An impact absorbing apparatus includes a first chamber including a first chamber wall and a first valve disposed in the first chamber wall. The impact absorbing apparatus includes a second chamber including a second chamber wall and a second valve disposed in the second chamber wall. A plurality of connecting pillars connects the first chamber to the second chamber. The plurality of connecting pillars is configured to shift position in response to a first impact. The first valve is configured to pass air in and out of the first chamber. The second valve is configured to pass air in and out of the second chamber.

Embodiments are directed toward a comfort liner for a helmet. The comfort liner preferably includes a latticed structure configured to couple to the helmet. The latticed structure is preferably elastically compressible and configured to prevent rotation of the helmet relative to a wearer's head in at least one dimension.

A helmet includes an outer shell, a securing mechanism (e.g., a strap and belt system) for securing the shell to a user's head, and an impact-absorbing layer (e.g., expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), or other suitable material) positioned on an inner surface of the outer shell. The impact-absorbing layer includes a resilient material and has an inner surface and a plurality of holes each having a hexagonal cross-sectional shape. The hexagonal holes may extend less than all the way through the impact-absorbing layer. A section of the impact-absorbing layer can have holes with a combined cross-sectional area that is at least 50% of a cross-sectional area of the inner surface of the impact-absorbing layer. the plurality of holes can define a honeycomb structure having cell walls having cell wall thicknesses, and the plurality of holes can have major diameters that are larger than the cell wall thickness of the cell walls.

The invention relates to a multi-step method with a number of processes and sub-processes that interact to allow for the selection, design and/or manufacture of a protective sports helmet for a specific player, or a recreational sports helmet for a specific person wearing the helmet. Once the desired protective sports helmet or recreational sports helmet is selected, information is collected from the individual player or wearer regarding the shape of his/her head and information about the impacts he/she has received while participating in the sport or activity. The collected information is processed to develop a bespoke energy attenuation assembly for use in the protective helmet. The energy attenuation assembly includes at least one energy attenuation member with a unique structural makeup and/or chemical composition. The energy attenuation assembly is purposely engineered to improve comfort and fit, as well as how the helmet responds when an impact or series of impacts are received by the helmet.

The metallic crystal structures inspired edge-to-edge tessellations and a tessellation based lattice structures are disclosed. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, basic unit lattice cells are stacked and connected to constitute a three-dimensional tessellations, wherein each of the basic unit lattice cells comprises a multiple flat connecting portions formed on a surface of the basic unit lattice cell and intersecting with a multiple of axes intersecting in a center of the basic unit lattice cell, and the flat connecting portions of one of the basic unit lattice cell is connected to the flat connecting portions of the adjacent basic unit lattice cell to constitute a connection structure of edge-to-edge tessellation. The formed tessellations are periodically tessellated in a design domain to form different tessellated lattice structures. The Functionally Tessellated (FT) lattice structures composed of different tessellations by interlocking into each other are also disclosed.

Embodiments are directed toward a comfort liner for a helmet. The comfort liner preferably includes a latticed structure configured to couple to the helmet. The latticed structure is preferably elastically compressible and configured to prevent rotation of the helmet relative to a wearer's head in at least one dimension.

A bicycle helmet that fits over a surface of a head of a user generally includes a segment of flexible cell structures that form a radial honeycomb matrix movable between a folded condition where each side of the segment is disposed generally parallel and an expanded condition where the radial honeycomb matrix of the segment is configured to be expanded at least partially over the head of the user and arranged radially relative to the surface of the head of the user. The bicycle helmet includes a first and second side frame disposed respectively at the first and second ends of the honeycomb matrix.

The releasable impact mitigating fasteners is an adaptable mechanism that may be used as the main energy management source and/or be used as a supplemental energy management source. The improved releasable impact mitigating fasteners are easily incorporated into protective devices such as helmets and/or other protective gear for a variety of activities, applications and/or industries, that require enhanced impact absorption, reusability, and/or quick release capabilities under specifically designed impact loads, etc. Each of the releasable impact mitigating fasteners comprise a first end, a second end and an impact mitigation structure. The first end comprises a face plate, the second end may comprise at least one flange. Each of the releasable impact mitigating fasteners may further comprise a base.

A body impact protection system includes an inner layer and an impact force dampening and defusing structure. The inner layer includes a material composition and is adjacent to a body part when the body impact protection system is worn. The impact force dampening and defusing structure is juxtaposed to the inner layer and includes a plurality of components. The components function to reduce pressure on the body part from an impact force on a layer by layer basis. Each layer of the system dampens and defuses the impact force such that, by the time it reaches the body part, it has been substantially attenuated and spread over a large area.

An impact attenuation system comprises an aluminum honeycomb sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface. The aluminum honeycomb sheet defines a plurality of approximately hexagonally shaped cells. The bottom surface defines a single sheet of contiguous cells and the top surface defines two or more islands of contiguous cells separated by one or more slits. At least a portion of one or both of the top surface and bottom surface may be covered by a polymer skin. The polymer skin may comprise carbon fibers and/or fiberglass.