Airbag garment with neck protection

Abstract

An inflatable, protective garment (10), which is worn around the wearer's torso that includes an inflatable bladder (12) and hard pads (20, 21, 22, 24). The hard pads (20, 21, 22, 24) are supported on top of the bladder (12) and when the garment (10) is deployed, the bladder (12) is inflated using a compressed gas source. The garment (10) is used to restrict tilt of the wearer's head when deployed and to transfer impact loads from the wearer's tilting head or helmet (28) to the torso via the garment (10) when the wearer's head or helmet (28) makes contact with the hard pads (20, 21, 22, 24).

Description

[0001] AIRBAG GARMENT WITH NECK PROTECTION

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates to protective wear that is triggered in anticipation of a potentially catastrophic event, to inflate automatically and provide protection to the wearer. The protective wear can be configured as any upper-body garment, such as a jacket, vest, full body suit, or the like, or a stand-alone neck and head protection device, and is intended for use in various activities with exposure to neck injury - such as motorcycling, cycling, equestrian sports, skiing, and others. The invention will be described herein with reference to motorcycling, but its application is not limited to any particular activity.

[0004] BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0005] Airbag vests are frequently worn by motorcyclists and are designed so that when they are deflated during normal use, they allow sufficient freedom of movement. They can be tethered to the motorcycle to be activated when the tether becomes taut, or can be activated by electronic systems using accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS or other onboard sensors and that apply algorithms to activate the airbags.

[0006] Once an airbag is activated, gas is released from a canister or other source (such as an exothermic reaction) to inflate strategically positioned and configured bladders distributed within the vest. When the bladder is inflated, it provides pneumatic padding that protects the wearer against impact.

[0007] Airbag wests tend to provide good protection for the wearer’s chest and some airbags have been developed to protect wearers’ necks by providing bladders that support the wearers’ necks to limit severe lateral neck flexion and neck extension, but there is still a need for better neck protection - especially against anterior neck flexion, and translation in extension, but also other injury risks.

[0008] The present invention seeks to improve the protection an airbag garment can provide against severe neck flexion, extension, translation and compression - especially against severe anterior neck flexion. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to the present invention there is provided a protective article comprising: an inflatable garment with at least one airtight inflatable bladder, said bladder having an inside that faces towards the torso of a wearer of the garment, in use, and an opposite outside, which faces away from the wearer’s torso, in use; a gas source of compressed gas that is supported on the garment; an activation mechanism that is adapted to cause gas from the gas source to flow to an interior of the bladder; and at least one hard pad that is supported on the garment on the outside of the bladder; said pad being supported on the garment in a stowed position that is spaced away from the head of the wearer and from a helmet worn by the wearer, in use, when the bladder is deflated, said spacing between the pad and the wearer’s head and helmet providing clearance allowing a range of freedom of movement of the wearer’s head; wherein said pad is supported on the garment in a deployed position when the bladder is inflated, said deployed position of the pad being in sufficient proximity to the wearer’s head and helmet, in use, to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head by making contact with the wearer’s tilting head or helmet, and to transfer impact loads from the wearer’s tilting head or helmet to the wearer’s torso via the bladder.

[0010] The term “hard” refers to a pad with material properties that are rigid, or semi rigid and generally resistant to deformation when exposed to forces likely to be exerted by a helmeted or non-helmeted head during a potentially catastrophic event, such as a motorcycle accident or a fall during equestrian sports where a wearer’s mandible can contact the pad.

[0011] The pad may be configured to articulate between the stowed position and the deployed position. Said articulation could be achieved in various manners, including that the pad may be attached to the garment by a mechanical joint to articulate through the mechanical joint between the stowed position and the deployed position, or a part of the bladder supporting the pad may be flat when the bladder is deflated and may be at least partly wedge-shaped when the bladder is inflated, so that inflation of the bladder causes the pad to be articulated between the stowed position and the deployed position.

[0012] At least one of the pads may be a front pad supported on the garment in an anterior region on the wearer’s chest, in use, and may be configured to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head in the form of head excursion towards the chest during flexion, by making contact with the wearer’s lower jaw or by making contact with a lower rim of the helmet.

[0013] The front pad may extend contiguously across the wearer’s chest, between a left side of the wearer’s chest and a right side of the wearer’s chest, e.g. the front pad may extend continuously between the left side and the right side of the wearer’s chest. Alternatively, the front pad may include a left part on the left side of the wearer’s chest and a right part on the right side of the wearer’s chest, and said left part and right part of the front pad may be held in close proximity to each other, e.g. the left part of the front pad and the right part of the front pad may be pivotally connected to each other.

