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.

A ballistic-resistant articles, and methods for their preparation, based on sheets of UHMWPE films with discontinuous film splits, which combine flexibility and good ballistic properties, making them suitable for both soft-ballistic and hard-ballistic applications.

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.

A head garment is made of elastically stretchable fabric configured to fit over and surround the head of a wearer and conform substantially to the shape of the wearer's head. The head garment has an eye opening positioned to allow the wearer to see therethrough, and a protective eye shield completely covering the eye opening. A multi-layer filter portion is configured to cover the wearer's mouth and at least a lower part of the wearer's nose and has three or more filter layers for filtering air during breathing. Additional filter layers may be added to the multi-layer filter portion to enhance or modify the filtering properties. The multi-layer filter portion may be configured as a removable filter pack that can be removed and replaced by other filter packs having different filtering properties.

A coating created entirely from plant-derived ingredients is disclosed. Illustrative embodiments of the coating may be particularly well suited for use on leather-like materials created from epoxidized natural rubber-based formulations. Illustrative embodiments of the coating created may be comprised of substantially the reaction product between epoxidized vegetable oil and a polyfunctional naturally occurring acid (such as citric acid). Illustrative embodiments this reaction product may be used to produce porosity-free castable resins and vulcanize rubber formulations based on epoxidized natural rubber. Materials made from disclosed materials may be advantageously used as leather substitutes.

A fibrous nonwoven material which is vertically lapped in its entirety or which includes one or more lapped regions which include vertically lapped fibers provides for padding to be applied to a substrate (e.g., an article of interest such as a handle for sporting equipment or tool, or on the inside of a motorcycle or bicycle helmet, etc.). The skin contacting surface of the nonwoven has regions which are relatively thicker than other regions, and air, sweat, and the like are allowed to easily pass through these regions for cooling, wicking of fluid and enhanced breathability. The lapped nonwoven includes a backing material which helps define the pad shape and which permits securing to a substrate. A hook and loop fastener may be affixed to the lapped nonwoven at the backing material so as to allow retrieval and replacement of the nonwoven on the substrate. An acquisition layer on the surface can be used on the surface of the nonwoven, and a carded consolidated web may be positioned within the nonwoven. The nonwoven may take a variety of shapes including the shape of a strip and the shape of a koozie.

A wettable SMS material for personal protective equipment, such as a SMS fabric that has been treated to improve the wettability and absorbency properties of the SMS fabric is provided. A treated SMS fabric for personal protective equipment can retain its durability, breathability, and comfort, and may also provide the fabric with wettability and absorption properties. An article for personal protective equipment formed from a wettable SMS fabric is also provided.

A disposable protective garment for positioning over a wearer's head is provided for use in airplanes, busses, trains, other mass transit and other single-use applications. The disposable protective garment includes a hood formed of tubular blown film that has an at least partly closed top that rests on a wearer's head and an open bottom that rests on a wearer's shoulders. A mask can be integrated into the hood by forming a plurality of apertures in the hood and placing a polymer fabric that acts as a filter over the plurality of apertures. The hood may alternatively be combined with a crown or air filter material positioned over its top; a tubular filter equipped with an electric fan that draws air from above, filters it and directs the clean air downward across the wearer's face; and/or headgear. A barrier film suitable for use in the protective garment as well as other barrier applications is also provided.

A method for fabricating a strengthened plastic shell of a safety helmet and a helmet structure fabricated using the method are disclosed. The method includes providing at least one fiber layer and at least one shell that has a thin, flat structure; binding the fiber layer to the shell to form a preform; heating and pressing the preform with a first forming module, so that at least some local, surface texture of the shell is fused with or interlaced with the fiber layer to form an assembly that has a helmet-like shape (or contour); and arranging a foam material at an inner surface of the assembly and attaching the foam material over the inner surface of the assembly using a second forming module, thereby forming a helmet structure. The method makes the overall fabrication less complicated and less time-consuming as compared to the prior art.

The rigid hollow protection casing (30) includes a first rigid layer (10) composed of a matrix of a first thermoplastic material (11) including in its interior at least one long-fibre fabric layer (12) selected from fibreglass, carbon fibre and/or aramid fibre and comprising between 45% and 65% of the total weight of the first layer (10); a second overlapping rigid layer (20) exterior to the first layer (10), the second layer (20) being entirely composed of a matrix thereof or of a second thermoplastic material (21), the second layer (20) comprising between 2% and 10% of the total weight of the casing (30).