Segmented Variable Helmet for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional helmets are inconvenient to carry and use due to their large size, leading to reduced frequency of use, and existing foldable helmets may not provide adequate protection or are prone to noise and tube damage.
Innovation Solution
A variable helmet with a protective pad composed of planarly coupled unit pads in a hemispherical shape that can be unfolded flat, featuring both-end fixing means such as adjustment strap members, magnets, or Velcro™ tape, and a chin strap for easy use and storage, with a layered structure including cover, soft, and buffer pads for impact protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the helmet is made rigid for protection, then the protective strength is improved, but the helmet cannot be folded or compressed for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The helmet is divided into multiple unit pads (first, second, third, and fourth unit pads) that can be independently folded and connected. Each unit pad maintains protective rigidity when assembled, but can be separated and folded flat for storage, resolving the contradiction between protective strength and storage volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The unit pads are designed to nest together when folded, with each pad containing or overlapping adjacent pads. This nesting structure allows the entire helmet to be compressed into a compact form factor for storage while maintaining the complete protective structure when assembled.
2Volume of moving object
If the helmet is made foldable for storage, then the storage volume is reduced, but the protective strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The helmet structure transitions from a rigid static form to a dynamic foldable form through articulated connections between unit pads. The connections allow the helmet to be folded flat for storage, yet maintain structural integrity and protective strength when assembled in the hemispherical configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The unit pads are constructed using composite materials that provide both flexibility for folding and rigidity for protection. The combination of materials allows the helmet to be folded for storage while maintaining adequate protective strength during use.
3Strength
If the helmet is made rigid for protection, then the protective strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The helmet is segmented into multiple detachable unit pads that can be easily assembled and disassembled. This segmentation allows users to quickly put on or remove the helmet by simply connecting or separating the unit pads, greatly improving ease of operation while maintaining protective strength when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The helmet incorporates dynamic folding mechanisms that allow it to transition between compact and protective states. This dynamic structure enables users to easily deploy the helmet for protection and pack it away for storage, improving operational convenience without sacrificing protective capability.
4Volume of moving object
If the helmet is made foldable for storage, then the storage volume is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The unit pads are pre-assembled and connected in a specific configuration that ensures proper alignment and structural integrity when deployed. This preliminary arrangement guarantees that the helmet maintains reliable protective structure when assembled, even though it can be folded for storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable structure incorporates reliable mechanical connections and locking mechanisms that ensure the helmet maintains its structural integrity during use. The dynamic design allows folding for storage while ensuring that when assembled, the connections provide reliable structural support for protection.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a variable helmet that can be unfolded flat and carried or kept when not in use. A configuration of the variable helmet is characterized by including a protective pad in which a plurality of unit pads are planarly coupled like a mosaic so that the protective pad is in a hemispherical shape to cover and protect a head of a wearer and is able to be unfolded flat like a plate, the protective pad having unevenness portions provided in a sawtooth shape at both ends thereof; both-end fixing means allowing the unit pads to have a hemispherical shape by tightening the both ends of the protective pad; and a chin strap allowing the protective pad to be fixed in a state in which the protective pad is covered on the head.