Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ATHLETIC GEAR OR OTHER DEVICES COMPRISING PADS OR OTHER
CUSHIONING COMPONENTS
FIELD
This disclosure relates to devices (e.g., athletic gear, personal protective
equipment, etc.)
comprising pads or other cushioning (e.g., shock-absorbing) components.
BACKGROUND
Various devices comprise pads or other cushioning (e.g., shock-absorbing)
components
to absorb energy when they are impacted or otherwise contacted. For example,
athletic
gear such as helmets, shoulder pads, sporting implements (e.g., hockey sticks,
ball bats,
lacrosse sticks, etc.), footwear, etc., and personal protective equipment
typically comprise
pads or other cushioning components, which may be provided for protection,
comfort,
and/or vibration or other shock absorption.
Pads and other cushioning components may sometimes face conflicting
requirements,
such as providing adequate protection, comfort, and/or vibration or other
shock
absorption while being lightweight.
For these and other reasons, there is a need to improve devices comprising
pads or other
cushioning components.
SUMMARY
According to various aspects of this disclosure, there is provided a device
(e.g., an article
of athletic gear) comprising a cushioning component for absorbing energy when
the
device is contacted (i.e., impacted or otherwise contacted), in which the
cushioning
component comprises a core comprising a plurality of zones of different
materials (e.g.,
which may differ in one or more materials properties such as density,
stiffness, resilience,
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etc.) and a covering disposed on the core. In some embodiments, a given one of
the
zones of different materials may be a zone of expanded microspheres. The
cushioning
component may provide enhanced protection, comfort, and/or vibration or other
shock
absorption while being relatively lightweight.
For example, according to an aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a
cushioning
component that comprises a core comprising a plurality of zones of different
materials
and a covering disposed on the core. A given one of the zones of different
materials is a
zone of expanded microspheres.
According to another aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a cushioning
component
that comprises a core comprising a zone of expanded microspheres and a zone
materially different from the zone of expanded microspheres. The cushioning
component
also comprises a covering disposed on the core.
According to another aspect of this disclosure, there is provided an article
of athletic gear
for a user. The article of athletic gear comprises a cushioning component that
comprises
a core comprising a plurality of zones of different materials and a covering
disposed on
the core. A given one of the zones of different materials is a zone of
expanded
microspheres.
According to another aspect of this disclosure, there is provided an article
of personal
protective gear wearable by a user. The article of personal protective gear
comprises a
pad that comprises a core comprising a plurality of zones of different
materials and a
covering disposed on the core. A given one of the zones of different materials
is a zone of
expanded microspheres.
According to another aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a helmet for
protecting a
head of a user. The helmet comprises an outer shell and an inner liner
disposed within
the outer shell. The inner liner comprises a pad that comprises a core
comprising a
plurality of zones of different materials and a covering disposed on the core.
