Helmet Visor Fastening Mechanism for Impact Detachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective helmets for motor sports face issues with visor detachment during impacts, where the direction of the detaching force affects the visor's release from the shell, leading to potential rotational hazards and maintenance challenges, and existing solutions either fail to detach easily or increase the risk of unintended visor detachment.
Innovation Solution
A protective helmet design featuring a fastening mechanism with complementary shaped elements and flexible holding portions that allow the visor to be firmly attached during normal use while easily detachable upon impact, independent of the force direction, and adjustable for maintenance and reconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If frangible screws are used to connect the visor to the shell, then the visor is firmly affixed to the shell, but the visor will not easily detach during impact and can cause helmet rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening mechanism is divided into two distinct components: rigid fastening elements that provide strong attachment during normal use, and frangible elements that are designed to break under impact forces. This segmentation allows the system to exhibit different mechanical properties depending on the loading condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening mechanism utilizes materials and designs with different mechanical thresholds - the rigid elements maintain strength under normal forces while the frangible elements are designed to fail at higher impact forces. This parameter differentiation enables automatic detachment when impact exceeds a predetermined threshold.
2Ease of operation
If frangible screws are used, then the tangential component of detaching force is effective in breaking the screws, but the normal component is less effective and direction matters
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible elements are strategically positioned and oriented within the fastening mechanism to be sensitive to both tangential and normal impact components. This asymmetric design ensures that impacts from various directions will effectively engage the frangible elements and trigger detachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening mechanism is designed to respond to multiple types of impact forces (tangential, normal, and combined) through a unified frangible element system. This multi-functional design allows the visor to detach reliably regardless of the specific direction or combination of forces applied during impact.
3Reliability
If snap fasteners are used to affix the visor to the shell, then the visor can detach easily during impact, but the visor may be unintentionally detached when hit by flying debris
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible elements are pre-designed with specific mechanical thresholds that must be exceeded to trigger detachment. This preliminary design ensures that normal operational forces including debris impact are insufficient to cause unintended detachment, while genuine collision forces will exceed the threshold and trigger release.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening mechanism uses materials and geometries with carefully selected mechanical properties that create a threshold effect. The rigid elements provide high attachment strength for normal use, while the frangible elements are designed to fail only when impact forces exceed a predetermined threshold, preventing unintended detachment from minor impacts.
4Ease of manufacture
If a gap is created between the outer surface of the shell and the inner surface of the visor, then the visor can be affixed to the shell, but the gap may increase the helmet rotational force during collision
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening mechanism is integrated into the visor structure itself, with fastening elements positioned at the inner surface of the visor that engage with corresponding elements on the shell. This integration eliminates the need for separate attachment hardware that would create gaps, allowing the visor to sit flush against the shell.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening elements are nested within the visor-shell interface, with the rigid elements and frangible elements positioned to engage closely together. This nested arrangement allows the visor to be securely attached while maintaining a flush fit that minimizes rotational leverage during impact.
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 helmet ensures secure visor attachment during normal use and easy detachment upon impact, reducing rotational hazards and allowing for easy maintenance, with the flexible holding mechanism effectively releasing the visor from the shell regardless of the impact direction, thus enhancing safety and usability.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible holding portion (26) is made with an elastic material
Implementation Method 2
in case the visor is affixed to the shell by means of magnetic elements
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a protective helmet (10) comprising an outer shell (12) and a visor (14) removably coupled to the outer shell (12) by means of a fastening mechanism (20) positioned on facing surfaces of the shell (12) and the visor (14). According to the invention the fastening mechanism (20) comprises complementarily shaped elements (22, 24) comprising at least one protrusion (22) and at least one receiving seat (24) provided with a flexible holding portion (26). The at least one protrusion (22) is adapted to be removably fixed inside the at least one receiving seat (24) by engaging the flexible holding portion (26).