WO2006068655A2

WO2006068655A2 - Shock absorbing protective device

Info

Publication number: WO2006068655A2
Application number: PCT/US2005/014825
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dardo Bonaparte Lujan; Sergio Gentili
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-04-30
Filing date: 2005-04-29
Publication date: 2006-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-30
Also published as: WO2006068655A3; AR046069A1

Abstract

A protective device for absorbing impact energy, the device comprising a plurality of hollow resilient tubes that are arranged side-by-side into a cushioning layer that is sandwiched between a high resistant cover.

Description

Shock Absorbing Protective Device

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention .

The present invention relates to a new energy absorbing structure , preferably a protective structure for use in applications wherein impact or shock energy must be absorbed to protect an individual or room, for example for sports , industry, ballistic panels and j ackets , and all activities wherein people, rooms , vehicles , etc . must be protected against the energy from impacts and shocks , such as from projectiles and bullets and, generally, mechanical, sound, thermal , etc . energy .

2. Description of the Prior Art .

There are well known many panels , structures , cushions and bumpers that are employed to absorb energy from moving bodies in several fields . For instance, sport players , such as in soccer, hockey and several other sports , commonly wear protectors to prevent some body parts of the player from being injured by a kick, a hockey stick, etc . There are other applications for these protective devices such as in the ballistic field wherein an absorbing panel is generally used for anti-trauma purposes in ballistic, bullet-proof jackets and vests . The purpose of these anti-trauma panels is to absorb the energy of a bullet impinging the vest in order to reduce as much as possible the impact energy transferred from the ballistic structure to the wearer ' s body . It may be useful to remark that while the ballistic structure stops the bullet, the bullet ' s energy must be absorbed before reaching the individual .

US No . 5 , 604 , 022 discloses an antitrauma packet for resisting mechanical impacts and ballistic penetration, the packet comprising a panel made of polymeric fibers such as aramid and/or polyamid fibers and a layer consisting of polymeric fibers with hollow microspheres scattered into the fibers and adhered to the fibers , the layer being attached to the panel . While microspheres are scattered into the fibers with the purpose of absorbing energy these spheres are so micro sized and so spaced apart that they do not form a resistant or cushioning barrier to the impinging projectiles . Thus , while the bullet might be stopped by the ballistic structure most of the impact energy is not absorbed but transferred to the wearer .

There are many other panels consisting of mere basic materials such as rubber, EVA and other soft and resilient polymers and materials . Some of them, while resilient, do not absorb the energy efficiently because the same are too compact for absorbing this kind of punctual energy, and the others are so bulky that the use thereof is restricted to applications other than for bullet-proof j ackets or vests .

It would be therefore very convenient to have a light antitrauma panel, capable of absorbing most of the energy from an impact, for use in ballistic structures , such as vests , with a high capacity of absorbing impacts and shocks , also for sports fields for example .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an energy absorbing panel for use in absorbing heat, sound and/or mechanical energy, the panel comprising a plurality of hollow tubular members .

It is still another obj ect of the present invention to provide a protective panel for absorbing impact energy, the panel comprising a plurality of hollow resilient tubes that are arranged side-by-side, one close to the other or spaced apart from each other, into a cushioning layer that is sandwiched between a high resistant cover .

It is a further obj ect of the present invention to provide a protective panel for absorbing impact energy comprising at least one cushioning layer including a plurality of hollow resilient tube lengths and retaining means for retaining the tube lengths arranged in a side-by- side pattern .

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a protective panel for absorbing impact, thermal and/or sound energy comprising at least one cushioning layer including a plurality of hollow resilient tube lengths that are side-by-side arranged, preferably fixed to each other, and sandwiched between high resistance external covers . The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be better understood when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and description .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example in the following drawings wherein :

Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a protective panel according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of another panel according to the invention;

Figure 3 shows a partial cross section and top perspective view of the protective panel of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view of a panel according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 shows a cross sectional view of a panel according to still another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 shows a cross sectional view of a panel according to a further embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 shows a top plan view of a layer of hollow tubes of the panel according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 8 shows a cross sectional view of a tube according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 9 shows a cross sectional view of a tube according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 10 shows a partial cross section and top perspective view of a protective panel according to another inventive embodiment ;

Figure 11 is a cross sectional view of a ballistic packet including the protective energy absorbing panel of the invention, and

Figure 12 shows a top perspective view of another arrangement formed by helical tubes that are interconnected to each other according to another inventive embodiment .

