Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/9516909
Timestamp: 2019-09-19 17:06:13
Document Index: 254645153

Matched Legal Cases: ['§120', '§120', '§120', '§120', '§120', 'Application No. 61', 'art 9']

US Patent for Biomechanics aware helmet Patent (Patent # 9,516,909 issued December 13, 2016) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Including Energy-absorbing MeansUS Patent for Biomechanics aware helmet Patent (Patent # 9,516,909)
Biomechanics aware helmet
Feb 22, 2016 - Brainguard Technologies, Inc.
Protective gear includes an outer shell layer connected to a middle shell layer through an outer energy and impact transformer layer. The middle shell layer is connected to an inner shell layer through an inner energy and impact transformer layer. The outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers flexibly connect the shell layers to absorb impact forces, rotational forces, shear forces, etc., and allow the various shell layers to move and slide relative to the other shell layers. The outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers may be constructed using gels, fluids, electro-rheological elements, magneto-rheological elements, etc. The protective gear may be formed as helmets or body protection for various activities and protect users from not only impact and penetrative forces, but rotational and shear forces as well.
This application is a continuation of and claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/927,093, entitled BIOMECHANICS AWARE HELMET, filed Oct. 29, 2015, which is a continuation of and claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/809,142, entitled BIOMECHANICS AWARE HELMET, filed Jul. 24, 2015, which is a continuation of and claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/714,093, entitled BIOMECHANICS AWARE PROTECTIVE GEAR, filed May 15, 2015, which is a continuation of and claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/485,993, entitled BIOMECHANICS AWARE HELMET, filed Sep. 15, 2014, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,060,561 on Jun. 23, 2015, which is a continuation of and claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/554,471, entitled BIOMECHANICS AWARE PROTECTIVE GEAR, filed Jul. 20, 2012, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,863,319 on Oct. 21, 2014, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/510,401, entitled SMART BIOMECHANICS AWARE ENERGY CONSCIOUS PROTECTIVE GEAR WITH TISSUE PROTECTION, filed on Jul. 21, 2011, all of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
The present disclosure relates to biomechanics aware protective gear.
Protective gear is reasonably effective in preventing injury. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of protective gear remains limited. Consequently, various mechanisms are provided to improve protective gear in a biomechanically aware manner.
FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a multiple shell system.
FIG. 6 illustrates one example of a multiple shell helmet.
Protective gear includes an outer shell layer connected to a middle shell layer through an outer energy and impact transformer layer. The middle shell layer is connected to an inner shell layer through an inner energy and impact transformer layer. The outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers flexibly connect the shell layers to absorb impact forces, rotational forces, shear forces, etc., and allow the various shell layers to move and slide relative to the other shell layers. The outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers may be constructed using gels, fluids, electro-rheological elements, magneto-rheological elements, etc. The protective gear may be formed as helmets or body protection for various activities and may be used to protect users from not only impact and penetrative forces, but rotational and shear forces as well.
The CDC numbers do not include head injuries from military actions. Traumatic brain injury is widely cited as the “signature injury” of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The nature of warfare conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan is different from that of previous wars and advances in protective gear including helmets as well as improved medical response times allow soldiers to survive events such as head wounds and blast exposures that previously would have proven fatal. The introduction of the Kevlar helmet has drastically reduced field deaths from bullet and shrapnel wounds to the head. However, this increase in survival is paralleled by a dramatic increase in residual brain injury from compression and rotational forces to the brain in TBI survivors. Similar to that observed in the civilian population the residual effects of military deployment related TBI are neurobehavioral symptoms such as cognitive deficits and emotional and somatic complaints The statistics provided by the military cite an incidence of 6.2% of head injuries in combat zone veterans. One might expect these numbers to hold in other countries.
U.S. Pat. 5,956,777 issued to Popovich describes “A helmet for protecting a head by laterally displacing impact forces, said helmet comprising: a rigid inner shell formed as a single unit; a resilient spacing layer disposed outside of and in contact with said inner shell; and an articulated shell having a plurality of discrete rigid segments disposed outside of and in contact with said resilient spacing layer and a plurality of resilient members which couple adjacent ones of said rigid segments to one another.”
