System and method for forming protective sports helmet for a player engaged in a sports activity
A protective sports helmet, such as a football helmet, to be worn by a player while playing a sports activity, such as football activities. The helmet includes a shell configured to receive a head of the player. An energy attenuation layer includes a three-dimensional (3D) printed pad member that is removably positioned adjacent to an inner surface of the helmet shell. An inner arrangement of comfort pad members, including an internal foam pad material, are positioned between the 3D printed pad member and the player's head when the helmet is worn by the player. A portion of the helmet is configured or is selected based upon analysis of head data of the player that is obtained by an electronic device that images the player's head. The 3D printed pad member is selected from a group of 3D printed pad members based upon a comparison between the player head data and data associated with each of the 3D printed pad members contained in that group.
1 . A protective sports helmet to be worn by a player while playing a sports activity, the protective sports helmet comprising:
a helmet shell configured to receive a head of the player;
an energy attenuation layer that includes a three-dimensional (3D) printed pad member that is removably positioned adjacent to an inner surface of the helmet shell;
an inner arrangement of comfort pad members having a foam pad material, wherein the comfort pad members are positioned between the 3D printed pad member and the player's head when the helmet is worn by the player; and
wherein a portion of the helmet is configured based upon analysis of head data of said player that is obtained by an electronic device.
2 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the 3D printed pad member is elastically deformable in response to an impact received by a region of the helmet shell that overlies said portion of the 3D printed pad member.
3 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the inner arrangement of comfort pad members includes a first comfort pad that is selected from a group of comfort pad members having different thicknesses.
4 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the comfort pad members of said inner arrangement includes an inner surface that is configured to substantially match a surface that is derived from a computerized model of the player's head, and wherein said computerized model of the player's head is created from the player head data that is obtained by the electronic device.
5 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printed pad member includes an inner surface that is configured to substantially match a surface that is derived from a computerized model of the player's head, and wherein said computerized model of the player's head is created from the player head data that is obtained by the electronic device.
6 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the energy attenuation layer provides an overall inner surface, an overall outer surface, and an actual distance that extends between the overall inner and outer surfaces; and
wherein said actual distance is greater than a pre-determined minimum distance associated with the protective sports helmet.
7 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printed pad member is selected from analysis of the head data of said player.
8 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the comfort pad members is selected from analysis of the head data of said player.
9 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the inner arrangement of comfort pad members comprises a first comfort pad and a second comfort pad that are: (i) removably coupled to the 3D printed pad member, and (ii) separated by an appreciable gap from each other.
10 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printed pad member is formed from a polyurethane material.
11 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printed pad member includes a lattice structure formed from an additive process using a three-dimensional (3D) printer.
12 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printed pad member is selected from a group of 3D printed pad members based upon a comparison between (i) said head data and (ii) data associated with each of the 3D printed pad members contained in the group of 3D printed pad members.
13 . The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the helmet shell is configured based upon said analysis of said head data obtained by the electronic device.
14 . The protective sports helmet of claim 2 , wherein the 3D printed pad member is configured based upon said analysis of said head data obtained by the electronic device.
15 . The protective sports helmet of claim 2 , wherein the comfort pad members are configured based upon said analysis of said head data obtained by the electronic device.
16 . A football helmet to be worn by a player while engaged in football activities, the football helmet comprising:
a helmet shell configured to receive a head of the player;
a three-dimensional (3D) printed pad members removably positioned adjacent to an inner surface of the helmet shell; and
an inner arrangement of comfort pad members having a foam pad material, wherein the comfort pad members are positioned between the 3D printed pad member and the player's head when the helmet is worn by the player; and
wherein a portion of the helmet is selected based upon analysis of player data obtained by an electronic device that images the player's head.
17 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the inner arrangement of comfort pad members includes a first comfort pad that is selected from a group of comfort pad members having different thicknesses.
18 . The football helmet of claim 17 , where said selected first comfort pad has a thickness of less than 15 millimeters.
19 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the comfort pad members of said inner arrangement includes an inner surface that is configured to substantially match a surface that is derived from a computerized model of the player's head, and wherein said computerized model of the player's head is created from the player data that is obtained by the electronic device.
20 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the 3D printed pad member includes an inner surface that is configured to substantially match a surface that is derived from a computerized model of the player's head, and wherein said computerized model of the player's head is created from the player data that is obtained by said electronic device.
21 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the 3D printed pad member is selected from analysis of the player data.
22 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the comfort pad members is selected from analysis of the player data.
23 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the inner arrangement of comfort pad members comprises a first comfort pad and a second comfort pad that are: (i) removably coupled to the 3D printed pad member, and (ii) separated by an appreciable gap from each other.
24 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the 3D printed pad member includes a lattice structure formed from an additive process using a three-dimensional (3D) printer.
25 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the 3D printed pad member is selected from a group of 3D printed pad members based upon a comparison between (i) said player data and (ii) data associated with each of the 3D printed pad members contained in the group of 3D printed pad members.
26 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the helmet shell is configured based upon said analysis of player data obtained by the electronic device.
27 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the 3D printed pad member is configured based upon said analysis of player data obtained by the electronic device.
28 . The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein the comfort pad members are configured based upon said analysis of player data obtained by the electronic device.