Sportswear and personal protective gear incorporating shear thickening or non-Newtonian foams

Abstract

The sports bra increases resistance as force increases. The sports bra includes a front curve region for containing a wearer's chest, the front curve region including a shear thickening foam. The shear thickening foam is relatively soft up to a first force and relatively stiffens above the first force to hold the wearer's chest within the front curve region during vigorous physical activity. A back panel is connected to the front curve region, whereby the force is at least partially transferred to the wearer's upper back or shoulder region. The body protection element protects a body part selected from the head, knees, shins, elbows, feet, legs, torso, arms, wrists, or hands from external impact. The body protection element includes a housing that conforms to the shape of the selected body part. The housing includes a shear thickening foam.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 308,479, filed February 2, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 355,634, filed June 27, 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to body support or protective gear, apparel and undergarments, sportswear and gear, and other specialty garments incorporating shear thickening / non-Newtonian foams that exhibit increased resistance when impacted by increased forces from the wearer's body or from external forces. [Background technology]

[0003] A shear-thickening material is a material whose viscosity increases dramatically in response to high-velocity shear strain, for example due to impact from an external force or movement of a body part engaged in a sports activity. Shear-thickening fluids are also called "non-Newtonian fluids" because they do not follow Newtonian behavior, i.e., viscosity independent of the applied stress. Typically, shear-thickening materials are formed as suspensions of particles within a matrix.

[0004] Shear thickening materials have been used in many protective garments and armor, military bulletproof vests, and sports equipment, however, shear thickening materials are typically liquids that are difficult to handle and difficult to contain in a suitable housing to create a wearable article.

[0005] For example, in the case of underwear, a brassiere is worn in direct contact with the wearer's skin. The requirements for materials for making brassieres include soft and comfortable touch to human skin, light weight, and breathability. Flexible polyurethane foam is a soft porous material with low elastic modulus, low density, and open cell structure, which is suitable for making brassiere cups. Currently, flexible polyurethane foams such as high resilience foam and low resilience foam are used in large quantities for making brassiere cups.

[0006] On the other hand, in sports activities, when the wearer is engaged in high-impact activities, the breasts move in a "butterfly" motion, i.e. up and down separately. This "butterfly" motion can not only cause pain but also have adverse effects on breast tissue. Therefore, breast support is very important in sports bra design. Common sports bra cups are divided into three categories: encapsulation, compression, and combination. Research suggests that women should wear sports bras with different levels of support for different activities. To reduce vertical breast misalignment and discomfort due to exercise, it has also been proposed to place thick foam pads inside the bra cups of encapsulation sports bras to lift and compress the breasts.

[0007] Commercially available foams, such as flexible polyurethane foams, provide soft-touch performance but lack sufficient support required for vigorous body movements during sports activities. Thus, flexible polyurethanes may be suitable for making bra cups for everyday use, but are not suitable for sports bra cups intended to eliminate breast movement. The soft-touch property exhibited by cushioning materials usually means that the material has a low elastic modulus, which is in contradiction to the high support property resulting from the high elastic modulus of the cushioning materials. To the best of the inventors' knowledge, there is no brassiere foam material capable of producing a brassiere cup that exhibits the combined properties of soft-touch and sufficient support required for vigorous body movements.

[0008] US Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0087204 by Roland describes a garment including a shape memory material, where the shape memory material transforms from a first shape to a second shape when it reaches a transition temperature, the second shape providing a greater force to the body part in contact with the garment than the force provided to the body part by the first shape, the transition temperature being between 90° F. and 105° F. The disclosed shape memory materials include shape memory alloys and shape memory polymers, where the shape memory material transforms from a first shape to a second shape when it reaches a transition temperature, the second shape providing a greater localized support to the body part in contact with the garment compared to the force provided to the body part by the first shape. However, in commercially available sports bras, the bra cups are constructed of a laminated structure or a sewn multi-layer structure. The shape is pre-fixed and does not change with room temperature or body temperature. In commercially available bra products, the change from the second shape to the first shape is rarely achieved.

