CONFORMABLE AND EXPANDABLE PROTECTIVE PADS AND CLOTHING ARTICLES INCLUDING SUCH PADS

Abstract

A protective padding section includes a top layer (36), an opposing bottom layer (38), and a repeating array of padding regions (22) arranged between and continuously bonded to the top and bottom layers. Each padding region has the same thickness as the first cushion. A repeating array of openings (28) is arranged between the padding regions, with each opening extending through the padding section. The padding section has a first thickness and a first width. When a force is applied, the padding section expands in width from the first width to a second width greater than the first width. When the force is removed, the width of the padding section contracts back to the first width.

Description

CONFORMABLE AND EXPANDABLE PROTECTIVE PADS AND CLOTHING ARTICLES INCLUDING SUCH PADS TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure is directed to adaptable and expandable cushioning protective fillings, articles comprising the fillings, and methods for manufacturing and using the foregoing. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many garments and other clothing items are designed to fit the human body closely. However, when designing a protective garment to fit the human body well, different body shapes and sizes must be considered. Different individuals within a particular garment size will have different body shapes and sizes. For example, two people who wear the same shoe size may have very different heel shapes. As another example, two people who wear the same shirt size may have very different chest-to-abdomen measurements. These variable measurements among similarly sized individuals make it difficult to design appropriately fitted garments. In addition to considering the different body measurements for different individuals within a given size, various contours of the human body must also be taken into account when designing close-fitting protective garments. These contours often include several double-curved surfaces. Spheroids, bowls, and saddle backs are examples of surfaces with double curvatures. If a protective garment is not the correct size for a particular user, the user may experience undesirable tightness or looseness in various areas. Such an improper fit can result in discomfort, excessive wear, or folding or creasing of the garment in the ill-fitting areas, each of which can diminish the garment's protective characteristics. Design Blue Limited of Portslade Brighton and Heve, UK, manufactures molded fillers from a proprietary blend of polymer material under the trademark D3O®. A molded part of this type includes a repeating array of circular and triangular compartments, with molded structural members extending between and interconnecting each of the adjacent compartments. U.S. Patent No. 8,084,117 describes expandable sheet materials comprising slit arrangements distributed on the sheet surface, enabling expansion of the sheet material after the application of a force along or across the sheet surface. U.S. Patents 9,538,798 and 9,629,397 describe garments with a base layer and an auxetic layer bonded to the base layer. The auxetic layer includes an auxetic structure that defines a pattern of repeated openings. The auxetic structure is formed from an elastomeric polymer. U.S. Patent No. 9,554,624 describes a sports shoe with an auxetic sole structure formed from contiguous articulated elements surrounding openings. Under tension, the elements rotate relative to each other within the sole structure, thereby allowing the auxetic sole structure to expand under tension. U.S. Patent No. 9,730,490 describes a footwear article with an upper having openings arranged in an auxetic configuration. The openings include two sizes, such that the larger openings can expand more than the smaller openings. In light of the above, it would be desirable to provide a protective garment or other article of clothing capable of adapting to various body shapes within a given size range. It would also be desirable to provide a garment or other article of clothing capable of adapting to various curvatures of the human body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This document describes a filler section comprising an upper layer, an opposing lower layer, and a repeating array of damping regions arranged between and continuously bonded to the upper and lower layers. Each damping region comprises damping material having the same first damper thickness. The filler section also includes a repeating array of openings arranged between the damping regions and extending through the filler. The filler section has a first thickness and a first width. Upon application of a force, the filler section expands in width from the first width to a second width greater than the first width, and upon removal of the applied force, the width of the filler section contracts back to the first width. The fill section may comprise a plurality of damping bridges that extend between adjacent and interconnecting damping regions, each damping bridge having a bridge thickness, a bridge width, and a bridge length. The fill section may include that the thickness of the damping bridge is less than the damper thickness of the damping regions. The fill section may include that the bridge length is no greater than 1 / 3 of the damper length of the damping region. The fill section may comprise the buffer region comprising side walls and the bridges are separated from a midline of the side walls of the buffer region. The filler section may comprise the damping regions and the bridges that together define a plurality of spacer regions. The filler section may comprise the top layer and the bottom layer at least partially joined directly to each other in each spacer region. The filler section may include damping bridges arranged in the spacer regions. The fill section may comprise the repeating pattern of openings arranged