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now referring in detail to the invention, the same refers to a protective panel , indicated by general reference number 1, capable of absorbing energy, such as heat, sound and/or mechanical energy from impacts , shocks and the like . Panel 1 , depicted in an exploded view in Fig . 1, comprises at least one cushioning layer comprised of a plurality of hollow tube lengths 2 , preferably resilient tubes , arranged in a side by side manner in order to form a cushion with respective air chambers . For the purpose of this description, "tube lengths" and "tubes" mean the same concept, namely tubular members , and tube lengths and tubes may be used indistinctly . Each tube or tube length may be open or closed at its ends , for example by respective plugs 3, Figure 8 , by heat welding 4 , Figure 9, and the like, whereby each tube defines a cushioning air chamber 5. Also for the purposes of this description, side-by-side must be interpreted in the sense that the tubes are close to each other, in contact to each other or spaced apart from each other in order to form a cushioning and breathing space between two adj acent tube lengths . The breathing space is well useful for provide ventilation in a ballistic jacket or vest . When the tube lengths are spaced apart in the side-by-side pattern, keeping a distance between two adjacent tubes , the laminar means may comprise a ventilating fabric located at a side of the panel to be in contact with a wearer . Also, while the tubes have been illustrated with their ends closed, these ends may be open depending of the design of the layer and cushioning packet .

Retaining means are provided for retaining the tubes altogether in a preferred side-by-side pattern, as shown in the several Figures . Retaining means may comprise at least one adhesive, heat welding and the like to fix the tube together along at least a j oint line . Figures 1-3 shows an adhesive 6 fixing the tubes together but, as indicated above , reference number 6 may be also a heat or chemical welding seam. Alternatively, the retaining means may comprise an elastic or resilient matrix, shown in Figure 4 , and the tubes are retained and embedded into the matrix .

Preferably, the retaining means also comprises laminar means 8 that are fixed at both sides of layer 2 for enclosing or sandwiching the tubes or tube lengths . Thus , the at least one layer of hollow tube lengths 2 is sandwiched between the laminar means . The laminar means preferably comprises at least one cover, at one or both sides of the panel, and the cover is made of any type of fibers and/or threads , and/or mixtures thereof, such as aramid fibers , aramid threads , polyester fibers , polyester threads , polymeric fibers , polymeric threads , synthetic fibers, synthetic threads, ultra high resistance polyethylene fibers , ultra high resistance polyethylene threads and thread fibers . The fibers and/or threads are preferably high resistance ones .

The cover, preferably a fabric commercially known as "Kevlar" (R) , may be fixed to the tubes by any appropriate means , such as adhesive and/or sewing, indicated by reference 9 in Figure 5. In this embodiment sewing seam 9 is part of the retaining means as long as no adhesive 6 and/or matrix 7 may be necessary .

When employed in j ackets or vests , the cover facing the wearer may be made of an open mesh or fabric, namely a ventilated cover, in order to provide a breathing or ventilated contact between the cushioning layer and the wearer ' s body .

According to another embodiment of the invention, the protective panel may comprise more than one layer of tubes 2. Thus, Figure 6 shows a panel with three layers 10 of tubes 2 , with each layer of tubes arranged in an offset pattern to provide a better absorbing effect . The tubes may be retained as indicated above by any appropriate means , such as adhesives , welding, sewing, etc . and cover 8 may be provided at one or both sides of the panel and fixed as also explained above . If more than one layer of tubes are provided, cover 8 also may be placed between the layers of tubes . While a plurality of tube lengths 2 have been illustrated in the several Figures , each layer of tubes may be manufactured from only one tube 11 arranged in a zig-zag pattern, as depicted in Figure 7 , with the tube having its ends open, or closed as illustrated in Figures 8 , 9 , whereby the tube defines a cushioning air chamber . Of course, more than one layer may be arranged with this pattern .

When the panel is comprised of more than one cushioning layer, the tubes 2 of the layers may be arranged as it is illustrated in Figure 10 , thus , while the tubes of one layer are parallel to each other in the layer, the tubes of an adj acent layer extend forming an angle, preferably a 90 degree angle , with the tubes of the one layer .

