Impact energy management method and system

An impact energy management system for protecting a body from damage due to impacts imparted thereto, the system comprising:

• a protective structure comprising at least one fluid-containing compressible cell and adapted to be placed over at least a portion of the body to be protected, said protective structure being capable of reducing forces of an impact that are transferred to the body through said protective structure;
• a first impact-absorbing mechanism in said protective structure that resists yielding in response to an initial phase of the impact and that yields to the impact after the initial phase of the impact;
• and
• a second impact-absorbing mechanism in said protective structure, including at least one orifice in the cell which vents fluid from the cell after the initial phase of the impact, which attenuates the forces of the impact after said initial phase such that the forces that are transferred to the body remain substantially constant throughout the remainder of the impact.

A protective structure for protecting a body from impact comprising:

• at least one thin-walled enclosure having an uncompressed configuration which defines a hollow inner chamber;
• a volume of fluid at least partially filling said inner chamber;
• at least one orifice through said enclosure that resistively vents fluid from the inner chamber in response to an impact on said enclosure;
• an impact-absorbing mechanism associated with said enclosure comprising a collapsible ring disposed in said inner chamber that coacts with said enclosure to resist yielding and collapse during an initial phase of the impact on said enclosure and to yield and collapse after the initial phase of the impact to allow the remainder of the impact to be managed by the fluid venting from said at least one orifice.