According to various embodiments, protective gear such as a helmet includes a container device to provide a structural mechanism for holding an energy and impact transformer. The design of this element could be a part of the smart energy conscious biomechanics aware design for protection. The energy and impact transformer includes a mechanism for the dissipation, transformation, absorption, redirection or force/energy at the right time scales (in some cases as small as a few milliseconds or hundreds of microseconds).
FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a multiple shell system. An outer shell 501, a middle shell 503, and an inner shell 505 may hold energy and impact transformative layers 511 and 513 between them. Energy and impact transformer layer 511 residing between shells 501 and 503 may allow shell 501 to move and/or slide with respect to middle shell 503. By allowing sliding movements that convert potential head rotational forces into heat or transformation energy, shear forces can be significantly reduced.
Conical structures are effective in reducing shear, rotational, and impact forces applied to an outer shell 501. Conical structures reduce shear and rotational forces applied from a variety of different directions. According to various embodiments, conical structures in energy and impact transformer layers 511 are directed outwards with bases situated on middle shell 503 and inner shell 505 respectively. In some examples, structures in the energy and impact transformer layer may be variations of conical structures, including three dimensional pyramid structures and three dimensional parabolic structures. In still other examples, the structures may be cylinders,
FIG. 6 illustrates one example of a multiple shell helmet. According to various embodiments, helmet 601 includes an outer shell layer 603, an outer energy and impact transformer 605, a middle shell layer 607, an inner energy and impact transformer 609, and an inner shell layer 611. The helmet 601 may also include a lining layer within the inner shell layer 611. In particular embodiments, the inner shell layer 611 includes attachment points 615 for a chin strap for securing helmet 601. In particular embodiments, the outer shell layer 603 includes attachment points for a visor, chin bar, face guard, face cage, and/or face protection mechanism 615 generally. In some examples, the inner shell layer 611, middle shell layer 607, and outer shell layer 603 includes ridges 617 and/or air holes for breathability. The outer shell layer 603, middle shell layer 607, and inner shell layer 611 may be constructed using plastics, resins, metal, composites, etc. In some instances, the outer shell layer 603, middle shell layer 607, and inner shell layer 611 may be reinforced using fibers such as aramids. The energy and impact transformer layers 605 and 609 can help distribute mechanical energy and shear forces so that less energy is imparted on the head.
According to various embodiments, a chin strap 621 is connected to the inner shell layer 611 to secure helmet positioning The various shell layers are also sometimes referred to as containers or casings. In many examples, the inner shell layer 611 covers a lining layer (not shown). The lining layer may include lining materials, foam, and/or padding to absorb mechanical energy and enhance fit. A lining layer may be connected to the inner shell layer 611 using a variety of attachment mechanisms such as glue or Velcro. According to various embodiments, the lining layer is pre-molded to allow for enhanced fit and protection. According to various embodiments, the lining layer may vary, e.g. from 4 mm to 40 mm in thickness, depending on the type of activity a helmet is designed for. In some examples, custom foam may be injected into a fitted helmet to allow for personalized fit. In other examples, differently sized shell layers and lining layers may be provided for various activities and head sizes.
an outer protective shell;
an inner protective shell;
a first energy transformer layer associated with a shear mechanism, the first energy transformer layer residing between the outer protective shell and the inner protective shell, wherein the shear mechanism allows the outer protective shell to slide relative to the inner protective shell;
a liner layer connected to the inner protective shell, the liner layer configured to reside between the inner protective shell and a human head;
a chin strap attached to the inner protective shell, the chin strap and the liner layer configured to secure the inner protective shell to the human head while the outer protective shell is allowed to slide relative to the inner protective shell.
2. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a first absorptive/dissipative material.
3. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanism comprise a plurality of conical structures connecting the outer protective shell to the inner protective shell.
4. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a plurality of truss-like structures connecting the outer protective shell to the inner protective shell.
5. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a plurality of elastic bands connecting the outer protective shell from the inner protective shell.
6. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a plurality of foam elements, the plurality of foam elements including a low friction side.
7. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanism comprises an accordion element separating the outer protective shell from the inner protective shell.
8. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a plurality of elastomeric elements.
9. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanism is a shear layer.
10. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the shear layer is connected to the outer protective shell through the first energy transformer, the first energy transformer operable to absorb energy from forces imparted onto the outer protective shell, wherein the first energy transformer includes a first absorptive/dissipative material to allow the outer protective shell to slide relative to the inner protective shell.
11. The helmet of claim 1, further comprising a middle protective shell disposed between the outer protective shell and the inner protective shell.
12. A helmet comprising:
an outer protective layer;
an inner protective layer;
a first energy transformer layer associated with a shear mechanism, the first energy transformer layer residing between the outer protective layer and the inner protective layer, wherein the shear mechanism allows the outer protective layer to slide relative to the inner protective layer;
a liner layer connected to the inner protective layer, the liner layer configured to reside between the inner protective layer and a portion of a human body;
a chin strap attached to the inner protective layer, the chin strap and the liner layer configured to secure the inner protective layer to the human head while the outer protective layer is allowed to slide relative to the inner protective layer.
13. The helmet of claim 12, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a first absorptive/dissipative material.
14. The helmet of claim 12, wherein the shear mechanism comprise a plurality of conical structures connecting the outer protective layer to the inner protective layer.
15. The helmet of claim 12, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a plurality of truss-like structures connecting the outer protective layer to the inner protective layer.
16. The helmet of claim 12, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a plurality of elastic bands connecting the outer protective layer from the inner protective layer.
17. The helmet of claim 12, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a plurality of foam elements, the plurality of foam elements including a low friction side.
18. The helmet of claim 12, wherein the shear mechanism comprises an accordion element separating the outer protective layer from the inner protective layer.
19. The helmet of claim 12, wherein the shear mechanism comprises a plurality of elastomeric elements.
20. The helmet of claim 12, wherein the shear mechanism is a shear layer.
4352484 October 5, 1982 Gertz et al.
5713082 February 3, 1998 Bassette et al.
5815846 October 6, 1998 Calonge
6103641 August 15, 2000 Gehring, Jr.
6378140 April 30, 2002 Abraham et al.
6434755 August 20, 2002 Halstead et al.
6658671 December 9, 2003 Von Holst et al.
6728969 May 4, 2004 Zeiler
6996856 February 14, 2006 Puchalski
7076811 July 18, 2006 Puchalski
7254843 August 14, 2007 Talluri
8104593 January 31, 2012 Lin
8176574 May 15, 2012 Bryant et al.
8533869 September 17, 2013 Capuano
8863319 October 21, 2014 Knight
9060561 June 23, 2015 Knight
9271536 March 1, 2016 Knight
20030088906 May 15, 2003 Baker
20040126565 July 1, 2004 Naganathan et al.
20060059605 March 23, 2006 Ferrara
20080066217 March 20, 2008 Depreitere et al.
20110004980 January 13, 2011 Leatt et al.
20130019384 January 24, 2013 Knight
20130239397 September 19, 2013 Hotte
20150000014 January 1, 2015 Knight
20150245681 September 3, 2015 Knight
102011086791 May 2013 DE
2734071 May 2014 EP
1050905 July 2011 SE
0145526 June 2001 WO
2004032659 April 2004 WO
2011087435 July 2011 WO
2012109381 August 2012 WO
2013013180 January 2013 WO
“6D Helmets—Omni-Directional Suspension (ODS)”, Retrieved from the Internet: <http://www.6dhelmets.com/#!ods/c10b6>, Accessed on Nov. 16, 2015.
“U.S. Appl. No. 14/809,142, Notice of Allowance mailed Feb. 17, 2016”, 5 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 13/554,471, Non Final Office Action mailed May 22, 2014”, 5 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 13/554,471, Notice of Allowance mailed Jul. 15, 2014”, 5 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 14/485,993, Non Final Office Action mailed Oct. 28, 2014”, 6 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 14/485,993, Notice of Allowance mailed Mar. 19, 2015”, 5 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 14/714,093, Non Final Office Action mailed Aug. 14, 2015”, 7 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 14/714,093, Notice of Allowance mailed Dec. 31, 2015”, 5 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 14/809,142, Non Final Office Action mailed Dec. 17, 2015”, 6 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 14/927,093, Non Final Office Action mailed Dec. 18, 2015”, 6 pgs.
