253results about How to "Absorb energy" patented technology

This invention relates to a orthopedic implant that comprises a shape memory polymeric material. The orthopedic implant can be fabricated or molded in a desired configuration selected to provide support or tension to bony structures. Examples of implantable devices include spinal rods, bone plates, and bone fixation cords. The orthopedic implant can be deformed to a second configuration different from the first configuration either prior to implantation or after implantation. When desired, the shape memory polymeric material can be induced to revert to it original molded configuration. This can compress the attached bony structure and / or promote arthrodesis.

A prosthetic leg having an electronically controlled regenerative prosthetic knee. In certain embodiments of the present invention the knee may be passive, whereby it is used only to generate electrical energy. In other embodiments, the knee may be active, whereby it can be used to assist with or completely control gait, as well as to generate electrical energy. The knee makes use of an actuator motor / generator to control gait and / or to generate electrical energy. An electronic control system is provided to control overall operation of the prosthetic leg, to distribute generated electrical energy, and to transfer excess electrical energy to one or more storage devices for later use. A prosthetic leg of the present invention having an active prosthetic knee may be especially helpful in assisting an amputee with activities that impart a high torque load to the knee joint.

Certain embodiments include interferometrically tuned photovoltaic cells wherein reflection from interfaces of layered photovoltaic devices coherently sum to produce an increased field in an active region of the photovoltaic cell where optical energy is converted into electrical energy. Such interferometrically tuned or interferometric photovoltaic devices (iPV) increase the absorption of optical energy in the active region of the interferometric photovoltaic cell and thereby increase the efficiency of the device. In various embodiments, one or more optical resonant cavities and / or optical resonant layers is included in the photovoltaic device to increase the electric field concentration and the absorption in the active region.

A spin stabilized and drag-stabilized, blunt impact, non-lethal projectile is provided, having a rigid base and rigid windscreen, with a compressible body therebetween, thereby enabling use thereof in high pressure / compression firing mechanisms, but yet operable to compress / deform upon impact with a target. In particular, a spin stabilized, blunt impact, non-lethal projectile is provided having a rigid windscreen and base, with a compressible body therebetween which compresses / deforms upon impact with a target. In addition, a drag-stabilized version thereof is provided, having canted fins thereon so as to control flight of the projectile via the imposition of drag thereon. Additionally, the projectile is capable of carrying agents, such as crowd control and marking agents, in an agent reservoir, and ejecting same onto a target upon impact.

A protective helmet is described comprising: an outer layer (1); an inner layer (5) for contact with a head of a wearer; and an intermediate layer (3, 4) comprising an anisotropic cellular material comprising cells having cell walls, the anisotropic cellular material having a relatively low resistance against deformation resulting from tangential forces on the helmet. The anisotropic material can be a foam or honeycomb material. The foam is preferably a closed cell foam. The helmet allows tangential impacts to the helmet which cause less rotational acceleration or deceleration of the head of the wearer compared to helmets using isotropic foams while still absorbing a significant amount of rotational energy.

A ride surface for water ride attractions and the like is provided. The ride surface is fabricated from a reinforced membrane material tensioned over a supporting framework. The tensioned membrane ride surface serves the dual role of providing structural support for water flow and riders thereon while at the same time providing an impact safe surface that is non-injurious to riders who may fall thereon. The tensioned membrane can be adjusted actively and / or passively in order to accommodate different and varied ride experiences. Optionally, the shape of the membrane ride surface can be changed either dynamically or passively by special tensioning techniques and / or by using auxiliary support structures such as air bladders, pressure / suction, foam supports or / or the like.

A prosthetic foot includes an adapter element securable to a residual limb, a foot plate having a heel portion and a toe portion along the length thereof, at least one toe spring connected between the adapter element and the toe portion of the foot plate, and a heel spring connected between the adapter element and the heel portion. The heel spring may be a leaf spring or a tube type shock absorber. The concave side of the leaf spring exhibits a plurality of transverse ribs. Alternatively, a tubular pylon may have a collar mounted thereon for movement along the length of the pylon. A toe spring and a heel spring extend from the collar to form toe and heel portions of the prosthetic foot. A further heel spring is connected between the heel portion and another end of the pylon, and a non-extensible band extends between the heel portion and the collar. As another alternative, a tubular pylon has one end securable to a residual limb, and a collar is mounted to the pylon for movement along the length of the pylon. At least one toe spring is connected between the collar and the toe portion of a foot plate, while a heel spring is connected between the heel portion of the foot plate and another end of the pylon.