[0014] At least one of the pads may be a rear pad that is supported on the garment in a posterior region, in use, behind the wearer’s neck and may be configured to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head in the form of rotation and translation of the wearer’s head and neck during posterior neck extension, by making contact with the with a lower rim of the wearer’s helmet.

[0015] The rear pad and the front pad may be connected to each other, e.g. they may be pivotally connected to each other, e.g. by flexible fabric.

[0016] The rear pad and the front pad may be separate pads, or they may be integrally formed and / or they may be attached to the bladder.

[0017] At least one of the pads may be a lateral pad that is supported on the garment in a lateral region above a shoulder of the wearer, in use, and may be configured to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head in the form of lateral flexion by making contact with a lower rim of the helmet. Said lateral pads may be pivotally connected to at least one more of the pads.

[0018] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 A shows a diagrammatic side view of the upper torso and head of a wearer wearing a first embodiment of a protective article according to the present invention in the form of an airbag vest, in a deflated condition;

[0021] Figure 1 B shows a diagrammatic oblique rear view of the wearer and airbag vest of

[0022] Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 1 C shows a diagrammatic rear view of the wearer and airbag vest of Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 2A shows a diagrammatic side view of the wearer and airbag vest of Figure 1 , in a partly inflated condition;

[0025] Figure 2B shows a diagrammatic oblique rear view of the wearer and airbag vest of Figure 2A;

[0026] Figure 2C shows a diagrammatic rear view of the wearer and airbag vest of Figure 2A;

[0027] Figure 3A shows a diagrammatic side view of the wearer and airbag vest of Figure 1 , in a fully inflated condition;

[0028] Figure 3B shows a diagrammatic oblique rear view of the wearer and airbag vest of Figure 3A;

[0029] Figure 3C shows a diagrammatic rear view of the wearer and airbag vest of Figure 3A;

[0030] Figures 4A and 5A show diagrammatic side views of the wearer of Figure 1 with the wearer’s head in a neutral position, with the airbag vest of Figure 3A in the fully inflated condition, and without an airbag vest, respectively;

[0031] Figures 4B and 5B show diagrammatic side views of the wearer of Figures 4A and 5A, respectively, with the wearer’s head in anterior flexion;

[0032] Figures 4C and 5C show diagrammatic side views of the wearer of Figures 4A and 5A, respectively, with the wearer’s head in posterior extension;

[0033] Figures 6A and 7A show diagrammatic rear views of the wearer of Figure 1 with the wearer’s head in a neutral position, with the airbag vest of Figure 3C in the fully inflated condition, and without an airbag vest, respectively;

[0034] Figures 6B and 7B show diagrammatic rear views of the wearer of Figures 6A and 7A, respectively, with the wearer’s head in lateral translation;

[0035] Figures 6C and 7C show diagrammatic rear views of the wearer of Figures 6A and 7A, respectively, with the wearer’s head in lateral flexion;

[0036] Figures 6D and 7D show diagrammatic rear views of the wearer of Figures 6A and 7A, respectively, with the wearer’s head in axial compression;

[0037] Figures 6E and 7E show diagrammatic front views of the wearer of Figures 6D and 7D, showing the load paths of impact loads; axial forces with the wearer’s head in axial compression, with the airbag vest of Figure 3C in the fully inflated condition, and without an airbag vest, respectively;

[0038] Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic side view of the upper torso and head of a wearer wearing a second embodiment of a protective article according to the present invention in the form of an airbag vest, in a deflated condition;

[0039] Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic front view of the upper torso and head of a wearer wearing a third embodiment of a protective article according to the present invention in the form of an airbag vest, in a deflated condition; and

[0040] Figure 10 shows a diagrammatic oblique front view of the upper torso and head of a wearer wearing a fourth embodiment of a protective article according to the present invention in the form of an airbag vest, in a deflated condition.

[0041] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Referring to the drawings, a protective article in the form of an inflatable garment is generally identified by reference number 10 and for brevity, the garment will be identified herein as an airbag “vest” although it could be another form of upper body garment such as a jacket or full body suit. Further, for the purposes of illustration, the outer fabric that would typically form part of the airbag vest 10 shown in the drawings, has been omitted.

[0043] Different embodiments of airbag vests 10 are shown and are identified in the different drawings by suffixes, and features that are common between different embodiments of the airbag vests are identified in the drawings by the same reference numbers.

