Selectively stiffenable assemblies, protective garments for protecting an individual, and systems and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10499693-B2
Application number	US-201615184094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2016
Priority date	Jun 16, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to selectively stiffenable assemblies, protective garments and systems that include such selectively stiffenable assemblies for protecting one or more body portions of an individual wearing the protective garment, and methods of protecting a subject from an impact with a protective garment worn by the subject. A protective may include a plurality of first shield segments forming a first arrangement, a plurality of second shield segments laterally offset from the plurality of first shield segments and forming a second arrangement, and a compression mechanism operably coupled to the plurality of first shield segments and to the plurality of second shield segments and configured to compress together at least one of the plurality of first shield segments and at least one of the plurality of second shield segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective garment, comprising:
a plurality of first shield segments forming a first arrangement conformable to one or more contours of an individual wearing the protective garment when the protective garment is in an undeployed configuration;
a plurality of second shield segments laterally offset from the plurality of first shield segments and forming a second arrangement conformable to the one or more contours of the individual wearing the garment when the protective garment is in the undeployed configuration, at least one of the plurality of second shield segments positioned adjacent to at least one of the plurality of first shield segments and two or more shield segments of the plurality of first shield segments overlapping the at least one of the plurality of second shield segments, the plurality of first shield segments being positioned between the one or more contours and the plurality of second shield segments; and
a compression mechanism operably coupled to the plurality of first shield segments and to the plurality of second shield segments and configured to compress together at least one of the plurality of first shield segments and at least one of the plurality of second shield segments with the at least one of the plurality of first shield segments being positioned between the individual and the at least one of the plurality of second shield segments when the protective garment is in a deployed configuration, thereby stiffening the protective garment.

2. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first shield segments or at least one of the plurality of second shield segments have a lateral dimension that is greater than a thickness dimension.

3. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first shield segments or the plurality of second shield segments include a resilient material.

4. The protective garment of claim 1 , further including a first layer material, and the plurality of first shield segments are coupled to the first layer material.

5. The protective garment of claim 2 , further including a second layer material, and the plurality of second shield segments are coupled to the second layer material.

6. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein the compression mechanism includes one or more actuators positioned and configured to generate an energy field that compresses together at least one of the plurality of first shield segments and at least one of the plurality of second shield segments.

7. The protective garment of claim 6 , wherein the one or more actuators include at least one of: one or more magnetic or one or more electromagnetic elements.

8. The protective garment of claim 6 , wherein the one or more actuators are configured to generate the energy field responsive to receiving one or more control signals.

9. The protective garment of claim 8 , further including one or more sensors positioned and configured to detect at least one of an impending impact or an actual impact.

10. The protective garment of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are operably coupled to control electrical circuitry of a controller.

11. The protective garment of claim 10 , wherein the control electrical circuitry is configured to send the one or more control signals to the one or more actuators responsive to the one or more sensors detecting the at least one of the impending impact or the actual impact.

12. The protective garment of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first shield segments or the plurality of second shield segments are ferromagnetic and configured to interact with the one or more magnetic elements.

13. The protective garment of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first shield segments or the plurality of second shield segments include ferromagnetic elements that are configured to interact with the one or more magnetic elements.

14. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first shield segments or at least some of the plurality of second shield segments are coupled together.

15. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein the compression mechanism includes at least one first compression element positioned adjacent to the two or more shield segments of the plurality of first shield segments.

16. The protective garment of claim 15 , wherein the compression mechanism includes at least one second compression element positioned adjacent to the at least one of the plurality of second shield segments and operably coupled to the at least one first compression element.

17. The protective garment of claim 16 , wherein the compression mechanism includes:
a spindle; and
a cable that couples the at least first compression element and the at least second compression element, the cable being operably coupled to the spindle;
wherein the spindle is configured to reduce a free length of the cable to thereby compress together the at least first compression element and the at least second compression element.

18. The protective garment of claim 17 , wherein:
the cable is coupled to the spindle; and
the spindle includes a fluid-expandable bellows that is configured to reduce the free length of the cable responsive to expansion thereof.

19. The protective garment of claim 18 , wherein the compression mechanism includes one or more fluid-carrying tubes operably coupled to the fluid-expandable bellow and configured to supply fluid thereto.

20. The protective garment of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the one or more fluid-carrying tubes is positioned between the at least first compression element and the plurality of first shield segments.

21. The protective garment of claim 16 , wherein the compression mechanism includes an expandable element positioned and configured to compress together the two or more shield segments of the plurality of first shield segments and the at least one of the plurality of second shield segments.

22. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein the expandable element includes a fluid-inflatable bag.

23. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein:
the at least first compression element and the at least second compression element are operably coupled together; and
the expandable element is positioned between the at least first compression element and the plurality of first shield segments.

24. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein:
the at least first compression element and the at least second compression element are operably coupled together; and
the expandable element is positioned near an outer surface of the at least first compression element.

25. The protective garment of claim 15 , wherein the at least one first compression element includes a plurality of shield segments forming a third arrangement that is different from the first arrangement.

26. The protective garment of claim 15 , wherein the at least one first compression element includes at least one continuous sheet.

27. The protective garment of claim 16 , wherein the at least one second compression element includes a plurality of shield segments forming a fourth arrangement that is different from the second arrangement.

28. The protective garment of claim 16 , wherein the at least one first compression element includes at least one continuous sheet.

29. The protective

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Chin Hon Wah
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Chan Alistair K
• Kare Jordin T

Classifications

• A41D1/002

  adapted to accommodate electronic equipment (patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085) · CPC title

• F41H1/02

  Armoured or projectile- or missile-resistant garments; Composite protection fabrics {(F41H5/04 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A41D31/285

  using layered materials · CPC title

• F41H5/007

  Reactive armour; Dynamic armour · CPC title

• A41D13/015 Primary

  with shock-absorbing means (A41D13/05 takes precedence) · CPC title