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US 9,751,484 B2Granted
Electronically controlled impact attenuating fluid containing cells
OwnerWilliam R. Johnsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A protective device such as a seat or helmet contains impact attenuating fluid (e.g., CO2, Air or Water) containing cells, sensors and electrically actuated exhaust valves for cushioning impact and decelerating a user (e.g., the contacting body part of the user) after an impact. Accelerometers and a pressure sensor supply signals to a microcontroller, which opens an exhaust valve if accelerations (or pressure) exceed a threshold. Expelling fluid provides a cushioning and damping effect, decelerating the wearer's head. Acceleration data, fluid pressure data and GPS position data may be wirelessly communicated to a monitor computer system.
Claims20
A protective device, said protective device comprising
- a support structure, and
- a plurality of impact attenuating cells, each impact attenuating cell being against the support structure, each impact attenuating cell comprising:
- a cell body, said cell body comprising a flexible plastic container comprised of a fluid impermeable material and having an interior compartment storing a fluid, said fluid filling the interior compartment, and
- at least one acceleration sensor attached to said cell body, and
- at least one electrically actuated exhaust valve attached to said cell body, and
- a controller operably coupled to each acceleration sensor attached to each cell body, and the controller being operably coupled to each electrically actuated exhaust valve attached to each cell body, each acceleration sensor producing a signal in response to an acceleration, and said controller:
- determining, for each acceleration sensor, an acceleration from the signal produced by each acceleration sensor, said acceleration being the determined acceleration, and
- comparing the determined acceleration, for each acceleration sensor, with a threshold acceleration for each acceleration sensor, and
- generating an exhaust signal to open the electrically actuated exhaust valve for each cell body with an acceleration sensor for which the determined acceleration is not less than the threshold acceleration.
6 more elements
A protective device, said device comprising
- a support structure, and
- a plurality of removable, replaceable, refillable, impact attenuating cells against said support structure, said plurality of impact attenuating cells including a first cell, a second cell, a third cell, and a fourth cell, which, together, cover a substantial portion of the support structure, each of said impact attenuating cells comprising
- a cell body, said cell body comprising a flexible plastic container comprised of a fluid impermeable material, having an interior compartment for storing a fluid, and including a first layer facing the support structure and an opposite second layer, and
- an inlet port formed in the cell body for receiving a fluid, said inlet port including a one-way valve configured to allow a fluid to be received in the interior compartment of the cell body, and
- a pair of acceleration sensors attached to the cell body, and including a first sensor attached to the first layer of the cell body and a second sensor attached to the second layer of the cell body, and
- an electrically actuated exhaust valve assembly attached to said cell body in fluid communication with said interior compartment and configured to allow the fluid to vent from the interior compartment of the cell body, and
- a pressure sensor in fluid communication with said interior compartment, operably coupled to the controller, and generating a signal representative of sensed pressure of fluid in the interior compartment, and
- a controller operably coupled to each of the pair of acceleration sensors and to said electrically actuated exhaust valve assembly, said acceleration sensors producing a signal in response to an acceleration, and said controller:
- determining, for each impact attenuating cell, the acceleration from the signals produced by the acceleration sensors, and
- comparing the determined acceleration, for each impact attenuating cell, with a threshold acceleration, and
- generating an exhaust signal to open said electrically actuated exhaust valve, for each impact attenuating cell for which the determined acceleration is not less than the threshold acceleration, and
- determining the sensed pressure, for each impact attenuating cell, from the signal produced by the pressure sensor.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.