Skydiving Helmet Visor Dual-Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing visor locking mechanisms for helmets, particularly those used in skydiving, fail to remain closed during high-speed activities due to airflow differences from motorcycle helmet designs, leading to inadvertent opening of the visor, necessitating improved locking solutions that are reliable, easy to operate, and suitable for various environments.
Innovation Solution
A dual-locking mechanism system for skydiving helmets, with two identical locking mechanisms on each side of the helmet, and a single locking mechanism for lower-stress environments, ensuring the visor can only be raised when both locks are disengaged, combined with a simple and intuitive operation design using a body, axle, hub, locking pin, and spring mechanism for secure and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single locking mechanism is used, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the reliability is insufficient for high-speed skydiving activities
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is divided into two independent locking mechanisms positioned on opposite sides of the helmet. Each mechanism operates independently with its own locking pin and hub assembly, allowing the system to maintain reliability through redundancy while keeping each individual component relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-locking mechanism provides a safety buffer by ensuring that if one locking mechanism fails or is inadvertently disengaged, the other mechanism maintains the visor in its closed position. This beforehand redundancy cushions against the potential harmful effect of visor failure during high-speed activities.
2Reliability
If a dual-locking mechanism is used, then the reliability is improved for high-speed activities, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The two locking mechanisms are merged into a unified system where both locks must be disengaged simultaneously to open the visor. The mechanisms share common structural elements such as the hub assembly and locking pin design, which simplifies the operation process while maintaining the reliability benefits of dual-locking.
3Reliability
If locking mechanisms are designed for motorcycle helmets, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability fails during high-speed skydiving due to airflow differences
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is specifically designed with local quality adjustments suited for skydiving applications. The hub assembly and locking pin configuration are optimized to handle the specific airflow forces encountered during skydiving, while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process by using standard mechanical components and assembly techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A visor locking assembly alone or in combination with a helmet shell and visor. The visor locking assembly is attached to said shell and is used to mount the visor in a manner that allows the visor to be locked in a desired position. The visor locking assembly is configured to prevent the visor from being moved from a fully lowered position to a raised position unless the visor is displaced laterally forward away from the face of the wearer of the helmet. The locking assembly further comprises a body and a rotatable hub, wherein the body comprises a cavity, and wherein the cavity further comprises a protrusion on the wall of the cavity, and wherein the rotatable hub comprises a recess formed along the circumference of the hub. The hub is positioned to rotate within the cavity, and the hub is prevented from rotational movement when the protrusion is positioned within (engaged with) the recess. When the hub is displaced laterally within the cavity away from the protrusion, the hub becomes rotatable. A spring is attached to the hub inhibiting said displacement. The system may comprise a single visor locking assembly or two visor locking assemblies on a helmet. If two assemblies are utilized, the visor cannot be raised from a fully lowered position unless both assemblies are unlocked.