Concussion reduction shoulder pad vest article

A protective shoulder pad/vest article having a unique Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System created by a friction/pressure/abutted connective connection having the appearance of an upturned collar incorporating a Free-Movement Safety Gap created between a lower peripheral edge of a helmet and the Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System, the Free-Movement Safety Gap being dimensioned and configured to:

• (A) permit unrestricted head movement while limiting displacement in all anatomical axes including forward, lateral, and rearward tilt, thereby allowing athletic mobility while preventing extremes of motion that increase head or neck injury risk;
• (B) provide user-controlled timing to assume a protective posture by enabling closure of the Free-Movement Safety Gap through upward shoulder force and/or downward chin force, the athlete thereby able to generate a connective pressure to seat the helmet into the Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System and form a friction/pressure/abutted connection;
• (C) upon such user-controlled closure, form a rigid friction/pressure/abutted connection that links the mass of the helmet and the mass of the shoulder pad/vest article, thereby relocating the load-bearing function during helmet impact from the cervical spine to the helmet and joined Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System of the shoulder pad/vest article acting as a unified body, the rigid connection providing mass linking between the helmet and shoulder pad/vest article and enabling enhanced energy transfer and energy dissipation;
• (D) during unanticipated helmet impact, the Free-Movement Safety Gap closes automatically, creating helmet contact with the Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System resulting in either full seating of the helmet into the collar or impact contact between the lower edge and sides of the helmet, wherein impact contact established through neck flex brings the lower edge of the helmet into engagement with the contoured sidewall of the Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System, thereby initiating energy transfer and establishing a new pivot point, wherein said pivot contact point replaces the neck as a load-bearing structure and redirects impact energy into the Collar Bracing System shoulder pad/vest article;
• (E) upon helmet contact with the contoured sidewall of the Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System, a load-bearing connective link is established creating a new pivot point between the helmet and the Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System that is geometrically opposed to the impact vector, the pivot point functioning as a biomechanical brake that reduces whiplash stroke, limits head acceleration, maximizes resistive force, and transfers impact energy into the Collar Bracing System and shoulder pad/vest article;
• (F) a Free-Movement Safety Gap cooperatively dimensioned with the contoured sidewall of the Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System to be compatible with standard helmets without modification, thereby allowing broad applicability;
• (G) wherein reflexive closure of the Free-Movement Safety Gap establishes a new pivot point replacing the cervical spine as the load-bearing structure, the pivot point being located distally on the torso compared to the central rotational point of the neck therefore establishing a pivot point geometrically apposed from the impact point to maximize the resistive force and biomechanical braking action of the contoured collar upon the impact vector;
• (H) wherein automatic engagement or reflexive closure of the helmet with the collar bracing system during impact reduces whiplash stroke, head acceleration, and cervical compression by dissipating impact energy through the collar into the torso;
• (I) wherein partial seating of the helmet against the contoured collar sidewall initiates impact transfer and establishes a pivot point even prior to full engagement, thereby ensuring progressive early impact energy management;
• (J) wherein the contoured sidewall contact creates a geometrically opposed pivot point relative to the impact vector, functioning as a biomechanical brake and redirecting energy flow;
• (K) wherein the Free-Movement Safety Gap is configured with dimensional tolerances that ensure retrofit compatibility with existing commercially available helmets without requiring modification;
• (L) wherein the collar structure is formed of rigid or semi-rigid material sufficiently stiff to maintain the Free-Movement Safety Gap when the head is in a neutral posture and to close under user or impact force, thereby seating the helmet into the Axial Rotation Control Collar Bracing System to establish the friction/pressure/abutted connection and transfer energy into the torso, replacing the neck as the load-bearing structure, comprising:
• (1) a collar structure including contoured interior portions matching a curvature of the helmet's lower edge to maintain consistent spacing within the Free-Movement Safety Gap, thereby supporting the claim's focus on preserving head mobility in neutral posture while enabling functional engagement of the clearance gap during bracing or impact reflexive closure;
• (2) a collar structure comprising rigid or semi-rigid material sufficient to maintain the Free-Movement Safety Gap and form a friction/pressure/abutted connection, ensuring that the gap functions as intended to transition from free movement to a rigid load-bearing pivot point;
• (3) a removable or washable collar liner or insert for hygiene, the insert being with or without padding, wherein the liner supports the consistent functional operation of the Free-Movement Safety Gap by preserving uniform helmet-to-collar spacing;
• (4) an adjustable collar floor height adjustment component or insertable pad allowing user-specific gap fit for different helmet sizes and body dimensions, thereby ensuring the Free-Movement Safety Gap functions properly across athletes and equipment variations;
