Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to protective garments and systems that include a protective garment for protecting one or more body regions of an individual wearing the protective garment.

An impact diffusing system for protecting a user's head includes a headpiece cage coupled to a thoracic framework. In one aspect, the headpiece cage includes at least two support bars, a plurality of rigid bars surrounding at least a portion of the forehead, top, and sides of the head, and a face mask that encloses at least a portion the user's face. The thoracic framework covers at least a portion of a chest, upper back, and shoulders of the user, and the thoracic framework is attached to the support bars of the headpiece cage in a manner that prevents movement of the headpiece cage relative to the thoracic framework. In another aspect, the system includes a helmet component (formed of e.g., carbon fiber) coupled to a thoracic cage, wherein the helmet component is a solid, unitary piece that surrounds the top, back, and sides of the user's head.

A sports helmet comprises a single-piece plastic shell, an occipital shock absorber attached to the inner surface of the shell in the rear region to at least partially overlie an occipital area of the head, an inflatable occipital pad removably attached to the inner surface of the shell in the rear region and positioned between the inner surface of the shell and the lateral padding assembly to push the occipital shock absorber forward when the occipital pad is inflated. The occipital pad comprises a top sheet and a bottom sheet bonded together, a plurality of inflatable pockets formed in the top sheet and fluidly connected through channels formed in the top sheet, a valve assembly for inflating the plurality of inflatable pockets, the valve assembly bonded to the bottom sheet. The valve assembly extends through a hole in the shell for inflation.

A pad assembly is provided for use with a protective sports helmet in a contact sport, the helmet having an opening. The pad assembly includes a pad member within a pad housing, and a retainer having a projection that fits within the helmet opening. The pad assembly also includes a cap detachably coupled to the retainer, the cap including a base portion that fits within the helmet opening and a flange portion that fits within a countersunk recess disposed around the helmet opening, the cap detachably receiving the projection of the retainer. A protective sports helmet having a pad assembly is also provided.

A shock absorbing system for force attenuation, impact modification or reduction, employs an envelope having a chamber containing a first working fluid, the envelope deformable in response to the impulse to attenuate impact force. A plurality of resilient supplemental absorber elements dispersed within the chamber. The plurality of resilient supplemental absorber elements are deformable in response to the force to assist in attenuating impact force and provide additional resilient restoring force to return the envelope to a pre-impact shape. In alternative implementations, a unitary cell for energy dissipation employs an envelope having a chamber containing a first working fluid and an inner element contained within the chamber and having an inner chamber containing a second working fluid.

An pressurized injectable mouthpiece for athletes in contact sports and other activities. The present invention is configured to be used at an pressurized fashion and is able to be injected with an gel-like supplement. The pressurized injectable mouthpiece comprises of an tab at the front base of the mouthpiece. Further, the present invention comprises suction vents throughout the outer base portion of the mouthpiece. The pressurized injectable mouthpiece further comprises air pockets coupled throughout the inner portion of the mouthpiece allowing the present invention to be used at an pressurized fashion.

An airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system including: an airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment assembly including: an airbag pad having a front-surface; a back-surface; and an inner-volume air compression pocket. The airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system is in integral function combination an airbag pad, being defined by a front-surface and a back-surface. The airbag pad wherein defined by a front-surface and a back-surface contains an inner volume air compression pocket of the airbag pad suitable for use in injury prevention.

A protective foam material and pads are disclosed herein. The material is a rounded foam pellet having a hole through the center of the pellet. The pellets may be arranged and interconnected to form a pad. These pads may be applied to persons, animals, or other objects for protective functions.

A protective sports helmet that includes an energy attenuating faceguard connection system, which includes at least one connector that secures the faceguard to the helmet shell without a connection point in the shell's brow region. The lack of a brow region connection point results in a gap or clearance between the faceguard and the shell that has a functional interplay with the connector upon an impact to the faceguard. In general terms, when a substantially on-center impact to the faceguard occurs, the faceguard is displaced towards the shell and the connector bracket flexes outward relative to the helmet shell to help dissipate impact energy.

A helmet having non-bursting gas cells preferably includes a hard helmet shell, an outside gas cell impact layer and an inside gas cell impact layer. The outside gas cell impact layer preferably includes at least one gas cell layer and an outside layer of sheet material. Each gas cell layer includes a plurality of gas cells created between two plastic sheets. The inside gas cell impact layer includes the at least one gas cell layer. The inside and outside gas cell impact layers may be permanently or removably attached to hard helmet shell. A second embodiment of the helmet having non-bursting gas cells preferably includes the hard helmet shell, the outside gas cell impact layer and an inside gas cell inflatable impact layer. The inside gas cell inflatable impact layer preferably includes at least one inflatable gas cell layer and a check valve.