Various embodiments are directed to a protective helmet comprising: a protective shell having a substantially dome-shaped configuration, the protective shell comprising: an outer shell surface; an inner shell surface; and at least one groove extending along at least a portion of the inner shell surface, wherein the at least one groove is embodied as a material recess within a wall thickness; wherein a ratio of the shell thickness at a first shell location adjacent the at least one groove to the groove depth of the at least one groove is at least a predetermined threshold value. In various embodiments, a protective helmet may further comprise an impact cap and/or an inner ring, one or both of which may comprise a respective groove configuration. In various embodiments, the one or more groove configurations may be configured to reduce the helmet weight of the invention by at least 15%.

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for improving the impact performance of helmets. The disclosed apparatuses and methods allow the head to move within the helmet but dissipate forces upon the head in a plurality of directions using compressible impact-dissipating elements. The compressible impact-dissipating elements are disposed on a base between the head and an outer shell of the helmet. The compressible impact-dissipating elements are attached to the base that is configured to adapt to the interior size/shape of the helmet with which they are used. The compressible impact-dissipating elements are compressible preferably at least 50% of their “short-axis” dimension, and are also preferably capable of movement in a plurality of directions by the use of appropriate attachment elements allowing for such movement.

Disclosed is a fit system for improving users' comfort with wearable articles, such as head-worn articles. The fit system includes a lattice of collapsible beams that can be constructed of elastomer foam located at the interface between the wearable article and a part of the user's body. The collapsible beam construction provides a non-linear relationship between the amount of force or pressure applied on the body part and the amount of compression of the foam.

A helmet for protecting a wearer's head has a protective layer configured to, when the helmet is impacted by a force, absorb the normal component thereof by compression and rupture when the tangential component of the force exceeds a predefined threshold.

A protective helmet has an outer shell and one or more absorption elements of impact shock energy operatively coupled with the outer shell. The absorption elements include a working portion interposed between the end portions. The section of the working portion along a surface transverse to the development axis has an area smaller than the areas of the corresponding sections of the end portions. The absorption elements have a breaking load lower than the breaking load of the outer shell, so that in the event of an impact the working portion is subject to breaking before the outer shell and before the end portions to allow the absorption of the impact shock energy.

An impact resistance spreading helmet is disclosed. The helmet includes a frontal section configured to interface with the forehead of an individual and extend upward over the cranium; a medial section for extending over a portion of the cranium rearward of the frontal section; an occipital section for extending rearward from the medial section and configured to cover a portion of the neck of the individual; a first compressible structure disposed between the frontal section and the medial section; and a second compressible structure disposed between the medial section and the occipital section. The interface between the frontal section and the first compressible structure is disposed at an angle vertical to a force direction perpendicular to the frontal section above the forehead of the individual.

A wearable impact protection system is provided that includes an inner layer of a first shear thickening material that faces a wearer in use, an outer layer of a second shear thickening material and an intermediate deformable layer. In one example the impact protection system is provided in the form of a helmet.

There is provided a shock-absorbing assembly engageable with a human body part, such as a human head, to protect same. The shock-absorbing assembly comprises a shock-absorbing core including an inner surface configured to face at least a portion of the human body part; and a body contact seat assembly comprising: a plurality of spaced-apart resilient posts mounted to the shock-absorbing core, each one of the resilient posts having a portion protruding from the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core; and a body contact seat mounted to the shock-absorbing core via the protruding portions of the plurality of resilient posts, so that the body contact seat is in spaced relationship with the inner surface of the shock-absorbing core and at least one of slidable, displaceable, shearable and twistable with respect to the inner surface thereof. There is also provided a helmet including such a shock-absorbing assembly and a shock-absorbing kit.

A helmet (10) comprising (i) an outer shell (12); (ii) an inner pad (14) configured to deform resiliently to cushion the head of a user; and (iii) a solid open-cell foam material (18) wherein the outer shell is spaced apart from the inner pad by the solid open-cell foam material and wherein the solid open-cell foam material is arranged to deform irreversibly in the event of an impact which applies a pressure greater than a selected threshold pressure to absorb the energy of the impact.

The present invention relates to a helmet comprising a shell; and a force redirection member disposed between the shell and a head when the helmet is worn, the member configured to redirect a force impacting on the shell to a direction different from the original direction of the impact on the shell. The present invention also relates to a method to decrease the risk of injury to a person wearing a helmet, caused by rotational forces when the helmet is impacted by a force characterized by a specific direction having a first vector, the method comprising redirecting the force into a different direction having a second vector, wherein the direction of the second vector is selected to reduce the risk of a specified injury associated with acceleration of the head in the direction of the first vector.