A multi-threat base ensemble is provided that can include a shirt and pants. The shirt and pants provide flame and chemical protection to a wearer such as a first responder. The base ensemble also includes a targeted hazard protection system providing protection to the wearer at predetermined areas and a cinching system for selectively adjusting a portion of the shirt or pants allowing the targeted hazard protection system to be selectively drawn into proximity with a body of the wearer. Areas of stretchable ventilation and selectively-actuated ventilation openings, and additional comfort and protection elements are also provided.

An impact force dampening and defusing structure includes a plurality of components arranged in a grid array. A component has a three-dimensional geometric shape that includes an impact receiving surface area and an impact defusing surface area. The impact defusing surface area is larger than, and a distance d from, the impact receiving surface area. The component includes a material composition and, when an impact force strikes the impact receiving surface area of the component and the impact force dampening and defusing structure is in position to protect a body part, the component contributes to reducing pressure on the body part based on the material composition, the distance d, the impact receiving surface area, and the impact defusing surface area.

A knee pad for engagement to a user in an as-worn position with a cavity defined by an interior surface surrounding a knee of a user. A plurality of projections extend from the body of the knee pad and are made of compressible material to provide a cushioned support to the knees and prevent rolling of the knee pad during use.

Personal protective equipment configured to reduce the discomfort of the protruding joint of the conventional personal protective equipment includes a sleeve, at least one adhesive membrane, and at least one thin film. The sleeve is formed by curving an elastic fabric and joining two opposite joining edges of the elastic fabric in a butting manner. The adhesive membrane has an adhesive side adhesively attached to a surface of the sleeve over an area where the two opposite joining edges of the sleeve extend. The thin film covers and is adhesively attached to another adhesive side of the adhesive membrane. The personal protective equipment, therefore, has a flat joint and is spared those prior art drawbacks attributable to the protuberance of a hemmed border or overlap seam, such as an uncomfortable sensation and a lack of conformity to the contour of the body part being protected.

A force defusing structure includes first and second plurality of spherical shaped objects. A first spherical shaped object is proximally positioned to two or more second spherical shaped objects. When a force is applied to the first spherical shaped object, the first spherical shaped object collides with the two or more second spherical shaped objects to defuse the force based on a multi-dimensional collision between the first spherical shaped object and the two or more second spherical shaped objects.

An article of footwear with a dynamic support system that controls arrays of tiles in the upper of the footwear to adjust the level of support provided in different regions of the upper. Sensors in the sole of the footwear, in the upper of the footwear and/or in an article worn by the wearer of the footwear measure the level of stress or other characteristics and provide input to one or more microprocessors that control motors located in the sole or in the upper of the footwear. When the motors are activated, they may compress or loosen arrays of tiles to adjust the stiffness of the upper in one or more regions of the upper.

This disclosure provides a protective gear and system for cushioning an object against falling. The protective gear includes a housing conforming to a portion of the object, an airbag disposed in the housing, a detector configured to detect a motion of the object; and a controller configured to generate an actuating signal to deploy the airbag if the motion is over a threshold. The protection system includes a primary protective gear and at least one secondary protective gear.

The invention provides a protective garment comprising: a belt, adapted to be positioned around the waist of a user, two leggings, each legging comprising an upper portion intended to be wrapped around a user's thigh, a lower portion intended to be wrapped around a user's calf, and an intermediate portion connecting the upper and lower portions, a plurality of airbags for safety, and a triggering device for inflating the airbags, characterized in that the intermediate portion of each legging has a notch which comes over the front of the user's knee when the legging is in position around the user's leg, and in that the upper portion and lower portion of each legging each comprise at least one airbag adjacent to the notch of the intermediate portion.

The present invention comprises a knee pad system for attaching one or more knee pads to a user's knee. The system for a single knee pad includes a knee pad with two knee pad straps that attach said knee pad to a user's knee, and two upper straps that attach to the two knee pad straps and a user's belt or waist. One of the upper straps runs the length of the user's outer thigh, while the second upper strap runs from the user's inner thigh where the second upper strap attaches to the knee pad strap to the front of a user's waist. The configuration of the two upper straps prevents the knee pad from moving about the user's knee.

A rolling knee support device is attached to each knee of the user for support thereof when the user is in a kneeling position. The device has four swivel caster type wheels with a threaded stem for being releasably mounted into one of eight holes defined in a double-curved lower surface of a base of the support. The four wheels can be moved and arranged such on the double-curved lower surface so that the supporting feature of the knee supporting device can be modified and customized according to the needs of the worker and/or the particular job whereby the worker is supported in the most comfortable, balanced, and efficient position and orientation for any particular job. Straps with fasteners are used to secure each rolling knee support device to each knee of the user.