CA2669890A1 - Bellows pad for protective gear i.e. helmets - Google Patents

Abstract

A simple bellows pad, which can be used as the primary padding, or near the exterior of protective gear, i.e. helmets. Moreover, the said bellows pad minifies both the impact forces and effective bounce experienced by its wearer and in so doing it helps prevent injury, i.e. concussion, and provide certain advantages when used on various protective gear.

Description

Bellows Pad for Protective Gear, i.e. Helmets Field of Invention This invention pertains to protective bellows pads. Moreover, these bellows pads are for use by athletes, workers or the like, who experience impacts whilst participating in various activities and are in need of such a pad to cushion against said impacts. More specifically, the said pads are designed to be used as either; the main source of protection, or, as used externally on protective gear i.e. helmets.

Background of the Invention The cranium is comprised of the neuro-cranium, which contains the brain, and the viscero-cranium, which represents the skeleton of the face. The brain itself consists of frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal, lobe, each having being identified as being related to different functions. The simple bellows pad described herein for helmets described herein is design to minify the impact forces felt by the neuro-cranium by minifying the effective bounce, as will be described herein.

Many activities can result in traumatic impact forces being imparted the participants head. For example sports like, biking, climbing, hockey, lacrosse, football, equestrian sports, driving of motorbikes, snowmobile's and cars, baseball, softball, skiing, skateboarding, roller blading, and pugilistic sports, as well as numerous work related activities such as firefighting, police, and military usage, as well as all forms of construction. There is a need for protective head gear that prevents concussions in many sports, i.e. ice hockey and American football. Hence, there exists a need for innovation when it comes to designing cushioning pads, especially head protection padding.

An object with a given mass (m) and velocity (v ), has a momentum: my . Force (F) in terms of momentum change (dp) is: F = dp / dt, where dt is the duration. In an elastic collision, the final velocity is equal and opposite to the initial velocity, therefore the momentum change is twice the original momentum. I.e. if the impacting object's mass is significantly less than that of the impacted object, in an elastic collision the said impacting object will bounce off with a velocity whose magnitude is the same as its pre-impact velocity. Rarely are collisions truly elastic, as kinetic energy is transformed into other forms of energy, i.e. hockey player wearing a helmet may experience their helmeted head bouncing up off of the ice after falling, with an after impact velocity that is much less than its pre-impact velocity.

The duration of impact (dt) equals, the duration of compression, plus, the duration of expansion, whist the impacting, or, impacted, object remains in physical contact with said pad. The aim of most protective gear is to reduce the incremental impact forces (dF) by either: a) decreasing dp , i.e. have zero velocity after impact, and/or, b) increasing dt , i.e.
cushion the impact. Some pads store potential energy during the compression phase, returning that energy during the pad's expansion, which increases dt but fails to decrease dp , meaning although the incremental force felt by the wearer is decreased no energy is actually dissipated by the pad. If the impact force is too great, the pad fully compresses, then the pad has "bottomed out" thus it no longer cushions the impact hence the remaining impact forces are passed onto its wearer. For many applications, an ideal protective pad, completely dissipates the impact's energy without bottoming out, stores little potential energy during collapse, yet is capable of returning to its pre-impact position quick enough, so as to be ready to cushion the next impact.

Herein we shall introduce the term "effective bounce", which is taken as a representation of the degree to which an object bounces during an impact. A pad, which minifies the effective bounce, means that either: a) light objects that impact the said pad will tend to bounce off with a speed, which is significantly less than the magnitude of its pre-impact velocity. Or, b) when worn, the said pad will help keep its wearer from bouncing when hitting immoveable objects during impacts. Obviously, the effective bounce is just another measure as to whether a collision is elastic or inelastic, with a minimal effective bounce signifying an inelastic collision, wherein the pad dissipates most of the impact energy. Moreover, the term effective bounce allows for clarity concerning a primary goal of this invention.

Reconsider the previously said hockey player whose helmeted head bounces off of the ice. Obviously, the higher the bounce off of the ice is, the greater the damage/strain that the hockey player's head, neck and spine must endure. Most concussions occur during rapid acceleration or deceleration of the head, when various lobes of the brain impact the interior of the skull. Intuitively, the higher the effective bounce is, then:
1) Greater any impact between the said lobes and skull will be. 2) Increased likelihood of the head bouncing numerous times. Moreover, each successive bounce represents a change in direction of motion, signifying added risk of damage.

Consider an impacted mechanical spring. As the spring compresses, potential energy is stored within the spring, resulting in forces that want drive the spring back to its original position (Hooke's law). During expansion the spring's potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy, accelerating the impacting, and/or, impacted, object.
Obviously, the longer the duration of impact is, the smaller the incremental impact forces become, but this does not necessarily change the effective bounce. I.e. consider that a spring increases the duration of impact, then that spring increases equally, both the durations of, compression, and, expansion. Since, the force of expansion applied by the spring occurs over the same extended duration, the collision remain elastic, hence the effective bounce is not minified. Moreover, if it were not for minor internal frictional forces, a mechanical spring would neither dissipate any impact energy, nor reduce the effective bounce.

Consider an inflated ball. Upon impact with a hard immovable surface, the air molecules within the ball moves away from the impact zone, compressing the rest of the air within the ball, increasing the ball's internal pressure (duration of compression).
After which, the said air then begins to expand (duration of expansion), which then accelerates the said ball away from the hard surface. The duration of compression, and expansion, are generally equal because the collision is elastic, i.e. little dissipation of impact energy.
Certainly, the compression and expansion of said air increases the duration of impact, decreasing the incremental impact forces, but as was the case of the mechanical spring it does not decrease the effective bounce. Accordingly, hermetically sealed volumes of gas, used by many prior art pads decrease the incremental impact forces but such pads will not significantly decrease any effective bounce. Examples of said pads: Canadian pat. CA
2,293,471, US pat. 2,657,385, US pat. 3,550,159, US pat. 5,023,128, US pat.
5,034,998, US pat. 6,079,056, US pat. 6,175,967, US pat. 6,122,785 and US pat. 6,518,780.

US pat. 4,642,814, utilizes non-metallic springs in conjunction with air impervious layers encapsulating a volume of air. Certainly, the said volume of air is considered hermetically sealed hence neither it nor the said springs will reduce the effective bounce.
Moreover, the said impervious layers means that this pad is not a bellows pad.

Other prior art padding uses interconnected hermetically sealed bladders, i.e.
US pat.
6,588,038. When an impact strikes said bladder, a flux of internal air goes into its neighboring bladder. The problem herein is that the said flux of air results in a pressure increases in the neighboring bladder and this in turn creates a force that inflates the impacted bladder through a reflux of air back into said bladder. Hence such padding does not decrease the effective bounce to the same degree that the present invention would.
Most prior art padding use foam of which there are many types i.e. foamed styrene or foamed urethane polymers. Some foam is stiff and crushable while others are rubbery and squishy. Most medium to high-density foam is considered as being closed cell, whilst open cell foam tends to be low density. Ideally, the foam should be as soft as possible without bottoming out. Low-density foams are highly compressible giving better protection against minor injury i.e. concussions, but too often fail to prevent major injuries, i.e. skull fracture. Also low-density foams need large distances of compaction, allowing the protective gear, i.e. helmet, to become loose on its wearer during impact.
Denser foams are best for protecting against serious injury of severe impacts, however such foam is poor at preventing minor injuries. Also dense foams tend to loose their protection ability with every impact, due to crushing of the foam cells, hence limit the life expectancy of protective gear. Truly crushable foams are ideal for a single impact, because the crushing dissipates impact energy but protective gear designed for only a solitary impact is impractical. Layer foam padding broadens the range of impact forces that it can cushion against, i.e. US pat. 6,093,468 (Canadian pat. CA
2,282,471) and US
pat. 5,274,846. Some newer technological foam is called "visco-elastic" foams meaning that the foam provides increasing resistance to increasing impact. US pat 7,341,776 explains how visco-elastic foam is manufactured.

One may be inclined to think that thicker is better when it comes to foam padding in protective gear. The problem with foam being that, only the outer layers of prior art foam can readily exchange air with its ambient pressure surrounding during an impact, but foam cells progressively distanced from this outer layer experience progressively increasing pressure build-ups within because their air is entrapped. Locals within the foam, whose air is entrapped, tend to behave as a hermetically sealed ball would.
Therefore, only the outer layers of most foam tend to decrease the "bounce effect".
Furthermore, thicker helmets tend to cause rotational injuries to the head, neck, and spine, when its wearer is sliding across a surface. US pat. 6,519,780 uses foam in a hermetically sealed bladder, which will not decrease the effective bounce for reasons already discussed.