in the spacer regions, where one opening is arranged in each spacer region. The filler section may comprise the filler section that expands in width between 20% and 30% when subjected to force. The fill section may comprise a perimeter flange that extends around the fill section. The filler section can be understood as follows: when the filler section is subjected to force, the damping regions pivot around the bridges and the openings expand from a first size to a second size, and when the force is removed, the openings contract from the second size to the first size. In another aspect of the present disclosure there is a protective filler, comprising: a damping material substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface with an upper layer of material bonded to the first substrate surface and a lower layer of material bonded to the second substrate surface; a plurality of discretely spaced damping regions arranged in the substrate, each damping region having the same first damping thickness; a first plurality of linear substrate openings, each opening arranged between adjacent damping regions in a first plurality of damping regions, each opening extending through the damping material and the upper and lower material layers and each opening of the first plurality aligned with a first axis of the substrate;and a second plurality of linear substrate openings, each opening disposed between adjacent damping regions in a second plurality of damping regions, each opening extending across the; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the filling shown in FIG. 6, attached to a compression sleeve, with the filling in the expanded state, showing the rotation of the compartments; FIG. 10 is a front view of the compression sleeve shown in FIG. 9; and FIG.11 is a close-up of a portion of a section of the fill shown in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This disclosure pertains to adaptable and expandable cushioning padding, articles comprising the padding, methods for manufacturing and using the foregoing, and in particular to adaptable and expandable cushioning padding for humans, for areas of the human body requiring freedom of movement. In some embodiments, the present cushioning padding may have properties similar to those of auxetic materials. The term auxetic, as used herein, generally refers to a material or structure having a negative Poisson ratio. Auxetic materials come in several different types and forms and may be individual molecules or a particular structure of macroscopic matter. Some, but not all, auxetic structures are formed from a plurality of interconnected segments forming a series of openings. Figures 1-4, taken together, illustrate an example of an article of clothing 10 according to the present disclosure, which in this embodiment is a limb protector comprising a compression sleeve 12 and a protective padding 20 attached to the sleeve 12. The term article of clothing as used herein refers to any garment, footwear, or accessory configured to be worn or carried by a human being. Examples of articles of clothing include soft protective helmets (e.g., rugby caps), helmets, hats, caps, shirts, trousers, shorts, sleeves, knee pads, elbow pads, shoes, boots, backpacks, duffel bags, webbing sacks, and straps, as well as many other products configured to be worn or carried by a person. The protective padding 20 is illustrated in more detail in Figures 2 and 3. As shown, the padding 20 comprises a front side 14 with a front surface 14a, a back side 16 with a back surface 16a, a rim 18, a perimeter flange 30, and a perimeter channel 32. As shown in Figure 4, the padding 20 comprises a cushioning material 34 disposed between an outer layer 36 and an inner layer 38. In a non-limiting example, the cushioning material may be PORON® microcellular polyurethane from Rogers Corporation; however, any moldable material, such as EVA, may also be used. In another non-limiting embodiment, the inner and outer layers 34, 36 may be made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). In the present embodiment, the damping material 34 is arranged between the outer layer 36 and the inner layer 38 and is encapsulated by them.In some embodiments, the cushioning material 34 may also be continuously bonded to the outer layer 36 and the inner layer 38. This bonding may occur during the molding process and may result from a chemical reaction between the TPU and the Poron when subjected to heat. Therefore, it may be a thermal bond, i.e., a fusion / hardening of the materials. It should be noted that the embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented without one or more of the perimeter flange 30, the perimeter channel 32, the outer layer 36, and the inner layer 38. The filler 20 includes a repeating pattern of damping regions 22 formed in the damping material of the filler 20. The damping regions 22 will also be referred to hereafter as “compartments 22”. In the present embodiment, the compartments are rectangular, but it should be understood that a variety of shapes can be used, e.g., square, triangular, round, oval, etc. The compartments 22 are separated from each other at defined regular intervals, on all sides, by spacing regions 26 having a width “Wí”. Each of the compartments 22 includes a top surface 22a and a side wall 22b extending downward from the top surface 22a to the spacing region 26. The number of side walls 22b depends on the shape of the compartment 22.Accordingly, a square or rectangular compartment 22 has four side walls, a round compartment has one, and a triangular compartment has three. Each compartment 22 has a thickness “Tí’ defined by a thickness of the cushioning material 34 and, optionally, a thickness of the inner and outer layers 36, 38, when one or both are included in the filler 20. In an embodiment implemented without the outer layer 36 and the inner layer 38, the compartments 22 comprise the cushioning material 34. In