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These and other aspects of this disclosure will now become apparent to those
of ordinary
skill in the art upon review of a description of embodiments in conjunction
with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of embodiments is provided below, by way of example
only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows an example of a device comprising cushioning components for
absorbing
energy when the device is impacted or otherwise contacted, in accordance with
an
embodiment, in which the device is a helmet for protecting a user's head and
respective
ones of the cushioning components constitute a plurality of pads of an inner
liner of the
helmet;
Figure 2 shows a front view of the helmet;
Figures 3 and 4 show rear perspective views of the helmet;
Figures 5 to 8 show operation of an example of an adjustment mechanism of the
helmet;
Figures 9A and 9B show the head of the user;
Figure 9C shows a cavity of the helmet;
Figures 10 and 11 show an example of shell members of an outer shell of the
helmet;
Figures 12 to 16 show respective ones of the pads;
Figure 17 shows a front view of an example of a given one of the pads;
Figure 18 shows a cross-sectional view the given one of the pads;
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Figure 18A shows an example of part of a zone of expanded microspheres of the
given
one of the pads;
Figure 19 shows a schematic side view of an example of parts of molding
equipment to
mold the given one of the pads;
Figure 20 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of another embodiment of
the
given one of the pads;
Figure 21A shows a cross-sectional view of an example of another embodiment of
the
given one of the pads;
Figure 21B shows parts of the given one of the pads;
Figure 22 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of another embodiment of
the
given one of the pads;
Figure 23 shows a front view of the given one of the pads shown in Figure 22;
Figure 24 shows parts of the given one of the pads shown in Figure 22;
Figure 25 shows a front view of an example of another embodiment of the given
one of
the pads;
Figure 26 shows an embodiment in which the device is an arm guard;
Figure 27 shows an embodiment in which the device is shoulder pads;
Figure 28 shows an embodiment in which the device is a leg guard;
Figure 29 shows an embodiment in which the device is a chest protector;
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Figure 30 shows an embodiment in which the device is a glove;
Figures 31A and 31B show an embodiment in which the device is a hockey stick;
Figure 32 shows an embodiment in which the device is a lacrosse stick;
Figure 33 shows an embodiment in which the device is a ball bat; and
Figure 34 shows an embodiment in which the device is an article of footwear,
in this
example a skate.
It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only
for the purpose
of illustrating certain embodiments and are an aid for understanding. They are
not
intended to be and are not limiting.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Figure 1 shows an example of an embodiment of a device 10 comprising a
plurality of
cushioning components 121-12c for absorbing energy when the device 10 is
impacted or
otherwise contacted. In this embodiment, the device 10 is an article of
athletic gear for a
user engaging in a sport or other athletic activity. More particularly, in
this embodiment,
the article of athletic gear 10 is an article of protective athletic gear
wearable by the user
to protect him/her. Specifically, in this example, the article of protective
athletic gear 10 is
a helmet for protecting a head of the user against impacts. In this case, the
helmet 10 is a
hockey helmet for protecting the head of the user, who is a hockey player,
against
impacts (e.g., from a puck or ball, a hockey stick, a board, ice or another
playing surface,
etc., with another player, etc.).
Each of the cushioning components 121-12c of the helmet 10 is configured to
protect the
player's head by absorbing energy when the helmet 10 is impacted, and may also
be
provided for comfort of the helmet 10 on the player's head. As further
discussed later, in
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this embodiment, each of the cushioning components 121-12c of the helmet 10
may
provide enhanced protection and/or comfort for the player's head while being
relatively
lightweight, notably by including different materials (e.g., which may differ
in density,
stiffness, resilience, etc.).
In this embodiment, the helmet 10 comprises an outer shell 11 and an inner
liner 15 that
includes the cushioning components 121-12c. The helmet 10 also comprises a
chinstrap
16 for securing the helmet 10 to the player's head. The helmet 10 may also
comprise a
faceguard (not shown) to protect at least part of the player's face (e.g., a
grid (sometimes
referred to as a "cage") or a visor (sometimes referred to as a "shield")).
The helmet 10 defines a cavity 13 for receiving the player's head. In response
to an
impact, the helmet 10 absorbs energy from the impact to protect the player's
head. The
helmet 10 protects various regions of the player's head. As shown in Figures
9A and 9B,
the player's head comprises a front region FR, a top region TR, left and right
side regions
LS, RS, a back region BR, and an occipital region OR. The front region FR
includes a
forehead and a front top part of the player's head and generally corresponds
to a frontal
bone region of the player's head. The left and right side regions LS, RS are
approximately located above the player's ears. The back region BR is opposite
the front
region FR and includes a rear upper part of the player's head. The occipital
region OR
substantially corresponds to a region around and under the head's occipital
protuberance.