Bellows as a tool for blowing air is certainly nothing new. Over time improvements have been made, i.e. US pat. 367,744. More recently bellows have been designed for too many applications to name them all herein. However, a true bellows protection pad designed for protective gear has been fundamentally ignored. Interestingly, US pat.
2,644,449 claims a pad of bellows-like construction, however this pad is a hermetically sealed inflated pad, which does not throttle air through a vent to dissipate the energy of impact, nor, will such inflated pads reduce the effective bounce. US pat. 4,213,202 is a novel configuration of a double layered panel of square bellows covered with a fabric. Firstly, it is too complicated with the "bellows be joined together where they touch to form an air tight seal between bellows". Secondly, the design of the bellows is limited to the tradition design, as stated in their description of drawing for Fig. 2: "The bellows with a biasing spring contained therein". Thirdly, their bellows expel their air into an adjacent hermetically sealed volume, which is not only unnecessary but will detract from the efficiency because it renders the invention into a multi-compartment airtight pad with springs. Our embodiment will demonstrate a simpler construction rendering a superior protective bellows pad, which expels its air into the ambient pressure surroundings, and does not necessitate springs.

There exists prior art whose concepts possess similarities to the present invention, but their exact design and execution is considerably different, as will become apparent herein and in the embodiment. For instance: US pat. 3,248,738, US pat. 4,926,503, US
pat.
4,985,931, as well as, four by Vacanti, namely, US Pat. 4,512,037, US pat.
4,700,403, US
pat. 4,700,410, and US pat. 4,991,230, plus three by Donzis, namely, US pat.
4,486,901, US pat. 4,513,449, and US pat. 5,881,395, all describe pads made of foam, covered with at least one air impervious layer and being pervious to air along their sides.
The reality is that covering foam with an impervious layer simply decreases the ability of that foam to exchange its entrapped air with its surroundings, making light density foam behave like either: a) foam with a higher density, or b) foam with an outer skin.
Moreover, the fact that all of the said patents pertain to foam filled pads, means that the above said pads: i) Are not true bellows pads, since the foam will inhibit the free movement of air within the pad's internal volume, therefore will not behave as a true bellows pad. ii) Since foam entraps air, such pads will not satisfactorily minify the effective bounce.
Furthermore: iii) With the exception of those by Donzis, they exchange air with their surroundings through an air pervious region hence, fail to disclose nor take full advantages of the dissipation of impact energy by the throttling of air through a vent, as a true bellows pad would. iv) Walls do not retain their pre-impact positional memory rather their pre-impact memory is retained in the foam inside of the pads, hence do not fully minify the effective bound.
US pat. 5,168,576 and US pat. 5,423,087 both by Krent, describes a pad consisting of a plurality of modules, with air passages throughout, both sandwiched between two surfaces, which also allows for the exchange of air through either said surface. Although not described as bellows pad, the said exchange of air from the air channels through the surfaces can certainly be considered a bellows action. However, the air channels air primary purpose is to allow its wearer's perspiration to evaporate, and air not designed with air vents specifically designed to throttle air. Furthermore, these pad's walls do not retain their pre-impact positional memory within. Hence, not only is their design too complicated, but they are not a true bellows pad, as the present invention is.
Furthermore, the fact that the modules extends between the two surfaces means that these pad's will not minify the bounce effect, to the same degree as the present invention would. Rather their effective bounce will depend upon the material that the module is made of i.e. foam.
Furthermore, it design fails to provider any means for controlling or altering the flow of air through either of its surfaces, in the same way as the present invention can.
Interestingly, the both said pads possess air passages through the modules, demonstrating a modest comprehension of the limitations of materials like foam.

Most prior art protective head gear use foam to cushion the blows of impacts.
For example: US pat. 4,058,854, US pat 5,943,706, US pat. 5,956,777, US pat.
6,070,271, US
pat. 6,389,607, and US pat. 6,425,141. US pat. 6,453,476, US pat. 7,299,505 and US pat.
7,328,462 describe a helmet made of a hardened shell and visco-elastic foam and whilst US pat. 7,328,462 includes an inflatable bladder. US pat. 5,177,815, describes a foam based protective helmet for pugilistic sports. As was previously discussed the use of such foams as the primary material for cushioning impacts, will not minify the effective bounce.

Some prior art protective gear, incorporate springs in their design, i.e., US
pat.
6,378,140, describes a coiled spring assembly. The problem with using springs, coiled or otherwise, as the primary mode of cushioning in protective gear was previously discussed. Namely, compressed springs store potential energy hence do not dissipate energy hence will not minify the effective bounce. Interestingly, in Fig. 2 of US pat.
6,378,140 is illustrated a piston and cylinder, wherein a volume of air is enclosed, by the first flared insert 14, and, a second flared insert 16. However, they fail to detail the mechanics of this said volume of air, i.e. whether it behaves like a hermetically sealed, or, an open volume of air. Certainly, there is no discussion of bellows action, nor throttling of air, which dissipates energy. Furthermore, whether or not, the said visible gap is too big to have said air throttle through it, is left to one's imagination.
Importantly, the coiled spring is clearly mounted outside of the said enclosed volume of air, and their walls are clearly rigid.

Some prior art utilize bladders filled with incompressible/hydraulic fluids, such as the helmet described by, US pat 1,348,950, US pat. 3,600,714, US pat. 3,609,764 and US pat.
3,849,801.The problem with using incompressible fluids, is that liquids are relatively heavy, thus add considerable weight.

The concept of pneumatic pads is certainly nothing new as disclosed by knee pad in US
pat. 871,760. The concept pneumatic helmets, as given by: US pat. 600,778, US
pat.
2,150,290, US pat. 2,663,020, US pat. 3,761,959, US pat. 3,994,021, US pat.
3,999,220, US pat. 4,035,846, US pat. 4,038,700, US pat. 4,067,063, US pat. 4,134,156, US
pat.
4,287,613, US pat. 4,566,137, US pat. 4,586,200, US pat. 4,700,410, US pat.

5,014,365, US pat. 5,083,320 (CA 2,098,923), US pat. 5,129,107, US pat. 5,181,279, US
pat.
5,263,203, US pat. 5,720,051, US pat. 5,815,846, US pat. 5,890,232, US pat.

6,073,271, US pat. 6,226,801, US pat. 6,591,428 and US pat. Application US 2003/0135914 Al (first disclosed in 1977 as German Utility Model GM 77 29 063). The above helmets use the air bladder to either, improve impact cushioning, and/or improve fit.
Similarly, US
pat. 4,324,005, US pat. 4,354,284 and US pat. 6,912,735 describe inflatable head protection for joggers and the like. Understandably, as previously discussed, the above pneumatic protective gear with hermetically sealed bladders will not minify the effective bounce experienced by the wearer, upon certain impacts.

Numerous prior art use more than one interconnected pneumatic pads in helmets as described by US pat. 3,487,417, and, the shock absorbing system of, US pat.
3,039,109 whilst, US pat. 4,023,213, use two or more fluid reservoirs connected by a small channel wherein energy is dissipated as the said fluid passes through it. In so far as US pat.
3,487,417 and others understand that the restricted passage of air between chambers will dissipate energy, it fails to do so in the simplest manner, that being the throttling of air into its ambient pressure surrounding. Furthermore, as one chamber deflates one of its neighboring chambers must experience a pressure increase, which will apply a force opposite to the impact forces, hence will not minify the effective bounce.

Some prior art protective helmets employ a crumple zone to decrease the traumatic forces experience by the wearer upon impact. For example US pat. 6,751,808, uses panels that move with respect to each other upon impact hence dissipating impact forces to the head. Intuitively one realizes that such a crumble zone will help dissipate impact forces reducing the effective bounce, however their practicality in terms of cost comes into question, not to mention that most protective gear should naturally return to its original shape, after impact.

US pat. 5,687,426 describes a helmet with an outer and inner shell, with an air cushion between for which discharges air upon impact. They limit the design to bike helmets consisting of a double shell helmet made of a continuous piece of hard plastic enclosing a hollow chamber with openings through which air can escape. Although they fail to fully discuss the dissipation of impact energy by the throttling process, clearly this processes does occur, albeit they fail to take full advantage of the benefits of such.
Moreover their walls are limited to the said hard plastic meaning that the said walls do dent and such dents can be removed by using a hair dryer to cause the plastic to snap back into its original position, as they state in their summary of invention. By not manufacturing one or more of their walls from a material that is either; flexible, compressible, foldable, or collapsible, they fail to take full advantage of the bellows process/throttling action.
Moreover the need to use a hair dryer to snap their plastic back into shape means that their design fails to regain its pre-impact shape solely due to positional memory within }

their walls. And this means that their design is not suitable for events wherein the wearer received multiple impacts.

Both, US patents 4,307,471, and 6,658,671, describe a protective helmet wherein the inner shell move with respect to the outer shell. US pat. 6,658,671 further claims, that the two shells are connected by an energy absorbent material, which allows for slide/rotation of the outer shell with respect to the inner one hence improving cushioning against oblique impacts but does not decrease the effective bounce.

