A flexible energy absorbing system comprising a material coated, impregnated and/or combined with a strain rate sensitive substance is disclosed. It is formed so as to define repeating adjacent cells, each cell having a re-entrant geometry such that, upon impact, the material locally densifies at the impact site.

An energy absorbing liner system that offers a multi-stage reaction to impact and is positioned inside a member that receives an impact. The energy absorbing liner system has one or more interconnected energy absorbing modules that rebound after one or more impacts. At least some of the modules in the layer have a basal portion with multiple levels of reaction to impact. For example, a first stage has one or more membranes. A second stage has energy absorbing units with bendable walls. The membranes extend between the walls of adjacent energy absorbing units. The membranes alone or in combination with the side walls of the units at least partially cushion the blow in multiple stages of reaction by progressively absorbing energy imparted by an object that impacts the outer shell.

A protective glove can include a unitary dorsal panel formed from an inner scrim material and a plurality of protective elements molded directly to an exterior surface of the inner scrim. Two or more protective elements can be formed as an array of discrete islands each separated by substantially zero-elevation interstitial spaces. The unitary dorsal panel can be sewn or otherwise attached circumferentially to the palmer sections of the glove. This array of protective elements can provide increased protection to the user's fingers, hands, wrists, and lower forearms while maintaining flexibility and tactile feel on both palmar and dorsal sides of the glove, increasing flexibility where needed without compromising protection.

Energy distribution structures provide architectural flexibility in various configurations, materials, and scalability, which enables a vast number of applications. An energy distribution structure or array thereof may include a three-dimensional outer component and a three-dimensional inner component within the outer component. The outer component absorbs and redirects initial energy from an applied energy event, and the inner component absorbs and redirects residual energy from the applied energy event. Such an applied energy event may be caused by a ballistic or non-ballistic impact, an instantaneous or prolonged impact such as atmospheric pressure or decompression, explosive overpressure (shockwave), low-velocity contact, and blunt force trauma. Energy distribution structures can increase the strength, resilience or survivability of such events, and reduce the injury or damage to target objects such as people, vehicles, structures, vessels and surfaces by shielding same from such events.

An article of protective equipment for protecting a body part of a user includes a lattice structure with a plurality of struts forming three dimensional volumetric structures. The lattice structure includes a plurality of internal layers, each internal layer having at least one different physical property from the other internal layers, wherein the plurality of internal layers comprises at least one internal layer having physical properties such that the at least one internal layer is capable of compressing more than at least one other internal layer in response to an impact to the article of protective equipment.

Energy distribution structures provide architectural flexibility in various configurations, materials, and scalability, which enables a vast number of applications. An energy distribution structure or array thereof may include a three-dimensional outer component and a three-dimensional inner component within the outer component. The outer component absorbs and redirects initial energy from an applied energy event, and the inner component absorbs and redirects residual energy from the applied energy event. Such an applied energy event may be caused by a ballistic or non-ballistic impact, an instantaneous or prolonged impact such as atmospheric pressure or decompression, explosive overpressure (shockwave), low-velocity contact, and blunt force trauma. Energy distribution structures can increase the strength, resilience or survivability of such events, and reduce the injury or damage to target objects such as people, vehicles, structures, vessels and surfaces by shielding same from such events.

A glove is provided that is superior in impact resistance and allows prevention of dislocation and detachment of an impact-resistant pad. The glove includes: a stretchable glove main body made of fiber; a coating layer comprising a synthetic resin or rubber as a principal component, being laminated to an external face of the glove main body at least in a finger portion and a palm portion; and impact-resistant pads comprising a synthetic resin as a principal component, being provided to at least a part of an external face side of the coating layer on a back hand side of the glove main body, in which the impact-resistant pad is sewn onto the glove main body. The glove main body is preferably seamless. The impact-resistant pad is preferably provided to the finger portion. An internal face of the impact-resistant pad and an external face of the coating layer are preferably smooth.

The present disclosure relates to flexible energy absorbing systems and body armor, helmets and protective garments incorporating flexible energy absorbing systems. A flexible energy absorbing system may comprise a first plurality of cells having a first re-entrant geometry and a second plurality of cells having a second, different geometry. The first plurality of cells and the second plurality of cells may comprise an elastomeric material.

A shoe or apparel, including a first material layer with a first plurality of protrusions, a flexible layer with a plurality of apertures, and a second material layer. The flexible layer is positioned between the first material layer and the second material layer. Each protrusion of the first plurality of protrusions of the first material layer extends through at least one aperture of the plurality of apertures of the flexible layer and is connected to the second material layer. The flexible layer is not connected to the first material layer and the second material layer, and thereby can freely move between the first material layer and the second material layer.

A chest protector may include a flexible panel configured to generally conform to a user's chest and abdominal regions, one or more retention elements connected to the flexible panel and positioned to hold the chest protector on the user, and one or more high-friction elements positioned on an anterior outer surface of the flexible panel, the one or more high-friction elements configured to reduce angular momentum, or change rotation, of a ball impacting at least one of the one or more high-friction elements. The high-friction elements may include elements of tacky material, such as one or more dots or other elements of tacky material.