[0009] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN103798978A discloses a shape memory polymer bra including cups and accessories, characterized in that the cups are made of a shape memory polymer material and formed into a sheet and then blister molded into the cup or formed by injection molding with a softening point of 45-70°C. The shape memory polymer is a foamed or non-foamed material. The shape memory polymer may be crosslinked trans-polyisoprene, polyester or polyolefin, or non-crosslinked polyurethane or norbornene. The cup has vent holes with a diameter of 1-3 mm, and the total area of ​​the vent holes accounts for 10-70% of the total area of ​​the shape memory polymer. By heating to a softening point of 45-70°C, the cup is shaped to a bust size suitable for the user, enhancing comfort. This invention utilizes the shape memory function of shape memory foam, which has a softening temperature of 50-60°C, much higher than body temperature, to change the cup size. However, a mold is required to realize permanent deformation in order to shape the bra. Furthermore, the softening temperature is much higher than body temperature. The change in shape needs to be caused by external heating. The need for inadequate support is not met by the disclosed sports bra materials.

[0010] Furthermore, US Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0044971 discloses a bra incorporating a shape memory polymer and a method for manufacturing the same. The shape memory polymer is used to provide a thin film layer with holes (opening ratio: 10-90%). The breast motion frequency absorbs the force generated by breast movement at 1-100 Hz. A method for constructing a front panel of a sports bra with a thermally induced shape memory polymer that exhibits viscoelastic properties at body temperature and hardens to absorb a force of about 0.015 N to about 0.03 N at a breast motion frequency of about 6 Hz to about 15 Hz is also disclosed. However, films used directly in bras have become unable to provide sufficient comfort to the wearer. Although a mesh pattern of the laminated SMP layer is used to increase breathability, additional molding is required to form a concave shape that is close to the shape of the wearer's breasts. In commercially available bra cups, instead of porous films, foam materials laminated with fabric provide the best comfort. Perforated thin films are not compatible with commercially available bra cup material systems.

[0011] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005089925 discloses a cup portion equipped with a cup support member made of a shape-memory resin that restores its initial shape at a certain temperature. The certain temperature is the glass transition temperature T g The temperature ranges from 40 to 75°C. The cup part deforms when washed, but it easily returns to its original shape, and a beautiful bustline silhouette can be maintained at a constant temperature. However, in reality, extra heating to change the shape of the cup is inconvenient for the wearer in daily life. Furthermore, even if the shape of the bra is different, the problems caused by the lack of support of the sports bra cannot be solved.

[0012] U.S. Patent No. 7,731,564B2 by Roland Corporation presents the use of memory foam inserts in bras, camisoles, shorts, and briefs. The memory foam insert is designed to limit and prevent bouncing through the chest and buttocks area during vigorous exercise. The invention molds to the individual's body shape and figure to provide a comfortable and secure fit. However, in sports bras, vigorous movement may cause the insert foam to become unstable or require overlock / cover stitching throughout the garment to hold the elements together, which may degrade the overall seamless circular knit design of the bra cups.

[0013] Finally, Chinese Patent No. CN2378955Y discloses a utility model providing a brassiere with shape memory function. The utility model is characterized in that the liner is made of NiTi shape memory alloy or other superelastic alloy, coated with silica gel or other elastic polymer material, and includes a silk screen with a plurality of ventilation holes. The lining is made of various woven and nonwoven fabrics. A brassiere or underwear with a brassiere is made using leather as a face mask. The brassiere has the advantages of beautiful appearance, stability, softness, elasticity, good breathability, high biocompatibility, and crisp touch, but the use of special metal alloy in its construction makes the manufacturing process complicated and the material cost high. The presence of metal may also be dangerous for the wearer who is engaged in vigorous exercise.

[0014] Thus, there exists an unmet need in the art for improved personal protective gear, apparel, undergarments, sportswear, gear, and other specialty garments that incorporate improved shear thickening materials that address the above-mentioned shortcomings. Summary of the Invention