The helmet 10 comprises an external surface 18 and an internal surface 20 that
contacts
the player's head when the helmet 10 is worn. The helmet 10 has a front-back
axis FBA,
a left-right axis LRA, and a vertical axis VA which are respectively generally
parallel to a
dorsoventral axis, a dextrosinistral axis, and a cephalocaudal axis of the
player when the
helmet 10 is worn and which respectively define a front-back direction, a
lateral direction,
and a vertical direction of the helmet 10. Since they are generally oriented
longitudinally
and transversally of the helmet 10, the front-back axis FBA and the left-right
axis LRA can
also be referred to as a longitudinal axis and a transversal axis,
respectively, while the
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front-back direction and the lateral direction can also be referred to a
longitudinal
direction and a transversal direction, respectively.
The outer shell 11 provides strength and rigidity to the helmet 10. To that
end, the outer
shell 11 comprises rigid material 27. For example, in various embodiments, the
rigid
material 27 of the outer shell 11 may be a thermoplastic material such as
polyethylene
(PE), polyamide (nylon), or polycarbonate, a thermosetting resin, or any other
suitable
material. The outer shell 11 includes an inner surface 17 facing the inner
liner 15 and an
outer surface 19 opposite the inner surface 17. The outer surface 19 of the
outer shell 11
constitutes at least part of the external surface 18 of the helmet 10.
In this embodiment, the outer shell 11 comprises a plurality of shell members
22, 24 that
are connected to one another. More particularly, in this embodiment, the shell
member 22
is a front shell member and the shell member 24 is a rear shell member. The
front shell
member 22 comprises a front portion 23 for facing at least part of the front
region FR of
the player's head, a top portion 21 for facing at least part of the top region
TR of the
player's head, and left and right lateral side portions 25L, 25R extending
rearwardly from
the front portion 23 and downwardly from the top portion 21 for facing at
least part of the
left and right side regions LS, RS of the player's head, respectively. The
rear shell
member 24 comprises a back portion 31 for facing at least part of the back
region BR of
the player's head, a top portion 29 for facing at least part of the top region
TR of the
player's head, an occipital portion 33 for facing at least part of the
occipital region OR of
the player's head, and left and right lateral side portions 35L, 35R extending
forwardly
from the back portion 31 and downwardly from the top portion 29 for facing at
least part of
.. the left and right side regions LS, RS of the player's head, respectively.
In this embodiment, the helmet 10 is adjustable to adjust how it fits on the
player's head.
To that end, the helmet 10 comprises an adjustment mechanism 40 for adjusting
a fit of
the helmet 10 on the player's head. The adjustment mechanism 40 may allow the
fit of
the helmet 10 to be adjusted by adjusting one or more internal dimensions of
the cavity
13 of the helmet 10, such as a front-back internal dimension FBD of the cavity
13 in the
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front-back direction of the helmet 10 and/or a left-right internal dimension
LRD of the
cavity 13 in the left-right direction of the helmet 10, as shown in Figure 9C.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 40 is
configured such
that the outer shell 11 and the inner liner 15 are adjustable to adjust the
fit of the helmet
on the player's head. To that end, in this embodiment, the shell members 22,
24 are
movable relative to one another to adjust the fit of the helmet 10 on the
player's head. In
this example, relative movement of the shell members 22, 24 for adjustment
purposes is
in the front-back direction of the helmet 10 such that the front-back internal
dimension
10 FBD of the cavity 13 of the helmet 10 is adjusted. This is shown in
Figures 5 to 8 in which
the rear shell member 24 is moved relative to the front shell member 22 from a
first
position, which is shown in Figure 5 and which corresponds to a minimum size
of the
helmet 10, to a second position, which is shown in Figure 6 and which
corresponds to an
intermediate size of the helmet 10, and to a third position, which is shown in
Figures 7
and 8 and which corresponds to a maximum size of the helmet 10.
In this example of implementation, the adjustment mechanism 40 comprises an
actuator
41 that can be moved (e.g., in this case pivoted) by the player between a
locked position,
in which the actuator 41 engages a locking part 45 (as best shown in Figures 8
and 10) of
the front shell member 22 and thereby locks the shell members 22, 24 relative
to one
another, and an unlocked position, in which the actuator 41 is disengaged from
the
locking part 45 of the front shell member 22 and thereby permits the shell
members 22,
24 to move relative to one another so as to adjust the size of the helmet 10.
