Resilient Connector Design for Helmet Impact Energy Redirection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impact protection apparatuses face challenges in ensuring desired relative movement between moving parts while maintaining structural integrity and ease of manufacturing and assembly, particularly in protective helmets.
Innovation Solution
A connector system with resilient parts that allow relative movement between layers of an apparatus, featuring attachment parts and resilient elements that deform to facilitate sliding or shearing, and optionally include low friction materials to reduce friction at the interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If moving parts are implemented in protective apparatus to allow relative movement under impact, then energy redirecting capability is improved, but structural integrity and ease of manufacturing are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into distinct functional segments: attachment parts for connecting to helmet components and a resilient part for enabling controlled movement. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - attachment parts for structural integrity and resilient parts for movement capability - resolving the contradiction between maintaining structural integrity and enabling relative movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient part's physical parameters (material composition, thickness, geometry) are specifically designed to change under impact conditions. The resilient part transitions from a rigid connection state during normal use to a deformable state during impact, enabling energy redirection while maintaining structural integrity during non-impact conditions.
2Reliability
If moving parts are implemented in protective apparatus to allow relative movement under impact, then energy redirecting capability is improved, but ease of manufacturing and assembly is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The connector integrates multiple functions into a single component: attachment, resilient deformation, and energy redirection. By merging the attachment parts and resilient part into one integrated connector, the system eliminates the need for separate assemblies, simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes while maintaining the energy redirecting capability through the resilient part's controlled deformation.
3Ease of operation
If resilient parts are designed to deform to allow relative movement, then relative movement capability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient part is designed with specific geometric parameters (thickness, width, curvature) that inherently accommodate dimensional variations. The deformation behavior is controlled by these parameters rather than by tight tolerances, allowing the connector to maintain functional performance across a range of manufacturing variations while still enabling the required relative movement capability.
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
Enhances protection by reducing rotational acceleration of the head during impacts, improving energy dissipation and distribution, and facilitating easy assembly and manufacturing of protective apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient part extending between the first and second attachment parts and configured to deform to allow relative movement between the first and second attachment parts
Data Source
AI summary
A connector (20) for connecting first and second parts of an apparatus, the first and second parts being configured to move relative to each other at least in a first plane, the connector comprising: • a first attachment part (21) for connecting to the first part of the apparatus; • a second attachment part (22) for connecting to the second part of the apparatus; • a resilient part (23) extending between the first and second attachment parts and configured to deform to allow relative movement between the first and second attachment parts, wherein: • the first attachment part and the second attachment part are displaced relative to each other in a first direction, and the resilient part is narrower, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, than the first attachment part and the second attachment part.