[0015] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sports bra that exhibits increased resistance in response to increased force. The sports bra includes a front curve region for receiving a wearer's chest, the front curve region including a shear thickening foam. The shear thickening foam is relatively soft up to a first force and relatively stiff above the first force to hold the wearer's chest within the front curve region during vigorous physical activity. A back panel is connected to the front curve region such that the force is at least partially transferred to the wearer's upper back or shoulder region.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an auto-fitting and support foam for use in personal protective gear, clothing, underwear, sportswear and gear including sports bras, and other special purpose garments. The foam has a glass transition temperature in the range of 30-50°C and a tangent delta value of 0.5 or greater at temperatures between 30-50°C near body temperature as measured by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) testing. The high damping properties near body temperature mean that it absorbs vibration energy and effectively eliminates vibration during high frequency movements. The foam has a glass transition temperature of 30-100 kg / m 3 The foam has a density of 0.01 mm and can be easily deformed by slow or static compression from the wearer's body. Moreover, the foam is frequency sensitive; it has a low modulus under low frequency motion and becomes firmer under high frequency motion at body temperature. Thus, the foam can provide sufficient support to the breasts even under vigorous body movements, and at the same time, it can easily deform to the wearer's body shape under static pressure.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a body protection element for protecting a body part from an external impact, the body part being the head, knee, shin, elbow, foot, leg, torso, arm, wrist or hand, the body protection element comprising a housing adapted to conform to the shape of the selected body part, the housing containing a shear thickening foam. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a sports bra according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a sports bra according to a further embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a sports bra according to a further embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows a sports bra according to a further embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 5 shows a sports bra according to a further embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 6 shows a sports bra according to a further embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 7 shows a sports bra according to a further embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 8 shows DMA test results of tan delta (tan δ) versus temperature for an auto-fitting and support foam according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 9 shows DMA test results showing storage modulus (E') versus temperature for the auto-fitting and support foam.

[0028] Figure 10 shows the results of compression tests of the autofitting and support foams under different temperatures.

[0029] FIG. 11 shows the elastic modulus of the auto-fitting and support foam at 1 Hz and 100 Hz at 25° C. as tested by DMA measurements.

[0030] FIG. 12 shows the elastic modulus of the auto-fitting and support foam at 1 Hz and 100 Hz at 35° C. as tested by DMA measurements.

[0031] FIG. 13 illustrates various personal protective garments and gear incorporating auto-fitting and support foam.

[0032] FIG. 14 shows various footwear incorporating auto-fitting and support foam. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] In the following description, personal protective gear, clothing, underwear, sportswear, sports equipment, and other special-purpose garments, and materials for manufacturing them, are given as preferred examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications, including additions and / or substitutions, may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Certain details may be omitted so as not to obscure the present invention. However, the disclosure is described to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings herein without undue experimentation.

[0034] A. Sports bra design

[0035] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a sports bra according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the light areas indicate the support elements or regions of the sports bra, which surround the breasts and continue into the back support to transmit force to the upper back and shoulder areas. The support regions include non-Newtonian foam, which is described in more detail below. Generally, non-Newtonian foams are soft and flexible, and can withstand low frequency movements (<10Hz) with a 10% to 20% increase in elasticity. 5 It has a low elastic modulus of less than 1 Pa, and as the frequency or force of the movement increases (>10 Hz), its elastic modulus increases (>10 5Thus, when not engaged in strenuous exercise, the sports bra is soft, flexible and comfortable to wear. When engaged in strenuous sports activities such as running, tennis, or rope skipping, the movement of the breasts exerts a great force on the foam, and the elastic modulus increases by 10 5 Pa or more. This increased elasticity reduces unwanted movement of the breasts and holds them within the curved front breast support panel. It should be noted that the sports bra of the present invention may include a cup-shaped insert for additional support, which may or may not include the non-Newtonian foam of the present invention. Alternatively, the non-Newtonian foam surrounding the breasts as shown in FIG. 1 may provide sufficient support by itself, acting similarly to an underwire support, but without the rigid discomfort of an underwire.

[0036] Similarly, the configuration of the support element, indicated by the light areas as shown in Figure 2, can mimic the support provided by a traditional underwire. The foam in this embodiment resists breast movement with high forces.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment where the light areas indicate support elements that provide larger supportive non-Newtonian foam areas and connect to the back support straps via side panels to transfer force to the upper back and shoulder areas.

[0038] Figure 4, where the lighter areas indicate the support elements, shows a further embodiment that provides a concentric support foam pattern that surrounds the entire front of the chest and interconnects with the rear support, providing additional support for fuller breasts.

[0039] Figure 5, where the light areas indicate the support elements, shows a further embodiment that provides a different pattern for greater support for fuller-breasted individuals. A mesh pattern foam covers the entire front and sides of the chest and continues to the back support to transfer weight.

[0040] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment for fuller-breasted wearers, with the lighter areas indicating the support elements, including most of the anterior breast area being supported by non-Newtonian foam.