The
adjustment mechanism 40 may be implemented in any other suitably way in other
embodiments.
The inner liner 15 is disposed within the outer shell 11, i.e., between the
outer shell 11
and the player's head when the helmet 10 is worn. More particularly, the inner
liner 15
comprises a shock-absorbing structure 32 that includes an outer surface 38
facing
towards the outer shell 11 and an inner surface 34 facing towards the player's
head. For
example, in some embodiments, the shock-absorbing structure 32 of the inner
liner 15
may comprise a shock-absorbing material. For instance, in some cases, the
shock-
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absorbing material may include a polymeric cellular material, such as a
polymeric foam
(e.g., expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam, expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam, or
any
other suitable polymeric foam material), or expanded microspheres (e.g.,
ExpancelTM
microspheres commercialized by Akzo Nobel). Any other material with suitable
impact
energy absorption may be used in other embodiments. Additionally or
alternatively, in
some embodiments, the shock-absorbing structure 32 of the inner liner 15 may
comprise
an array of shock absorbers that are configured to deform when the helmet 10
is
impacted. For instance, in some cases, the array of shock absorbers may
include an
array of compressible cells that can compress when the helmet 10 is impacted.
Examples
of this are described in U.S. Patent 7,677,538 and U.S. Patent Application
Publication
2010/0258988, which are incorporated by reference herein.
The inner liner 15 may be mounted to the outer shell 11 in any suitable way.
For
example, in some embodiments, the inner liner 15 may be mounted to the outer
shell 11
by one or more fasteners such as mechanical fasteners (e.g., tacks, staples,
rivets,
screws, stitches, etc.), an adhesive, or any other suitable fastener.
In this embodiment, the inner liner 15 comprises a plurality of pads 361-36c,
371-37B. In
this example, respective ones of the pads 361-36c, 371-37B are movable
relative to one
another and with the shell members 22, 24 to allow adjustment of the fit of
the helmet 10
using the adjustment mechanism 40.
The pads 361-36c are responsible for absorbing at least a bulk of the energy
transmitted
to the inner liner 15 when the helmet 10 is impacted and can therefore be
referred to as
"absorption" pads. In this embodiment, the pad 361 is for facing at least part
of the front
region FR and left side region LS of the player's head, the pad 362 is for
facing at least
part of the front region FR and right side region RS of the player's head, the
pad 363 is for
facing at least part of the back region BR and left side region LS of the
player's head, the
pad 364 is for facing at least part of the back region BR and right side
region RS of the
player's head, and the pad 365 is for facing at least part of the top region
TR and back
region BR of the player's head. The front shell member 22 overlays the pads
361, 362,
while the rear shell member 24 overlays the pads 363, 364.
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The pads 371-37B are responsible to provide comfort to the player's head and
can
therefore be referred to as "comfort" pads. The comfort pads 371-37B may
comprise any
suitable soft material providing comfort to the player. For example, in some
embodiments,
the comfort pads 371-37B may comprise polymeric foam such as polyvinyl
chloride (PVC)
foam, polyurethane foam (e.g., PORON XRD foam commercialized by Rogers
Corporation), vinyl nitrile foam or any other suitable polymeric foam
material. In some
embodiments, given ones of the comfort pads 371-37B may be secured (e.g.,
adhered,
fastened, etc.) to respective ones of the absorption pads 361-36c. In other
embodiments,
given ones of the comfort pads 371-37B may be mounted such that they are
movable
relative to the absorption pads 361-36c. For example, in some embodiments, one
or more
of the comfort pads 371-37B may be part of a floating liner as described in
U.S. Patent
Application Publication 2013/0025032. The comfort pads 371-37B may assist in
absorption of energy from impacts, in particular, low-energy impacts.
