3D Energy Distribution Structure for Breathable Impact Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional protective structures for impact events, such as ballistic objects, are often heavy, bulky, and inflexible, with flat surfaces that maintain or increase the surface area contact during impact, leading to inefficiencies in energy distribution and breathability, limiting their practicality and effectiveness in wearable and non-wearable applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of three-dimensional energy distribution structures comprising outer and inner components that redirect and absorb impact forces through their three-dimensional configuration, allowing energy to be distributed across a reduced surface area and mitigating damage by redirecting energy away from the impact location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flat (planar) surfaces are used for protective structures, then manufacturing is simplified, but the surface area contact during impact is maintained or increased, reducing energy distribution effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional flat protective surfaces to three-dimensional structures with varying thickness profiles. The protective structure includes regions of different thickness (first region with greater thickness, second region with lesser thickness) that redirect impact forces away from the strike face, distributing energy across a reduced surface area while maintaining manufacturability through molding processes.
2Strength
If heavy and bulky layers are used for protection, then impact resistance is improved, but flexibility and breathability are reduced, limiting wearable applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible protective structure with varying thickness that can conform to curved surfaces and body contours. The structure includes breathable regions with reduced material density or open structures that allow air circulation, enabling wearable applications while maintaining impact protection through strategic thickness distribution rather than uniform heavy layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective structure incorporates porous or open-cell regions that reduce material density and enable breathability. These porous regions are strategically positioned to allow air flow and reduce weight while maintaining structural integrity and impact resistance through the overall three-dimensional architecture and material selection.
3Stability of the object's composition
If solid materials with full volume are used, then structural integrity is improved, but breathability and weight are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes porous materials with controlled void spaces that maintain structural integrity through cell wall architecture. The porous structure provides breathability and thermal management by allowing air circulation while the three-dimensional thickness variation ensures adequate protection in critical regions without requiring solid full-volume construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective structure is segmented into regions of different thickness and material density. Critical impact zones have greater thickness for enhanced protection, while non-critical areas have reduced thickness or porous structures for breathability and weight reduction. This segmentation allows the structure to optimize both integrity and thermal management performance.
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
These structures effectively absorb and redirect impact forces, reducing damage and injury by distributing energy across a smaller surface area, enhancing protection while maintaining flexibility and breathability, suitable for various applications including wearable armor and non-planar objects.
Implementation Method 1
In response to an impact force, the first structural component can direct a first portion of the impact force away from the second structural component, and can pass a second portion of the impact force to the second structural component
Implementation Method 2
three-dimensional, multi-component structures designed to absorb and redirect applied forces, or applied energy, away from target objects
Data Source
AI summary
Energy distribution structures provide architectural flexibility in various configurations, materials, and scalability, which enables a vast number of applications. An energy distribution structure or array thereof may include a three-dimensional outer component and a three-dimensional inner component within the outer component. The outer component absorbs and redirects initial energy from an applied energy event, and the inner component absorbs and redirects residual energy from the applied energy event. Such an applied energy event may be caused by a ballistic or non-ballistic impact, an instantaneous or prolonged impact such as atmospheric pressure or decompression, explosive overpressure (shockwave), low-velocity contact, and blunt force trauma. Energy distribution structures can increase the strength, resilience or survivability of such events, and reduce the injury or damage to target objects such as people, vehicles, structures, vessels and surfaces by shielding same from such events.