[0041] FIG. 7, with lighter areas indicating support elements, shows a further embodiment that provides enhanced lateral support for the thorax by placing non-Newtonian foam around the perimeter of the side and back support areas.

[0042] The support foam can be incorporated into the sports bra by a variety of techniques. Since there is no liquid matrix, such as the shear-thickening fluids of the prior art, a variety of commercially scalable processes can be used for manufacturing. For example, but not limited to, the support area may be formed by extrusion, injection molding, punching, molding, hot pressing, 3D printing, cutting and sewing, or seamless joining techniques.

[0043] B. Auto-fitting and support forms

[0044] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an auto-fitting and support foam, which may be a shear thickening foam or a non-Newtonian foam, which may be used in personal protective gear, clothing, underwear, sportswear and gear such as sports bras, and other specialty garments.

[0045] Figure 8 shows the DMA test results of tangent delta (tan δ) vs. temperature for the autofitting and support foam. The test was performed in compression mode. The frequency was 1 Hz and the heating rate was 3°C / min. As shown in Figure 8, the foam has a glass transition temperature of 30-50°C, which is close to body temperature. The tangent delta (tan δ) in the range of 30-50°C is greater than 0.5. A high tan δ value means that the foam has high damping properties near body temperature, meaning it can absorb vibration energy and stop vibration during high frequency movements.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown the DMA test results showing the storage modulus (E') versus temperature for the autofit and support foam. The tests were performed in compression mode with a frequency of 1 Hz and a heating rate of 3°C / min. As shown in FIG. 9, the foam is temperature dependent. The compressive modulus change of the foam is about an order of magnitude between 25°C and 36°C, with a change of 6×10 at 25°C. 5 Pa, 8 × 10 at 36 °C 4 Pa. E'(25°C) / E'(36°C) = 7.5.

[0047] Figure 10 shows the results of compression testing of the auto-fitting and support foams at different temperatures, 23°C (thick line) and 35°C (light line), respectively. The maximum compression was 50%. In compression testing using a universal tensile tester, the foams show a similar trend to those tested by DMA. The compressive stress (S) at 50% strain at 23°C is about 0.25 MPa, whereas at 35°C it is about 0.05 MPa. S(23°C) / S(35°C)=5.

[0048] Foams are not only temperature sensitive, but also frequency sensitive. With reference to FIG. 11, the elastic modulus of autofitting and support foams at 1 Hz and 100 Hz at 25° C. tested by DMA measurements is shown. The measurements were performed at isothermal 25° C. and the test time was 30 minutes. The foams were tested in compression mode by DMA at isothermal conditions of 25° C. Two frequency values ​​are used, 1 Hz and 100 Hz, respectively. The test was carried out under these conditions for 30 minutes. At 25° C., the elastic modulus is approximately 7.5×10 at 100 Hz. 5 Pa, but 4×10 at 1 Hz 4 Pa. At 25°C, E'(100Hz) / E'(1Hz) = 18.8.

[0049] Referring to Figure 12, the foam was also tested under similar conditions at 35°C. The modulus of elasticity was approximately 5x10 at 100 Hz at 35°C. 5 Pa, 8×10 at 1Hz 3Pa. At 35°C, E'(100Hz) / E'(1Hz)=62.5. Because the glass transition temperature of the foam is close to body temperature, the E'(100Hz) / E'(1Hz) value at 35°C is much larger than that at 25°C. Therefore, the foam has excellent frequency sensitivity at body temperature, i.e., it has a low modulus at low frequency motion and a high modulus at high frequency motion at body temperature.

[0050] When the foam is a polyurethane foam, it may contain the following components: 100 parts of a polyether mixture, 0.5-5 parts of water as a blowing agent, 0.2-2 parts of a foam stabilizer, 0.2-2 parts of a cell opener, 0.1-1 parts of a catalyst mixture, and 30-75 parts of a diisocyanate. The R value calculated from the moles of isocyanate groups to the moles of total hydroxyl groups is in the range of 0.9-1.1. The polyether mixture contains trifunctional and / or difunctional polyethers and has a molecular weight in the range of 500-8000. The diisocyanate is composed of tolylene diisocyanate, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, isocyanate isomers, and mixtures thereof.

[0051] The glass transition temperature may be in the range of 30-50° C. and the tangent delta value from 30-50° C. may be 0.5 or more as measured by DMA testing at 1 Hz. Additionally, the elastic modulus may decrease as the temperature increases from 20° C. to 50° C.

