The present invention provides an apparatus to disperse and attenuate mechanical waves which travel through a human brain upon direct and indirect blunt head trauma. The apparatus comprises a pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell encasing an inner hard shell. The pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell releases a pressurized gas to atmosphere upon an impact to said pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell. The pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell is configured to compartmentalize an impact region, to reduce amplitudes of incident, reflected and transmitted mechanical waves and to dampen resonance of the mechanical waves delivered to both the apparatus and a human head.

A helmet configured to protect a human head against mild traumatic brain injury upon impact includes an outer shell and a liner consisting of fluid fillable flexible fluid chambers fluidly connected to each other by fluid connections. The fluid chambers being spaced around the circumference 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 in 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 liquids through the fluid connections to inflate other fluid chambers inside the helmet thereby cushioning the head against a rebound impact on the inside of the helmet.

Comprehensive systems of providing shock resistant protection for sports activities and other activities that utilize helmets or other specialized apparel, and related methods. The system functions by employing electromagnetic devices that provide a dampening, anti-impact electromagnetic field to reduce potential impacts.

A garment worn by a wearer has an impact absorbing material comprising arrays of various hexagonal or other deformable polygonal-shaped structures positioned between an exterior surface and an interior surface. When force is applied to the exterior surface, the structures of the impact absorbing materials deform (e.g., buckle) in a desired manner, reducing the force received by the interior surface.

A method and apparatus for reducing the severity of blows delivered to protective headgear hard outer shells. The method consists of applying cushions to the hard outer shell, forcing the cushions to conform to the contour of the hard outer shell by laying straps over the cushions, applying tension to the straps, and holding the cushions in place by anchoring the straps at the front and rear of the hard outer shell. The apparatus consists of rectangular-shaped cushions, straps that lay atop the cushions, and a rear anchor strap whose ends attach on opposites sides of the front of the hard outer shell, and whose middle extends backward to provide anchor points for other straps in the system. A crown cushion runs over the crown of the hard outer shell and a side cushion wraps around the side of the hard outer shell with overlapping ends that anchor to themselves.

A helmet having a semi-soft outer shell adjacent to a web and spaced apart from a tight fitting inner shell. The semi-soft outer shell is made from a high absorbent material. The web is made of a plurality of strips that compress on impact and become more rigid the more they are compressed. An air space separates the web from the inner shell. The inner shell is also made of the soft and highly absorbent material that the outer shell is made from. The inner shell is configured to be tightly fitting.

A protective headgear having a protective outer layer, an inner impact dispersing layer, an opening in the posterior of the helmet to allow hair to exit the protective helmet, and juxtaposed to the posterior opening, a flap that covers a portion of the opening and is selectively attachable to the inner impact attenuating layer.

Provided is a protective headgear that includes a first shell section, second shell section, third shell section, and fourth shell section. The first shell section is configured to extend about a head of the user, and include a first central portion, a first strap and a second strap that extend from the first shell section. The first central portion includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer disposed atop the first protective layer. The second shell section is configured to extend about a jaw of the user, and include a second central portion, a third strap and a fourth strap that extend from the second shell section. The third shell section is connected to the first shell section by the first strap and the third strap, and the fourth shell section is connected to the second shell section by the second strap and the fourth strap.

A batting helmet having localized impact protection comprises a rigid shell with a padded inner core affixed therein. Localized impact protection comprises additional padding attached to the inner core, increased thickness of the rigid shell, increased stiffness of the rigid shell, and additional padding attached to the rigid shell, alone or in combination, positioned in various regions of the helmet.

A protective helmet includes an energy dissipative assembly including a conforming protective base adapted to directly contact and conform to a corresponding bony anatomical region of a wearer's head. A supported flexible suspended crown adapted to be affixed to the conforming protective base and configured to define a gap separating substantially all of the interior surface of the supported flexible suspended crown from contact with a corresponding anatomical crown region of the wearer when the helmet is donned by the wearer. The supported flexible suspended crown including at least one contoured flexible shell or a plurality of cantilevered members comprising a compliant energy dissipating material that, when impacted, undergoes deformation to an extent that is greater than deformation, when impacted, of the deformation resistant material of the conforming protective base. An uncoupled cantilevered posterior cranial shield system includes a yoke configured to attach to or be integrated with shoulder pads or another garment and an attenuating cantilevered arch attached to the yoke at first and second emplacements, the attenuating cantilevered arch being configured to extend over a head of an individual wearing the shoulder pads or garment.