The inner liner 15 comprises the cushioning components 121-12c of the helmet
10. More
particularly, in this embodiment, respective ones of the pads 361-36c comprise
respective
ones of the cushioning components 121-12c of the helmet 10. Specifically, in
this
example, each cushioning component 12x of the helmet 10 constitutes a pad 36..
The pad 36x comprises a periphery 39 that includes an outer side 42 facing
towards the
outer shell 11 and an inner side 43 opposite to the outer side 42 for facing
towards the
player's head. In this embodiment, the periphery 39 of the pad 36 has a three-
dimensional shape to accommodate the outer shell 11 and the player's head.
More
particularly, in this embodiment, each of the outer side 42 and the inner side
43 of the
pad 36x is uneven (i.e., nonplanar in that it comprises one or more angular
parts and/or
one or more curved parts) to accommodate the outer shell 11 and the player's
head.
Specifically, in this example, the outer side 42 of the pad 36 is convex to
accommodate
the outer shell 11 and the inner side 43 of the pad 36 is concave to
accommodate the
player's head.
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In this embodiment, with additional reference to Figures 17 and 18, the pad
36,
comprises a core 44 and a covering 46 disposed on the core 44.
The core 44 of the pad 36, comprises a periphery 67 that includes an outer
side 47 facing
towards the outer shell 11 and an inner side 49 opposite to the outer side 47
for facing
towards the player's head. The periphery 67 of the core 44 defines the three-
dimensional
shape of the periphery 39 of the pad 36,. More particularly, in this
embodiment, each of
the outer side 47 and the inner side 49 of the core 44 is uneven (i.e.,
nonplanar in that it
comprises one or more angular parts and/or one or more curved parts) to
accommodate
the outer shell 11 and the player's head. Specifically, in this example, the
outer side 47 of
the core 44 is convex to accommodate the outer shell 11 and the inner side 49
of the
core 44 is concave to accommodate the player's head.
The core 44 of the pad 36, comprises a plurality of zones of different
materials 481-48z.
Specifically, the zones of different materials 481-48z of the core 44 are
zones differing in
at least one material property (e.g., density, modulus of elasticity,
resilience, etc.). In
some cases, respective ones of the zones of different materials 481-48z may
differ in two
or more material properties. The zones of different materials 481-48z are thus
parts of the
core 44 that are materially different from one another.
In this example, the zones of different materials 481-48z of the core 44 of
the pad 36,
include two zones of different materials, namely an outer zone 481 of the core
44 and an
inner zone 482 of the core 44 that is configured to be located closer to the
player's head
than the outer zone 481. A given one of the zones of different materials 481-
48z of the
core 44 can be designated as "outer" or "inner" in that it is located
outwardly or inwardly
relative to another one of the zones of different materials 481-48z of the
core 44. In this
case, the outer zone 481 of the core 44 constitutes at least part of the outer
side 47 of the
core 44 while the inner zone 482 of the core 44 constitutes at least part of
the inner side
49 of the core 44. The zones of different materials 481-48z of the core 44 of
the pad 36,
may comprise three, four, five or more zones of different materials in other
examples.
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In this embodiment, respective ones of the zones of different materials 481-
48z of the
core 44 of the pad 36õ differ in density.
More particularly, in this embodiment, a density of the inner zone 482 of the
core 44 is
less than a density of the outer zone 481 of the core 44. This may help to
provide shock
absorption and comfort for the player's head. For instance, in some
embodiments, the
density of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be no more than 80%, in some
cases no
more than 50%, in some cases no more than 20%, and in some cases an even
lesser
fraction of the density of the outer zone 481 of the core 44.
