A helmet having non-bursting gas cells preferably includes a hard helmet shell, an outside gas cell impact layer and an inside gas cell impact layer. The outside gas cell impact layer preferably includes at least one gas cell layer and an outside layer of sheet material. Each gas cell layer includes a plurality of gas cells created between two plastic sheets. The inside gas cell impact layer includes the at least one gas cell layer. The inside and outside gas cell impact layers may be permanently or removably attached to hard helmet shell. A second embodiment of the helmet having non-bursting gas cells preferably includes the hard helmet shell, the outside gas cell impact layer and an inside gas cell inflatable impact layer. The inside gas cell inflatable impact layer preferably includes at least one inflatable gas cell layer and a check valve.

An athletic garment generally includes a short member, a supporter, and a plurality of straps. The short member may include a front panel, rear panel, two side panels, and a waistband. The supporter is dimensioned to releasably receive an athletic protective cup. The straps are coupled to one end of the supporter and are attached to the opposing rear panel of the short member.

Embodiments of a femur and/or hip protection system are disclosed. The device comprises a waist belt; a posterior assembly coupled to waist belt and having a center pad; a first leg assembly coupled to the waist belt and positioned on one side of the posterior assembly having a first protective pad; a second leg coupled to the waist belt and positioned on the opposing side of the posterior assembly having assembly having a second protective pad; a first impact distributing hip component coupled to the first leg assembly; and a second impact distributing hip component coupled to the second leg assembly.

A wearable airbag device adapted to be worn by a wearer is disclosed, including a gas generator that is configured to be actuated at fall of the wearer, an airbag that includes a plurality of inflatable portions that are partitioned from one another, the plurality of inflatable portions each including an gas inlet port and being configured to be inflated with an inflation gas fed from the gas generator via the gas inlet port for protecting a targeted body part of the wearer, and a gas switching mechanism that is disposed in a pathway of the inflation gas from the gas generator toward the plurality of inflatable portions, the gas switching mechanism being configured to switch a destination of the inflation gas emitted from the gas generator over to only one inflatable portion disposed in a falling direction of the wearer out of the plurality of inflatable portions.

A hip thrust exercise guard comprising a pad, a bar insert in the pad to hold the bar of a barbell, and an adjustable band. The bar insert grips the bar of a barbell to prevent slippage during the hip thrust exercise, while still allowing slight side to side adjustments, in order to center the bar in the safest and most comfortable position. The attached adjustable band secures the pad around the hip in the optimal position for comfort, protection, and stability. The pad's soft foam construction and sculpted design contours to the hip area of the user.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus and computer program products for use in manufacturing an anatomical protective item for one or more users. Embodiments of anatomical protective items may comprise a single layer of energy controlling cells. Input data associated with one or more users is obtained. The obtained input data is processed to identify one or more energy controlling criteria for the anatomical protective item. A packing process is employed to generate each energy controlling cell in the single layer. Each energy controlling cell comprises one or more walls which extend from an upper surface of the single layer to a lower surface of the single layer. The packing process is performed at least on the basis of the identified one or more energy controlling criteria. The anatomical protective item comprising the single layer of energy controlling cells is manufactured.

A wearable airbag device that is adapted to be worn by a wearer for protecting one or more targeted body parts of the wearer. The airbag device includes an airbag that includes one or more protecting inflatable portions each of which is configured to be inflated with an inflation gas and cover one of the one or more targeted body parts, and a means for preventing each of the protecting inflatable portions from being dislocated from the targeted body part at airbag deployment.

A protective guard for reducing injury to a shin of a person includes a conformable substrate and a plurality of core members disposed adjacent to a surface of the conformable substrate. The plurality of core members are arranged such that a first of the core members is rotationally movable about at least one axis relative to a second of the core members. A flexible fabric membrane comprised of natural or synthetic fibers is positioned adjacent to at least one of the conformable substrate and the plurality of core members.

A wearable airbag device includes a wearable member and an airbag held by the wearable member and inflatable with an inflation gas fed from a gas generator. The airbag includes a bag body that forms an outer shell of the airbag which includes an inner wall adapted to face the wearer when worn and an outer wall opposite to the inner wall, the bag body including one or more protecting inflatable portions for covering and protecting one or more targeted body parts respectively, and an inner bag that is disposed inside the bag body and configured to be inflated with the inflation gas from the gas generator. The inner bag includes one or more supply ports for forwarding the inflation gas to the bag body. Each of the supply ports is configured to emit the inflation gas toward one of the protecting inflatable portions and toward the outer wall.

Disclosed herein are wearable articles and methods for the manufacture and use thereof. The wearable articles can comprise compression elements, gripping elements, and support elements containing a rate-sensitive materials which can operate to prevent injury.