A plurality of dichroic filters are included in multifunction photovoltaic cells to increase efficiency. For example, in a multi-junction photovoltaic cell comprising blue, green, and red active layers, blue, green, and red dichroic filters that reflect blue, green, and red light, respectively, may be disposed proximal to the blue, green, and red active layers to reflect back light not absorbed on the first past. The dichroic filters may be used to demultiplex white light incident on the PV cell and deliver suitable wavelengths to the appropriate active layer, e.g., blue wavelengths to the blue active layer, green wavelengths to the green active layer, red wavelengths to the red active layer. The PV cell may additionally be interferometrically tuned to increase absorption efficiency. Accordingly, optical resonant layers and cavities may be employed in certain embodiments.

A head protecting body for a safety helmet, in which a first liner member for an impact-on-the-head absorbing liner includes a swell for reinforcing at least one region of a forehead region, a left temple region, a right temple region and an occiput region in an overlapping region with respect to a second liner member having a density lower than that of the first liner member, on an overlapping surface side of the first liner member, and the second liner member includes a hollow having a shape substantially corresponding to the swell. According to this head protecting body, despite that the impact-on-the-head absorbing liner is not broken easily more than necessary near a region reinforced with the reinforcing swell, both the maximum acceleration during impact and an HIC can be decreased effectively.

Non-invasive apparatus and methods are disclosed for treatment of soft-tissues of a human or animal body, and, more particularly, non-invasive treatment apparatus and methods for destruction of adipose tissues of a patient using focused delivery of ultrasonic energy in a group focal zone.

Secondary energy absorbing helmet underwear is to be worn by a user under a primary rigid hard hat, sports helmet or military helmet. The helmet underwear includes an integral self elasticized stretchable material that includes a three-dimensional structure that is generally of semi-spherical shape to fit about the users head and that includes an optional peripheral stretchable stretch band that provides a means for retaining the helmet underwear in place on the users head. The stretchable material and core includes front and rear layers that are each formed as a knitted layer and interconnecting yarns that interconnect between the front and rear layers and define a predetermined spacing between the front and rear layers. The interconnecting yarns, in combination with the layers provide a safety barrier between the rigid hat and the user's head.

Non-invasive apparatus and methods are disclosed for treatment of soft-tissues of a human or animal body, and, more particularly, non-invasive treatment apparatus and methods for destruction of adipose tissues of a patient using focused delivery of ultrasonic energy in a group of focal zones.

Accordingly, the present invention is a vehicle bumper and a method for making a vehicle bumper formed from first and second members wherein the second member is nested within the first member. Each of the first and second members has a front wall, an upper wall and a lower wall. Each member also includes flange portions extending outwardly from the respective upper and lower walls. The first and second members joined to one another at their respective front walls and flange portions. The first and second members formed in such a way that the cross-sections of the members varies along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle bumper. Varying the respective cross-sections enables a vehicle bumper design that helps to control energy transfer and absorption during a collision. In addition, it provides greater design and styling freedoms.

A structural assembly for a vehicle includes a structural member extending longitudinally. The structural assembly also includes an insert disposed within and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the structural member and having at least one corrugation to act as a crush initiator during an axial impact on the structural assembly.

A micro-truss based blast protection apparatus. In one embodiment, the blast protection apparatus includes a three-dimensional (3D) ordered truss core between a first face plate and a second face plate. The 3D ordered truss core includes first truss elements defined by first self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a first direction, second truss elements defined by second self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a second direction, and third truss elements defined by third self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a third direction. The first, second, and third truss elements interpenetrate each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material. The first, second, and third truss elements define an open space for providing a densification in response to a force applied to the first face plate and / or the second face plate, and the 3D ordered truss core is self-supporting.

A spin stabilized and drag-stabilized, blunt impact, non-lethal projectile is provided, having a rigid base and rigid windscreen, with a compressible body therebetween, thereby enabling use thereof in high pressure / compression firing mechanisms, but yet operable to compress / deform upon impact with a target. In particular, a spin stabilized, blunt impact, non-lethal projectile is provided having a rigid windscreen and base, with a compressible body therebetween which compresses / deforms upon impact with a target. In addition, a drag-stabilized version thereof is provided, having canted fins thereon so as to control flight of the projectile via the imposition of drag thereon. Additionally, the projectile is capable of carrying agents, such as crowd control and marking agents, in an agent reservoir, and ejecting same onto a target upon impact.

Bulk materials having a kinetically limited nano-scale diffusion bond is provided. The bulk materials having a kinetically limited nano-scale diffusion bond includes transparent material, absorbent opaque material and a diffusion bond. The transparent material has properties that allow an electromagnetic beam of a select wavelength to pass there through without more than minimal energy absorption. The absorbent opaque material has properties that significantly absorb energy from the electromagnetic beam. The diffusion bond is formed by the electromagnetic beam bonding the transparent material to the absorbent opaque material. Moreover, the diffusion bond has a thickness that is less than 1000 nm.