Interestingly, US pat. 5,204,998 describes in the abstract a "safety helmet includes an outer shell juxtapositionally secured with an inner shell defining an air chamber between two shells a plurality of cushioning bellows retained between the two shells".
In claim 1, the bellows is described as being: "made of resilient elastomers including: a plurality of flexible corrugated flanges circumferentially gradationally formed on an outer cylindrical wall of the bellows". Although novel, the design of the cushioning bellows is more complicated than necessary, i.e. the bellows requires a good seal with the outer layer in order for the bellows to be sealed everywhere except for the bellow's hole.
Furthermore the bellows walls are relatively thick surrounding a narrow cylindrical internal volume and the said walls are made of elastomer, i.e. rubber. Since elastomers tend to bounce, combined with the fact that they are relatively thick, tells us that this specific design will more often increase rather than reduce the effective bounce. And finally in claim 1 they say the bellow's hole is to be located through the inner shell, which not only limits the design but if not done right, it can lead to situations wherein parts of the wearer's head might actually blocks the said bellow's hole, rendering the bellows ineffective.

A group of patents by Ferrara are of interest. US patent application US

Al involves a multi-layered air cushion shell consisting of an outer layer, which is generally a thin thermoplastic that can bend with impact, over a compressible middle layer of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and TPE foam, which then covers a hard surface layer which surrounds an inner liner. Although good, the fact that elastomer is rubber, means that this will not necessarily minify the bounce effect. Of particular interest is the preferred embodiment wherein bellows pads are used in place of the TPE
structure in the middle layer. Ferrara's first claim: "protective headgear comprising; an outer layer having an internally surface; an inner layer having a surface that faces the outer layer: a middle layer having a plurality of compressible members disposed in a fluid-containing interstitial region formed by the inner and outer layers; and at least one air passage way by which fluid can leave the middle layer as the outer layer deforms in response to an impact on the outer layer". As far as this inventor is concerned, Ferrara's first claim is remarkably similar to US pat. 5,204,998, especially when Ferrara employs bellows pads.
Certainly this has features that coincide with the present invention, however as will become apparent in this invention's embodiment, although the principles are correct, Ferrara's invention is somewhat more complicated in that Ferrara's bellows pads has an extra outer layer (generally a hard thin yet flexible polymer) that protects the bellows pads, which not only adds to cost, but also requires air passages out of the said middle layer. Furthermore, Ferrara's design is not readily retrofitted onto existing protective gear.

Similarly, US2007/0190292 by Ferrara features a series of bellows pads incorporated in a multi-layered energy management system, which can be used in protective gear like helmets. Herein, Ferrara has a first impact absorbing mechanism, which resists yielding to an initial phase of the impact, along with a second impact absorbing mechanism.
Although, well thought out, this system is rather complicated rendering it expensive to manufacture. Wherein a simple bellows pad that does not necessarily resist yielding at the beginning of impact, is suffice for most impacts. Bellows pads that would tend to resist impacts at first before compressing due to the impact are bellows pads with secondary internal devices such as a spring, similar to US pat. 4,213,202 or US pat.
6,378,140.
Furthermore, this resistance to impact may unintentionally increase the effective bounce, i.e. as a spring might. Moreover it features numerous structured layers when in essence all one needs for many applications is a simple bellows pad.

US pat. 4,653,123, describes a specifically designed bicyclist's helmet, of a given configuration that also uses four stiff foam pads in a bellows configuration located on the inside of a hard shell, solely designed for the purpose of improving the fit onto its wearer's head. This is accomplished by using the their bellows pad 24, as a secondary form of padding inside of the main padding 12. Moreover, there is no disclosure of the said pad dissipating the energy of impact through the throttling process. Nor is there a means for varying the vent size therefore adjusting its capability to throttle air.
Furthermore, there is no means for allowing air to enter the bellows more readily than it is throttled out of. More specifically, the bellows pad is limited to a bicycle helmet of the "aero" or "teardrop" style generally used in bike racing. Moreover, the teardrop design is incorporated in one hard shell. Interestingly, Hugh H. Hurt, jr, a researcher at the "Head Protection Research Laboratory", has noted the teardrop style has a wedge at the back of the helmet which tends to deflect and rotate the helmet on the head, especially on rear impacts, and this has caused the helmet to: i) rotate on its wearer's head, ii) eject from the wearer's head.

US pat. 6,446,270, US pat. 7,089,602, and US pat. 7,254,843, all describe multi-layered impact absorbing helmets wherein the outer shell is an elastic layer, with emphasis on it be polyurethane based, whilst US pat. 7,328,462 uses a foam to create its outer elastic layer. US pat. 6,446,270 describes both the method of manufacture and a helmet with a soft outer covering a: foam based padding which then covers a shell. The problem with simply covering a foam or other prior art padding, is that the more the soft outer layer and padding compresses, the more potential energy is stored within, and like a compressed spring, the forces will try to drive the said foam and soft outer layer to return to their original position, hence both US pat. 6,446,270 and US pat. 7,328,462 will not significantly decrease the effective bounce.

Both the above said US patents 7,089,602 and 7,254,843 use an enclosed volume of air and/or an interconnected internal porous honeycomb structure. Upon impact, at the point of impact the air is displaced laterally in the said enclosed volume. This laterally displaced air will apply a force, which is again similar to a compressed spring, hence, and in certain impacts it may actually increase rather than decrease the effective bounce.
Interestingly, US pat. 7,089,602, includes valves, which release said air when the said air pressure increases above a certain level due to an impact. However, up until the time that the said valves release the said air, the helmet will want to bounce.
Furthermore, after a large impact this design could be deflated and as stated in the embodiment this will require inflation, implying that the wearer should not continue with their activities until after the air-filled elastic layer has been inflated again. Thirdly, although useful in some applications, the use of valves is unnecessary as will be demonstrated in the embodiment of the present invention.

Summary of Invention The idea came to this inventor when watching his dog play with her softened polyvinyl chloride (PVC) toy. The nature the present art is a simple bellows pad, which significantly decreases the effective bounce and can be readily used on its own or as part of protective head gear, for the purpose of providing protection to its wearer.
Furthermore, after impact the said padding slowly returns to its pre-impact shape on its own accord due to positional memory within its walls. Moreover, it simplicity of design means it can be inexpensively manufactured. As will be discussed, such padding would be ideal when used in, on, or, in conjunction with, certain protective gear, i.e. sports helmets, and can be used on both new and previously manufactured protective gear.
Specifically, the present invention, that being a bellows pad consisting of a suitable flexible memory material enveloping an internal volume of air, with some other means of venting said air upon impact, such as holes, valves, or slits. Upon impact the said internal volume will decrease due to air being expelled through the said means of venting. More specifically, the rate at which the present invention vents air upon impact will not only depend upon the force of impact but will also depend on design factor such as surface area and volume of the enveloped volume and the size and location of air vents. After the impact the present invention will return to its pre-impact shape due to memory of the flexible material it is made of.

It is yet another object of the present invention that being a, bellows pad that may be used as either the main or secondary component of protective headgear.

It is still yet another. object of the present invention that being, a bellows pad that when used a component of protection headgear, i.e. a helmet, it will minify the effective bounce of said protective headgear.

It is still yet another object of the present invention that being, a bellows pad that when used, as a component of protection headgear will increase the duration of impact, hence decrease the impact forces felt by the wearer of said protective headgear.

It is still yet another object of the present invention that being, a bellows pad that when used, as a component of protection headgear will dissipate the energy of impact through a throttling process.

It is still yet another object of the present invention to design a bellows pad that is both durable and inexpensive to manufacture.

Description of Drawing Fig. 1 is an illustration of the present invention in its simplest form. That being a bellows pad with air vents.

Fig. 2 is an illustration of the present invention wherein the bellows pad is compartmentalized.

Fig. 3a and 3b is an illustration of a sheet of compartmentalized bellows pad.
In Fig. 3a each compartment is hexagonally shaped, whilst in Fig. 3b the compartments are cylindrical.

Fig. 4a and 4b, illustrate secondary forms of padding that can be used in conjunction with the bellows pad.

Fig. 5 illustrates a cross-section of the walls of the bellows pads, when the said bellows pad's walls are reinforced.

Fig. 6 illustrates a bellows pad that is corrugated (like an accordion) and tapered. It has two components, Fig. 6a wherein no impact force is applied and Fig. 6b wherein an impact force is applied.

Fig. 7 illustrates two bellows pad, one adding protection the frontal lobe and the other adding protection the temporal lobe.

Fig. 8 illustrates two bellows pads with a hardened exterior surface, one adding protection the frontal lobe and the other adding protection the parietal and occipital lobes.
These pads are retrofitted onto a previously manufactured helmet, i.e. by the helmet's owner.