an embodiment implemented with the outer layer 36 and the inner layer 38, the compartments 22 are encapsulated by the outer layer 36 and the inner layer 38. Although not illustrated as such, if desired, the side walls 22b can be perpendicular to the top surface 22a or can be arranged at an angle with respect to the top surface 22a. If desired, and as shown, the top surface 22a can have a radius in a transition region “TR” between the top surface 22a and the side wall 22b. A bridge 24 interconnects the side walls 22b of adjacent compartments 22. The bridge 24 acts as a pivot or hinge point around which each compartment 22 can rotate when subjected to a force. The length “Lí’” of each bridge 24 is defined by a distance between the side walls 22b, which is approximately equal to the width “Wí’” of the sword regions 26. Consequently, each bridge 24 has a thickness of T1 and no opening 28, and a sword region 26 has an opening 28 and essentially no thickness. In the present embodiment, the bridges 24 are arranged adjacent to each corner of the compartments 22, but it should be understood that the location of the bridges 24 between the compartments 22 can vary, and that doing so may increase or decrease the amount of rotation of the compartments 22 when a force is applied to the padding 20. The force applied to the padding 20 is, for example, in an athletic application such as a knee brace, perpendicular to the plane of the padding 20. For example, when using a knee brace, bending the knee would exert pressure on the back of the padding, approximately perpendicular to the back of the padding. Referring to FIG. 4, the bridges 24 have a length “Li” defined by the space between the side walls 22b of the adjacent compartments 22 and a thickness “T2” defined by the thickness of the damping material 34 (and the inner and outer layers 36, 38, when included). In the present embodiment, the bridge 24 has a thickness T less than the thickness Ti of the compartments 22 (i.e., T2 < Ti). However, it should be understood that the length, width, and thickness of the bridges 24 can be varied as desired to achieve particular design objectives. As an example of variable design, a square compartment with four corners, referenced to the midpoint of each side of the square, with bridges located as close as possible to the corners of the square compartments will have a higher expansion threshold than those in which the bridges are located closer to the midpoint of each side of the square. Providing the 24 bridges between the 22 compartments can be beneficial for several reasons. The 24 bridges limit the expansion of the openings due to their position relative to the side wall, thus minimizing tearing or expansion that could occur if the openings expanded beyond a certain threshold, as discussed. ML / E / ZUZZ / UÓUOUÓ below. The amount of constraint introduced by the bridges 24 can be varied by varying the dimensions of the bridges 24 and their position between the side walls 22b of adjacent compartments 22. For example, maximum rotation can be achieved by placing the bridges 24 adjacent to the corners of compartment 22, whereas minimal or no rotation will occur if the bridges 24 are placed at a midpoint of the compartment's side wall 22b as the bridge extends and connects the side walls. Similarly, the amount of constraint can be varied by varying the length, width, and / or thickness of bridge 24. For example, rotation around bridge 24 or the pivot point can be maximized by minimizing the length, width, and thickness of bridge 24. Conversely, rotation around bridge 24 or the pivot point can be minimized by maximizing the length, width, and / or thickness of bridge 24.The presence of the 24 bridges can also improve material flow during the molding of the 20 filler. It should be noted that the fillers are cut from molded sheets. The sheets can be molded from Poron or another material, and the opening pattern can be die-cut into the molded Poron. The sheet can be molded with or without the inner and outer layers. In use, when a force is applied to the packing 20, the vent holes 28 expand and the bridges 24 act as pivot points or hinges around which the compartments 22 rotate, resulting in the expansion of the packing 20 both lengthwise and widthwise. When the force is removed, the vent holes 28 contract to their original size, as does the packing 20. The compartments 22, bridges 24, spacing regions 26, and vent holes 28 can comprise any shape, size, or configuration that is practical or desired for a particular design or application. The size, shape, thickness, and material composition of the fillers 20, compartments 22, bridges 24, and vent holes 28 can vary, depending on several factors, including, but not limited to, the desired amount of expansion of the filler 20, the desired amount of impact resistance, the desired amount of breathability, and the like. Furthermore, the configuration of the compartments 22 can be varied, and more than one type of compartment shape or vent hole shape can be used in the fillers 20. With reference now to FIG. 5, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a first alternative embodiment of a 20' fill is presented. A second alternative embodiment of a 20' fill, according to the present disclosure, is presented in FIG. 6. Each of the first and second alternative 20' fills includes the same elements as those previously set forth in the above embodiments. Figure 7 shows a section 40 of the second alternative filler 20 in which each of the compartments 22 is molded in the shape of a square having a length “Lí” of approximately 0.5 inches on each side and a thickness Ti of approximately 3 / 8 inch. The width Wi of the sword regions 26 is approximately 1 / 8 inch. The plurality of openings 28 formed in the sword regions 26 have a length L2 of approximately 1 / 8 inch and can be formed in the sword regions during the molding process, for example, or, alternatively, by cutting openings