Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 8863319, we will examine the patent's own citations. The patent document for US8863319 lists several prior art references in its "Cited By" and "Citations" sections, which are typically patents that the examiner or applicant deemed relevant.

Here's an analysis of the cited prior art references that are most relevant to the core claims of US8863319, along with potential anticipatory aspects. The core inventive concept of US8863319 is protective gear with multiple sliding shell layers separated by energy and impact transformer layers that absorb various mechanical forces.

Most Relevant Prior Art for US8863319

1. U.S. Pat. No. 7,076,811 to Puchalski

• Full Citation: US7076811B2 [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: July 18, 2006. Priority date: September 9, 2002. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Brief Description: This patent describes a protective head covering (helmet) featuring an "impact absorbing crumple or shear zone." The shell is composed of "three (or more) discrete panels that are physically and firmly coupled together" which, upon impact, "move relative to one another... thereby permitting impact forces to be dissipated and/or redirected away from the cranium and brain within." This movement includes "recoverable and permanent movements" that cumulatively provide a protective crumple or shear zone. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Puchalski directly anticipates the multi-shell (or multi-panel) structure and the concept of relative movement between these layers to dissipate impact and shear forces. This directly challenges the novelty of:
  • Claims 1-6 (Helmets): Specifically, the element "wherein the outer energy and impact transformer layer allows the outer shell layer to slide relative to the middle shell layer" and "wherein the inner energy and impact transformer layer allows the middle shell layer to slide relative to the inner shell layer." [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319] Puchalski's "discrete panels that move relative to one another" directly anticipates this sliding or relative movement for force dissipation.
  • Claims 11-18 (Protective Gear): Similar to the helmet claims, Puchalski anticipates the multi-layer structure with relative movement for general protective gear. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

2. U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,846 to Calonge

• Full Citation: US5815846A [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: October 6, 1998. Priority date: November 27, 1996. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Brief Description: This patent describes an "impact resistant helmet assembly" with "a first material layer coupled to a second material layer so as to define a gas chamber therebetween which contains a quantity that provides impact dampening." It further includes a "containment layer disposed over the second material layer and structured to define a fluid chamber in which a quantity of fluid is disposed." The fluid is described as a "generally viscous gel structured to provide some resistance against disbursement from an impacted region... thereby further enhance the impact distribution and dampening of the impact force provided by the helmet assembly." [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Calonge anticipates the use of specific materials like fluids and gels between layers of a helmet for impact dampening and distribution. This directly challenges the novelty of:
  • Claim 1 (Helmet with Gel EITs): The feature "wherein the outer energy and impact transformer layer and the inner energy and impact transformer layer comprise a gel." [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
  • Claim 2 (Helmet with Fluid EITs): The feature "wherein the outer energy and impact transformer layer and the inner energy and impact transformer layer comprise a fluid." [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
  • Claim 13 (Protective Gear with Gel Layer): The feature "wherein the outer energy transformer layer comprises a gel layer." [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
  • Claim 14 (Protective Gear with Fluid Layer): The feature "wherein the outer energy transformer layer comprises a fluid layer." [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,777 to Popovich

• Full Citation: US5956777A [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: September 28, 1999. Priority date: July 22, 1998. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Brief Description: This patent describes a helmet with a "rigid inner shell formed as a single unit; a resilient spacing layer disposed outside of and in contact with said inner shell; and an articulated shell having a plurality of discrete rigid segments disposed outside of and in contact with said resilient spacing layer and a plurality of resilient members which couple adjacent ones of said rigid segments to one another." This design aims to laterally displace impact forces. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Popovich anticipates a multi-layer helmet design with resilient elements between layers that allow for relative movement or displacement to manage impact forces. While not explicitly "sliding shells" with "transformer layers" as broadly claimed, the "articulated shell having a plurality of discrete rigid segments" connected by "resilient members" for "laterally displacing impact forces" could potentially anticipate the functional aspects of the energy and impact transformer layers that allow relative movement. This is particularly relevant to the "means to allow the outer shell layer to slide relative to the middle shell layer" and "means to allow the middle shell layer to slide relative to the inner shell layer" in:
  • Claim 6 (Helmet with Generic Sliding Means). [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
  • Claim 11 (Protective Gear with Generic Sliding Means). [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]

4. U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,755 to Halstead

• Full Citation: US6434755B1 [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: August 20, 2002. Priority date: June 4, 1999. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Brief Description: This patent describes a football helmet with liner sections of different thicknesses and densities. The design uses "thicker, softer sections [to] handle less intense impacts, crushing down until the thinner, harder sections take over to prevent bottoming out." [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319]
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Halstead specifically addresses impact absorption in helmets using varying densities and thicknesses of liner materials. While it doesn't describe sliding layers, it is relevant to the general concept of impact-absorbing layers and foam, which is mentioned in US8863319. This might anticipate aspects of:
  • Claim 10 (Helmet with Foam Lining) and Claim 20 (Protective Gear with Foam Lining): These claims specify the lining layer comprising foam. [cite: The Google Patents page for US8863319] Halstead's focus on foam sections for impact absorption is directly relevant to these claims.

While other references are cited, these four patents demonstrate direct relevance to the key features of US8863319, particularly the multi-layered sliding structure and the use of specific fluid/gel materials for energy transformation and impact absorption.