Fig. 9 illustrates a single bellows pad with a hardened exterior surface, which is rigidly attached to the inner padding of the helmet, wherein the said pad's hardened exterior surface provides the protection that a hard outer shell would provide.

Fig. 10 illustrates an annular bellows pad that adds protection along the circumference of a helmet.

Fig. 11 illustrates a bellows pad that completely covers the exterior of a helmet.
Fig. 12 illustrates a bellows pad that partially covers the exterior of a helmet.

Fig. 13 illustrates a bellows pad that is aerodynamically contoured, so as to conform to the aerodynamics of the helmet.

Fig. 14 illustrates a helmet covered with a compartmentalized bellows pad that protects most of the wearer's head, as well as their cheekbone. Such a helmet is often used in pugilistic sports Fig. 15 illustrates an annular bellows pad that is to be worn as the primary protection for its wearer, to be used when the probability of severe head trauma is minimal.

Fig. 16 illustrates a pugilistic glove whose soft padded section is covered in a compartmentalized bellows pad, therefore reducing the effective bounce and impact forces imparted by said glove, onto his/her opponent.

Fig. 17 illustrates compartmentalized bellows pads used on the exterior of goalie pads to reduce the effective bounce of a hockey puck off of the said goalie pads.

Description of Preferred Embodiment Referring to the drawings, and more particularly, Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment, that being the simplest version of protective bellows pad 21, for use by athletes, workers and the like. Wherein, the said pad 21, consists of: Thin walls 11, containing pre-impact positional memory, wherein the said walls 11, envelop an internal volume 30, of freely moving air 10, and said walls 11, have one, or more, air vents 12.
Whereupon impact the said internal volume 30 decreases whilst a flux of the said air 10, is throttled through the air vents 12. The air vents 12, can be any suitable shape, size, or form, i.e. a circular hole, square hole, elongated slit etc, so long as their total surface area is significantly less than the surface area of one, or more, of the walls 11.
Furthermore, upon impact the internal volume 30 decreases, as air is throttled through the air vents 12.
Therefore, the walls 11, must either: contract, compress, fold, or, collapse in any non-rigid manner imaginable during impact. After impact the walls 11, return to its pre-impact shape solely due to the positional memory contained within said walls 11.

The above said term "thin" in reference to the walls 11, is herein taken to mean: "The said pad's wall's cross-sectional thickness is smaller than any dimension defining the pad's internal volume that the said walls enclose". The above said term "freely moving"
in reference to air 10, is herein taken to mean: The air 10, can flow without restriction within the above said pad's internal volume 30, to a location close enough to the above said vents 12, so that a relevant volume of the said air 10, has the capability of being throttled through said vents 12, into the ambient pressure surroundings.

Of course, not all walls need to necessarily be thin to remain in the spirit of this invention, however the thinner the said walls 11, the less the walls will influence the behavior of said bellows pad 21, to an impact. I.e., if the walls were made of rubber then the thicker the said walls are, the greater the pad's effective bounce, and weight, will be.
The preference being a pad 21, which is lightweight, cushions impact, and minifies the effective bounce.

The disclosed throttling of air 10, results in friction between the air molecules passing through the air vent 12, as well as, friction between the air molecules and air vent 12, which dissipates the impact energy, by changing it into heat. The throttling of air 10, also increases the duration of impact by ensuring that the walls 11, stay in contact with the: a) impacting object, or, b) impacted object. Furthermore, the throttling of air through the air vent 12, minifies any pressure increase within the pad's internal volume 30, which minifies the effect bounce. The result being a reduction in both, the impact forces, and effective bounce, as experienced by the said pad's wearer.

After an impact, due to the pre-impact positional memory within the walls 11, self-inflation will occur. "Self-inflation" meaning that the walls will slowly return to their pre-impact positions, thus causing a reflux of air to enter the pad's internal volume 30, through the air vents 12. Therefore, readying the bellows pad 21, for another impact. By making the said bellows pad's walls 11, out of material with positional memory, there is no need to pressurize the said pad 21.

The walls 11, of the above said simple bellows pad 21, can be made of any suitable material or design. Accordingly, a preferred embodiment has the walls 11, made of any suitable different flexible materials including: polymeric materials such as, softened PVC/nitrile polymers, and/or, rubber, polyurethane's, and/or suitable foam. It has been determined that manufacturing the bellows pad 21, from softened PVC is ideal because the softened PVC walls are: 1) flexible, 2) possess positional memory, and are 3) impermeable to air. Softened PVC by its very nature does not bounce very high when compared to some other materials i.e. rubber, hence using softened PVC
minifies the said pad's effective bounce. An alternate embodiment is to have walls that are not made out of a flexible material but are designed to fold upon impact, as will bec discussed layer inthis embodiment when discussing Fig. 6a . Notes: 1) Phthalates are often used to soften plastics. 2) Herein polymeric material is taken to include both, polymers (single monomer), and copolymer (plurality of monomers).

A bellows pad 21, may bottom out, if too many air molecules move sideways rather than throttle through the air vents 12. This can be prevented by compartmentalizing the bellows pad 21, each compartment possessing; air vents 12, internal volume 30, of freely moving air 10, and walls 11, some of which are shared. Fig. 2 shows a four-compartment bellows pad 21, with each compartment labeled by the addition of the letters "e, f, g, or h". Rectangular compartment, consisting of internal volume 30e, air l0e and vent 12e, is rigidly attached to three overlying compartments. By stacking compartments, bellows pad 21, can cushion a broader range of impact forces, with each compartment designed to progressively increase, or, decrease, its resistance to impact forces. Each compartment can be different in; i) walls 11, ii) shape and/or size, iii) air vents 12, etc, creating padding that meets its wearer's needs.

The present invention, compartmentalized, or not, is not limited to any particular shape, or size. Fig. 3a illustrates a hexagonal compartmentalized bellows pad 21, wherein each compartment, as signified by the letters "i through q", has softened PVC 29 walls 11, internal air 10, internal volume 30, and air vent 12. The central compartment's air vents 12i, are directed into its neighboring compartments demonstrating that each compartment does not have to have their air vents 12, aimed directly into the surroundings, so long as at least one of the interconnected compartments does. Furthermore, such a hexagonal close packing configuration is useful for completely covering curved surfaces.
The hexagonal compartmentalized bellows pads 21, illustrated in Fig. 3, is so designed that the pad's top face 54 is parallel to its bottom face 55, forming a sheet of padding.

Other shapes may be used in forming a sheet of padding, i.e. square, rectangular or cylindrical compartments. Fig 3b illustrates a sheet bellows pad 21, wherein cylindrical shaped internal volumes 30 and air vents 12, have been horizontally cut into the sheet of suitable material 56. The letters "r,s, t and u" identify four compartments in the said pad.
An optional air impermeable fabric 65 can be laminated onto the top, whilst an air impermeable backing sheet 58 has been laminated onto it base sealing the base, limiting the throttling of air to being out through the air vents 12, along the pad's side faces, namely air vent 12r, 12s, 12t and 12u. Optional air vents 12s-u and 12r-t, are also shown between neighboring compartments, allowing a flux of air to also be exchanged between neighboring compartments. Certainly, a bellows pad 21, cut from a sheet of suitable material, i.e. foam, or rubber, could be rendered out of a variety of configurations and maintain the spirit of the present invention.

Rather than a compartmentalized bellows pad, one could equally have a plurality of separate bellows pads wherein the said plurality of pads are interconnected by some means, such as holes in their adjacent walls, so that a flux of air can exchanged between one or more of said pads. In both the case of compartmentalized and plurality of bellows pads, upon impact, not only is some of the internal air exchanged between neighboring said pads but some or all of the said internal air is throttled through one, or more, air vents of the said plurality of pads, into the ambient pressure surroundings.

A preferred embodiment, which broadens the range of impact forces, and often may improve the fit of protective gear incorporating the bellows pad 21, is secondary cushioning. Shown in Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b, are bellows pad 21, which is partially filled with secondary cushioning 13. The secondary cushioning can be relatively flat, like 13a, or, undulated, like 13b. Examples of secondary cushioning include; open celled foam (i.e. low density foam), closed cell foam (all densities), laminates (i.e.
foam), visco-elastic foam, rubber, gel, air filled hermetically sealed bladders, or, lattice type structures (48 &49). Laminates could be constructed so as to increase the resistance to impact with each successive layer. Unfortunately, such secondary cushioning may not help minify the pad's effective bounce.

Fig. 4b shows yet another version of bellows pad 21, wherein positional memory is retained within the softened PVC 29 walls 11, whilst the left hand side is substantially filled with hexagonal lattice 48, and the right hand side is substantially filled with open cell foam 51. To be a true bellows pad 21, then a flux of freely moving air must have the capability of throttling through the said air vents 12, during impact.
Accordingly, both the open cell foam 51, and lattice 48, have tunnels 19, near the said air vents.
To further increase the volume of air, which can be throttled, secondary air passages 61, in the form of holes in the lattice 48, and secondary tunnels in the foam 51.

