Segmented Helmet Brim for Wide Sun Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing headgear such as helmets and hard hats often lack adequate sun protection, with small or inflexible visors that do not provide wide sun coverage, and existing solutions like wearing a baseball hat under the helmet are cumbersome and ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A portable brim apparatus that can be easily attached to and removed from various types of headgear, including helmets and hard hats, providing full, flexible sun protection around the entire circumference of the helmet without modifying the headgear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a brim is added to provide full sun protection, then sun protection capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to attachment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The brim is divided into multiple independent panels that can be separately attached to different regions of the helmet, allowing for modular assembly and easier attachment while providing comprehensive sun protection coverage
Solution Approach 2:
Attachment mechanisms such as straps, clips, or adhesive elements serve as intermediaries between the brim panels and the helmet, enabling secure attachment without requiring permanent modification to the helmet structure
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid brim is used to maintain shape, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to different helmet shapes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The brim incorporates flexible elements or adjustable components that allow it to adapt its shape and configuration to match different helmet geometries, while maintaining sufficient structural rigidity to provide effective sun protection when positioned
Solution Approach 2:
The brim is constructed using flexible materials or thin-walled structures that can conform to various helmet shapes, enabling universal compatibility across different helmet types while retaining the ability to maintain a protective shape during use
3Area of stationary object
If a large brim is provided for wide sun coverage, then sun protection area is improved, but difficulty of attachment to tapered helmets increases
Solution Approach 1:
The large brim is segmented into multiple smaller panels that can be independently attached to different portions of the helmet, making attachment to tapered surfaces more manageable while collectively providing extensive sun coverage
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the brim are designed with varying attachment mechanisms or structural properties tailored to the specific geometry of the helmet surface in each area, facilitating easier attachment to tapered regions while maintaining overall large coverage area
Data Source
AI summary
A portable brim can be securely attached to and operate with various helmets such as bicycle, skateboarding, snow sport, mountain/rock climbing, equestrian, and paddlesport helmets as well as hard hats used in construction, utility maintenance, material moving, dock loading, and airport baggage handling, to give the wearer shade and protection from the sun. The brim apparatus includes a center section having a size for fitting about a circumference of the sports helmet and a visor outwardly or radially extending from the center section. In one brim apparatus the center section features a stop surface that opposes an upper surface of the visor when the apparatus is affixed to the headgear such that the visor is prohibited from flipping upwards or sliding down or coming off during use.