A bumper assembly for vehicle may include a first side member disposed in each of both sides of a vehicle body in a longitudinal direction thereof, a second side member coupled to an external surface of the first side member, a fender member having one side coupled to an external side of the second side member, a member flange connected to front ends of the first and second side members respectively, a mounting flange coupled with the member flange, a first crash box having a rear end connected to the mounting flange, a second crash box having a rear end connected to the mounting flange, and a bumper beam having both distal sides, each of which may be coupled to front ends of the first and second crash boxes.

A ride surface for water ride attractions and the like is provided. The ride surface is fabricated from a reinforced membrane material tensioned over a supporting framework. The tensioned membrane ride surface serves the dual role of providing structural support for water flow and riders thereon while at the same time providing an impact safe surface that is non-injurious to riders who may fall thereon. The tensioned membrane can be adjusted actively and / or passively in order to accommodate different and varied ride experiences. Optionally, the shape of the membrane ride surface can be changed either dynamically or passively by special tensioning techniques and / or by using auxiliary support structures such as air bladders, pressure / suction, foam supports or / or the like.

A crash energy absorption member capable of reducing the initial load without provision of a crushing bead and capable of achieving a sufficient amount of shock absorption with stable buckling behavior. The crash energy absorption member is formed from a tubular body which has a length L and a polygonal transverse cross-sectional shape with 2n corners due to having 2n ridge lines (wherein n is a natural number greater than or equal to 3) and 2n surfaces partitioned by these 2n ridge lines, and which absorbs impact energy by buckling when an impact load is applied to one end in the axial direction towards the other end, characterized in that some of the 2n ridge lines only exist in a region which extends from a position spaced by a distance h in the axial direction from the one end to the other end, and if the number of the remaining ridge lines which have a length L is m, the following equations are satisfied: h≦L×0.30   (1) 4≦m≦2×(n−1)   (2).

A vehicular impact absorbing apparatus includes a pair of tubular guide rails having a guide slit longitudinally formed at the upper part of each guide rail fixed to the ground. Sliders are movably mounted in the guide rail at predetermined intervals, the upper part of each slider is laid on the upper part of the guide rail through the guide slit. Cushion units are mounted on the upper part of each slider. Each cushion unit is elastically deformed by vehicular impact while retracting along the guide rail. Cushion pins are mounted across the guide rails at predetermined intervals between the sliders that also absorb the kinetic energy of an impact by being broken by the rearward retracting slider. A stopper is installed around the rear end of the guide rail for stopping the retracting cushion units. A successive cushion and deceleration of the impact is possible in this arrangement.

A structural assembly for a vehicle includes a structural member extending longitudinally. The structural assembly also includes an insert disposed within and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the structural member and having at least one corrugation to act as a crush initiator during an axial impact on the structural assembly.

A low release effort eccentric double ratchet, double pawl vehicle latch includes a ratchet, a primary pawl, an auxiliary ratchet and a secondary pawl. A drive mechanism including a gear cam wheel sequences movement of the secondary pawl to open and reset the latch. Upon reset, the drive mechanism actuates the auxiliary ratchet back to a closed state in a soft manner without using a hard stop; instead the latch has a cushioning spring that is used to softly stop the gear train during the reset absorbing motor energy and thus eliminating impact noise.

A vehicle body rear structure, which includes: rear frames disposed on both side of a rear portion of a vehicle; a rear floor cross member bridged between the rear frames and jointed to each of the rear frames; a middle floor cross member which is disposed ahead of the rear floor cross member to extend in a vehicle width direction; and a stiffening panel covering a lower side of a fuel tank which is disposed in a space surrounded by the each of the rear frames, the rear floor cross member, and the middle floor cross member, wherein the stiffening panel comprises an upper plate, a lower plate, and a connecting member which connects the upper plate and the lower plate; and wherein the stiffening panel has a thickness which transmits a load upon a rear-end collision to a framework member ahead of the stiffening panel.

A shoe foundation assembly for receiving and retaining a number of cleats or spikes into the bottom sole of the shoe such as might be utilized in various sporting events. The shoe foundation assembly includes a unitarily molded shoe cradle component with a toe guard at a first end, a heel guard at a second end, and arch medial. An outsole is bonded to the midsole component sized and shaped to be positioned on the underside base of the shoe cradle component. The detachable cradle incorporates hillock apertures for positioning a number of sealable inserts to receive the cleat / spikes. Bonded to the midsole is an outsole component having a plurality of slit apertures also positioned to receive the plurality of cleat / spikes. A number of different types of cleats or shoe spikes may be inserted into the apertures in the outsole and through the sealable inserts within the midsole. Each of the cleat / spikes incorporates a structure for the retention of the cleat / spike onto the shoe foundation.