To make available clothing that supports the wearer's muscles to enable capacity for and flexibility in movement to be improved in situations such as during sports, during heavy lifting, or being under nursing care. Clothing involving the present invention is furnished with an upper-body piece for covering at least a portion of the upper half of the body, and an upper-body support unit formed on the upper-body piece. The upper-body support unit includes an upper-body first support section situated in sites following at least a portion of the psoas major muscles an upper-body second support section situated in sites following the supraspinatus muscles, and an upper-body third support section situated in sites following the teres major muscles.

A clothing article having a support member is provided. The clothing article includes an outer shell, a portion of the outer shell being dimensioned to fit loosely on a body of a wearer. A support structure has a support member supporting the body of the wearer when positioned thereon, and fits snugly on the body of the wearer, At least one tether portion extends between the support member and at least one connection region that is secured to the outer shell. At least a part of the at least one tether portion is dimensioned to enable the outer shell to move substantially freely relative to the support member when the clothing article is worn by the wearer.

A bomb disposal suit includes a jacket, trousers, and a back protector connected between the jacket and the trousers. The back protector includes a body of impact resistant material having a plenum with an intake opening to receive forced air and with outlet openings to direct forced air out of the plenum. A fan forces air into the intake opening. The back protector can transmit load vertically from the jacket to the trousers, for example, via a back plate.

A body limb protection system includes an outer layer, an inner layer, and a force dampening and defusing structure. The outer layer includes a first material composition and has an exterior surface that includes a substantially planer area. The inner layer includes a second material composition and has a shape corresponding to a body limb portion. The force dampening and defusing structure is positioned between the inner layer and the outer layer. The force dampening and defusing structure has a shape corresponding to a difference between the shapes of the inner and outer layers. The force dampening and defusing structure includes a plurality of components arranged to reduce pressure on the body limb portion when a force is applied to the substantially planer area.

An article of apparel includes a padding system that dynamically changes configuration in response to an impending impact. The padding system may change from a state that has a high flexibility and offers low protection from impact to a state that has a low flexibility and offers increase protection from impact. The system may use a filament to constrict a plurality of padding elements together in order to increase the overall stiffness of the pad. The filament may be tightened and loosened by a spool. The spool may receive a signal regarding the impending impact from a sensor that is a part of the article of apparel, or a sensor that is separate from it.

An article of apparel includes a padding system that dynamically changes configuration in response to an impending impact. The padding system may change from a state that has a high flexibility and offers low protection from impact to a state that has a low flexibility and offers increase protection from impact. The system may use a filament to constrict a plurality of padding elements together in order to increase the overall stiffness of the pad. The filament may be tightened and loosened by a spool. The spool may receive a signal regarding the impending impact from a sensor that is a part of the article of apparel, or a sensor that is separate from it.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for protecting a neck of an individual from a threat. In one implementation, a ballistic collar includes a base having a body with a first side portion and a second side portion. A first arm extends along a first longitudinal contour towards the first side portion, and the first arm extends distally along a first contour defined by a first proximal segment and a first distal segment. A second arm extends along a second longitudinal contour towards the second side portion. The second arm extends distally along a second contour defined by a second proximal segment and a second distal segment. Each of the first arm, the second arm, and the base is independently movable relative to each other.

A sports upper body protective gear may include a padded chest portion to extend over a chest of a sport participant and shoulder portions extending from the padded chest portion over shoulders of the sport participant. Each of the shoulder portions may include a shoulder pocket to removably receive a moldable and hardenable protective insert panel.

Hockey goalkeeper leg pads wearable on legs of a hockey goalkeeper to protect the legs, in which protective parts (e.g., pad members) of the hockey goalkeeper leg pads are adjustable to adjust how the hockey goalkeeper leg pads fit on the legs, and their adjustability is provided in a way that may be relatively light, easy to use, and simple to manufacture.

The present invention relates to a standalone wearable protector, including a thin layer supporting fabric, at least one inflatable bag housed in a seat provided in said supporting fabric, at least one gas generator acting as inflating means connected to said inflatable bag and fastened directly or indirectly to said supporting fabric, a control unit also fastened directly or indirectly to said supporting fabric and suitable for activating said inflating means and sensing means connected to said control unit and provided on said supporting fabric.

The present invention also relates to a protective clothing assembly comprising a protective garment made of material resistant to abrasion and friction stresses and said standalone wearable protector.