# US 10,306,943 B2 · Shock absorbing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,306,943 B2 - Document ID: US10306943B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/586,931 - Filed: 2017-05-04 - Published: 2017-11-09 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-06 - Assignees: Juan N. Walterspiel - Applicants: Juan N. Walterspiel - Inventors: Juan N. Walterspiel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10306943B2 ## CPC - A42B 3/125: {with a padded structure, e.g. foam} - A42B 3/063: {using layered structures} - A42B 3/064: {with relative movement between layers} - A42B 3/121: {with at least one layer or pad containing a fluid} - A42B 3/283: {Air inlets or outlets, with or without closure shutters} - A63B 71/0054: {Features for injury prevention on an apparatus, e.g. shock absorbers (mats or the like for absorbing shocks for jumping A63B6/00)} - A63B 2071/0063: {Shock absorbers} - A42B: HATS; HEAD COVERINGS (headbands A41D20/00; head-scarves A41D23/00) - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract A shock absorbing helmet includes an outer shell, an inner shock absorbing liner attached to the outer shell, and multiple compressible balls coupled with the outer shell and/or the shock absorbing liner in such a way that the compressible balls are free to move, relative to the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner, when the helmet is impacted by an object. A method of manufacturing a shock absorbing helmet involves forming an outer shell of the helmet, forming a shock absorbing liner of the helmet, attaching multiple compressible balls to the outer shell and/or the shock absorbing liner in such a way that the compressible balls are free to move, relative to the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner, when the helmet is impacted by an object, and attaching the outer shell to the shock absorbing liner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A shock absorbing helmet, comprising: an outer shell having multiple outer shell holes; an inner shock absorbing liner attached to the outer shell and having multiple inner liner holes; and multiple compressible balls disposed between the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner in such a way that the compressible balls are free to move, relative to the outer shell and the inner shock absorbing liner, when the helmet is impacted by an object, wherein each of the multiple compressible balls protrudes through one of the outer shell holes and one of the inner liner holes, such that it is free to rotate when the helmet is impacted. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 1, wherein each of the compressible balls is hollow. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 1, wherein each of the compressible balls comprises multiple holes, and wherein each of the multiple holes has a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, oval and hexagonal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 1, wherein the compressible balls are made of a material selected from the group consisting of elastic materials, resilient materials and shape memory materials. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 4, wherein multiple holes in each of the compressible balls are covered by the material, and wherein the material covering the holes is thinner than the material forming the non-hole portion of the ball. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 1, wherein each of the compressible balls is filled with a substance selected from the group consisting of a liquid, a gel and a foam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 1, further comprising at least one attachment member for attaching at least one of the multiple compressible balls to at least one of the shock absorbing liner, the outer shell or a neighboring one of the multiple compressible balls. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 7, wherein the at least one attachment member is selected from the group consisting of flexible string, hook-and-loop fasteners, stretchable material, tear-away material, magnets, push-buttons, flexible collars and detachable adhesive. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 1, further comprising multiple attachment members for attaching the multiple compressible balls to at least one of the outer shell or the shock absorbing liner, to maintain the compressible balls in their locations within the multiple outer shell holes and the multiple inner liner holes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 9, wherein the multiple attachment members are breakable and are selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop fasteners, magnets, push-buttons, flexible collars, pop-in/pop-out sleeves and detachable adhesive. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The shock absorbing helmet of claim 9, wherein the multiple attachment members comprise: a frame with multiple holes; and multiple pop-in/pop-out sleeves attached to the frame around the multiple holes. ### Claim 12 A method of manufacturing a shock absorbing helmet, the method comprising: forming an outer shell of the helmet with multiple outer shell holes; forming a shock absorbing liner of the helmet with multiple liner holes; positioning multiple compressible balls between the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner in such a way that each of the compressible balls protrudes through one of the multiple outer shell holes and one of the multiple liner holes so that each of the compressible balls is free to rotate, relative to the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner, when the helmet is impacted by an object; and attaching the outer shell to the shock absorbing liner. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner form a cavity between them when they are attached to one another, and wherein the multiple compressible balls are positioned in the cavity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the compressible balls are placed between the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner before the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner are attached to one another to form the cavity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein each of the compressible balls is hollow. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein each of the compressible balls comprises multiple holes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the compressible balls are made of a material selected from the group consisting of elastic materials, resilient materials and shape memory materials. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein each of the compressible balls is filled with a substance selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels and foams. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising attaching the compressible balls to at least one of the outer shell or the shock absorbing liner using at least one attachment member selected from the group consisting of flexible string, hook-and-loop fasteners, stretchable material, tear-away material, magnets, push-buttons, flexible collars and adhesive. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising attaching at least some of the compressible balls to one another using at least one attachment member selected from the group consisting of flexible string, hook-and-loop fasteners, stretchable material, tear-away material, magnets, push-buttons, flexible collars and adhesive. ### Claim 21 A shock absorbing helmet, comprising: an outer shell; an inner shock absorbing liner attached to the outer shell to form a cavity; and multiple compressible balls disposed in the cavity such that they are free to roll within the cavity when the helmet is impacted by an object, wherein the multiple compressible balls comprise: an upper layer of compressible balls that contact the outer shell; and a lower layer of compressible balls that contact the shock absorbing liner, wherein at least some of the compressible balls are free to move from the upper layer to the lower layer or from the lower layer to the upper layer upon impact of the helmet with the object. ### Claim 22 A shock absorbing helmet, comprising: an outer shell; an inner shock absorbing liner attached to the outer shell to form a cavity; a middle shell disposed between the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner; and multiple compressible balls disposed in the cavity such that they are free to roll within the cavity when the helmet is impacted by an object, wherein the multiple compressible balls comprise: an upper layer of compressible balls disposed between the outer shell and the middle shell; and a lower layer of compressible balls disposed between the middle shell and the shock absorbing liner. ### Claim 23 A shock absorbing helmet, comprising: an outer shell; an inner shock absorbing liner attached to the outer shell; and multiple compressible balls coupled with at least one of the outer shell or the inner shock absorbing liner in such a way that the compressible balls are free to move, relative to the outer shell and the inner shock absorbing liner, when the helmet is impacted by an object, wherein the compressible balls are made of a material selected from the group consisting of elastic materials, resilient materials and shape memory materials, wherein multiple holes in each of the compressible balls are covered by the material, and wherein the material covering the holes is thinner than the material forming the non-hole portion of the each of the balls. ### Claim 24 A method of manufacturing a shock absorbing helmet, the method comprising: forming an outer shell of the helmet; attaching a shock absorbing liner to the outer shell to form a cavity; placing multiple compressible balls in the cavity, such that the compressible balls are free to roll within the cavity when the outer shell of the helmet is impacted by an object, wherein placing the compressible balls comprises stacking an upper layer of the compressible balls over a lower layer of the compressible balls within the cavity, and wherein the compressible balls are placed between the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner before the outer shell and the shock absorbing liner are attached to one another to form the cavity; and positioning a middle shell between the upper layer and the lower layer of the compressible balls.