The bellows pad's walls 11 maybe further engineered as illustrated in Fig. 5.
To improve its below pad's durability, the walls 11, can be impregnated long fibrous material 22, i.e.
woven clothe, fiberglass, carbon fiber, Kevlar, any type of monofilament strands and/or hair. The said fibrous material 22, may be aligned randomly, or, in any one, or more directions. An outer shell of tear/puncture resistant material 23, i.e.
Kevlar, further increases the bellow pad's durability. To increase coefficient of friction of the bellows pad in order to limit sliding a coating, i.e. rough cloth, can be used as an outer shell.
Conversely, to lower the coefficient of friction, a slick coating, such as Teflon, can be applied to the exterior surface of the bellows pad. The said walls 11, may be reinforced, around the air vents 12, to prevent tearing by some means, i.e. thickening of the walls 41.
Shown in Fig. 6a, illustrates an accordion type bellows pad 21 whose walls are corrugated in shape. Understandably the flatter smooth walls illustrated in Fig. 1, as well as most other shapes would be suffice for most applications. Fig. 6a further shows the corrugated walls 11, tapering outwardly along the x-axis, meaning, as the said pad 21, collapses dy due to impact, it will take either: i) an increasing impact force over the same duration, or, ii) the same constant impact force over a longer duration, for the said pad to further collapse dy. This would apply to many shapes of bellows pad's 21, including 1/2 round, '/2 oval, tapering columns, tapering trapezoids, but not to shapes possessing constant cross-sectional area, i.e. square or rectangular shapes. Furthermore, the corrugated walls 11, can be manufactured from a hard material, i.e. hard plastic, with the requirement being flexible, inner hinge zones 46, and, outer hinge zones 47, equally any suitable shape and wall construction may be used. Furthermore, a hard surface could constitute one of the walls of the bellows pad 21.

Fig. 6a also shows the bellows pad 21, with the top surface being a hard surface 24.
When an impact force 81, strikes hard surface 24, it causes the accordion type bellows pad 21, to collapse, expelling 82, some of the air 10 from its internal volume 30, dissipating the impact's energy. The fact that the top surface of the bellows pad 21, is hard means that the pad will compress in unison. Although, the impact force 81, and expelling 82, some of the air 10 from its internal volume 30, helps clarify how the bellows pad works, it is understood that these principals apply to all shapes and sizes of bellows pads 21, described herein.

Many materials constitute hard surfaces 24. Of interest are those, which are impact resistant, i.e. composite material, metal, metal alloys or polymers (includes copolymers, thermoplastics and thermosets). Commonly used polymers include; nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene copolymer, polystyrene copolymer, acryl-butadiene-styrene, polyamide, polycarbonate (i.e. Lexan). Polymers attained from recycled sources would be the environmentally friendly choice. The bellows pad can be rigidly attached to the said hard surface 24 by any means such as suitable glue or RF welding. Note: " RF" has other names, i.e., "Radio frequency welding", "Dielectric", "High Frequency", and "Ultrasonic" welding being the most common.

Since the bellows pad 21, can be manufactured from many different suitable materials, the manufacture of the said pad 21, may be accomplished in many different ways. One could use an extrusion process wherein the said process forms bellows pads of a given cross-sectional area, which can then be cut at a given length and the ends can be sealed by a suitable means such as, glue, heat, or, RF welding. Moreover the RF
welding process is ideal for many plastics, i.e. PVC. Equally one, or, a plurality, of bellows pads could be manufactured by taking, two, or, more sheets of suitable material and gluing, heating, or radio frequency welding, the said two sheets together.
Furthermore, the said pads 21, can be manufactured in any colors, such as those of a company, or, team. Still furthermore, the said pad 21, can be manufactured with a team or company, logo on the said pad, or embedded in the said pad.

Any of the previously disclosed bellows pads 21, may be incorporated into protective gear, i.e. helmet, by permanent rigidly attachment, by some means, i.e.
suitable glue, screws, rivets, straps, inserted into pockets, Velcro, snap-on clips or RF
welding.
Furthermore, any of the bellows pads 21, could be rigidly attached to the helmet during manufacture, or, added to the protective gear at a time after the manufacture i.e. as an add-on sold separately to retrofitted to prior art protective gear.

In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, we used letters of the alphabet to distinguish between different compartments in a given bellows pad. Now we need to discuss the various applications of placement of bellows 21 onto protective gear i.e helmets in context of the present invention. Due to the limitation of the letters in the alphabet, from hereon forth, we shall reuse the letters with the letters now indicating different separate bellows pads 21 and the application thereof.

For the sake of brevity, emphasis will now be given to helmets, however what is said equally applies to other protective gear. Fig. 7, shows a plurality of bellows pads 21, of the type disclosed in Fig. 1, rigidly attached onto the exterior of a helmet 25, by straps 26 and screws 27. Of course any other means of rigid attachment, or bellows pad 21, may be used including those previously disclosed herein. Bellows pad 21a, is so located as to help protect from the wearer's brain's frontal lobe from frontal impacts, whilst bellows pads 21 b, protects the wearer's brain's temporal lobe from side impacts.
Obviously, if the wearer of the helmet 25, was to fall so that the front of his/her helmet 25, struck a hard surface i.e. ground etc, with the section of helmet above the frontal lobe, then the first part of his/her protective head gear to deform will be the bellows pad 21a.
Obviously, this deformation would result in a flux of the pad's internal air 10, being expelled through the pad's air vents 12, thus minifying the effective bounce of the helmet hence cushioning the impact forces, as experienced by the helmet's wearer. Once all the pad's internal air 10, is expelled from the pad's internal volume 30, at which point the forces of impacts have been drastically reduced, then the wearer still has the protection of the helmet 25, which may, or may not, be traditional in design. Understandably this example was given for demonstration purposes, and the same principles, applies to bellows pads 21 located in other locals, or bellows pads 21, of other designs. Also illustrated in Fig. 7 are chin strap 71, clip 72 and ear hole 73. The said chin strap 71, helps hold the helmet 25, in place upon its wearer and a clip 72, rigidly attaches the said chin strap 71, onto the helmet 25, wherein the said clip 72, has booth a male and female part. The ear hole 73, allows its wearer to hear, as well as improve the overall fit of the said helmet 25, onto its wearer.

Similarly, Fig. 8 shows a plurality of bellows pads, of the type disclosed in Fig. 1 but with the said pad's exterior surface constituting hard surfaces 24.
Furthermore, the bellows pads 21 a and 21c, can be retrofitted onto a helmet 25, i.e.
retrofitted by the helmet's owner. The said hard surfaces 24, can be made of any material, including those previously disclosed herein. With the addition of the hard surface 24a to the bellows pad's 21 a outer face, the entire said pad 21 a will collapse in unison irrelevant as to whether the bellows pad 21 a is compartmentalized or not. Shown in Fig. 8 are two circular moisture evaporation vents 52, which align with the moisture evaporation vents in the helmet 25. The said moisture evaporation vents 52 have internal walls 87, within the bellows pad 21 a, so as not to alter the capabilities of the said pad 21 a, to minify effective bounce and any impact forces.

Also illustrated in Fig. 8 is bellows pad 21 c, which protects the wearer's brain's occipital lobe from rear impacts and also has an outer hard surface 24c. For the case of bellows pad 21 c, the air vents 12 pass through the hard surface, furthermore around the air vents is an oval shaped channel 85 that prevents the air vent 12c from being readily blocked by either the impacting object, or the impacted object. The said channels can be of any shape, furthermore their placement is not limited to being on hard surfaces One could minify the odds the all the air vents 12 being blocked, by having a plurality of smaller air vents, as already has, been disclosed or, by having the air vents 12, of any of bellows pads 21, directed into the helmet, in which case the inner padding of the helmet would need channels in which a flux of air can readily flow. Again one is not limited to the bellows pad 21, being attached to these locals nor the bellows pad being of this design.
An ensemble of bellows pads 21, each with their own number of internal volumes 30, could be located anywhere on a helmet 25, wherein each bellows pad 21 adds protective cushioning to the local wherein they are rigidly attached.

One is not limited to locating the bellows pads 21 a, illustrated in Fig 8, to being attached to the helmet's 25 outer shell 31. Equally, as is shown in Fig. 9, one could rigidly attach any of the bellows pads 21, i.e. pad 21a, described herein onto the inner padding 32, or inner shell of a helmet. In this case the bellows pads 21, should be rigidly attached during manufacture of the helmet 25. In generally the helmet's inner padding is made of foam, in which case the bellows pad 21 with it hard outer surface 24 can be considered providing the hard protective layer in the location where the bellows pad 21 was rigidly attached to the helmet. Although the hard surface 24, shown is smaller than the gap in the helmet's outer shell 31, in practice it would be beneficial to have the hard surface the same size of bigger than the said gap in the helmet's outer shell.