Each tube length 2 , or tube 11 , may be made of a resilient material such as plastics , polymers , resins , rubber, gels and soft materials . Each of these materials may be selected according to the application of the invention, for sports activities, ballistic field, etc . Figure 11 shows an application of the inventive panel in the ballistic field . More particularly, panel 1 is attached to a ballistic packet 12 consisting of a plurality of high resistance fabric sheets 13. It has been found that the energy absorbing capacity of the inventive panel not only makes the panel absorb the impact energy of a bullet 14 to reduce the effects on the human body by diminishing the trauma effect 15 , but also makes ballistic packet 12 have a better behavior and performance . In effect, while a determined number of sheets 13 are necessary to stop a given bullet 14 , the number of sheets 13 will be lower to stop the same bullet if packet 12 is attached to absorbing panel 1

As shown in Figures 2 , 4 and 11 , a layer 16 may be provided and attached to sheet 8 at a side of the panel facing the bullet, Figure 11 , or at both sides of the panel . Layer 16 may be made of any appropriate material, such as a mat, preferably made of entangled fibers , a mass of fibers , threads and the like . In addition, layer 16 may be made of resilient material, such as rubber, EVA, and the like . The purpose of layer 16 is to provide additional cushioning to the bullet impact and to distribute the impact forces in a more spread pattern .

Finally, Figure 12 shows another alternative embodiment with the tubes or tube lengths arranged into a particular pattern . In this embodiment each tube or tube length 2 is formed into a helical tube member 17 and a plurality of helical tubes 17 may be arranged into one layer, as illustrated in Figure 12 , or more layers . Helical tubes 17 may be interconnected to each other by passing the threads of each helical tube member through the threads of the adj acent helical tube members , as shown in Figure 12. Thus, this layer defines a cushioning layer with enhanced cushioning characteristics .

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .

Claims

I CLAIM :

1. A protective panel for absorbing impact energy comprising : at least one cushioning layer including a plurality of hollow resilient tube lengths ; retaining means for retaining the tube lengths arranged in a side-by-side pattern .

2. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the retaining means includes laminar means for enclosing the tube lengths .

3. The panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hollow tube lengths comprises a plurality of tubes with each tube having closed ends , whereby each tube defines a cushioning air chamber .

4. The panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hollow tube lengths comprises only one tube arranged in a zig-zag pattern with the tube having closed ends , whereby the tube defines a cushioning air chamber .

5. The panel of claim 1, wherein each tube length is made of a resilient material selected from the group comprising plastics , polymers , resins , rubber, gels and soft materials .

6. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the retaining means comprises at least one adhesive .

7. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the retaining means comprises heat welding .

8. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the retaining means comprises a resilient matrix whereby the tube lengths are embedded into the matrix .

9. The panel of claim 2 , wherein the laminar means comprises at least one cover .

10. The panel of claim 9, wherein the cover is made of high resistance fibers .

11. The panel of claim 9, wherein the cover is made of at least one of aramid fibers , aramid threads , polyester fibers, polyester threads, polymeric fibers, polymeric threads , synthetic fibers , synthetic threads , ultra high resistance polyethylene fibers , ultra high resistance polyethylene threads and thread fibers .

12. The panel of claim 2 , wherein the at least one layer of hollow tube lengths is sandwiched between the laminar means .

13. The panel of claim 12 , wherein the laminar means is fixed to the at least one layer of tube lengths by adhesive .

14. The panel of claim 12 , wherein the laminar means is fixed to the at least one layer of tube lengths by sewing .

15. The panel of claim 1, wherein the at least one layer of tube lengths comprises a plurality of layers .

16. The panel of claim 1, further comprising a mat attached to at a side of the panel looking towards impinging projectiles .

17. The panel of claim 1, wherein the tube lengths of the at least one cushioning layer comprise a plurality of tubes formed into helical tube members and the tube members are interconnected to each other by passing the threads of each helical tube member through the threads of adjacent helical tube members .

18. The panel of claim 17 , wherein the helical tube members form more than one layer and the helical tube members of one layer are interconnected to the helical tube members of adjacent layers .

19. The panel of claim 2 , wherein the tube lengths are spaced apart in the side-by-side pattern and the laminar means comprise a ventilating fabric located at a side of the panel to be in contact with a wearer .