate helmets.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic nature of the chin bar attachment system allows the helmet to adapt its configuration based on riding conditions, transforming from a climb-optimized design to a descent-protected configuration without compromising the fundamental comfort features of the helmet body.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the chin bar is made removable to improve ventilation during climbs, then ventilation is improved, but the complexity of the attachment mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: pivot sockets in the helmet body, pivot arms on the chin bar, and separate locking mechanisms with biased latch arms. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism incorporates biased latch arms that automatically engage with the pivot sockets when the chin bar is attached, providing self-locking functionality. The release buttons allow easy disengagement, but the system requires minimal manual intervention during attachment, reducing operational complexity despite the removable design.
Data Source
AI summary
A helmet comprising a helmet body and a chin bar is disclosed. The helmet body comprises an opening and two attachment anchors located opposite each other proximate a leading edge of the opening. Each attachment anchor comprises a pivot socket and a lock support. The chin bar comprises two opposing ends, each releasably coupled to a different attachment anchor. Each end of the chin bar comprises a locking mechanism engaged with a lock support of a different attachment anchor, and a pivot arm releasably and pivotally coupled to the pivot socket of the different attachment anchor. The chin bar is pivotable between a first angle and a second angle with respect to the helmet body, and the pivot arms are releasable from the pivot sockets of the helmet body while the locking mechanisms of the chin bar are disengaged from the lock supports of the helmet body.