System and method for testing a football helmet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12478126-B2
Application number	US-202318311012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2023
Priority date	Aug 16, 2018
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective sports helmet purposely designed for a selected group of helmet wearers from amongst a larger population of helmet wearers. A multi-step method for helmet design starts by collecting information from a population of players that may include information about the shape of a player's head and the impacts the player has sustained. This information is then processed to create player population information that is sorted to create categories. Advanced mathematical techniques are utilized to further sort these categories into player groups or data sets based on player attributes. Once the player groups are identified, another multi-step process is utilized to design optimized helmet prototype models for each player group. These optimized helmet prototype models are then further processed into complete helmet models by determining a structural design and chemical composition that is manufacturable and has mechanical properties that are substantially similar to the optimized helmet prototype model. Physical helmet prototypes are then created and tested using a unique helmet standard derived from information associated with each player group. Once the prototypes pass testing, the complete helmet models can be manufactured to create actual stock helmets or stock helmet components for future players whose characteristics and attributes place them within the selected player group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for testing an American football helmet, the method comprising the steps of:
procuring an American football helmet with: (i) a shell, (ii) an energy attenuation assembly positioned within the shell, and (iii) a faceguard secured to the shell; obtaining a position specific helmet testing standard developed based on analyzing helmet impact information associated with a group of players that primarily play a specific playing position; positioning the American football helmet on a headform; and using a linear impactor to impact the American football helmet according to the position specific helmet standard.

2 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the specific playing position is an offensive line position, and wherein the helmet impact information for the group of player includes more impacts to a frontal portion of the American football helmet as compared to a rear portion of the American football helmet.

3 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the specific playing position is a defensive line position, and wherein the helmet impact information for the group of player includes impacts with higher HITSP than a second group of players that primarily play an offensive line position.

4 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the specific playing position is an offensive line position and the American football helmet receives a high result in connection with the position specific helmet standard by absorbing a larger amount of force from an impact applied to a frontal portion of the American football helmet as compared to the amount of force absorbed by a rear portion of the American football helmet from the same impact applied to said rear portion.

5 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein: (i) the American football helmet is a first American football helmet that is designed for the specific playing position to be an offensive line position, and (ii) testing the first American football helmet using the position specific helmet standard causes a first local deformation of a frontal portion of the first American football; and
wherein the testing methodology further includes (i) obtaining a second American football helmet that is not designed to be worn a player that primarily plays the offensive line position, and (ii) testing the second American football using the position specific helmet standard causes a second local deformation of a frontal portion of the second American football helmet that is less than the first local deformation of a frontal portion of the first American football.

6 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 5 , wherein testing the first American football helmet using the position specific helmet standard provides a first result and testing the second American football helmet using the position specific helmet standard provides a second result that is lower than the first result.

7 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the specific playing position is a quarterback position, and wherein the helmet impact information for the group of player includes more impacts to a rear portion of the American football helmet as compared to a front portion of the American football helmet.

8 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the American football helmet meets or exceeds the position specific helmet standard associated with a quarterback position by absorbing a larger amount of force from an impact applied to a rear portion of the American football as compared to the amount of force absorbed by a front portion of the American football from the same impact applied to said rear portion.

9 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein: (i) the American football helmet is a first American football helmet that is intended for the specific playing position to be a quarterback position, and (ii) testing the first American football helmet using the position specific helmet standard causes a first local deformation of a rear portion of the first American football; and
wherein the testing methodology further includes (i) obtaining a second American football helmet that is not indented to be worn a player that primarily plays the quarterback position, and (ii) testing the second American football helmet using the position specific helmet standard causes a second local deformation of a rear portion of the second American football helmet that is less than the first local deformation of a rear portion of the first American football.

10 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 9 , wherein testing the first American football helmet using the position specific helmet standard provides a first result and testing the second American football helmet using the position specific helmet standard provides a second result that is lower than the first result.

11 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein development of the position specific helmet standard further includes analyzing helmet impact information associated with a second group of players that do not primarily play said specific playing position, wherein the helmet impact information associated with the first group of players is different than the helmet impact information associated with the second group of players.

12 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the energy attenuation assembly includes a pre-manufactured pad that has been selected from a plurality of pre-manufactured pads based on head data collected from the player using a handheld electronic device.

13 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , further comprising a monitoring unit positioned within the American football helmet to collect physiological parameter data while a player is engaged in playing football.

14 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 13 , wherein the American football helmet is part of a system that further comprises a graphical user interface configured to selectively display a training opportunity indicator when the collected physiological parameter data exceeds the predetermined threshold of said previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data.

15 . The method for testing an American football helmet of claim 1 , wherein said position specific helmet standard includes the following steps:
impacting the side region, the front region, and the rear region of the shell; recording: (i) side impact data from the impact to the side region of the shell, (ii) front impact data from the impact to the front region of the shell, and (iii) rear impact data from the impact to the rear region of the shell; obtaining: (i) a side weighting variable, (ii) a rear weighting variable, and (iii) a front weighting variable that is less than the rear weighting variable; calculating: (i) a weighted side impact data using the recorded side impact data and the side weighting variable, (ii) a weighted rear impact data using the recorded rear impact data and the rear weighting variable, and (iii) a weighted front impact data using the recorded front impact data and the front weighting variable; and determining a testing result for the obtained American football helmet using a combination of: (i) the weighted side impact data, (ii) the weighted rear impact data, and (iii) weighted front impact data.

16 . The method for testing an American footba

Assignees

• Riddell

Inventors

• Bologna Vittorio
• GILLOGLY Murphy
• Ide Thad M

Classifications

• G06T17/00

  Three-dimensional [3D] modelling for computer graphics · CPC title

• B29L2031/4821

  Helmets · CPC title

• A42B3/04

  Parts, details or accessories of helmets · CPC title

• A42B3/046

  Means for detecting hazards or accidents · CPC title

• A42C2/007 Primary

  Manufacturing custom-sized helmets · CPC title