through the sword regions 26 after the molding process. The bridges 24 interconnect the adjacent compartments 22 and function as pivot points or hinges around which the compartments 22 rotate when a force is applied to section 40, resulting in the expansion of section 40. Figure 7 shows a section 40 of the second alternative filler 20 in which each of the compartments 22 is molded in the shape of a square having a length “Lí” of approximately 0.5 inches on each side and a thickness Ti of approximately 3 / 8 inch. The width Wi of the sword regions 26 is approximately 1 / 8 inch. The plurality of openings 28 formed in the sword regions 26 have a length L2 of approximately 1 / 8 inch and can be formed in the sword regions during the molding process, for example, or alternatively, by cutting openings through the sword regions 26 after the molding process. The bridges 24 interconnect the adjacent compartments 22 and function as pivot points or hinges around which the compartments 22 rotate when a force is applied to section 40, resulting in the expansion of section 40.Figure 7 shows section 40 in an unexpanded state, with an unexpanded width of “W3”. Figure 8 shows section 40 in an expanded state with a width of “W4”, i.e., expanded in the direction of arrow “A”. As can be seen in Figure 8, when section 40 is expanded in the direction of arrows A, for example, by stretching, the section becomes wider than when it is in the unexpanded state (i.e., W4 > W3). In use, the bridges 24 function as pivot points or hinges around which the compartments 22 rotate, and the rotation of the compartments 22 around the bridges 24 facilitates the expansion of section 40 from a width of W2 to W4. It will be recognized that whether a structure has a negative Poisson's ratio can depend on the degree to which the structure expands. Structures may have a negative Poisson's ratio up to a certain expansion threshold, but when they expand beyond that threshold, they may have a positive Poisson's ratio. For example, when section 40 in FIG. 7 expands in the direction of arrows A beyond a threshold (e.g., beyond the state shown in FIG. 8), section 40 may expand to the point where it becomes slightly thinner (in a direction perpendicular to arrows A) before the structure of section 40 breaks or is otherwise damaged. Accordingly, the term auxetic, as used herein, refers to structures or materials that have a negative Poisson's ratio within certain expansion thresholds.Furthermore, although the term auxetic is used herein to refer to a structure that has a negative Poisson ratio, it will be recognized that structures can be almost auxetic. An almost auxetic structure is a structure that has a Poisson ratio of approximately zero, or less than 0.15. In one aspect of the present disclosure, with reference now to FIG. 11, the relationship between the bridge length (b), the node length (n), the slot width (g), and the opening length (p) can be defined as follows: b < 0.30n; yp = (2n + g)-2b. For example, for a square compartment with a side length of approximately 0.5 inches and a spacer region width of approximately 0.2 inches, the maximum bridge length is approximately 0.15 inches and the maximum opening length is approximately 0.9 inches. The section 40 described herein can be incorporated into various garments, including, for example, caps commonly used in rugby or under an American football helmet. The cap provides additional protection to the wearer's head and also allows a snug-fitting American football helmet to slide easily over the head. The negative Poisson's ratio of the structure described herein allows the cap and foam to fit a wide range of head sizes. The auxetic section provides additional head protection against impacts commonly experienced during training or competition. Furthermore, section 40 can be arranged over the entire cap or only over a portion of it. The present fillings can be manufactured using techniques described in U.S. Patents 7,827,704 and 9,254,591 and U.S. Publication US2008 / 0034614, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. It should be noted that the terms first, second, and similar terms in this document do not indicate any order or importance, but are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms a and an in this document do not indicate a limitation of quantity, but rather indicate the presence of at least one of the elements being referenced. Similarly, it is noted that the terms lower and higher are used herein, unless otherwise stated, simply for descriptive convenience, and are not limited to any position or spatial orientation. Furthermore, the modifier approximately used in relation to a quantity includes the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measuring the particular quantity).Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Although the disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes can be made, and elements thereof can be substituted with equivalents without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from its essential scope. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best contemplated manner of carrying out this disclosure, but rather that the disclosure include all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A filler section, comprising: an upper layer, an opposing lower layer, and a repeating array of damping regions disposed between and continuously bonded to the upper and lower layers, each damping region comprising damping material having the same first damper thickness; and a repeating array of openings disposed between the damping regions and extending across the filler section, wherein the filler section has a first thickness and a first width, and wherein upon application of a force, the filler section expands in width from the first width to a second width greater than the first width, and upon removal of the applied force, the width of the filler section contracts back to the first width.

