US 12,102,159 B2
Impact absorbing structures for athletic helmet
Andre Stone, Seattle, WA (US); Anton Perry Alferness, Seattle, WA (US); Mike Czerski, Seattle, WA (US); Jason Neubauer, Seattle, WA (US); and Adam Frank, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to VICIS IP, LLC, New York, NY (US)
Filed by VICIS IP, LLC, New York, NY (US)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/228,667.
Application 17/228,667 is a continuation of application No. 15/644,756, filed on Jul. 8, 2017, granted, now 10,973,272.
Application 15/644,756 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/399,034, filed on Jan. 5, 2017, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/276,793, filed on Jan. 8, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0251327 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. A42B 3/06 (2006.01); A42B 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC A42B 3/063 (2013.01) [A42B 3/064 (2013.01); A42B 3/065 (2013.01); A42B 3/121 (2013.01); A42B 3/125 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A helmet comprising:
a shell having a curved surface; and
an impact absorbing layer flexible to conform to the curved surface of the shell, the impact absorbing layer comprising a face sheet and a plurality of individual polygonal impact absorbing elements interconnected by the face sheet, the individual polygonal impact absorbing elements being spaced apart and configured to buckle in response to an axial compressive force, the buckling being a lateral deflection, wherein:
the face sheet is flexible at locations between the individual polygonal impact absorbing elements;
a first polygonal impact absorbing element of the plurality of individual polygonal impact absorbing elements comprises only a first plurality of filaments and a first plurality of lateral walls, each filament of the first plurality of filaments comprising a solid column, each of the first plurality of lateral walls extending between two adjacent filaments of the first plurality of filaments of the first polygonal impact absorbing element; and
a second polygonal impact absorbing element of the plurality of individual polygonal impact absorbing elements comprises only a second plurality of filaments and a second plurality of lateral walls, each filament of the second plurality of filaments comprising a solid column and each of the second plurality of lateral walls extending between two adjacent filaments of the second plurality of filaments.