Flocked Fiber Composite Panel Design for Impact Absorption and Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sports and military protective gear, such as helmets, lack effective energy-absorbing materials that can detect and record the intensity, location, and duration of mechanical impacts, while also providing comfort and airflow, and existing solutions like foam and flocked fibers do not adequately address the need for advanced impact absorption and sensing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The development of flocked energy-absorbing material (FEAM) layers combined with spacer fabrics and foam layers, which include dividers to prevent fiber intermeshing, creating a breathable and flexible composite panel that enhances impact energy absorption and can be used for both cushioning and impact detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional foam materials are used for impact absorption, then energy absorption capability is provided, but breathability and flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines flocked energy-absorbing material (FEAM) layers with spacer fabrics and foam layers to create a composite panel that integrates multiple functions: impact energy absorption through FEAM and foam, breathability through spacer fabric channels, and flexibility through the layered composite structure. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by allowing each material to contribute its strengths without compromising the others.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different materials with specific properties to different regions and functions within the composite panel: FEAM layers for impact absorption zones, spacer fabrics for breathability channels, and foam layers for additional cushioning. This localized material assignment allows the structure to provide breathability and flexibility in specific areas while maintaining impact absorption capability in other areas.
2Strength
If protective gear provides high impact absorption, then user safety is improved, but detection and recording of impact data is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The composite panel is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it absorbs impact energy through the FEAM and foam layers while also detecting and recording impact data through integrated sensors. The spacer fabric structure accommodates both the mechanical energy absorption function and the sensing function, allowing the same structure to serve dual purposes without compromising either capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the protective function (impact absorption) with the sensing function (impact detection and recording) into a single integrated composite panel system. The FEAM layers, spacer fabrics, and foam layers are combined with sensing elements to create a unified structure that simultaneously protects the user and monitors impact conditions.
3Strength
If multiple FEAM layers are stacked to enhance impact absorption, then energy absorption capability increases, but fiber intermeshing occurs between layers
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer fabric acts as an intermediary layer between the stacked FEAM layers, preventing direct contact and intermeshing of the flocked fibers from adjacent layers. The spacer fabric's open channel structure provides physical separation while still allowing the FEAM layers to function independently for impact absorption, thus maintaining layer integrity and preventing fiber entanglement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the composite panel into distinct functional layers (FEAM layers, spacer fabric layers, foam layers) with clear boundaries between them. This segmentation prevents fiber intermeshing by maintaining physical separation between FEAM layers while still allowing the stacked structure to provide enhanced impact absorption capability through the cumulative effect of multiple layers.
4Strength
If helmet padding is made thick to improve cushioning, then impact protection is enhanced, but flexibility and conformability to head shape are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The composite panel combines thin layers of FEAM and foam with spacer fabric to achieve effective impact cushioning without requiring excessive thickness. The layered composite structure provides cushioning capability through the energy-absorbing properties of FEAM and foam while the flexible spacer fabric and thin-layer construction maintain conformability to the head shape and flexibility for comfort.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The FEAM panels demonstrate improved force loss properties compared to conventional foam materials, offering high impact absorption and detection capabilities, with the ability to record and transmit impact data, enhancing user safety and comfort in protective gear.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible, fibrous energy managing composite panel includes a plurality of Flocked Energy Absorbing Material (FEAM) layers, each layer including a substrate having a first surface, a multiplicity of monofilament fibers... the composite panel demonstrates improved force loss properties compared to conventional foam materials, offering high impact absorption
Implementation Method 2
textile based spacer fabrics (by themselves) are presently considered to be breathable alternatives to Foam in Impact Energy (Helmet and Body pad) applications... enables airflow between the body and the protective helmet or garment
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible, fibrous energy managing composite panel includes multiple flocked energy absorbing material (FEAM) layers separated by dividers. The FEAM layers can be single side or double side and can be fabricated from monofilament fibers having different properties (e.g., length and denier) flocked onto various substrates. The dividers can include sheets, fabrics, films, foam, spacer fabrics to separate the flock fibers in adjacent layers. The composite panels can be processed for breathability and flexibility. Other embodiments include piezoelectric FEAM layers and dividers for electronic sensing applications, and application of composite panels to body armor and the outer shells of helmets.