[0052] In various embodiments of the present invention, other types of foams can also be used. One such example, but not limited to, is an energy absorbing foam material that is in a non-shock resistant configuration at long pressurization times and in a shock resistant configuration at short pressurization times. The long pressurization times are about 0.1 seconds to 1,000 seconds, and the short pressurization times are about 0.1 seconds or less. Under short pressurization times, the elastic modulus of the energy absorbing foam material is about 10 times higher than that under long pressurization times, indicating that the energy absorbing foam material is suitable for providing some impact protection. The transition from low modulus (non-shock configuration) to high modulus (shock configuration) occurs rapidly with no time delay. In one embodiment, the energy absorbing foam material is flexible and resilient to various types of loads, such as compression, tension, shear, and torsion. In addition, it has the ability to adapt the geometry / shape of the design and maintain intimate contact with the object being protected. This is very important for a protective material, because the damage induced is related to the maximum force generated by the impact divided by the area over which the force is applied. The energy absorbing foam material of the present invention is able to absorb impact energy and reduce the forces in the area where the force was applied, thereby significantly reducing the stress and pressure of the impact.

[0053] The foam material may include at least one shape memory polymer foam and an additive. The shape memory polymer foam may include, but is not limited to, polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, silicone rubber foam, polyvinyl chloride foam, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, polyester block copolymer foam, and various combinations thereof. The amount of the shape memory polymer foam is at least about 50% by weight. The additive may include, but is not limited to, antioxidants, flame retardants, inorganic fillers, and the like, and the amount of the additive is less than about 50% by weight.

[0054] The foam material provided in various embodiments of the present invention may be a closed cell foam or an open cell foam. The cells may contain, for example, but not limited to, a gas, a vapor, a blowing agent, etc. For example, the gas may be nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Typically, the gas or vapor may be uniformly or non-uniformly distributed within the material in some embodiments depending on the application. The presence of the gas or vapor within the foam material not only reduces the overall density of the foam material, but also provides cushioning to the foam material through pneumatic effects. These pneumatic dampings are important for absorbing and dissipating energy during sudden impacts.

[0055] The elastic modulus of the energy absorbing foam material of the present invention is affected by factors such as, but not limited to, temperature, time of applying force, load, or frequency. At 35°C, the elastic modulus of the energy absorbing foam material at a force application time of about 0.005 to 0.01 seconds (i.e., frequency of about 100 to 200 Hz) is about 10 times that at a force application time of about 1 to 10 seconds (i.e., frequency of about 0.1 to 1 Hz). Furthermore, at temperatures above 45°C, the difference in elastic modulus increases to about 100 times.

[0056] The glass transition temperature of the energy absorbing foam material is equal to or lower than the pressurizing temperature at a pressurizing time of about 0.1 to 1 second (i.e., a frequency of about 1 to 10 Hz), and the material exhibits rubber-like, soft, and flexible behavior. Furthermore, the glass transition temperature of the energy absorbing foam material is higher than the pressurizing temperature at a pressurizing time of about 0.01 to 0.001 seconds (i.e., a frequency of about 100 to 1000 Hz), and the material exhibits glass-like, hard, and rigid behavior. The yield point of the foam material is about 0.5 kPa to 1 MPa. Meanwhile, the yield stress is about 0.5 kPa to 1 MPa. When the yield point is exceeded, a certain degree of deformation easily occurs.

[0057] C. Body protection elements incorporating non-Newtonian foam

[0058] In a third aspect, the auto-fitting and support foam of various embodiments of the present invention can be applied to personal protective equipment, including, but not limited to, shin guards, ankle guards, wrist protectors, knee pads, leg shields, torso shields, gloves, shoulder pads, helmets, footwear, etc. In each of these embodiments, the auto-fitting and support foam can be easily applied within a body-conforming housing to create a flexible, wearable shield that provides complete protection from impacts from objects, people, or the wearer (e.g., from falls or collisions with inanimate objects) while allowing the user freedom of movement.

