Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a protective shell having an exterior surface and an interior surface and a lever assembly positioned between the interior surface of the protective shell and a portion of a body. The lever assembly includes a lever having an elongated member extending between a first end and a second end and a pivot location. A fulcrum pivotally engages the pivot location of the lever, wherein the lever rotates about the fulcrum in response to an impact force applied along a first direction to the exterior surface of the protective shell. The lever assembly further includes a spring engaging the lever, wherein a rotation of the lever deforms the spring in a second direction to absorb a portion of a kinetic energy of the collision to redirect and reduce a transfer of a portion of force to the body. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Garments made from a composite, protective fabric are disclosed. The composite fabric has textile layers placed in proximity to metallic mesh layers of woven stainless steel mesh. The metal mesh layers formed from any metal which forms suitable fibers. The textile layers are fabric formed with well-known fabric fibers selected from those including para-aramid fibers, meta-aramid fibers, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, polyethylene terephthalate fibers, cellulose fibers, polyamide fibers, a mixture of para-aramid fibers and meta-aramid fibers, and a mixture of para-aramid fibers and carbon fibers. Forming the non-metal textile layers is by any suitable method for interlacing yarns including weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or felting, or combinations thereof. The garments made using the fabric include gloves, bullet proof vests and chain-saw resistant trousers.

A garment worn by a wearer has an impact absorbing material comprising arrays of various hexagonal or other deformable polygonal-shaped structures positioned between an exterior surface and an interior surface. When force is applied to the exterior surface, the structures of the impact absorbing materials deform (e.g., buckle) in a desired manner, reducing the force received by the interior surface.

A helmet for protecting a head of a wearer, such as a hockey, lacrosse, football or other sports player. The helmet includes an outer shell and an inner padding disposed between the outer shell and the wearer's head when the helmet is worn. The inner padding includes a plurality of shock absorbers and an interconnector interconnecting the shock absorbers, each shock absorber being deformable in response to a rotational impact on the helmet such that an outer part of the shock absorber moves relative to an inner part of the shock absorber in a direction tangential to an angular movement of the outer shell due to the rotational impact.

A method and apparatus for reducing the severity of blows delivered to protective headgear hard outer shells. The method consists of applying cushions to the hard outer shell, forcing the cushions to conform to the contour of the hard outer shell by laying straps over the cushions, applying tension to the straps, and holding the cushions in place by anchoring the straps at the front and rear of the hard outer shell. The apparatus consists of rectangular-shaped cushions, straps that lay atop the cushions, and a rear anchor strap whose ends attach on opposites sides of the front of the hard outer shell, and whose middle extends backward to provide anchor points for other straps in the system. A crown cushion runs over the crown of the hard outer shell and a side cushion wraps around the side of the hard outer shell with overlapping ends that anchor to themselves.

A method and apparatus for reducing the severity of blows delivered to protective headgear hard outer shells. The method consists of applying cushions to the hard outer shell, forcing the cushions to conform to the contour of the hard outer shell by laying straps over the cushions, applying tension to the straps, and holding the cushions in place by anchoring the straps at the front and rear of the hard outer shell. The apparatus consists of rectangular-shaped cushions, straps that lay atop the cushions, and a rear anchor strap whose ends attach on opposites sides of the front of the hard outer shell, and whose middle extends backward to provide anchor points for other straps in the system. A crown cushion runs over the crown of the hard outer shell and a side cushion wraps around the side of the hard outer shell with overlapping ends that anchor to themselves.

A helmet having a semi-soft outer shell adjacent to a web and spaced apart from a tight fitting inner shell. The semi-soft outer shell is made from a high absorbent material. The web is made of a plurality of strips that compress on impact and become more rigid the more they are compressed. An air space separates the web from the inner shell. The inner shell is also made of the soft and highly absorbent material that the outer shell is made from. The inner shell is configured to be tightly fitting.

A helmet including fit system straps with illuminable strips on them or woven into them and one or more light sources positioned adjacent the tops of the fit system straps on the helmet body to emit light toward the illuminable strips. The light sources may be connected directly to the illuminable strips to emit light into an end of the illuminable strips. The light sources may emit light from or near a lower surface of the helmet body toward the illuminable strips.

A helmet including fit system straps with illuminable strips on them or woven into them and one or more light sources positioned adjacent the tops of the fit system straps on the helmet body to emit light toward the illuminable strips. The light sources may be connected directly to the illuminable strips to emit light into an end of the illuminable strips. The light sources may emit light from or near a lower surface of the helmet body toward the illuminable strips.

There is disclosed an improved impact absorption padding for a contact sports helmet, for contact sports such as football, hockey and lacrosse, which incorporates a plurality of air pockets formed from a resiliently flexible material, such as plastic or rubber. At least some of the air pockets enclose a coil or spring. The coil or spring is also resiliently flexible over a wide range of temperatures, and oriented to compress in the general direction of impact to absorb a substantial portion of the energy before it is transferred to the head of the player. The coil or spring is also sized and shaped to return the air pocket to a desired thickness and shape after an impact. The air pockets may be arranged to substantially cover the outside of a contact sports helmet shell as a layer of impact absorption padding. A second inner layer of impact absorption padding may also be provided inside the contact sports helmet shell.