Design Elements of the Football Helmet

The football helmet has gone through stages in its development and is gaining excellence as protective head gear. Football helmet designers are constantly striving to come up with a better helmet that incorporates different aspects of helmet design successfully. For the helmet designer, the main elements to football helmet design are the shape, weight, flexibility, cushioning and comfort. The chin strap and face mask come after these
considerations.

The shape of the football helmet is spherical because this shape protects the wearer. The rounded shape can deflect hits with the ball or another helmet into a glancing blow. The impact of a collision can be reduced by the spherical shape as the curves move away from the hit. The surface of the helmet may have features which will increase the helmet's hardiness such as the corrugated surface.

The weight of is an important aspect of comfort. Helmet designers continue to improve on the model of a lightweight helmet that is durable and strong enough to protect the wearer under impact conditions. Some inexpensive models are lightweight without the extra protection that the more expensive helmets provide.

The plastic material on modern helmets is used because of the flexibility and durability that plastic offers. When an impact occurs, it is important that the helmet's material is flexible so that it will not break apart. The plastic material should not be so flexible or thin that it loses its protective quality either.

Cushioning inside the helmet is crucial to the helmet's protective quality and comfort for the wearer. Cushioning should follow the helmet's contour and the shape of the wearer's head closely to provide the utmost absorption of impact. Cushioning may be foam, inflatable and interchangeable according to the manufacturer's design. A helmet will be more comfortable when the cushioning follows the shape of the wearer's head closely. Some manufacturer's use cushioning material, which is resistant to mold and bacteria.

Moisture in the helmet can make the wearer uncomfortable. Many manufacturer's will increase the helmet wearer's level of comfort by adding a ventilation system in the helmet. Generally, this means having cutaway spots from which air can circulate into and moisture out of the helmet during use.

Football helmets may or may not have the chin strap and face mask attached. These two separate parts are necessary for the safety of the wearer. A football helmet may have one or the other part attached according to the manufacturer's design. For some helmets, an over sized face mask may be required. The time that it takes to put on the helmet and attachments is a consideration for some players. The helmet with the chin strap and face mask attached will be the quickest helmet to put on.

When choosing a football helmet, consumers will pay a higher price for the most protective helmet. While all football helmet designers pay attention to the basic elements of football helmet design, cheap football helmets will not have all the protective and comfort features of the more expensive helmets.

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