[0059] FIG. 13 illustrates various body protective garments and gear incorporating auto-fitting and support foam with highlighted areas showing protective elements. Specific protective elements include shoulder, neck, arm, leg, knee, wrist, and torso protectors that are shaped to conform to the body as a shell and filled with auto-fitting and support foam. FIG. 14 illustrates various footwear incorporating auto-fitting and support foam with highlighted areas showing protective elements. Auto-fitting and support foam can be incorporated into body protective garments, gear, and footwear through a variety of techniques. For example, but not limited to, protective elements may be formed by extrusion, injection molding, punching, molding, hot pressing, 3D printing, cutting and sewing, or seamless joining techniques.

[0060] Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the use of "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" means the inclusion of a recited integer or group of integers, and not the exclusion of other integers or group of integers. It should also be noted that in this disclosure, and particularly in claims and / or paragraphs, terms such as "comprises," "comprised," and "comprising" can have the meaning ascribed to them. For example, they allow for elements not expressly recited, but exclude elements found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention.

[0061] Furthermore, throughout this specification and claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the use of "include" or variations such as "includes" or "included" is meant to include a stated integer or group of integers, but not to exclude other integers or groups of integers.

[0062] References in the specification herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0063] In view of these teachings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that alternative embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims. The present invention is limited only by the following claims, including all embodiments and modifications, when viewed in conjunction with the above specification and accompanying drawings.

Claims

1. A sports bra that exhibits increased resistance in response to increased force, a front curve region for receiving a wearer's breasts, the front curve region comprising a shear thickening foam that is relatively soft up to a first force and becomes relatively firm above the first force to hold the wearer's breasts within the front curve region; a back panel connected to the front curve region, whereby forces are at least partially transferred to an upper back or shoulder region of the wearer; and A sports bra that is equipped with

2. 10. The sports bra of claim 1, wherein the shear thickening foam is a polyurethane-based foam, a polystyrene foam, a silicone rubber foam, a polyvinyl chloride foam, an ethylene vinyl acetate foam, and a polyester block copolymer foam.

3. The shear thickening foam has a low modulus (<10 Hz) at low frequency motion (<10 Hz). ５ Pa), and as the frequency or force of the motion increases (>10 Hz), its elastic modulus increases (>10 ５ 3. The sports bra of claim 2.

4. A foam for an auto-fitting and support sports bra cup, the foam having a low elastic modulus (<10 Hz) at low frequency motion (<10 Hz). ５ Pa), and as the frequency of motion increases (>10 Hz), its elastic modulus increases (>10 ５ Pa), form.

5. the foam is a polyurethane foam; The following ingredients: 100 parts polyether mixture, 0.5-5 parts water as a blowing agent, 0.2-2 parts foam stabilizer, 0.2-2 parts cell opener, 0.1-1 part catalyst mixture, and 30-75 parts diisocyanate. Contains The R value calculated from the moles of the isocyanate groups to the moles of all hydroxyl groups is in the range of 0.9 to 1.1; The polyether mixture contains trifunctional and / or difunctional polyethers and has a molecular weight in the range of 500 to 8000; The diisocyanates are composed of tolylene diisocyanate, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, isomers of the above isocyanates, and mixtures thereof; The foam of claim 4.

6. 5. The foam of claim 4, having a glass transition temperature in the range of 30-50° C. and a tangent delta value from 30-50° C. of 0.5 or greater as measured at 1 Hz by DMA testing.

7. 5. The foam of claim 4, wherein the modulus of elasticity decreases as the temperature increases from 20°C to 50°C.

8. 5. The foam of claim 4, which is used to manufacture auto-fitting and support foam cups for sports brassieres through a process including foaming, slicing, and hot press molding.

9. A body protection element for protecting a part of the body from an external impact, comprising: the body part is selected from a head, a knee, a shin, an elbow, a foot, a leg, a torso, an arm, a wrist, or a hand; The body protection element comprises: a housing adapted to conform to the shape of a selected body part; a shear thickening foam contained within the housing, the shear thickening foam including a shear thickening fluid impregnated in a base foam; A body protection element.

10. 10. The body protection element of claim 9, wherein the shear thickening foam is a polyurethane-based foam, a polystyrene foam, a silicone rubber foam, a polyvinyl chloride foam, an ethylene vinyl acetate foam, and a polyester block copolymer foam.

11. The shear thickening foam has a low modulus (<10 Hz) at low frequency motion (<10 Hz). ５ Pa), and as the frequency or force of the motion increases (>10 Hz), its elastic modulus increases (>10 ５ Pa), a body protection element according to claim 10.

Images