Flat Pack Bicycle Helmet

Well nothings new.  I had seen the total lack of interest in Lord Campbel's bicycle's and figured that was partly because in order to ride them one has to be in a posession of a helmet.  Now ladies with handbags may dig around inside and locate one and even a spare for a friend but as for the rest of us .....

I figured what was needed was a flat pack helmet that could be dispensed from a vending machine.  My guess is you could sell a cardboard and coolite helmet for about $2-$3.

So I had a look on the net and of course it has been done before.

http://www.abitare.it/selected-by-abitare/tatoo-helmet/

It seems that the traditional makers feel a bit miffed becuase there were posts aplenty poo pooing it on the grounds of structural integrity and crash worthyness.  Something I had not considered when sitting around thinking of how this could be done.  It seems that the problem is as much a political and spin problem as it is an engineering one.  I guess the price just went up to $5 per helmet and a big BCC grant to get the inevitable "Independant test" that would be required by "a current affair"

I doubt if the hat in this photo would pass any sort of standard test except perhaps for oragami.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/folding-bike-helmet.php
Mind you one does wonder whether if it were made of carbon fiber and the holes were much much smaller......

As at start of 2011 helmets must meet AS2063:2008
http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/974624

http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?DocN=AS0733789315AT
$AU 53.00

Apparantly a US standard Snell B95 is similar.  Given that SAI Global make a profit from selling standards, it may be easier to actually find a copy of the Snell B95 document.


So far I have not been able to find a copy of either standard nor what would be even more interesting would be a description of the actual testing.

I note however that recently the Lord Mayor has embarked upon a cunning alternative plan to save his bicycles.  Get elected to state parliment and repeal the stupid helment law and free up those bicycles from almost mandatory detention.