Protective padding utilizing superelastic three-dimensional spacer fabric comprising shape memory materials (SMM)

Abstract

Protective padding comprising:

• • a spacer fabric comprising a first fabric layer, a second fabric layer, and a plurality of interconnecting filaments extending between said first fabric layer and said second fabric layer;
  • wherein at least one of said first fabric layer, said second fabric layer and said plurality of interconnecting filaments comprise a shape memory material.

Description

REFERENCE TO PENDING PRIOR PATENT APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application:[0002](i) is a continuation-in-part of pending prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 843,656, filed Mar. 15, 2013 by Matthew Fonte et al. for DYNAMIC POROUS COATING FOR OTHOPEDIC IMPLANT (Attorney's Docket No. FONTE-15171824), which patent application (a) is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 764,188, filed Feb. 11, 2013 by Matthew Fonte et al. for POROUS COATING FOR ORTHOPEDIC IMPLANT UTILIZING POROUS, SHAPE MEMORY MATERIALS (Attorney's Docket No. FONTE-15), which patent application claims benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 596,900, filed Feb. 9, 2012 by Matthew Fonte et al. for POROUS, SHAPE MEMORY MATERIAL, ORTHOPEDIC IMPLANT COATING (Attorney's Docket No. FONTE-15 PROV); (b) claims benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 612,496, filed Mar. 19, 2012 by Matthew Fonte et al. for POROUS, SHAPE MEMORY MATERIAL, ORTHOP...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]The present invention relates to the provision and use of spacer fabrics which utilize a shape memory material (SMM), e.g., Nitinol or a titanium near-beta alloy, as a filament for constructing the spacer fabric (e.g., as a filament for constructing the top fabric layer, the bottom fabric layer and the intervening fabric layer that interconnects the top fabric layer to the bottom fabric layer). See FIG. 6. SMMs, unlike other metallic filaments, are highly flexible and kink resistant, allowing them to be woven or knit. SMM filaments are substantially stronger than polymer monofilaments, and are not susceptible to deleterious creep and fatigue which often shortens the life of polymeric materials. Spacer fabrics created from shape memory materials (SMM) can be designed to be strong, superelastic, exhibiting

Problems solved by technology

However, polymer spacer fabrics suffer from weakness, c

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