• (5) an adjustable collar floor component internal mounting bracket to allow movement of the adjustable collar floor component, the bracket securely attached to the interior of the shoulder pad/vest article through fasteners, bolts, pins, or quick adjustment connections, providing the ability to adjust the height of the adjustable collar floor component to set the proper user clearance gap, ensuring that the Free-Movement Safety Gap maintains its intended role of controlled mobility and selective closure;
• (6) a collar bracing system further comprising a removable and washable cover with or without padding, wherein the cover protects and maintains the integrity of the Free-Movement Safety Gap during repeated functional use;
• (7) a collar bracing system further including ventilation openings to reduce heat retention during play, thereby preserving athlete comfort while ensuring the Free-Movement Safety Gap remains operable and unobstructed;
• (8) a collar bracing system including contoured interior sidewalls shaped to conform to the curvature of the helmet's lower edge, thereby ensuring consistent spacing and uniform engagement of the Free-Movement Safety Gap, reinforcing the claim's focus on functional gap control during both neutral and braced positions;
• (9) a collar bracing system optionally including a friction pad applied to the collar floor or sidewalls to enhance stability of the friction/pressure/abutted connection when the Free-Movement Safety Gap is closed, functionally improving the pivoting and load-transfer action defined in the claim;
• (10) the collar bracing system comprising either (a) a sectional collar composed of at least two sections functioning as a collar support article, or (b) a continuous collar formed as a single piece that wraps about the sides and back of the neck providing the appearance of an upturned collar, both structural embodiments maintaining the Free-Movement Safety Gap in neutral head posture and enabling its functional closure during impact or bracing;
• (11) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system, manufactured or constructed with an interior body pad with a hard exterior, supporting the functional stability of the Free-Movement Safety Gap under load-bearing conditions;
• (12) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system, manufactured or constructed with an interior and exterior padding with a hard interior core between the padding, further ensuring that the Free-Movement Safety Gap performs consistently under impact and bracing loads;
• (13) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system manufactured or constructed of a single material, configured so that the Free-Movement Safety Gap remains consistent in neutral posture and responsive under bracing;
• (14) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system manufactured in any combination of the aforementioned configurations, optionally including built-in pocket(s) to receive ballistic plates, cooling or heating elements, radio equipment, storage compartments, or weapons, wherein such variations still preserve the functional purpose of the Free-Movement Safety Gap in controlling head mobility and impact response;
• (15) an insertable shoulder strike area height adjustment pad affixed to the interior of the shoulder pad/vest article, the pad configured to sit between the shoulder pad/vest article and the shoulders of the wearer to allow the height of the article to be increased or decreased relative to the bottom of the helmet based on pad thickness, thereby adjusting the Free-Movement Safety Gap to fit the user, ensuring that the clearance gap remains a functional safety feature across users;
• (16) a one-piece, slip-over-the-head style shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system having a one-piece construction, such that the Free-Movement Safety Gap functions consistently within this design embodiment;
• (17) a two-piece front/back split design shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system where the shoulder pad/vest article is made of two halves split along the YZ coronal plane with closure(s) along the YZ plane, still enabling the Free-Movement Safety Gap to provide functional clearance and pivoting action;
• (18) a bilateral split shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system that is made of two halves split along the XZ sagittal plane with closure(s) along the XZ plane, likewise maintaining the Free-Movement Safety Gap as a functional dynamic clearance system;
• (19) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system having multiple closure methods such as a tightening belt, strap and buckle, adjustable latch, hook and loop closure, zipper, snaps, lacing, or any combination thereof such that the shoulder pad/vest article can be securely fastened and tightened to the user's torso, while preserving the proper function of the Free-Movement Safety Gap during both neutral play and protective bracing;
• and
• (20) a chest guard component extending from the chest of the user toward the helmet with adequate height to protect the chin and neck against applied force without interfering with helmet mobility in neutral posture, while providing protective support when the helmet reaches the limits of the Free-Movement Safety Gap, the chest guard optionally including a front helmet support article with a bar rest portion to provide forward stability to the helmet and improve head-to-shoulder pad/vest linkage, the support optionally including a locking or self-locking variation controlled by the user, and optionally configured in multiple embodiments, including (a) a stand-alone guard mounted externally on the shoulder pad/vest between the throat area and the chest, or (b) an integrated guard extending from the collar structure to provide frontal support without impeding helmet mobility in neutral posture, wherein the chest guard complements the functional role of the Free-Movement Safety Gap in energy transfer and pivot point control.