[0044] Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the first embodiment of an airbag vest 10.1 includes an airtight inflatable bladder 12, or multiple bladders which extend around the neck and torso of a wearer. A neck portion 14 of the bladder 12 extends over the shoulders and around the back of the neck and the bladder preferably includes parts that are configured to protect the wearer’s back, such as the two back elements 16 that extend downwards from the neck portion, on either side of the wearer’s thoracic spine. In the front (anterior), two chest elements18 extend downwards from the neck portion 14 on the wearer’s chest.

[0045] The bladder 12 shown in Figures 1 to 7 is merely an example of a suitable bladder and other configurations of inflatable bladders can be used, as long as they include a part or parts that extend around the wearer’s torso, at least in part.

[0046] Like most modern airbag vests, the vest 10.1 includes a gas source, that is typically in the form of a canister (not shown) of compressed carbon dioxide, and an activation mechanism (not shown) that is adapted to let gas from the canister inflate the bladder 12, when the airbag vest is activated. In some embodiments, other gas source can be used, such as pyrotechnic devices. The activation mechanism preferably includes accelerometers or other instruments that monitor the wearer’s movements and includes electronic circuitry that uses logic (and potentially artificial intelligence) to determine from the movements of the user, when an event occurs that require activation of the airbag vest 10.1 .

[0047] Various configurations of activation mechanisms are possible, including different settings for different conditions of use (during different activities) and in preferred embodiments, the activation mechanism can be switched off (over-ridden or disarmed) when the airbag vest 10.1 is not in use and / or when its activation is intentionally prevented. In some embodiments, the activation mechanism can be armed when parts of the airbag vest 10 are attached together (e.g. clipped together) or closed, and the activation mechanism can be disarmed when parts of the airbag vest are released or separated for the wearer to take off the airbag vest. Similarly, the activation mechanism can be armed when the vest is closed and deactivated when the vest is opened.

[0048] In the front (anterior) of the wearer’s neck, a front pad 20 is provided on the outside of the bladder 12. The position of the front pad 20 is typically spaced well away from the wearer’s neck, on his upper chest. Also, the front pad 20 is on the outside of the bladder 12, but it need not be attached to the bladder or be in contact with the bladder. In most instances, the bladder 12 would be housed inside a fabric pocket of the vest 10.1 , with the front pad 20 on the outside of the fabric.

[0049] Similarly, in the rear (posterior) of the wearer’s neck, a hard rear pad 22 is provided on the outside of the bladder 12, and two lateral pads 21 are provided above the shoulders on the outside of the bladder. In other embodiments, more pads could be provided and some or all of the pads could be integrally formed. The “outside” of the blader 12 refers to the sides of the bladder that faces away from the wearer’s body and its opposite “inside” faces the wearer's body - although it is typically not in contact with the body.

[0050] The pads 20,21 ,22 are preferably of hard materials such as hard plastics, which could be rigid or semi-rigid and the pads each form a shell with a strike surface 24 facing away from the bladder 12.

[0051] The front pad 20 and rear pad 22 can be pivotally connected to the lateral pads 21 or can be connected the bladder 12 or the garment by mechanical joints such as flexible fabric, to allow pivotal movement so that the front and rear pads can articulate about these joints. Instead, or in addition, the front and rear pads 20,22 can be attached to the outside of the bladder 12 (typically not by direct attachment to the blader, but by being attached to the garment that houses the bladder) and a part of the bladder that supports the pad can be wedge shaped, so that the pad is articulated when the bladder is inflated.

[0052] In some embodiments of the invention, some of the pads 20,21 ,22 may be omitted or more pads may be provided. Also, any of the pads 20,21 ,22 may be a single, unitary structure, or may comprise multiple parts that are connected together.

[0053] The bladder 12 of the airbag vest 10.1 includes a front wedge 42 below the front pad 20 and a rear wedge 44 below the rear pad 22. Each of these wedges 42,44 forms part of the bladder 12 and is inflated with the bladder and each of the wedges causes the pad above it to articulate when it is inflated, as will be described below. In other embodiments of the invention, the bladder 12 can have a single internal cavity or multiple cavities, or the airbag vest could include multiple bladders that collectively serve the same function as the bladder 12 and its various parts.

