Impact protection and shock absorbing system and method
OwnerEmily B. KENNEDY, Daphne C. FECHEYR-LIPPENS +3inventors
InventorsEmily B. KENNEDY, Daphne C. FECHEYR-LIPPENS, Bor-Kai HSIUNG, Douglas J. PAIGE, Nathan B. SWIFT, IV
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Abstract
An impact protection and shock absorbing device includes a support surface, and a plurality of flexible spines, configured of one or more sizes, each having a length defined from a base portion at the support surface to a distal portion thereof, and whereby each spine extends in one or more longitudinal directions outwardly from the support surface, at one or more angles less than 90 degrees. Sufficient deflecting of one or more spines by impact force causes impinging and deflecting of one or more other spines thereby dispersing and reducing impact forces.
Claims13
A load-bearing member, comprising:
- a spine having a non-solid interior space with an internal architecture comprising one or more of
- one or more longitudinal structures extending through at least a portion of a spine length, or
- one or more radial structures extending through at least a portion of a spine diameter.
A method, comprising:
- absorbing an impact force via deflection of a plurality of spines configured to extend outward from a support surface;
- and
- dispersing, by at least one spine, the impact force to one or more adjacent spines of the plurality of spines via impingement of the spine onto the one or more adjacent spines.
A protective helmet, comprising:
- a hard exterior shell;
- and
- a protective safety liner, positioned inside the shell and configured to secure a head of a person when placed inside the protective helmet,
- wherein the protective safety liner comprises a plurality of flexible spines configured to absorb an impact force via deflection of one or more flexible spines and disperse, by at least one spine, the impact force to one or more adjacent spines via impingement of the at least one spine onto the one or more adjacent spines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.