Protective garment systems for protecting an individual and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10271591-B2
Application number	US-201615223277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems for automatically protecting an individual from injuries using one or more sensors, one or more rigid members, and one or more inflatable members associated therewith, and methods of using the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective garment system for protecting an individual,
the protective garment system comprising:
a plurality of rigid members, each of the plurality of rigid members coupled to at least one adjacent rigid member of the plurality of rigid members;
at least one fluid source;
a plurality of inflatable members, each of the plurality of inflatable members operably coupled to the at least one fluid source and associated with at least one of the plurality of rigid members;
one or more sensors configured to sense at least one of a potential impact or an actual impact of the individual; and
a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors and the at least one fluid source,
wherein:
at least a first portion of the plurality of rigid members are movable from a first position to a second position;
each inflatable member of at least a first portion of the plurality of inflatable members is positioned adjacent to one or more rigid members of the first portion of the plurality of rigid members;
when the inflatable member of the first portion of the plurality of inflatable members inflates, the inflatable member engages the one or more rigid members and moves the one or more rigid members from the first position to the second position; and
when the one or more rigid members are in the second position, the one or more rigid members interface or partially overlap at least one rigid member of a second portion of the plurality of rigid members.

2. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein the first position corresponds to an uninflated state and allows for flexibility of one or more portions of a protective garment and the second position corresponds to an inflated state and provides increased rigidity in one or more portions of the protective garment.

3. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of inflatable members are operably coupled to the at least one fluid source.

4. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the at least one fluid source to controllably supply fluid to the one or more of the plurality of inflatable members in only one or more selected regions of the protective garment system.

5. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the plurality of rigid members are positioned and configured to at least partially interlock with the second portion of the plurality of rigid members.

6. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are disposed adjacent to the plurality of rigid members and the plurality of inflatable members.

7. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a sensor array disposed over substantially an entire protective garment.

8. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine if a deployment condition is required for at least one of the plurality of inflatable members based at least partially on the one or more sensors sensing the at least one of the potential impact or the actual impact of the individual.

9. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the at least one fluid source to controllably supply a fluid to one or more of the plurality of inflatable members responsive to receiving an indication of the at least one of the potential impact or the actual impact of the individual from the one or more sensors.

10. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more sensors are associated with at least one region of the protective garment system; and
the controller is configured to determine if a deployment condition is required for at least one of the plurality of inflatable members in the at least one region based at least partially on the one or more sensors sensing the at least one of the potential impact or the actual impact of the individual.

11. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a plurality of controllers each of which is operably coupled to at least one of the one or more sensors.

12. The protective garment system of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of controllers is configured to determine if a deployment condition is required for at least one of the plurality of inflatable members in one or more regions of the protective garment system associated therewith.

13. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of rigid members is directly linked to one or more adjacent rigid members of the plurality of rigid members via one or more linkages configured to change from a first linkage state to a second linkage state.

14. The protective garment system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more linkages are configured to maintain the one or more adjacent rigid members in the first linkage state prior to inflation of the one or more of the plurality of inflatable members.

15. The protective garment system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more linkages include one or more of a resilient material or a fastener.

16. The protective garment system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more linkages include a latch that is reversibly separable.

17. The protective garment system of claim 16 , wherein the latch is reversibly separable and configured to reconnect responsive to depletion of a fluid in an inflatable reservoir of the one or more of the plurality of inflatable members.

18. The protective garment system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to control the latch to reconnect.

19. The protective garment system of claim 16 , wherein the latch is configured to remain in the second linkage state after inflation of the one or more of the plurality of inflatable members.

20. The protective garment system of claim 13 , wherein the second linkage state is configured to hold the plurality of rigid members in a protective configuration on the individual.

21. The protective garment system of claim 1 , wherein at least one fluid source includes:
one or more reactants composed to produce a fluid to at least partially fill an inflatable reservoir of each of the plurality of inflatable members; and
an ignition source configured to cause a reaction between the one or more reactants.

22. The protective garment system of claim 21 , wherein:
one or more reactants are stored in separate chemical reservoirs of the at least one fluid source; and
the ignition source includes a mixer configured to mix the one or more reactants.

23. The protective garment system of claim 21 , wherein:
the one or more reactants are stored in a single chemical reservoir; and
the ignition source is configured to initiate the reaction between the one or more reactants.

24. The protective garment system of claim 21 , wherein:
the one or more reactants are stored in one or more chemical reservoirs of the at least one fluid source; and
the one or more chemical reservoirs are configured to release one or more metered doses of the one or more reactants responsive to direction from the controller.

25. The protective garment system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more reactants are stored in a plurality of chemical reservoirs of the at least one fluid source, and wherein each of the plurality of chemical reservoirs is configured to supply a single dose of the one or more reactants responsive to direction from the controller.

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Bangera Mahalaxmi Gita
• Cheatham Iii Jesse R
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Leuthardt Eric C
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• A63B2220/30

  Speed · CPC title

• A63B2071/0625

  Emitting sound, noise or music · CPC title

• A63B2225/62

  Inflatable · CPC title

• A63B2071/0655

  Tactile feedback · CPC title

• A63B2220/833

  Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement · CPC title