US 8863319

Concise Summary of US Patent 8863319

Title: Biomechanics aware protective gear [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319, 2]
Assignee: Brainguard Technologies Inc. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
Inventors: Robert T. Knight [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
Filing Date: July 20, 2012 [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
Issue Date: October 21, 2014 [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

Abstract:
The patent describes protective gear, such as helmets or body protection, that includes an outer shell layer connected to a middle shell layer via an outer energy and impact transformer layer. The middle shell layer is further connected to an inner shell layer through an inner energy and impact transformer layer. These transformer layers are designed to flexibly connect the shell layers, enabling them to move and slide relative to one another. This movement allows the transformer layers to absorb impact forces, rotational forces, and shear forces. The energy and impact transformer layers can be made from materials like gels, fluids, electro-rheological elements, or magneto-rheological elements. The protective gear aims to protect users not only from direct impact and penetrative forces but also from rotational and shear forces that can cause neurological damage. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Helmet with Gel EITs): This claim describes a helmet featuring three distinct layers: an outer shell, a middle shell, and an inner shell. The outer and middle shells are connected by an "outer energy and impact transformer layer," which absorbs mechanical forces and allows the outer shell to slide relative to the middle shell. Similarly, the middle and inner shells are connected by an "inner energy and impact transformer layer," which absorbs forces from the outer layers and permits the middle shell to slide relative to the inner shell. A key feature of this claim is that both the outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers specifically comprise a gel.

• Claim 2 (Helmet with Fluid EITs): Similar to Claim 1, this claim also describes a helmet with an outer, middle, and inner shell, and corresponding outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers that facilitate relative sliding and absorb mechanical forces. The distinguishing feature of this claim is that both the outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers specifically comprise a fluid.

• Claim 3 (Helmet with Electro-Rheological EITs): This claim mirrors the structure of Claims 1 and 2, with outer, middle, and inner shell layers and their respective energy and impact transformer layers allowing relative sliding and force absorption. The unique aspect here is that both the outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers are composed of an electro-rheological element.

• Claim 4 (Helmet with Magneto-Rheological EITs): This claim is structurally identical to Claims 1-3 in terms of the shell layers and their connections through energy and impact transformer layers that enable relative sliding and force absorption. The specific difference is that both the outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers comprise a magneto-rheological element. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

• Claim 5 (Helmet with Elastomeric Trusses EITs): This claim follows the pattern of the preceding helmet claims, detailing an outer, middle, and inner shell with intermediate energy and impact transformer layers that absorb mechanical forces and allow relative sliding. In this claim, both the outer and inner energy and impact transformer layers specifically include a plurality of elastomeric trusses. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

• Claim 6 (Helmet with Generic Sliding Means): This claim broadly describes a helmet with an outer, middle, and inner shell. It specifies an outer energy and impact transformer layer that absorbs energy and includes means to allow the outer shell to slide relative to the middle shell. Similarly, an inner energy and impact transformer layer absorbs energy and includes means to allow the middle shell to slide relative to the inner shell. This claim is broader than Claims 1-5 as it does not specify the exact composition of the transformer layers, instead referring to a "means to allow" sliding. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

• Claim 11 (Protective Gear with Generic Sliding Means): This claim extends the concept from a helmet to more general "protective gear." It comprises a middle shell layer connected to an outer shell layer through an outer energy transformer layer, which absorbs forces and includes means for the outer shell to slide relative to the middle shell. An inner shell layer is connected to the middle shell layer through an inner energy transformer layer, which absorbs forces and includes means for the middle shell to slide relative to the inner shell. Like Claim 6, it uses "means to allow" for the sliding mechanism and does not specify the material of the transformer layers. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

No relevant dockets for US patent 8863319 were found in the CAFC 2026 dockets.