6D TECH 101:
WHY 6D IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER HELMET IN THE WORLD.
THE 6D ADVANTAGE: OMNI DIRECTIONAL SUSPENSION
6D® Helmets has changed the helmet industry forever. Omni-Directional Suspension (ODS) is the innovative technology that made that possible. Simply stated, ODS is Suspension For Your Head. But it goes way beyond just suspension! 6D’s proprietary ODS technology is the key to what sets the 6D apart from any other helmet or helmet technology available. ODS reduces energy transfer to the brain by means of its 3-dimensional displacement capability (providing 6 degrees (6D) of freedom) of its suspended inner liner. This is something that no other helmet technology can offer!
LIKE NOTHING ELSE. We encourage you to explore the benefits of ODS and how it compares to traditional helmet designs as well as the emerging technologies from other manufacturers. 6D’s patented ODS duai-liner system is the only technology providing significant reductions in angular acceleration while simultaneously reducing low-threshold energy transfer to the brain. There is simply no better solution out there. 6D’s ODS technology is so impressive in fact, that it was selected as a first round winner in the NFL’s Head Health Challenge III material safety grant program in 2016. Achieving this level of recognition and success within the Head Health Challenge further validates the excellent properties and benefits of the ODS technology. US PATENT NUMBER
8,955,169
WORLD WIDE PATENTS: UNITED STATES US 8,955,169 B2 EUROPE EP 2 672 853 B1 CHINA ZL 201280017579.I
6DHELMETS.COM
OMNI DIRECTIONAL SUSPENSION (ODS) – EXCLUSIVE IN 6D 6D’s revolutionary Omni-Directional Suspension (ODS) technology is the key to what sets the 6D helmet apart from any other helmet or helmet technology available. ODS reduces energy transfer to the brain by means of its suspended dual-liner system.
OMNI-DIRECTIONAL SUSPENSION ODS COMPARED TO COMPETING NEW TECHNOLOGIES Manufactures have scrambled since the introduction of the 6D helmet to address the need for improved helmet performance. Some have done better than others. The challenge for each of them is the natural shape of the human head. It’s oval shape restricts the helmet from shearing in relation to the skull in two of the three primary axis X, Y and Z. This is because the inner surface of the helmet’s liner binds under rotation with the 4 corners of the skull in one direction, and the cheek bones and jaw in the other direction. For example, shear-plane technology (multiple manufacturers) mated to the helmet’s inner liner is designed to improve the amount of slip that your head naturally has within the helmet. If the head cannot move very far (because it’s fit properly) and the shape of the skull naturally constrains its movement, then these types of systems cannot do much work (unless you’re crushing EPS in a high-energy crash at the same time). Additionally, a 1-dimensional shear-plane solution has no ability to mitigate linear accelerations. Other circular damper designs mated to the inner surface face the same challenges overcoming the shape of the human head. They are shallow by design allowing little true shearing space and capability, especially if they are already compressed to some degree by the head form in the fitting process (which is likely). 6D’s ODS technology is designed with its shearable suspension system sandwiched between two EPS foam liners which are shaped more spherical, like a ball and socket. This superior design positioning allows for 6 degrees (6D) of free-motion displacement during an impact, regardless of your head shape, the angle of impact, or how tight your helmet fits! - ODS uncouples the outer surface of the helmet from the wearer’s head. - The ODS system’s isolation dampers activate long before the EPS. This capability allows ODS to mitigate impact forces at varying impact velocities, from all impact angles, for both linear and angular acceleration. - ODS by its design has 6 degrees (6D) of free-motion displacement capability of the inner liner in relation to the outer liner and is less restricted by the shape of the human head. - ODS is not compromised by the impact angle to the helmet’s outer surface. Simple shear-plane technologies are less effective as the impact angle moves closer to 90 degrees.
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ANGULAR ACCELERATION The medical community has determined that angular acceleration (rotational force, generated during oblique-angle impacts common in crashes) is the primary cause of concussion and traumatic brain injury. Old Technology: Traditional helmets are directly “coupled” to the head preventing any ability to mitigate angular acceleration forces. Scientific laboratory testing proved that when subjected to identical impacts, a helmeted head sustained the same degree of angular acceleration as an un-helmeted head*. ODS Technology: ODS ‘uncouples’ the helmet from the head form. The suspended dual-liner assembly compresses and shears omni-directionally when subjected to oblique impacts mitigating the transfer of angular acceleration to the head and brain. Peak Angular Accelerations / 4 m/sec / ATB-1T Front *Experiments conducted by David C. Viano, PhD. M.D. and the Bioengineering Center at Wayne State University confirmed that a helmeted head sustained the same degree of angular acceleration as the un-helmeted head when subjected to identical impacts.
ANGULAR ACCELERATION 6DHELMETS.COM
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“I have been racing for 35 years and have seen a lot of innovative products, 6D 3is the obvious choice for m/sec* protecting your head. With my 10 year old son racing now, 6D is the only helmet you will see us using ”
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- Doug Duback / Vet World Champion
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LOW-THRESHOLD ENERGY Recent medical research has provided alarming conclusions surrounding the causes, severity, and long-term effects of concussions: - New Knowledge: Even seemingly minor concussions may have much more serious long-term effects on the brain. To meet certification tests’ high velocity requirements, traditional helmet designs are simply too stiff to effectively absorb energy from impacts at lower velocities. - The majority of impacts one might experience in a real-world crash qualify as low-threshold energy impacts; impacts well below certification tests’ pass/fail velocities, but severe enough to sustain a concussion.
LOWTHRESHOLD ENERGY
- ODS starts working the instant any force is applied to the shell, making the helmet more compliant and progressive over a broad range of impact velocities experienced in the highest percentage of ‘real world’ crashs. Peak Linear Accelerations / 3 m/sec / ATB-1T Front
6DHELMETS.COM
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HIGHVELOCITY IMPACTS
HIGH VELOCITY IMPACTS Across the entire range of potential impact velocities, the 6D helmet with ODS technology consistently outperforms traditional helmet designs. 6D’s shells, EPS, dampers, and damper array are engineered to provide the best possible impact management performance across all levels of impact velocities. Peak Linear Accelerations / 6 m/sec / ATB-1T Front
TIME-TO-PEAK (TTP) TIME-TO-PEAK (TTP)
ODS buys time during the impact event!
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Time-to-Peak (TTP) is how long it takes the energy of an impact to reach maximum G-force. Deceleration time is the single most beneficial component in reducing the severity and magnitude of any impact — the more time, the less energy transferred.
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Time To Peak (TTP) Accelerations / 4 m/sec / ATB-1T Front
0 Time To Peak (TTP) Acceleration During Incline Anvil Testing 3 meters per second (6.71mph) Front* *Dynamic Reserch, Torrance, CA
6D
The Competition
6DHELMETS.COM
LIKE NOTHING ELSE.
6D Helmets 2861 Saturn St., Unit B, Brea, CA 92821, USA 6Dhelmets.com