Optimized whitewater helmet design

Abstract

An improved padding system for a helmet and process for designing the padding system are described. In one example, a helmet for an individual can include an outer shell having an inner surface. The helmet can further include a padding system coupled to the inner surface. The padding system can include pad clusters that are respectively positioned at different locations on the inner surface. Each of the pad clusters can include discrete pads that are individually coupled to the inner surface in a defined arrangement. In one example, the defined arrangement can be a certain arrangement that allows the discrete pads to collectively provide a desired system stiffness for the padding system. The desired system stiffness in this example can be a certain system stiffness that can reduce at least one of peak linear or peak rotational accelerations to the head of the individual during an impact.

Therefore, at least the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A helmet for an individual, comprising:
 an outer shell having an inner surface; and   a padding system coupled to the inner surface, the padding system comprising pad clusters that are respectively positioned at different locations on the inner surface, each of the pad clusters comprising discrete pads that are individually coupled to the inner surface in a defined arrangement.   
     
     
         2 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the discrete pads comprises a discrete cylindrical pad. 
     
     
         3 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the discrete pads comprises a discrete solid cylindrical pad or a discrete hollow cylindrical pad. 
     
     
         4 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the discrete pads comprises a vinyl nitrile material. 
     
     
         5 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein one or more first discrete pads of the discrete pads comprise at least one of a first material or a first stiffness that is different than at least one of a second material or a second stiffness, respectively, of one or more second discrete pads of the discrete pads. 
     
     
         6 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the discrete pads comprises a first vinyl nitrile material having a first stiffness and a second vinyl nitrile material having a second stiffness. 
     
     
         7 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein one or more first pad clusters of the pad clusters have at least one of a first pad quantity, a first pad arrangement, or a first pad spacing that is different than at least one of a second pad quantity, a second pad arrangement, or a second pad spacing, respectively, of one or more second pad clusters of the pad clusters. 
     
     
         8 . The helmet of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one fitting pad coupled to at least one of the discrete pads. 
     
     
         9 . A helmet for an individual, comprising:
 an outer shell having an outer surface and an inner surface;   an outer padding system coupled to the outer surface; and   an inner padding system coupled to the inner surface, the inner padding system comprising pad clusters that are respectively positioned at different locations on the inner surface, each of the pad clusters comprising discrete pads that are individually coupled to the inner surface in a defined arrangement.   
     
     
         10 . The helmet of  claim 9 , wherein the outer padding system comprises one or more pads comprising a vinyl nitrile material. 
     
     
         11 . The helmet of  claim 9 , wherein the outer padding system comprises one or more first pads comprising a first vinyl nitrile material having a first defined stiffness and one or more second pads comprising a second vinyl nitrile material having a second defined stiffness. 
     
     
         12 . The helmet of  claim 9 , wherein the outer padding system comprises at least one pad comprising a first vinyl nitrile material having a first stiffness and a second vinyl nitrile material having a second stiffness. 
     
     
         13 . The helmet of  claim 9 , wherein each of the discrete pads comprises a discrete cylindrical pad, a discrete solid cylindrical pad, or a discrete hollow cylindrical pad. 
     
     
         14 . The helmet of  claim 9 , wherein each of the discrete pads comprises a vinyl nitrile material having a defined stiffness. 
     
     
         15 . The helmet of  claim 9 , wherein one or more first discrete pads of the discrete pads comprise at least one of a first material or a first stiffness that is different than at least one of a second material or a second stiffness, respectively, of one or more second discrete pads of the discrete pads. 
     
     
         16 . The helmet of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the discrete pads comprises a first vinyl nitrile material having a first stiffness and a second vinyl nitrile material having a second stiffness. 
     
     
         17 . The helmet of  claim 9 , wherein one or more first pad clusters of the pad clusters have at least one of a first pad quantity, a first pad arrangement, or a first pad spacing that is different than at least one of a second pad quantity, a second pad arrangement, or a second pad spacing, respectively, of one or more second pad clusters of the pad clusters. 
     
     
         18 . The helmet of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one fitting pad coupled to at least one of the discrete pads. 
     
     
         19 . A process of designing a helmet, the process including:
 evaluating different arrangements of discrete cylindrical pads individually coupled to an inner surface of an outer shell of the helmet based on system stiffnesses corresponding to the different arrangements;   identifying an arrangement of the discrete cylindrical pads that corresponds to a defined system stiffness based on evaluation of the different arrangements; and   designing an inner padding system of the helmet based on identification of the arrangement of the discrete cylindrical pads that corresponds to the defined system stiffness.   
     
     
         20 . The process of designing a helmet of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 evaluating different combinations of the inner padding system with one or more outer pads coupled to an outer surface of the outer shell of the helmet based on head accelerations corresponding to the different combinations;   identifying a combination of the inner padding system with the one or more outer pads that corresponds to a defined head acceleration based on evaluation of the different combinations; and   designing an outer padding system of the helmet based on identification of the combination of the inner padding system with the one or more outer pads that corresponds to the defined head acceleration.