[0054] The shape of the bladder 12, including a neck portion 14 and wedges 42,44 is an example of how the positions of the pads 20,21 ,22 while they are in their stowed positions while the bladder is deflated, and their deployed positions, are determined by the shape of the bladder. The bladder 12 can be shaped differently, but its shape will determine the deployed positions of the pads 20,21 ,22. Further the positions and movements of the pads 20,21 ,22 and the bladder 12 can be unrestrained, but it is preferably restrained by the vest which that serves as carrier for the bladder and pads, but also positions the bladder, can constrain parts of the bladder during inflation, can constrain the pads during deployment (e.g. with attachment of the pads to the vest via mechanical joints 25).

[0055] During normal use of the airbag vest 10.1 (as shown in Figures 1A to 1 C) the bladder 12 is deflated and the pads 20,21 ,22 are in stowed positions relatively close proximity to the wearer’s body, with the strike surfaces 24 spaced far away from the wearer’s head and from a lower rim 26 of a full face helmet 28 worn by the wearer. The spacing between the pads 20,21 ,22 and the wearer’s head and helmet 28 provide a clearance and allows a range of freedom of movement of the wearer’s head , because the wearer can move his head freely without interference between the pads 20,21 ,22 and the helmet 28.

[0056] When the activation mechanism senses that the wearer is exposed to a high risk scenario, it activates the airbag vest 10.1 and inflates the bladder 12 from the canister, so that the bladder’s volume increases substantially. The increase in the bladder’s volume while it is inflated occurs rapidly and continuously, but in the drawings, the increase is shown in two steps. In Figures 2A to 2C the bladder is shown partially inflated and in Figures 3A to 3C the bladder is shown fully inflated, with a significantly larger volume.

[0057] The inflation of the bladder to deploy the pads 20,21 ,22 from their stowed positions includes inflation of the neck portion 14, which causes the pads 20,21 ,22 to be raised, including raising the lateral pads and the articulated edges of the front pads and rear pads, above the wearer’s shoulder, This movement is shown by three short arrows in each of Figures 3A and 3B and is shows by the outer two arrows in Figure 3C.

[0058] Simultaneously, the front wedge 42 is inflated and causes the front pad 20 to be articulated about its rear edges. Similarly, the rear wedge 44 is inflated and causes the rear pad 22 to be articulated about its front edges. This inflation of the front and rear wedges 42,44 and articulation of the front and rear pads 20,22 are shown by arrows in Figures 2A and 3A, and the articulation of the rear pad is also shown by arrows in Figures 2C, 3B and 3C.

[0059] The inflated bladder 12 provides cushioning to protect the wearer, as is known in the art, but in addition, inflation of the bladder 12 moves the pads 20,21 ,22 further away from the wearer’s body until they are in their deployed positions, in close proximity to the lower rim 26 of the helmet 28 or in contact with the lower rim, and can interact with the helmet to reduce the risk of neck injury to the wearer by restrict tilting movements and compression of the neck and providing alternative load paths by which impact loads are transferred from the helmet 28 via the pads 20,21 ,22 and the bladder 12, to the wearer’s torso.

[0060] Referring to Figure 4B, in the event of forward tilting or anterior flexion of the wearer’s head, the lower rim 26 of the helmet 28 will make contact with the strike surface 24 of the front pad 20, to restrict flexion and excursion of the wearer’s neck. The front pad 20 preferably has an upstanding front ridge 32 to prevent the lower rim 26 of the helmet 28 from sliding forwards over the strike surface 24 of the front pad.

[0061] The part of the lower rim 26 that hits the front pad 20 is on the underside of a chin bar of the helmet, if it is a full face helmet. If the wearer wore an open face helmet, then there would be no chin bar and the wearer’s lower jaw would make contact with the front pad 20, which would still restrict flexion and excursion of the wearer’s head and neck.

[0062] The front pad 20 in its deployed position, prevents the wearer’s chin from contacting the wearer’s sternum and / or chest and during an incident (typically an accident) involving extreme neck flexion, by limiting the flexural motion through impact on the strike surface 24 of the front pad and by preventing excessive excursion of the chin through the upstanding ridge 32, thereby limiting the flexion moment acting on the wearer’s neck.

[0063] Figure 5B shows the increase in neck flexion that would occur if the wearer did not wear the airbag vest 10.1. In Figure 5B, the underside of the helmet 28’s chin bar contacts the wearer’s chest on the sternum and the head and neck flexes forward significantly farther than shown in Figure 4B, so that the wearer’s neck is exposed to a severe flexion moment that can cause severe neck trauma and could be fatal.

