The present application is directed to a wearable chest protector system operationally configured to affect substances located on one or more surfaces of interest. One suitable chest protector system is wearable for baseball purposes and includes a shoulder cap assembly constructed from one or more materials operationally configured to affect substances located on one or more surfaces of interest. The shoulder cap assembly may include one or more removable component parts.

A shoulder-pad system includes various components, including an impact-plate assembly and one or more sub-layers. The shoulder-pad system may be substantially retained in an arrangement or configuration using one or more securing garments. An exemplary securing garment includes an upper-body garment that at least partially wraps over, and attaches to, the impact-plate assembly.

A bespoke protective sports equipment to be worn by a player engaged in a sporting activity is provided. The bespoke sports equipment system includes methods for acquiring, storing and processing a player's unique data, namely the anatomical features of the body part against which the bespoke equipment is worn. The systems also includes methods of using the player's unique data to manufacture the bespoke protective equipment with a custom formed internal padding assembly that substantially corresponds to the player's unique data. The system and method allows for the design and manufacture of bespoke protective sports equipment that is purposely designed and manufactured to match the anatomical specifications of the player's body part.

A defusing cell includes walls and spheroid elements. The walls are physically connected together to form a first perimeter, a second perimeter, and a hollow center region. A wall has a length and is an angle with respect to the first perimeter. The first perimeter is separated from the second perimeter by a distance based on the length and an angle of the wall. The second perimeter is larger than the first perimeter. The spheroid elements are arranged in a pattern to distribute and disperse an impact force impacting the defusing cell from the second perimeter with respect to the first perimeter.

A sporting equipment is disclosed. The sporting equipment may include a harness, and a protective plate. The protective plate may be integrally formed with the harness from a plurality of fibers that are continuous from the harness into the protective plate.

Articles of sports equipment, such as striking implements (e.g., sticks) and wearable articles (e.g., skates, helmets) for playing hockey or other activities, in which at least one of the characteristics (e.g., stiffness) of the articles of sports equipment is adaptable and can be altered during use of the sports equipment, such as by comprising an alterable component coupled to a controller, by comprising an alterable component that is autonomously alterable, and/or by an alterable component that can be altered in response to a command of a remote device.

A bespoke protective sports equipment to be worn by a player engaged in a sporting activity is provided. The bespoke sports equipment system includes methods for acquiring, storing and processing a player's unique data, namely the anatomical features of the body part against which the bespoke equipment is worn. The systems also includes methods of using the player's unique data to manufacture the bespoke protective equipment with a custom formed internal padding assembly that substantially corresponds to the player's unique data. The system and method allows for the design and manufacture of bespoke protective sports equipment that is purposely designed and manufactured to match the anatomical specifications of the player's body part.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus and computer program products for use in manufacturing an anatomical protective item for one or more users. Embodiments of anatomical protective items may comprise a single layer of energy controlling cells. Input data associated with one or more users is obtained. The obtained input data is processed to identify one or more energy controlling criteria for the anatomical protective item. A packing process is employed to generate each energy controlling cell in the single layer. Each energy controlling cell comprises one or more walls which extend from an upper surface of the single layer to a lower surface of the single layer. The packing process is performed at least on the basis of the identified one or more energy controlling criteria. The anatomical protective item comprising the single layer of energy controlling cells is manufactured.

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 device (e.g., an article of athletic gear) comprising a post-molded expandable component, which is a part of the device that is configured to be expanded or has been expanded after being molded. This may allow the post-molded expandable component to have enhanced characteristics (e.g., be more shock-absorbent, lighter, etc.), to be cost-effectively manufactured (e.g., by using less material and/or making it in various sizes), and/or to be customized for a user (e.g., by custom-fitting it to the user).