A protective shoulder pad/vest article having a unique axial rotation control collar bracing system created by a friction/pressure/abutted connective collar connection having the appearance of an upturned collar formed to receive and join with the bottom and sides of a helmet, the collar bracing system being dimensioned and configured to operate primarily in a bracing mode, the collar structure extending upward from the shoulder pad base and defining an open neck region sized to receive the helmet, the collar structure being positioned to engage a lower peripheral edge and to laterally support the lower sides of the helmet when the user deliberately closes the clearance gap by upward shoulder force and/or downward chin force to seat the helmet within the collar friction/pressure/abutted connective connection, allowing the user to brace the helmet within the connective collar to take a protective posture and create a connective pressure between the helmet and the collar bracing system thereby forming a rigid friction/pressure/abutted connection that links the mass of the helmet and the shoulder pad/vest article as a unified body and relocates the load-bearing function from the cervical spine to the helmet and collar system and further, wherein during unanticipated impact the helmet engages the collar reflexively establishing a connection, a pivot point geometrically opposed the point of impact providing a new pivot point replacing the neck as the load bearing structure functioning as a biomechanical break reducing head acceleration and rotation which transfers impact energy from the helmet into the shoulder pad base and torso and dissipates a portion of the transferred energy through the collar's structural and material properties, the collar structure being formed of rigid or semi-rigid material, permanently non-flexible and rigidly affixed to the shoulder pad/vest article, sufficiently stiff to maintain the friction/pressure/abutted connection and to provide mass linking, energy transfer, and energy dissipation, the collar structure being dimensioned and configured to integrate with commercially available helmet designs without requiring modification, ensuring universal application across existing equipment, configured to provide:

• (A) a collar geometry enabling use with existing standard helmet designs without requiring modification, the collar structure being dimensioned and contoured to match the lower edge profile and curvature of commercially available football, hockey, lacrosse, and military/tactical helmets, thereby allowing the helmets to seat and engage within the collar without requiring retrofitting such as cutting, drilling, or structural alteration, the retrofit geometry ensuring broad applicability and immediate compatibility across existing helmet inventories;
• (B) a clearance gap controlled by the user who may consciously close the gap between the bottom of the helmet and the axial rotation control collar bracing system to take a protective posture, to seat the bottom edge and sides of the helmet into the collar, allowing the user to create a connective pressure within the friction/pressure/abutted connection, providing rigidity between the helmet and the shoulder pad/vest article, the clearance gap being integral to the collar's bracing function while also dimensioned to operate with standard commercial helmet designs without modification;
• (C) a bracing collar friction/pressure/abutted connection arrangement designed to transfer impact forces from the helmet into the shoulder pad/vest article's base structure, thereby reducing linear and axial rotation, head acceleration, neck hyperextension, and cervical compression, the arrangement being configured to achieve this functional energy management with helmets in standard commercial use;
• (D) a collar bracing system configured for multi-directional engagement with the helmet, including forward tilt, lateral tilt, and rearward tilt, to provide axial rotation control without the need for external tethers or rigid bars, the multi-directional configuration reinforcing the collar's functional role and its ability to interface with commercially available helmets;
• (E) a bracing or collar connective friction/pressure/abutted connection engaged by upward force from the shoulders and/or downward force from the chin, generating friction, pressure, and abutment to hold the helmet in place against the contoured connective sidewall and or optional adjustable collar floor component and transfer forces from the helmet to the collar and into the torso, the connective pressure being central to the collar's protective operation while fully operable with commercial helmets, comprising:
• (1) a collar structure comprised of rigid or semi-rigid material being sufficiently stiff to maintain the friction/pressure/abutted connection and dissipate impact forces when the helmet is in the braced position, such as but not limited to closed-cell foam, viscoelastic foam, elastomeric polymer, metal or composite materials, the material composition being critical to the collar's load-bearing functionality while remaining compatible with standard helmet constructions;
• (2) a sectional collar composed of a minimum of two sections functioning as a collar article, or a continuous collar made of one section which wraps about the sides and back of the neck providing a collar appearance, to maintain engagement stability in the braced position, the sectional or continuous embodiment preserving collar functionality across a range of commercial helmet shapes;
• (3) a contoured connective sidewall manufactured on the interior of the collar bracing system to contact the outside portion of the helmet perpendicularly, thereby increasing surface area contact to improve the ability of the user to create the friction/pressure/abutted connection, the sidewall having adequate height to reduce and/or stop head acceleration and whiplash in all axes when the helmet is in the braced position, the sidewall design being dimensioned to functionally integrate with standard helmet curvatures;