Fig. 10, shows an annular compartmentalized bellows pad 21 d, for a helmet 25, creating a ring of additional cushioning around the said helmet 25, thus adding protection to a plurality of lobes of the brain of its wearer. In this case, three compartments can be seen, with each compartment having its own internal volume 30, of air 10, and air vents 12.
One could enhance the said annular bellows pad 21 d, by adding extra girth to certain locals hence increasing the protective in those locals, i.e. increased girth to the front of the bellows pad 21 d would increase the protection to the frontal lobe of its wearer.

In a helmet drop experiment, a pad as illustrated by bellows pad 21 a, in Fig.

7, whose walls were made of softened PVC, and whose radius was 1.5 cm and length was 10 cm, was rigidly attached to the front outside of a helmet, wherein a block of hardwood (approx. 10 lbs) was strapped to the helmet's interior shell. It was determined that the pad 21 decreased the effective bounce (height) of the helmet by 20-35% when the helmet was allowed to free fall from varying heights of 2 to 4 ft, as determine by a camera taking 16 frames per second. Interestingly, when then measured with a Bruel and Kjaer accelerometer (model 2513), it was determined that the impact forces felt with said helmet similarly decreased by no less than 20-35%. The said decreases varied with height and types of surfaces that the helmet was dropped upon. Although not previously studied, of equal importance, the number of bounces was decreased by as much as 50%.
One must conclude that the said pad 21, minifies the effective bounce, impact forces and number of bounces, which will help reduce head injury including concussions. It is to be understood that although the above results from the above experimentation are both good and reproducible, it is still an object of the present invention to improve upon the above said results.

Fig. 11 illustrates, a compartmentalized bellows pad 21 e, which almost completely covers the exterior of a helmet 25. Fig. 12 illustrates a compartmentalized bellows pad 21 If, which partially covers a helmet 25, wherein each compartment is hexagonally shaped. In practice the number of compartments in such a bellows pad 21, can vary from 1 to any number. Furthermore, each compartment can possess a different size hence different volume 30 of air 10, as well as a different number and size of air vents 12, enabling the bellows pad 21 to be designed to conform to the wearer's needs.
Furthermore, one might increase the density of compartments in either the frontal and/or back lobes, therefore increasing the protection provided by the present invention to its wearer against certain impacts. Still furthermore, one may want to increase the girth of the said bellows pad 21 e in certain locations to increase the protection at those locals.

Although, shown were single compartmentalized bellows pads 21, we could equally adhere an ensemble of separate bellows pads 21, configured in any fashion, so that the said ensemble completely, or partially, covers a helmet's shell 31. Generally, the said helmet's shell 31, is a hardened surface 24, of the types previously disclosed but it may be made of any other suitable material, hard, or otherwise.

Also shown in Fig. 11, are moisture evaporation vents 52, so as to ventilate the wearer's head. The said moisture evaporation vents 52, in the bellows pads 21, should align with any/some air passages through the helmet's shell 31. Furthermore the moisture evaporation vents should possess walls extending between two of the faces of the said pad, so as not to diminish the cushioning dynamics of the said pads.
Furthermore, shown in Fig. 11 are clips 72 to hold the chinstrap 71 (not shown), ear holes 73 and metal faceguard 74 of the style used in American football. Although the faceguard 74 is of the type used in American football, such a faceguard could be of any form used in any sport, such as a clear lexan, which covers a large portion of the face used in certain sports i.e.
hockey Fig. 12 illustrates a baseball helmet, which is partially covered by a compartmentalized bellows pad 21 f. When worn by a batter, the said pad 21 f, faces the pitcher hence adding protection to the said batter, when batting.

Fig. 13 illustrates a teardrop shaped bicycle helmet 25, with a shell 31, onto which are attached a bellows pad 21 g, to the front, a bellows pad 21 h to its side and a bellows pad 21i, onto its back/rear. The said three bellows pads 21, are aerodynamically contoured, so as to coincide with the helmet's aerodynamics, whilst providing the benefits as previously discussed herein. Since the said pads 21, are inherently flexible this will minify any deflection and rotation of the said helmet 25 during certain impacts, i.e. rear impacts, which is a problem associated with such tear drop helmets 25, as was noted in the background of the invention.

Fig. 14 illustrates a helmet 25, with a compartmentalized bellows pad 21j, which not only covers the majority of its wearer's head but also provides facial protection 83 i.e.
cheekbones. Shown is a portion of the protective headgear's facial protection 83, that covers its wearer's cheekbones, which is also covered by the compartmentalized bellows pad 21 i. For the sake of brevity only some of the air vents 12 of each compartment are numbered, whilst the volume 30, internal air 10 and internal walls are all understood to exist. Such protective headgear, i.e. helmet could be used in pugilistic sports. Although not absolutely necessary, the added facial protection 83 would cushion against blows to the face and would most often be used when training. Also shown are ear hole 73, chin strap clip 72 and moisture evaporation vents 52. Again the air vents are so designed that the said vents 52 are aligned with moisture evaporation vents in the helmet 25..
Although, Figures 7, 10, and 11, illustrate an American football helmet, whilst Figures 8 and 9, illustrates a hockey helmet, and Fig. 12 illustrates a Baseball helmet, and Fig. 13 illustrates a bicycle helmet, and finally Fig. 14 illustrates a helmet used in pugilistic sports, it is understood that the principles of this invention may be utilized in connection with any helmet, or, other form of protective headgear. This includes all forms of head protection gear, a few examples being: i) helmets for sports: lacrosse, baseball, skateboarding, ii) helmets for work: safety, fire, and, iii) crash helmets:
motorcycle, boating, and cars. One may design a helmet wherein the bellows pads 21, illustrated herein, are completely or partially, covered with a further protective layer, i.e. a hardened surface 24, such as thermoplastic, or a tear resistant substance such as Kevlar, or even an anti-friction coating i.e. Teflon.

Furthermore, any of the previous disclosed bellows pads 21 can be worn as the sole source of protection, i.e. an annular compartmentalized bellows pad that someone puts around their head for protection as illustrated in Fig. 15. Equally one could use any other version of the bellows pad as the primary means of cushioning, for activities wherein the probability of severe injury i.e. head trauma, is limited. For example the bellows pad could completely cover its wearer's head, similar in fashion to the bellows pad 21 e, which completely covered the helmet in Fig. 11, or, be designed to just protect certain locals similar to how the bellows pad 21 a and 21 b, covers specific parts of the helmet as was illustrated in Fig. 7. Of course such bellows pads 21 would require a means of securely fastening the said pad onto its wearer, i.e. straps, elastic straps/bands, Velcro straps or other means.

What has been said of helmets was done for illustration purposes, showing the merits of a well-engineered bellows pad and its applicability to all forms of protective gear when attached near the surface of said gear. Examples of other types of protective gear that may incorporate the bellows pads 21 described herein include shin pads, shoulder pads, knee pads, elbow pads, protective gloves, chest protectors and goalie pads.
Although not shown, either a solitary bellows pads 21 or plurality of bellows pads, of any of the forms described herein, when located on their outer surface of either a shoulder or elbow pad will not only help protect its wearer, but will also minify the impacts imparted by its wearer onto opposing players, when struck with said pad. This would be most beneficial when the object is to minify injury of both the player wearing the said protective gear, as well as his/her opponents.

Similarly the said bellows pad can be located on or near the outer surface of pugilistic gloves, i.e. boxing gloves, or, martial arts gloves. Fig. 16 illustrates the side view of a boxing glove 113, consisting of the soft padded section 110, that covers the knuckles and a palm portion 112, wherein laces 111, are used to securely tie the boxing glove 113, onto its wearer. The padded section 110, is covered with a compartmentalized bellows pad 21, wherein each compartment possesses a plurality of air vents 12. The placement of the bellows pad at or near the gloves exterior surface on the padded section would minify both the effective bounce and the impact forces, as experience by both the wearer of the pugilistic gloves, as well as his/her opponent. Obviously, such said pugilistic gloves would be most beneficial when used for training purposes. Again any of the types of bellows pads described herein, or variations thereof, would be ideally suited.
Martial arts gloves (not illustrated) tend to have the finger portion of its wearer exposed, allowing the individual to grasp their opponent. According in the case of the martial arts glove one would simply want to cover the knuckle portion of the gloves with a version of bellows pad described herein.

