Patent ID: 8387170

Claim:
A method of protecting a subject from an impact comprising a) providing an impact protection system comprising an unfoamed composite material, the composite material being elastic and exhibiting a resistive load under deformation which increases with a rate of deformation, the composite material comprising (i) a solid matrix comprising a first polymer-based elastic material and (ii) a second polymer-based elastic material different from (i) which exhibits dilatancy in the absence of the first polymer-based elastic material, wherein the second polymer-based elastic material is entrapped in the solid matrix in an intimate admixture; and b) placing the impact protection system on the subject to protect the subject from the impact, wherein the intimate admixture is attainable by mixing together the first polymer-based elastic material and the second polymer-based elastic material in the semi-molten or molten state; and wherein the composite material is associated with a textile layer or is a shaped article in the form of (a) a fiber or (b) a textile or web comprising filaments or fibers.