• (4) a bracing connection further comprising a contoured connective sidewall shaped to prevent helmet rotation beyond a predetermined maximum angle when the clearance gap is open, the sidewall configuration being designed to control helmet motion for commercially available helmets;
• (5) a axial rotation control collar bracing system having an adjustable collar floor component configured to receive and join with the lower edge of the helmet to provide bracing ability, the adjustable collar floor component optionally including an internal mounting bracket assembly securely attached to the interior of the shoulder pad/vest article by fasteners, bolts, pins, or quick-adjustment connections, the adjustable collar floor component or bracket enabling user-specific height adjustment of the collar floor to set and maintain the Free-Movement Safety Gap for optimal fit, performance, and comfort;
• (6) a axial rotation control collar bracing system not having an adjustable collar floor component which supports the helmet by the collar's connective sidewall to provide bracing and reduce head acceleration in all axes and neck compression on the Y-axis;
• (7) a axial rotation control collar bracing system with a variation of construction not having an adjustable collar floor component but constructed with like components, wherein in such embodiments an insertable shoulder strike area height adjustment pad is affixed to the interior of the shoulder pad/vest article and positioned between the shoulders of the wearer and the shoulder pad/vest article to allow the shoulder pad/vest article height to be increased or decreased to provide user-specific adjustment of the free movement safety gap helmet clearance;
• (8) a chest guard component extending from the chest of the user toward the head with adequate height to protect the chin and neck of the user against the application of strong force optionally having a bar rest, allowing adequate space to not interfere with movement of a helmet facemask or lower chin guard, while still providing additional protection for the lower edge of the facemask, upper chest, lower neck, and chin area when the helmet is in the braced position, the chest guard being dimensioned for functional support while accommodating standard facemask geometries;
• (9) a chest guard component optionally configured with a locking or self-locking bar rest variation, controlled by the user, wherein the lower bar of the helmet face mask is engageable with the bar rest portion of the chest guard component to provide forward stability to the helmet and improve head-to-shoulder pad/vest linkage, or alternatively may be consciously or set to unconsciously lock by the user into the chest guard component to provide enhanced stability in the braced position, the bar rest lock being releasable by the user, the optional locking variation being compatible with commercially available facemask structures;
• (10) a one-piece, slip-over-the-head style shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system having a one-piece construction, the one-piece embodiment preserving collar function while ensuring proper integration with existing helmet models;
• (11) a two-piece front/back split design shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system where the shoulder pad/vest article is made of two halves split along the YZ coronal plane with closure(s) along the YZ plane, the two-piece embodiment ensuring functional collar use while supporting a variety of commercial helmets;
• (12) a bilateral split shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system that is made of two halves split along the XZ sagittal plane with closure(s) along the XZ plane, the bilateral split maintaining collar protective function while operating with helmets in common use;
• (13) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system having multiple closure methods such as a tightening belt, strap and buckle, adjustable latch, hook and loop closure, zipper, snaps, lacing, or any combination thereof such that the shoulder pad/vest article can be securely fastened and tightened to the user's torso, the closure variations supporting collar stability and function regardless of helmet brand or design;
• (14) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system manufactured or constructed with an interior body pad with a hard exterior, the construction preserving collar durability and functionality while ensuring compatibility with helmet systems in current use;
• (15) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system manufactured or constructed with interior and exterior padding with a hard interior core between the padding, the layered construction enhancing functional energy transfer while accommodating helmet integration without alteration;
• (16) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system manufactured or constructed of a single material, the simplified construction ensuring the collar retains its functional bracing role while remaining compatible with standard helmets;
• (17) a shoulder pad/vest article with axial rotation control collar bracing system manufactured in any combination of the aforementioned configurations, also having built-in pocket(s) to receive ballistic plates, cooling or heating elements, radio equipment, and providing an area for storage, weapons, or a combination thereof, the multifunctional construction supporting the collar's role without limiting helmet compatibility;
• (18) the collar bracing system further comprising ventilation openings to reduce heat retention during use, the ventilation enhancing user comfort without impairing the collar's protective role or helmet engagement;
• (19) the collar bracing system optionally including a friction pad applied to the collar floor or sidewalls to enhance stability of the friction/pressure/abutted connection, the friction pad ensuring stable functional connection with commercial helmets;
• and
• (20) a removable and washable collar bracing system liner with or without padding positioned within the collar bracing system for hygiene the cover being designed to preserve hygiene the liner being with or without padding, configured to work without impairing the collar's protective bracing function or helmet compatibility.