Fitment system and method for designing a football helmet
A data collection, processing and fitment system for a protective sports helmet that is designed to improve: (i) the comfort and fit of the helmet, (ii) the efficiency of the design, selection and build process, and (iii) how the helmet responds when an impact or series of impacts are received by the helmet when worn by a player. In general terms, the system selects a combination of pre-manufactured energy attenuation components from a larger collection of pre-manufactured energy attenuation components that best fit the head of the player that will wear the helmet based upon data collected from the player.
1 . A method of designing and assembling an American football helmet for a specific player from a collection of pre-manufactured energy attenuation components that best fit the head of the specific player, the method comprising:
obtaining anatomical data of a specific player's head using a scanning device;
creating a model of the specific player's head from the obtained anatomical data within a computer software program, wherein said model includes an outer surface;
providing a computerized template that includes a plurality of energy attenuation surfaces that are individually associated with a group of pre-manufactured energy attenuation components, wherein each of the pre-manufactured energy attenuation components has a different thickness;
aligning the model of the specific player's head within the computerized template;
determining a plurality of fit values, wherein each of the plurality of fit values is defined as a distance extending from the outer surface of the model of the specific player's head to an energy attenuation surface of the plurality of energy attenuation surfaces;
comparing each of the plurality of fit values to a predefined ideal fit value that provides a desired interference fit with the specific player's head when the helmet is worn in a pre-impact state;
selecting a specific fit value that best fits the predefined ideal fit value;
identifying the pre-manufactured energy attenuation component that is associated with the specific fit value; and
installing the identified pre-manufactured energy attenuation component within a helmet shell.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the model of the specific player's head is generated using photogrammetry.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the model substantially matches the outer surface of the specific player's head with a hood disposed thereover.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each energy attenuation surface represents an inner surface of the pre-manufactured energy attenuation components, wherein the inner surface is oriented towards the specific player's head when the helmet is worn by the specific player.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified pre-manufactured energy attenuation component is not interchangeable with another pre-manufactured energy attenuation component in said group.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each pre-manufactured energy attenuation component is configured to be installed in a specific location within the helmet shell and is incompatible with a different location within the helmet shell.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-manufactured energy attenuation components form a variable layer when said components are installed in the helmet shell, and wherein the variable layer is configured to be different between helmets for different players in order to account for their anatomical differences.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the group of pre-manufactured energy attenuation components includes a front pad assembly with a single lower front pad with a single thickness and a plurality of upper front pads, wherein each upper front pad has a a unique thickness, wherein each unique thickness provide a different energy attenuation surface that is evaluated in the step of determining a plurality of fit values.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the group of pre-manufactured energy attenuation components further includes a plurality of rear variable components, wherein each rear variable component has a unique thickness, and wherein each unique thickness provide a different energy attenuation surface that is evaluated in the step of determining a plurality of fit values.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the helmet is worn by the specific player in a pre-impact state, the identified pre-manufactured energy attenuation component applies a pressure of between 0.75 psi and 3 psi on the specific player's head.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the identified pre-manufactured energy attenuation component that applies a pressure of between 0.75 psi and 3 psi on the specific player's head is a crown pad that is installed within a crown region of the helmet shell.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the crown pad is installed in the crown region of the helmet shell above a reference line B-B that extends through the helmet shell.
13 . A method of designing and assembling an American football helmet for a specific player from a collection of pre-manufactured energy attenuation components that best fit the head of the specific player, the method comprising:
obtaining anatomical data of a specific player's head using a scanning device;
creating a model of the specific player's head from the obtained anatomical data within a computer software program, wherein said model includes an outer surface;
aligning the model of the specific player's head within the computer software program;
providing a plurality of energy attenuation line lengths, wherein an energy attenuation line length corresponds to a pre-manufactured energy attenuation component;
determining a plurality of player line lengths within the computer software program;
determining a first fit value by assessing a difference between a first player line length and a corresponding first energy attenuation line length;
comparing the first fit value to a predefined first ideal fit value that provides a desired interference fit with the specific player's head when the helmet is worn in a pre-impact state;
based upon said comparison, selecting a first pre-manufactured energy attenuation component from amongst a group of the pre-manufactured energy attenuation components;
installing the selected first pre-manufactured energy attenuation component within a helmet shell; and
wherein when the helmet is worn by the specific player in a pre-impact state, the selected first pre-manufactured energy attenuation component applies a pressure on the specific player's head.
14 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:
determining a second fit value by assessing the difference between a second player line length and a corresponding second energy attenuation line length;
comparing the second fit value to a predefined second ideal fit value;
based upon said comparing, selecting a second pre-manufactured energy attenuation component from amongst a group of the pre-manufactured energy attenuation components; and,
installing the second pre-manufactured energy attenuation component within the helmet shell.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein (i) the first pre-manufactured energy attenuation component is installed within a first region of the helmet shell and (ii) the second pre-manufactured energy attenuation component is installed within a second region of the helmet shell.
16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining a second fit value by assessing the difference between a second player line length and a corresponding second energy attenuation line length;
comparing the second fit value to a predefined second ideal fit value;
based upon said comparing, selecting from amongst (i) the first pre-manufactured energy attenuation component or (ii) a second pre-manufactured energy attenuation component from amongst the group of the pre-manufactured energy attenuation components; and,
installing the selected first or second pre-manufactured energy attenuation component within the helmet shell.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein each energy attenuation line length is defined as extending between a reference point and an energy attenuation surface of a plurality of energy attenuation surfaces individually associated with the group of pre-manufactured energy attenuation components.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each energy attenuation surface represents an inner surface of the pre-manufactured energy attenuation components.
19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein each player line length is defined as extending between a reference point within the computer software program to an outer surface of the model of the specific player's head.
20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein based upon the first fit value, the first pre-manufactured energy attenuation component applies a pressure of between 0.75 psi and 5.0 psi upon the head of the specific player when the American football helmet is in a worn, pre-impact state.
21 . The method of claim 13 , wherein based upon the first fit value, the first pre-manufactured energy attenuation component applies pressure to form an interference fit with the head of the specific player when the American football helmet is in a worn, pre-impact state.
22 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the selected first pre-manufactured energy attenuation component is configured to be installed in only one specific location within the helmet shell and cannot be installed in a different location within the helmet shell.