A garment worn by a wearer has an exterior shell and an interior shell with impact absorbing material comprising various structures between the exterior shell and the interior shell. When force is applied to the exterior shell, the structures of the impact absorbing materials deform (e.g., compress), reducing the force received by the interior shell. For example, the impact absorbing material forms structures such as multiple branched Y shapes or multiple cylindrical rods with a surface contacting the exterior shell and a surface contacting the interior shell. The interior of the rods and other impact absorbing structures may be filled with a deformable material, such as foam. The impact absorbing material may be formed into jacks, spherical shapes, bristles, intersecting arches, or other shapes positioned between the exterior shell and the interior shell.

An apparatus for attachment to headgear is disclosed including a plurality of headgear pads each having a sloped shape, each headgear pad having a base, an apex and a sloped portion connected between the base and apex, wherein the base is adapted to be physically attached to the headgear. Also disclosed is a method for attaching a plurality of headgear pads to headgear for use by a wearer, the method including selecting a pattern for placement of the plurality of headgear pads onto the headgear, marking the headgear with the pattern, attaching a first headgear pad selected from a plurality of headgear pads to the headgear in accordance to the marking and continuing attaching headgear pads until the pattern is complete.

Helmets which harness magnetic forces to reduce the force of impact collisions to helmets during contact sports, thus reducing the likelihood that athletes sustain a physical injury such as a traumatic brain injury and/or a neck injury, are described. The helmets incorporate strong magnets into the shell such that a repulsive magnetic force is generated between opposing helmets, thus reducing impact forces. Each helmet includes a protective shell and at least one magnet which is arranged or configured to provide for a spatially modulated magnetic array.

Aspects herein relate to protective headgear for sports and to methods of using such headgear. In one aspect, the headgear has an external head-protecting shell that is soft to reduce the risk of injuring other players. In another aspect, the headgear has a rear closure arrangement that includes a bridge component for ease of putting on the headgear and for added protection at the closure area of the rear closure arrangement. In another aspect, fit pads of different sizes are removeably attachable to a cheekbone extension member of the headgear to provide a proper fit to the wearer's cheekbone. A face mask is integrated with the headgear in some embodiments.

The present invention is a deployable segmented sport equipment for reducing the impact force on sport equipment worn by a user by using deployable panels. The invention has a body defining a recess, and a panel movable within the recess. The panel includes a panel magnetic element capable of being acted upon by a magnetic force. An electromagnet is provided producing an attractive or repulsive magnetic force on the panel magnetic element. A proximity sensing device capable of sensing an object at a distance from the deployable segmented sport equipment is provided with the body. An electronic controller unit receives signals from the proximity sensing device and controls operation of the controllable magnetic element so as to deploy or retract the panel from or into the recess. The panel being deployed prior to impact with the object, with the repulsive force being controlled to absorb the impact force after impact.

A method and apparatus for mitigating concussions resulting from sharp blows to protective headgear. The method consists of attaching cushioning pads to the outside of the headgear, held in place by straps and anchors. The apparatus consists of substantially flat flexible pads, which are made to conform to any helmet by the pressure exerted by the straps wrapping around the curved helmet. The anchors consist of clips and hooks that attach the straps to features of the helmet such as holes, edges, and protrusions. The main pad is a strip that runs over the crown of the helmet, from front to back, making the helmet to resemble a Mohawk haircut. Optional side pads protect the sides of the helmet. All apparatus can be repeatedly installed and removed without using special tools.

A helmet configured to protect a human head against mild traumatic brain injury upon impact includes an outer shell and a liner consisting of pairs of fluid fillable flexible fluid chambers fluidly connected to each other by fluid connections between each of the pairs of fluid fillable flexible fluid chambers being spaced on opposite sides of the helmet and configured to fill a space between the head and the outer shell when the helmet is positioned on the head. Impact resistant flexible pads are also inside the liner and are spaced around an inner circumference of the outer shell adjacent to each of the fluid fillable flexible fluid chambers. A flexible inner shell inside the liner is configured to fit closely on the head. The flexible fluid chambers are configured to compress in response to impacting of the helmet on an impact side and to force liquid through the fluid connections to inflate fluid chambers on an opposite side of the helmet thereby cushioning the head against a rebound impact on the opposite side.

A head protection system includes an elastomeric cap configured to be held in a position relative to a crown of the head of the wearer. A torus-shaped cushioning chamber is positioned between an outer surface of the elastomeric cap and the head of the wearer. A plurality of cage slats extend from the elastomeric cap between the elastomeric cap in a position relative to the crown of the head of the wearer and protect the head of the wearer from impact.

A headgear system with first and second helmets is provided. The first helmet has a frontal bone section that covers a frontal bone of a wearer of the first helmet, and a first magnet component that is located at the frontal bone section of the first helmet. The first magnet component extends at least 90 degrees around the central axis of the first helmet. The second helmet has a frontal bone section that covers a frontal bone of the wearer, and a second magnet component is located at the frontal bone section of the second helmet. The magnet forces of the first and second magnet components repel one another when the first and second magnet components are located proximate to one another to help reduce force onto the head from impact.

A protective helmet as disclosed herein, particularly for sport activities and the like, comprises an outer protective cap, a first outer protective shell positioned inside and coupled to said outer protective cap, a second inner protective shell positioned inside and coupled to said first outer protective shell, and coupling means between said first outer protective shell and said second inner protective shell. The coupling means comprise first damping means and second mechanical retaining means spaced apart from each other and positioned in corresponding seats of said first outer shell and second inner shell.