“U.S. Appl. No. 14/927,093, Notice of Allowance mailed Feb. 11, 2016”, 6 pgs.
“European Application Serial No. 12814787.3, Search Report and Opinion mailed Mar. 30, 2015”, 6 pgs.
“Helmet with Fluid Layer that Protects Against a Common Cause of Head Injury”, Office of Technology Licensing, University of Florida, [Online]. Retrieved from the Internet: <http://apps.research.ufl.edu/otl/pdf/marketing/13586.pdf > Accessed on Jul. 12, 2012.
“International Application Serial No. PCT/US2012/047662, Written Opinion mailed Oct. 5, 2012”.
“International Application Serial No. PCTUS2012/047662, Search Report and Written Opinion mailed Oct. 5, 2012”.
“Int'l Application Serial No. PCT/US2012/047662, Preliminary Report on Patentability mailed Jan. 30, 2014”, 7 pgs.
“Lazer Helmets”, [Online]. Retrieved from the Internet: <http://www.lazerhelrnets.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Catalogue-Motorcycling-2010-UK.pdf >, 1905-07-02 00:00:00.0.
“Materials for Bicycle Helmets”, Granta Design, Retrieved from the Internet: http://www.grantadesign.com/resources/materials/casestudies/helmet.htm, Accessed on Oct. 22, 2015, 2015, 5 pgs.
“Proposal for a Novel Helmet Design”, Brainguard Technologies.
“The Helmet that Might Save Football”, 1 pg.
“University expands sports concussion-risk studies to include hockey and”, Office of University Relations, Virginia Tech, 2013, 3 pgs.
Bosch, Henricus V. , “Crash Helmet Testing and Design Specifications”, University Press Facilities, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Jun. 28, 1905 00:00:00.0.
Collins, Micky , “Examining Concussion Rates and Return to Play in High School Football Players Wearing Newer Helmet Technology: A Three-Year Prospective Cohort Study”, Neurosurgery, vol. 58, No. 2, Feb. 1, 2006 00:00:00.0.
Goel, R , “Design of an Advanced Helmet Liner User Simulations”, [Online]. Retrieved from the Internet: <http://mvl.mit.edu/MVLpubs/MVL—10.07—Goel.pdf > Accessed on /13/12.
May, Philip R. , “Woodpecker Drilling Behavior: An Endorsement of the Rotational Theory of Impact Brain Injury”, Arch Neural, vol. 36,, Jun. 1, 1979 00:00:00.0.
Mohney, Gillian , “First Soccer Player Diagnosed with CTE Brings up Sports Risks”, Retrieved from the Internet: https://gma.yahoo.com/first-soccer-player-diagnosed-cte-brings-sports-risks-211805546.html , Accessed on Oct. 22, 2015, 2014, 8 pgs.
Rowson, Steven et al., “Brain Injury Prediction: Assessing the Combined Probability of Concussion Using Linear and Rotational Head Acceleration”, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, vol. 41, No. 5, May 2013, pp. 873-882.
Viano, David C. , “Concussion in Professional Football: Brain Responses by Finite Element Analysis: Part 9”, Neurosurgery, vol. 57, No. 5, Nov. 1, 2005 00:00:00.0.
Wang, Lizhen , “Why do Woodpeckers Resist Head Impact Injury: A Biomechanical Investigation”, PLos One, vol. 6, No. 10, Oct. 1, 2011 00:00:00.0.
Patent number: 9516909
Patent Publication Number: 20160165994
Inventor: Robert T. Knight (Berkeley, CA)
Application Number: 15/050,357
International Classification: A42B 3/06 (20060101); A42B 3/04 (20060101); A42B 3/12 (20060101); A41D 13/015 (20060101); A42B 3/08 (20060101); A42B 3/14 (20060101);