Another interesting application would be a bellows pad 21 on the outside of a chest protector, which will not only help protect its wearer but will also minify the distance that projectiles that impact the said chest protector, bounce away from said protector. This in essence is due to the,bellows pad minifying the effective bounce. In the game of baseball, this would be beneficial to a catcher wearing the said chest protector covered in bellows pads 21, because a baseball impacting said chest protector, will tend to fall straight down rather than bounce away from said catcher. Similarly a chest protector whose exterior surface is covered with any of the bellows pads described herein and is used by a goalie in the game of hockey, would benefit from the fact that a puck will tend to not bounce as far off of the said chest protector as it would a traditionally constructed chest protector.
Similarly, a set of goalie pads 100, covered in the said bellows pads 21, will minify the bounce of projectiles that impact said goalie pads. For example in the sport of hockey, a goalie wearing goalie pads 100, covered in a plurality of bellows pads 21 will notice that the distance a puck bounces away from them is minified by said goalie pads.
For example In Fig. 17 is illustrated cylindrical compartmentalized bellows pads cut into the pad's foam in a fashion shape as was previously disclosed in Fig. 3b. Each compartmentalized bellows pads consists of three compartments, as illustrated by the bellows pad 21, located on the top of the left pad wherein each compartment is labeled 21 a, 2l b and 21 c. Note the pad on the left is cut away view, showing the compartmentalized bellows pads, whilst the pad on the right shows the exterior of the foam, forming the said goalie pad 100. Note that for the sake of brevity not all compartments were labeled. Not all compartments have air vent directed into the ambient atmosphere as can be seen, compartment 21 b has air vent 21 b-c and 21 b-a, directed into their neighboring compartments, which then have air vents directed into the surroundings. The goalie pad on the right, shows the air vents namely 12a, 12d, 12g and 12j that are directed into the surrounding atmosphere. In practice one may want to either have a plurality of small said air vent 12, or have the air vents of various compartments directed into their neighboring compartments with at least one air vent of at least one compartment directed to the ambient pressure surroundings.

The foregoing embodiments of the present invention, has been described for the purpose of comprehension of the benefits of the said invention, that being a simple bellows pad which can be used as the primary source of protection or as secondary protection when near the outer surfaces of protective gear. Such a bellows pad will minify the effective bounce, as well as reduce the impact forces felt by its wearer. Modifications, variations and adaptations may be made to the invention's embodiment previously described without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the ensuing claims.

Claims (108)

1. A simple protective bellows pad to be used by athletes, workers and others, providing superior impact absorption, when worn. Wherein, the said pad is to be located, at or near, an exterior surface when worn by an individual, so as to be the first protective layer that deforms during an impact. Wherein the said bellows pad consists of:
(a) Walls that possess a low permeability to air, with a preference for the said walls being completely impermeable to air, wherein these said walls define the outer limits of a relevant internal volume. Wherein at least one of the said pad's walls is considered as being "thin", whereby the term "thin" is herein taken to mean: "That the said pad's wall's cross-sectional thickness is smaller than any dimension defining the pad's internal volume that the said walls enclose". And at least one of the said thin walls is designed to: contract, fold, bend, or collapse in any non-rigid manner imaginable, during an impact.
(b) One or more, air vents through one or said walls, wherein the air vents have a defined aperture, whose area is significantly smaller than that of the walls.
(c) A volume of internal air enveloped by said walls, which can freely flow within, part or all, of the said pad's internal volume during the initialization of impact. And, some, or all, of the said freely flowing air possesses an unrestricted path, to a location within the said pad, so that a relevant volume of the said freely moving air has the capability of being throttled through the said air vents, into the ambient pressure surroundings.

(d) Whereupon impact, a flux of air from within the said pad's internal volume, is throttled through the said pad's air vents into the ambient pressure surrounding. Wherein the said throttling of air results in:
i) A significant amount of the energy of impact being dissipated due to the frictional forces between the air molecules and air molecules, plus frictional forces between the air molecules and the said air vents.

ii) An increase in the duration of impact, hence a reduction of the forces of impact felt by either, the wearer of the said pad, or, the wearer of a piece of protective gear that incorporates the said pad in its design.
iii) A reduction in the effect bounce, as witnessed by either, the wearer of the said pad, or, the wearer of a piece of protective gear that incorporates the said pad in its design. "Effective bounce" being a representation of the degree to which an object bounces during an impact.
(e) Wherein after an impact the pad returns to it's pre-impact shape whilst a reflux of air flows back into the said pad, hence increasing the said pad's internal volume, all due to positional memory within said walls.

2. A pad of claim 1, wherein the air vents consists of one, or more holes, or perforations.

3. A pad of claim 1, wherein the air vents consists of one or more elongated slits.

4. A pad of claim 1, wherein the said pad's walls are made of a polymer, whereby the term polymer is taken to include copolymers, and thermoplastic, or, thermosetting polymers.

5. A pad of claim 4, wherein the said polymer is softened PVC/nitrile polymer.

6. A pad of claim 1, wherein the walls are made of suitable foam.

7. A pad of either claim 4, wherein the said polymer is an elastomeric material, i.e.
thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

8. A pad of the preceding claims, wherein internal walls compartmentalize the said pad.

9. A pad of claim 8, wherein one, or more, air vents are directed into their neighboring compartments.

10. A pad of claim 8, wherein the one, or more, compartments are stacked on top of another compartment.

11. A pad of claim 10, wherein each successive compartment has an increasing resistance to a given impact.

12. A pad of claim 4, wherein the walls are reinforced by some means.

13. A pad of claim 12, wherein the means of reinforcement of the pad's walls are elongated fibres embedded into the said pad's walls.

14. A pad of claim 12, wherein the means of reinforcement of the pad's walls is a cloth that is embedded into the walls.

15. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein the said pad's walls are a laminate, or, composite structure, meaning it is manufactured from layers of one, or, more materials.

16. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein the pad's walls are covered in a protective layer, i.e. a layer designed to prevent the said pad from being torn.

17. A pad of claim 16, wherein the protective layer is Kevlar.

18. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein the said pad's internal volume is partially filled with a secondary means of cushioning.

19. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein within the said pad's internal volume is substantially filled with a secondary means of cushioning, wherein there exists some means through which freely moving air can communicate with the said pad's air vents. Hence the said freely moving air can readily throttle out of the said pad's air vents during an impact.

20. A pad of claim 19, wherein the said means through which freely moving air can communicate with the said pad's air vents, are one or more air passages, i.e.
tunnels.

21. A pad of claim 19, wherein the said means through which freely moving air can communicate with the said pad's air vents, are one or more holes, within the structure of the said pad's secondary means of cushioning.

22. A pad of either; claim 18, or claim 19, wherein the said secondary means of cushioning has an undulating surface.

23. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein the air vents is reinforced by some means, to prevent the tearing or the said pad at, or, near the said pad's air vents

24. A pad of claim 23, wherein the means of reinforcement of the air vent is a substantial thickening of the walls near the perimeter the said air vent.

25. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein one or more walls are corrugated enabling the said walls to, fold, or stretch, like an accordion.

26. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein the said pad tapers outwardly from top to bottom, so that the incremental cross-sectional volume enclosed by the said pad's walls increases when measured along an incremental distance, going from the top to the bottom of the said pad. In so doing, the incremental volume of air that must exit the said pad in order for it to collapse an incremental distance will increase, as the said pad collapses. Accordingly for the said pad to further collapse an incremental distance requires either: i) an increasing impact force over the same duration, or, ii) the same constant impact force over a longer duration.

27. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein the pad's shape is hexagonal.

28. A compartmentalized pad of claim 8, wherein the said compartments are a specified shape and/or size.

29. A compartmentalized pad of claim 8, wherein two of the faces of the said pad, are parallel to each other, hence forming a sheet of padding.

30. A compartmentalized pad of either; claim 8 or claim 29, wherein the said pad's compartments are hexagonal shaped, allowing the said pad to cover a surface in a hexagonal close packing type of configuration.

31. A compartmentalized pad of claim 8, wherein one, or more of the compartments are different, with the said difference pertaining to at least one of the following;
the compartment's volume, the compartment's shape, the compartment's surface area, the location of air vents with the compartment, the size of air vents within the compartment, the shape of air vents within the compartment, the style of air vents within the compartment, or materials of manufacture of the compartment.

32. Any of the pads of any of the preceding claims, wherein the pad's exterior walls are covered with an antifriction surface, i.e. Teflon.

33. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein one, or more walls, are manufactured out of dissimilar materials.

34. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein a hard impact resistant material is rigidly attached to the outside of one of the said pad's surfaces.

35. Any of the pads of claim 33, wherein one, or more, of the walls is made of a hard impact resistant material.

36. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein part of the method of manufacture involves the extrusion of the said pad.

37. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein part of the method of manufacture involves two, or more, sheets of suitable material, which are rigidly attached to each other at specific locations.

38. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein part of the method of manufacture involves gluing together the various components of the said pad.

39. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein part of the method of manufacture involves RF welding. Note: RF welding goes by several names, as disclosed in the embodiment.

40. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein the said pad's colors are those of a company, or team.

41. Any of the pads of any of the preceding claims, wherein the said pad has a team's, or, company's logo on, or embedded into, the said pad.

42. Any of the pads of preceding claims, wherein the said pads possess ventilation air passages for the dual purposes of keeping the wearer of said pad cool and for the evaporation of moisture, i.e. perspiration.

43. Any of the pads of claim 42, wherein the said pad's ventilation air passages have internal walls extending between two of the faces of the said pad, so as not to diminish the cushioning dynamics of the said pads.

44. Any of the pads of previous claims, wherein the said pads have channels in the pad's exterior surface near the air vents, so as to prevent the said air vents from being blocked by either, an impacting object, or an impacted object.

45. Any of the pads of the preceding claims, wherein the said pad's overall shape is annular.

46. Any of the annular pads of claim 45, wherein the said pad has extra girth in certain locations in order to provide improved protection in those locations..

47. Any of the pads of claim 46, which is rigidly attached to the outer surface of protective gear during the manufacture of said protective gear, to increase the cushioning of the said protective gear.

48. Any of the pads of claim 46, which is retrofitted onto the outer surface of already existing protective gear, at a time after the said protective gear was manufactured, to increase the cushioning of the said protective gear.

49. Any of the pads of claim 42, wherein the said pad is rigidly attached to protective gear as described in either; claim 47 or claim 48, so that the said pad's ventilation air passages align with ventilation air passages in the protective gear.

50. Any of the pads of either; claim 47, claim 48, or claim 49, wherein the protective gear constitutes a protective headgear.

51. A pad of claim 50, wherein the said pad adds protection to the frontal lobe of its wearer.

52. A pad of claim 50, wherein the said pad adds protection to the temporal lobe of its wearer.

53. A pad of claim 50, wherein the said pad adds protection to the occipital lobe of its wearer.

54. A pad of claim 50, wherein the said pad adds protection to the parietal lobe of its wearer.

55. Any pad of claim 50, wherein the said protective headgear constitutes a helmet.

56. Any of the pads of claim 55, wherein the said pads reduces the impact forces felt by the wearer of said helmet with said pad, by significantly more than 20%.

57. Any of the pads of claim 55, wherein the said pads, reduces the effective bounce as felt by the wearer of said helmet with said pad, by significantly more than 20%.

58. Any of the pads of claim 55, wherein the said pads, reduces the number of bounces as experienced by the wearer of said helmet with said pad.

59. Any of the pads of claim 55, wherein the said pads, significantly decreases the height of bounce as experienced by the wearer of said helmet with said pad.
Note the height of bounce was defined in the embodiment of this invention as the "effective bounce".

60. Any of the pads of claim 55, wherein the said pads, are rigidly attached to the outer shell of the helmet.

61. Any of the pads of claim 55, wherein the said pads are rigidly attached to the inside padding of the said helmet.

62. Any of the pads of claim 55, wherein the said pads are rigidly attached to the inner shell of the helmet.

63. Any of the pads of claim 61, wherein the helmet's inner padding is foam, i.e.
high-density foam.

64. Any of the pads of claim 55 wherein the said pad has a hard impact resistant outer surface.

65. An annular shaped pad of either; claim 44 or claim 45, wherein the said pad is rigidly attached to the exterior of the helmet, therefore providing improved cushioning to most of the lobes of its wearer's brain..

66. Any of the pads of previous claims excluding, claim 44, claim 45 and claim 65, which completely covers the exterior surface of a helmet, therefore providing improved cushioning to all lobes of its wearer's brain.

67. Any of the pads of previous claims excluding, claim 44, claim 45, and claim 64, which partially covers the exterior surface of a helmet.

68. Any of the pads of any of the preceding claims, wherein the said pad is aerodynamically contoured.

69. Any of the pads of claim 68, wherein when the said is attached to a bicycle helmet, the said pad and helmet create an aerodynamic shape often used by bicyclists, i.e. teardrop shape.

70. Any of the pads of claim 69, wherein the said pad's inherent flexibility minifies any deflection and/or rotational forces experienced helmet's wearer during certain impacts.

71. Any of the pads of claim 67, wherein the said helmet is a baseball helmet, and the said compartmentalized pad covers the region of the said helmet that faces the pitcher, when the wearer of the said helmet is batting.

72. Any of the pads of claim 1 through claim 68, wherein the helmet is to be used in the sport of hockey.

73. Any of the pads of claim 1 through claim 68, wherein the helmet is to be used in the sport of American football.

74. Any of the pads of claim 1 through claim 68, wherein the helmet is to be used in the pugilistic sports.

75. Any of the pads of claim 74, wherein one, or more, bellows pad as described by claims 1 through 43, is rigidly attached to the front of the helmet to protect parts of its wearer's face, i.e. cheek bones.

76. Any of the pads of claim 1 through claim 68, wherein the helmet is to be used in the sport of America

77. Any of the pads of claim 50 through claim 76, wherein the protective headgear has a chin strap rigidly attached to the said head gear, designed to help keep the said protective headgear on its wearer.

78. Any of the pads of claim 50 through claim 76, wherein the protective headgear has a face guard rigidly attached to the said headgear, designed to help protect the face of on its wearer.

79. Any of the pads of claim 50 through claim 76, wherein the protective headgear has a ear hole built into the said headgear, designed to both improve the fit of the said headgear and to allow its wearer to readily hear.

80. Any of the pads of claim 64, which is designed to be retrofitted onto protective headgear.

81. An annular shaped pad of claim 44, which fits around the wearer's head and acts as the primary source of protection to its wearer.

82. Any of the pads of either, claim 1 through claim 44, which completely covers the wearer's head, and acts as the primary source of protection to its wearer.

83. Any of the pads of either, claim 1 through claim 44, which partially covers the wearer's head, and acts as the primary source of protection to specific locations on its wearer head.

84. Any of the pads of either, claim 81, claim 82, or claim 83, wherein the said pad is held into place by straps.

85. Any of the pads of claim 84, wherein the said pad's straps are elastic.

86. Any of the pads of either; claim 84 or claim 85, wherein the said pad's straps are secured around its wearer's head by Velcro.

87. Any of the pads of either; claim 84 or claim 85, wherein the said pad's straps are secured around its wearer's head by suitable clips.

88. Any of the pads of either: claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the method of rigid attachment of the said pad onto protective gear, involves screws.

89. Any of the pads of either: claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the method of rigid attachment of the said pad onto protective gear, includes rivets.

90. Any of the pads of either: claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the method of rigid attachment of the said pad onto protective gear, includes the application and curing of suitable glue.

91. Any of the pads of either: claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the method of rigid attachment of the said pad onto protective gear, includes RF welding.

92. Any of the pads of either: claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the method of rigid attachment of the said pad onto protective gear, includes suitable snap-on clips wherein the said clips possess both a male and female part.

93. Any of the pads of either: claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the method of rigid attachment of the said pad onto protective gear, includes straps.

94. Any of the pads of either: claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the method of rigid attachment of the said pad onto protective gear, includes Velcro.

95. Any of the pads of either; claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the said pad is rigidly attached to protective gear, wherein the protective gear constitutes shin pads.

96. Any of the pads of either; claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the said pad is attached to protective gear, wherein the protective gear constitutes shoulder pads.

97. Any of the pads of either; claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the said pad is attached to protective gear, wherein the protective gear constitutes knee pads.

98. Any of the pads of either; claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the said pad is attached to protective gear, wherein the protective gear constitutes elbow pads.

99. Any of the pads of either; claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the said pad is attached to protective gear, wherein the protective gear constitutes protective gloves.

100. Any of the pads of either; claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the said pad is attached to protective gear, wherein the protective gear constitutes chest protector.

101. Any of the pads of claim 100, wherein the said protective gear is chest protector used by catchers in the sport of baseball.

102. Any of the pads of claim 101, wherein the distance that a ball bounces off of the said chest protector is minified due to the rigid attachment of said pads onto said chest protector.

103. Any of the pads of either; claim 47, or claim 48, wherein the said pad is attached to protective gear, wherein the protective gear constitutes goalie pads.

104. Any of the pads of claim 103, wherein the said protective gear is goalie pads used by goalie's in the sport of ice hockey.

105. Any of the pads of claim 104, wherein the distance that a puck bounces off of the said goalie pads is minified due to the rigid attachment of said pads onto said goalie pads.

106. Any of the pads of either; claim 47 or claim 48, wherein the said pad is attached to protective gear, wherein the protective gear constitutes pugilistic gloves.

107. Any pads of claim 106, wherein the pugilistic gloves are used for training in the sport of boxing

108. Any pads of claim 106 wherein the pugilistic gloves are used for training in the martial arts