# US 12,593,885 B2 · Shock-absorbing assembly and body protection device including same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,593,885 B2 - Document ID: US12593885B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/257,567 - Filed: 2019-07-04 - Published: 2021-10-14 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-04 - Assignees: 9376-4058 Quebec Inc. - Applicants: 9376-4058 Quebec Inc. - Inventors: Gabriel Boutin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12593885B2 ## CPC - A42B 3/06: Impact-absorbing shells, e.g. of crash helmets - A41D 13/0156: {having projecting patterns} - A42B 3/12: Cushioning devices - A42B 3/124: {with at least one corrugated or ribbed layer} - A42B: HATS; HEAD COVERINGS (headbands A41D20/00; head-scarves A41D23/00) - A41D: OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES ## Abstract There is provided a shock-absorbing assembly engageable with a human body part, such as a human head, to protect same. The shock-absorbing assembly comprises a shock-absorbing core including an inner surface configured to face at least a portion of the human body part; and a body contact seat assembly comprising: a plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts mounted to the shock-absorbing core, each one of the resilient posts having a portion protruding from the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core; and a body contact seat mounted to the shock-absorbing core via the protruding portions of the plurality of resilient posts, so that the body contact seat is in spaced relationship with the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core and at least one of slidable, displaceable, shearable and twistable with respect to the inner surface thereof. There is also provided a helmet including such a shock-absorbing assembly and a shock-absorbing kit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A shock-absorbing assembly for protecting a human body part, the shock-absorbing assembly comprising: a shock-absorbing core including an inner surface configured to face at least a portion of the human body part and an opposed outer surface; and a body contact seat assembly comprising: a plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts mounted to the shock-absorbing core, each one of said plurality of resilient posts having a portion protruding from the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core towards the human body part; and a body contact seat mounted to the shock-absorbing core via the protruding portions of said plurality of resilient posts, so that the body contact seat is in spaced relationship with the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core and at least one of slidable, displaceable, shearable, and twistable with respect to the inner surface thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shock-absorbing core comprises a plurality of spaced-apart receiving openings extending therethrough and a plurality of inner ports formed in the inner surface with the inner ports being in communication with a respective one of the receiving openings, and wherein each one of said plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts comprises a stem extending at least partially into one of said plurality of receiving openings, the stem comprising: a core-engaging end mounted to the shock-absorbing core; and a seat-mounting end, opposed to the core-engaging end, and being located outside the shock-absorbing core; wherein the body contact seat extends from the seat mounting ends of the stems. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 1, wherein each one of said plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts comprises a stem having a section extending into the shock-absorbing core and a section extending outwardly from the shock-absorbing core, wherein the section extending into the shock-absorbing core comprises a core-engaging end mounted to the shock-absorbing core and the section extending outwardly from the shock-absorbing core comprises a seat-mounting end with the body contact seat extending from the seat-mounting ends of the stems. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 3, wherein the shock-absorbing core comprises a 3D internal structure extending between the inner surface and the outer surface, and wherein the core-engaging end of the stem is formed integral with the 3D internal structure of the shock absorbing core. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 3, wherein the core-engaging end of the stem is detachably engageable with the shock-absorbing core, and wherein the core-engaging end comprises a blocking head configured to limit the disengagement of the resilient post from the shock-absorbing core. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts are at least partially made of TPU. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the body contact seat defines a body contact surface extending substantially parallel to the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core and spaced-apart thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the body contact seat comprises a plurality of body contact bases, each one being located at an end of a respective one of the resilient posts and spaced-apart from the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core, each one of the body contact bases having a body-engaging surface with a combination of the body-engaging surfaces defining the body contact seat. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the body contact seat is mounted to and supported by a plurality of the resilient posts, and wherein the body contact seat comprises a contact seat layer supported by the plurality of the resilient posts and having a plurality of aeration apertures formed therein. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the human body part is a human head and the body contact seat at least partially conforms to the human head to at least partially cover a portion thereof. ### Claim 11 A shock-absorbing assembly engageable with a human body part, comprising: a shock-absorbing core including an inner surface configured to face at least a section of the human body part and an opposed outer surface, the shock-absorbing core comprising a plurality of spaced apart receiving openings extending therethrough and a plurality of inner ports formed in the inner surface, the inner ports being in communication with a respective one of the receiving openings; a plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts mounted to the shock-absorbing core, each one of said plurality of resilient posts having a body, a portion protruding from the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core towards the human body part and a body-engaging surface spaced-apart from the inner surface of the shock absorbing core, the body-engaging surfaces of said plurality of resilient posts defining together a body contact seat, the body of each one of said plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts having: a stem having a section extending into one of the plurality of receiving openings of the shock-absorbing core and a section extending outwardly from the shock-absorbing core, the section extending into the shock-absorbing core having a core engaging end mounted to the shock-absorbing core, the section extending outwardly from the shock absorbing core having a seat-mounting end; and a body contact base extending from the seat-mounting end of the stem, the body contact base defining the body-engaging surface configured to face and abut against at least a section of the human body part, the body contact bases of the plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts defining together a discontinuous surface forming the body contact seat, the plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts being arranged at a distance from each other sufficient for the body contact bases to be spaced-apart from each other; and a body-engaging strap coupling the body-engaging surfaces of at least some of the plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts, said at least one body-engaging strap comprising a linking portion extending between two spaced-apart resilient posts and at least two post-mounting portions securable to the body contact base of said two resilient posts. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the body-engaging surface is substantially parallel to a tangential plane defined at an intersection between the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core and the stem of the resilient post. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the body contact bases of said plurality of resilient posts are formed integral with each other so that the body contact bases define together a substantially continuous surface forming the body contact seat. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A helmet engageable with a human head portion, comprising: an outer shell including an inner surface and an outwardly facing surface; and a shock-absorbing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the shock-absorbing core is connected to the inner surface of the outer shell. ### Claim 15 A shock-absorbing kit designed to be secured to an inner surface of an outer shell of a body protection device for a human body part, the shock-absorbing kit comprising: a shock-absorbing core including an inner surface configured to face at least a portion of the human body part and an opposed outer surface engageable with the inner surface of the outer shell; and a body contact seat assembly comprising: a plurality of resilient posts designed to be mounted to the shock-absorbing core with a portion protruding from the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core and towards the portion of the human body part when mounted to the shock-absorbing core; and a body contact seat designed to be connected to the shock-absorbing core via the protruding portions of said plurality of resilient posts, for the body contact seat to be in spaced relationship with the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core and at least one of slidable, displaceable, shearable and twistable with respect to the inner surface of the shock absorbing core when connected thereto. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The shock-absorbing kit according to claim 15, wherein the body contact seat assembly comprises a plurality of body contact seat assemblies connectable to each other to cover the portion of the human body part. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The shock-absorbing kit according to claim 15, wherein the body contact seat comprises a plurality of head contact bases, each one being located at an end of a respective one of the resilient posts and spaced-apart from the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core, each one of the head contact bases having a body-engaging surface with a combination of the body-engaging surfaces defining the body contact seat.