[0064] The contact between the lower rim 26 of the helmet (or the jaw / chin of the wearer if the helmet is an open face helmet) prevents the neck portion 14 of the bladder 12 from acting as a fulcrum, which could exacerbate neck flexion and excursion.

[0065] Referring to Figure 4C, in the event of rearward tilting or posterior extension of the wearer’s head, the lower rim 26 of the helmet 28 makes contact with the strike surface 24 of the rear pad 22, to restrict rotation and translation of the wearer’s head and neck during posterior neck extension. The rear pad 22 preferably has an upstanding rear ridge 30 to prevent the lower rim 26 of the helmet 28 from sliding rearwards over the strike surface 24 of the rear pad. Figure 5C shows the increase in neck extension that would occur if the wearer did not wear the airbag vest 10.1 - and that can cause severe neck trauma and could be fatal.

[0066] Referring to Figures 6B and 6C, when the wearer’s head is exposed to a lateral impact and / or rotation, lateral translation of the head is restricted by the airbag vest 10.1 by interaction between the neck portion 14 of the bladder 12 as shown in Figure 6B and lateral tilt or flexion is restricted by contact between the lower rim 26 of the helmet 28 and the lateral pad 21 as shown in Figure 6C. The contact between the lower rim 26 and the lateral pad 21 causes impact loads to be transferred from the wearer’s head and helmet, to the wearer’s torso, via the lateral pad and bladder 12, thus ameliorating loading on the wearer’s neck. For comparison, the lateral translation and flexion of the wearer's head if the airbag vest 10.1 were not worn, are shown in Figures 7B and 7C.

[0067] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the pads 20,21 ,22 also have peripheral ridges along lateral edges of the strike surface to limit translational sliding movement of the helmet 28 along the strike surface - similar to the arresting action of the front and rear ridges 32,30.

[0068] Referring to Figures 6D and 6E, in the event of axial compression loading on the wearer’s head and neck, when the wearer’s head is pushed downwards towards his shoulders, the lower rim 26 of the helmet 28 will make contact with the strike surfaces 24 of the lateral pads 21 and potentially also on the front pad 20 and / or the rear pad 22 and the contact between the lower rim and the strike surfaces will prevent excessive movement of the helmet and thus the head, towards the wearer’s shoulders and thus limit neck compression. Axial forces received on the helmet are thus transferred via an alternative load path through the bladder 12, to the wearer’s torso. For comparison, Figures 7D and 7E show how the same axial compression would be transferred through the wearer’s neck if no airbag vest 10.1 were worn, exposing the neck to risk of severe injury.

[0069] Referring to Figure 8, a second embodiment of an airbag vest 10.2 is shown that is identical to the airbag vest shown in Figures 1 to 7, except that the lateral pads 20,21 ,22 are not connected to each other and do not have mechanical joints through which they can articulate. Instead, the pads 20,21 ,22 are simply supported on the bladder 12 and are deployed from the stowed positions in which they are shown in Figure 8, purely by the inflation of the bladder 12, to which they are attached.

[0070] Referring to Figure 9, in order to enable the wearer to don an airbag vest 10.3 (or other protective garment), the garment needs to open, or at least open enough to pass over the wearer’s head. In Figure 9, the position of a zip 34 for front entry of the airbag vest 10.3 is shown and the bladder 12 extends forward from the shoulders and towards the chest elements 18, but does not cross the zip and does not extend continuously between left and right across the wearer’s chest.

[0071] The Airbag vest 10.3 includes a left front pad 36 and a right front pad 38 on the left and right of the wearer’s chest, respectively, with outwardly facing strike surfaces 24. The left and right pads 36,38 are releasably connected to each other (preferably with releasable clips), so that they effectively form a continuous front pad and the strike surfaces 24 are contiguous. The left front pad 36 and right front pad 38 each extend rearward over the wearer’s shoulders and they are pivotally connected to each other behind the wearer’s neck, so that they can be pivoted to open at the front when the zip 34 is opened. In a variation of this embodiment, the airbag activation mechanism can be armed when the left front pad 36 and right front pad 38 are clipped together, and can be disarmed when these pads are released or the zip 34 opened.

[0072] In some other embodiments of the invention with two front pads on the left and right of the wearer’s chest, the pads may be held in close proximity to each other in other ways, e.g. by engagement of complementary formations on the two pads, magnetic attachment between them, or the like.

[0073] The left and right pads 36,38 should be held together to form a contiguous strike surface 24 to prevent the helmeted head from flexing forward between the pads and between the chest elements 18 of the bladder 12 - which could result in severe anterior neck flexion.