2. The filler section of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of damping bridges extending between adjacent and interconnecting damping regions, each damping bridge having a bridge thickness, a bridge width, and a bridge length.

3. The filling section of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the damping bridge is less than the thickness of the damping regions.

4. The filler section of claim 2, wherein the bridge length is no more than 1 / 3 of the damper length of the damping region.

5. The filler section of claim 2, wherein the damping region comprises side walls and the bridges are separated from a midline of the side walls of the damping region.

6. The filler section of claim 2, wherein the damping regions and the bridges together define a plurality of spacing regions. MA / C / ZUZZ / UOsOsO 7. The filler section of claim 6, wherein the top layer and the bottom layer are at least partially bonded directly to each other in each spacer region.

8. The filler section of claim 6, wherein the damping bridges are arranged in the spacer regions.

9. The filler section of claim 1, wherein the repeating pattern of openings is arranged in the spacer regions and wherein one opening is arranged in each spacer region.

10. The filling section of claim 1, wherein the filling section expands in width by between 20% and 30% when subjected to force.

11. The filler section of claim 1, further comprising a perimeter flange extending around the filler section.

12. The filler section of claim 9, wherein when the filler section is subjected to force, the damping regions pivot on the bridges and the openings expand from a first size to a second size, and when the force is removed, the openings contract from the second size to the first size.

13. A protective filler, comprising: a damping material substrate having a first surface and a second opposing surface with an upper layer of material bonded to the first substrate surface and a lower layer of material bonded to the second substrate surface; a plurality of discretely spaced damping regions arranged in the substrate, each damping region having the same first damping thickness; a first plurality of linear substrate openings, each opening arranged between adjacent damping regions in a first plurality of damping regions, each opening extending through the damping material and the upper and lower material layers, and each opening of the first plurality aligned with a first axis of the substrate;and a second plurality of linear substrate openings, each opening disposed between adjacent damping regions in a second plurality of damping regions, each opening extending through the damping material and the upper and lower layers of material and each opening of the second plurality aligned with a second axis of the substrate different from the first axis.;

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