Description
Primarily made of carbon-fiber, the device is U-shaped, with the back of the U set behind the nape of the neck, and the two arms laying flat along the top of the chest over the pectoral muscles; the device in general supported by the shoulders. It is attached only to the helmet — and not to the belts, driver's body, or seat — by two anchors on either side, much like the Hutchens device but placed slightly back. In a properly installed 5-point or 6-point racing harness, the belts that cross the driver's upper body pass directly over the HANS device on the driver's shoulders, and they buckle at the center of the driver's abdomen. Therefore, the HANS device is secured with the body of the driver, not the seat.
The purpose of the device is to stop the head from whipping forward in a crash, without otherwise restricting movement of the neck. In a crash, an unprotected body is decelerated by the seatbelt with the head maintaining velocity until it is decelerated by the neck. The HANS device maintains the relative position of the head to the body, with the device transferring energy to the much stronger chest, torso, shoulder, seatbelts, and seat as the head is decelerated.
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