[0074] Referring to Figure 10, in a fourth embodiment of an airbag vest 10.4, the bladder 12 extends continuously across the wearer’s chest, but a side zip 34 is provided for side entry into the vest and the blader is split on the wearer’s shoulder on opposing sides of the zip.

[0075] The airbag vest 10.4 includes a front pad 20 that extends continuously across the wearer’s chest, between left and right and it extends from the wearer’s chest, laterally partly around the neck. Similarly, the airbag vest 10.4 includes a rear pad 22 that extends continuously from one shoulder, behind the neck and to the other shoulder. The front pad 20 and rear pad 22 are pivotally connected with a hinge 40 on the right shoulder and are releasably connectable to each other on the left shoulder - preferably with a clipping action that can be used to arm and disarm the airbag activation mechanism, as described above.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A protective article comprising: an inflatable garment with at least one airtight inflatable bladder, said bladder having an inside that faces towards the torso of a wearer of the garment, in use, and an opposite outside, which faces away from the wearer’s torso, in use; a gas source of compressed gas that is supported on the garment; an activation mechanism that is adapted to cause gas from the gas source to flow to an interior of the bladder; and at least one hard pad that is supported on the garment on the outside of the bladder; said pad being supported on the garment in a stowed position that is spaced away from the head of the wearer and from a helmet worn by the wearer, in use, when the bladder is deflated, said spacing between the pad and the wearer’s head and helmet providing clearance allowing a range of freedom of movement of the wearer’s head; wherein said pad is supported on the garment in a deployed position when the bladder is inflated, said deployed position of the pad being in sufficient proximity to the wearer’s head and helmet, in use, to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head by making contact with the wearer’s tilting head or helmet, and to transfer impact loads from the wearer’s tilting head or helmet to the wearer’s torso via the bladder.

2. The protective article according to claim 1 , wherein the pad is configured to articulate between the stowed position and the deployed position.

3. The protective article according to claim 2, wherein the pad is attached to the garment by a mechanical joint and the pad articulates through the mechanical joint between the stowed position and the deployed position.

4. The protective article according to claim 2, wherein a part of the bladder supporting the pad is flat when the bladder is deflated, but is at least partly wedge-shaped when the bladder is inflated, so that inflation of the bladdercauses the pad to be articulated between the stowed position and the deployed position.

5. The protective article according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pads is a front pad supported on the garment in an anterior region on the wearer’s chest, in use, and is configured to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head in the form of head excursion towards the chest during flexion, by making contact with the wearer’s lower jaw or by making contact with a lower rim of the helmet.

6. The protective article according to claim 5, wherein the front pad extends contiguously across the wearer’s chest, between a left side of the wearer’s chest and a right side of the wearer’s chest.

7. The protective article according to claim 6, wherein the front pad extends continuously between the left side and the right side of the wearer’s chest.

8. The protective article according to claim 6, wherein the front pad includes a left part on the left side of the wearer’s chest and a right part on the right side of the wearer’s chest, and said left part and right part of the front pad being held in close proximity to each other.

9. The protective article according to claim 8, wherein the left part of the front pad and the right part of the front pad are pivotally connected to each other.

10. The protective article according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pads is a rear pad that is supported on the garment in a posterior region, in use, behind the wearer’s neck and is configured to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head in the form of rotation and translation of the wearer’s head and neck during posterior neck extension, by making contact with the with a lower rim of the wearer’s helmet.1 1 . The protective article according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the pads is a rear pad that is supported on the garment in a posterior region, in use, behind the wearer’s neck and is configured to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head in theform of rotation and translation of the wearer’s head and neck during posterior neck extension, by making contact with the with a lower rim of the wearer’s helmet.

12. The protective article according to claim 11 , wherein the rear pad and the front pad are connected to each other.

13. The protective article according to claim 12, wherein the rear pad and the front pad are pivotally connected to each other.

14. The protective article according to claim 13, wherein the rear pad and the front pad are connected to each other by flexible fabric.

15. The protective article according to claim 12, wherein the rear pad and the front pad are integrally formed.

16. The protective article according to claim 11 , wherein the rear pad and the front pad are attached to the bladder.

17. The protective article according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pads is a lateral pad that is supported on the garment in a lateral region above a shoulder of the wearer, in use, and is configured to restrict tilt of the wearer’s head in the form of lateral flexion by making contact with a lower rim of the helmet.

18. The protective article according claim 17, wherein said lateral pad is pivotally connected to at least one more of the pads.

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