Described herein are helmets comprising at least one surface reinforcing component. In some embodiments the surface reinforcing component comprises at least one anchoring feature embedded in a structural feature of the helmet, such as a force absorbing element. In other embodiments, the surface reinforcing component comprises fasteners configured to mate with a respective fastener on a shell of the helmet.

Composite materials having superior material properties useful as impact absorbing devices can be fabricated by embedding a lattice structure (e.g., polymer lattice structure) within a foam, so that the foam reinforces the lattice structure under impact. Materials and dimensions of the foam and the lattice structure may be selected to achieve composite materials having tailored impact absorbing elastic and/or viscoelastic responses over a wide range of temperatures.

A press for molding expanded thermoplastic polymers, comprising at least one portion comprising a fixed plane with a first chamber and a movable plane with a chamber, the fixed plane and the movable plane comprising at least one male mold part and at least one female mold part, which form at least one cavity upon closure; the fixed plane of the at least one portion comprises, in a second chamber obtained inside the first chamber, a duct for dispensing steam inside the second chamber, adapted to superheat the at least one male mold part and/or the at least one female mold part, and a duct for dispensing water inside the second chamber, adapted to cool the at least one male mold part and/or the at least one female mold part, and a condensation discharge duct.

A method of manufacturing a protective helmet, in particular a bicycle helmet, that has a shock-absorbing helmet body having a concave inner side and a convex outer side and that has an outer shell arranged at the outer side of the helmet body. The method includes the steps: placing the outer shell into a mold; and filling a casting material into the mold at at least one filling point to form the helmet body. The casting material connects to an inner side of the outer shell. The filling point for the casting material is provided at the outer side of the formed helmet body, with the outer shell having an opening in the region of the filling point.

Ballistic resistant sheets (12), articles (10) comprising such sheets and methods of making the same are provided. The embodiments are especially adapted to facilitate the manufacture of curved ballistic resistant articles (e.g. curved ballistic resistant armor, helmets and the like). In preferred forms, the ballistic resistant sheets are a multi-monolayer construction including a core layer (12-1) formed of at least one first monolayer having first unidirectionally oriented reinforcing fibers and an elastomeric matrix material which is sandwiched between respective face layers (12-2) each formed of at least one second monolayer having second unidirectionally oriented reinforcing fibers and a non-elastomeric matrix material.

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).

The disclosure is directed to a solid part, and a device and process of making the solid part. The process includes introducing a glass fiber filled polymeric material to a hopper of an injection molding machine, where the glass fibers have a pre-molding length, melting the glass fiber filled polymeric material to form a melt in a plasticizing unit, pressurizing the plasticizing unit of the injection molding machine with a blowing agent, dissolving the blowing agent into the melt, injecting the melt into a mold cavity up to 100% of volume, and forming the solid part.

A helmet and method for forming a helmet having a multi-density impact liner may include forming a puck comprising an interface surface and at least one side is formed. The interface surface of the puck is placed in direct contact with a receiving surface of a cap located in an impact liner mold. Next, the interface surface of the puck is thermally fused directly to the receiving surface of the cap while contemporaneously an impact liner body is formed inside the mold. The impact liner body is fused to the at least one side of the puck, and to a majority of the receiving surface of the cap. The density of the puck may be greater than the density of the impact liner body. The puck and the impact liner body may be EPS, and the cap may be PC.

The invention relates to a protective sports helmet purposely designed for a selected group of helmet wearers from amongst a larger population of helmet wearers. A multi-step method for helmet design starts by collecting information from a population of players that may include information about the shape of a player's head and the impacts the player has sustained. This information is then processed to create player population information that is sorted to create categories. Advanced mathematical techniques are utilized to further sort these categories into player groups or data sets based on player attributes. Once the player groups are identified, another multi-step process is utilized to design optimized helmet prototype models for each player group. These optimized helmet prototype models are then further processed into complete helmet models by determining a structural design and chemical composition that is manufacturable and has mechanical properties that are substantially similar to the optimized helmet prototype model. Physical helmet prototypes are then created and tested using a unique helmet standard derived from information associated with each player group. Once the prototypes pass testing, the complete helmet models can be manufactured to create actual stock helmets or stock helmet components for future players whose characteristics and attributes place them within the selected player group.

A modified silicone resin foam is obtained by curing a foamable liquid resin composition including: 100 parts by weight of a base material resin (A) composed of 65 to 95 parts by weight of a polymer (a) and 5 to 35 parts by weight of a reactive plasticizer (b); 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of a silanol condensation catalyst (B); and 2 to 40 parts by weight of a chemical foaming agent (C). The polymer (a) contains 1.0 to 2.0 reactive silicon groups in a molecular chain and has a main chain comprising oxyalkylene-based units. The reactive plasticizer (b) is a polymer containing 1.0 or fewer reactive silicon groups at one terminal end of a molecular chain and has a main chain comprising oxyalkylene-based units. A percent elongation of the foam is 300 to 1000% in a 25 C. atmosphere.