Reversible Head Protection Structure With Elastic Deployment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protection devices with airbags or chambers that inflate upon activation face challenges in returning to their pre-activation state, leading to non-reusability and increased bulkiness due to methods like instant air supply or gas release, which also increase weight.
Innovation Solution
A protection device with a reversibly switchable protection unit between folded and unfolded orientations, utilizing a honeycomb or bellows structure, elastic members, and a detection and control system to deploy and retract the unit as needed, allowing for repeated use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If airbag or chamber is inflated by supplying air at the time of activation, then protection function is achieved, but the device cannot be returned to pre-activation state and cannot be repeatedly used
Solution Approach 1:
The protection unit employs a dynamic structure that can reversibly transition between folded and unfolded orientations. The bellows or honeycomb structure allows the unit to expand when needed for protection and then contract back to its original compact form, enabling repeated use. This dynamic reversibility resolves the contradiction between achieving protection function and maintaining reusability.
2Speed
If air is instantaneously supplied to deploy airbag or chamber, then deployment speed is improved, but device becomes bulky and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protection unit utilizes its own structural elasticity to achieve rapid deployment without requiring external air supply systems. The bellows or honeycomb structure naturally expands when triggered, using stored elastic energy to achieve fast deployment while maintaining a compact form when folded, thus reducing both weight and bulkiness while preserving deployment speed.
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 device effectively protects the head by unfolding to absorb impacts and can be repeatedly used, avoiding bulkiness and weight issues associated with traditional inflation methods.
Implementation Method 1
The protection unit is brought into the unfolded orientation by elastic force of an elastic member
Implementation Method 2
the protection unit covers the head of the human body... effectively protects the head by unfolding to absorb impacts
Data Source
AI summary
A protection device worn on a human body and protects a head of the human body includes a base portion attachable to the human body, and a protection unit having a honeycomb structure or a bellows structure, held by the base portion, and being reversibly switchable between a folded orientation in which the protection unit is folded and an unfolded orientation in which the protection unit is unfolded from the folded orientation and thus the protection unit covers the head of the human body, the protection unit being provided with a fixed end fixed to the base portion and a free end not fixed to the base portion, the protection unit is folded in a state where the free end is close to the fixed end, and the protection unit is unfolded around the head while the free end separates from the fixed end.