Impact protection and shock absorbing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10376009-B2
Application number	US-201715636975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 22, 2015
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An impact protection device comprising:
a. a support surface;
b. a first plurality of flexible spines, each having a length defined from a base end to a distal end thereof, and each extending in a longitudinal direction upwardly from said support surface, from said base end to said distal end, at an angle less than 90 degrees such that each of said first plurality of flexible spines creates an overhang over said support surface; and
c. a second plurality of flexible spines, each having a length defined from a base end to a distal end thereof, and each extending upwardly from said support surface from said base end to said distal end at an angle less than 90 degrees such that each of said second plurality of flexible spines creates an overhang over said support surface, and
wherein each of said second plurality of spines extends such that each of said second plurality of flexible spines extends under the overhang created by a respective neighboring one of said first plurality of flexible spines, whereby, upon sufficient compression of said first plurality of flexible spines in a downward direction toward said support surface, said first plurality of flexible spines contacts said second plurality of flexible spines and compressive forces and/or shear forces are absorbed thereby.

2. The impact protection device of claim 1 , further comprising a third plurality of flexible spines, each having a length defined from a base end to a distal end thereof, and each extending upwardly from said support surface from said base end to said distal end at an angle less than 90 degrees such that each of said third plurality of flexible spines creates an overhang over said support surface, each of said third plurality of flexible spines extends such that each of said third plurality of flexible spines extends under the overhang created by a respective neighboring one of said first plurality of flexible spines and the overhang created by a respective neighboring one of said second plurality of flexible spines, whereby, upon sufficient compression of said first plurality of flexible spines in a downward direction toward said support surface, a respective one of said first plurality of flexible spines contacts a respective neighboring one of said second plurality of flexible spines and said one of said second plurality of flexible spines contacts a respective neighboring one of said third plurality of flexible spines and compressive forces and/or shear forces are absorbed thereby.

3. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein each of said second plurality of flexible spines extends parallel relative to said longitudinal direction of said first plurality of flexible spines, and each of said third plurality of flexible spines extends parallel relative to said longitudinal direction of said first plurality of flexible spines.

4. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein each of said second plurality of flexible spines extends at a positively transverse angle relative to said longitudinal direction of said first plurality of flexible spines, and each of said third plurality of flexible spines extends at a negatively transverse angle relative to said longitudinal direction of said first plurality of flexible spines.

5. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein each of said second plurality of flexible spines extends at a negatively transverse angle relative to said longitudinal direction of said first plurality of flexible spines, and each of said third plurality of flexible spines extends at a positively transverse angle relative to said longitudinal direction of said first plurality of flexible spines.

6. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein a row of said first plurality of flexible spines is aligned in a first row extending in a transverse direction of said longitudinal direction, wherein a row of said second plurality of flexible spines is aligned in a second row extending in a transverse direction of said longitudinal direction and spaced apart from the first row in said longitudinal direction, and wherein a row of said third plurality of flexible spines is aligned in a third row extending in a transverse direction of said longitudinal direction and spaced apart from both said first row and second row in said longitudinal direction.

7. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein the support surface defines a plane and equates to an angle of 0 degrees and each of the first plurality of flexible spines extends at an angle between about 30 degrees to about 80 degrees, each of the second plurality of flexible spines extends at an angle between about 30 degrees to about 80 degrees, and each of the third plurality of flexible spines extends at an angle between about 30 degrees to about 80 degrees.

8. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein the spines from the first plurality, the second plurality, and the third plurality have shapes selected from the group consisting of a uniform shape from its base to its distal end, a base that is wider than its distal end, a base that is narrower than its distal end, or combinations thereof.

9. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein the bases of the spines from the first plurality, the second plurality, and the third plurality are connected to the support surface with either a fixed connection, a flexible connection, or a combination thereof.

10. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein the device further. comprises a second support surface and wherein the distal ends of each of the first plurality of spines, the second plurality of spines, and the third plurality of spines are either each connected to the second support surface, are each in contact with the second surface, or a combination thereof.

11. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein each spine of each of the first plurality of spines, the second plurality of spines, and the third plurality of spines are composed of materials selected from the group consisting of elastomeric material, polymeric material, a shape memory material, a self-healing material, or any combination thereof.

12. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein each spine of each of the first plurality of spines, the second plurality of spines, and the third plurality of spines contain both longitudinal stiffeners and radial stiffeners, just longitudinal stiffeners and not radial stiffeners, just radial stiffeners and not longitudinal stiffeners, neither longitudinal stiffeners or radial stiffeners, or any combination thereof.

13. The impact protection device of claim 2 , wherein each spine of each of the first plurality of spines, the second plurality of spines, and the third plurality of spines has an elastic modulus of between about 1 GPa and about 10 GPa or any combination thereof; each spine of each of the first plurality of spines, the second plurality of spines, and the third plurality of spines has a length to width ratio of between about 5:1 and about 25:1; and wherein spines of the first plurality of spines, the spines of the second plurality of spines, and the spines of the third plurality of spines are packed on the device at between about 1 and 100 spines per square inch.

14. An impact protection device, comprising:
a support surface; and
a plurality of flexible spines comprising one or more sizes, each having a length defined from a base portion at the support surface to a distal portion thereof,
wherein one or more spines extend in one or more longitudinal directions outwardly from said support surface, at one or more angles less than 90 degrees, and
wherein deflecting of one or more flexible s

Assignees

• Kennedy Emily B
• Fecheyr Lippens Daphne C
• Hsiung Bor Kai
• Paige Douglas J
• Swift Nathan B
• Univ Akron

Inventors

• Kennedy Emily B
• Fecheyr-Lippens Daphne C
• Hsiung Bor-Kai
• Paige Douglas J
• Swift Nathan B

Classifications

• A42B3/12

  Cushioning devices · CPC title

• A42B3/062

  with reinforcing means · CPC title

• A42B3/064 Primary

  with relative movement between layers · CPC title

• F16F1/54

  loaded in compression and shear · CPC title

• F16F15/08

  with rubber springs {(grommet- or bushing-type resilient mountings F16F1/3732, F16F1/38); with springs made of rubber and metal (arrangement of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K5/12; mounting of propulsion plants on vessels B63H21/30; mounting of vehicle drivers' cabs B62D33/0604)} · CPC title