Each of the density of the outer zone 481 of the core 44 and the density of
the inner zone
482 of the core 44 may have any suitable value. For instance, in some
embodiments, the
density of the outer zone 481 of the core 44 may be no more than 15 lb/ft3
(0.240 g/cm3),
in some cases no more than 4 lb/ft3 (0.064 g/cm3), and in some cases no more
than 2
lb/ft3 (0.032 g/cm3), and/or the density of the inner zone 482 of the core 44
may be no
more than 15 lb/ft3 (0.240 g/cm3), in some cases no more than 8 lb/ft3 (0.128
g/cm3), and
in some cases no more than 2 lb/ft3 (0.032 g/cm3).
Respective ones of the zones of different materials 481-48z of the core 44 may
differ in
one or more other properties in addition to or instead of density.
For example, in some embodiments, a modulus of elasticity (i.e., Young's
modulus) of the
inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be less than a modulus of elasticity of the
outer zone
481 of the core 44. For instance, in some embodiments, the modulus of
elasticity of the
inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be no more than 90%, in some cases no more
than
80%, in some cases no more than 70%, and in some cases an even lesser fraction
of the
modulus of elasticity of the outer zone 481 of the core 44. In some cases, the
modulus of
elasticity may be evaluated according to ASTM D-638 or ASTM D-412.
Alternatively, in
other embodiments, the modulus of elasticity of the inner zone 482 of the core
44 may be
greater than the modulus of elasticity of the outer zone 481 of the core 44.
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As another example, in some embodiments, a resilience of the inner zone 482 of
the core
44 may be less than a resilience of the outer zone 481 of the core 44. For
instance, in
some embodiments, the resilience of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be
no more
than 80%, in some cases no more than 60%, in some cases no more than 40%, and
in
some cases an even less fraction of the resilience of the outer zone 481 of
the core 44
according to ASTM D2632-01 which measures resilience by vertical rebound.
Alternatively, in other embodiments, the resilience of the inner zone 482 of
the core 44
may be greater than the resilience of the outer zone 481 of the core 44. Each
of the
resilience of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 and the resilience of the
outer zone 481 of
the core 44 may have any suitable value.
As another example, in some embodiments, an elongation at break of the inner
zone 482
of the core 44 may be greater than an elongation at break of the outer zone
481 of the
core 44. For instance, in some embodiments, the elongation at break of the
inner zone
482 of the core 44 may be at least 110%, in some cases at least 130%, and in
some
cases at least 150% of the elongation at break of the outer zone 481 of the
core 44
according to ASTM D-638 or ASTM D-412, and in some cases even more.
Each of the elongation at break of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 and the
elongation at
break of the outer zone 481 of the core 44 may have any suitable value. For
instance, in
some embodiments, the elongation at break of the inner zone 482 of the core 44
may be
at least 20%, in some cases at least 40%, in some cases at least 60%, and in
some
cases even more, and/or the elongation at break of the outer zone 481 of the
core 44 may
be at least 20%, in some cases at least 40%, in some cases at least 60%, and
in some
cases even more.
As another example, in some embodiments, a hardness (e.g., Shore 00 hardness)
of the
inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be less than a hardness of the outer zone
481 of the
core 44. For instance, in some embodiments, on a Shore 00 hardness scale, a
ratio of
the hardness of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 over the hardness of the
outer zone 481
may be no more than 0.9, in some cases no more than 0.5, in some cases no more
than
0.3, and in some cases an even lesser ratio. In some cases, the hardness may
be
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evaluated according to ASTM D2240. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the
hardness
of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be greater than the hardness of the
outer zone
481 of the core 44.
As another example, in some embodiments, an indentation force deflection (IFD)
of the
inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be less than an IFD of the outer zone 481 of
the core
44. For instance, in some embodiments, the IFD of the inner zone 482 of the
core 44 may
be no more than 95%, in some cases no more than 80%, in some cases no more
than
60%, and in some cases an even less fraction of the IFD of the outer zone 481
of the core
44 according to ASTM D3574 which measures the force required to compress a
foam
material 25% of its thickness. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the IFD of
the inner
zone 482 of the core 44 may be greater than the IFD of the outer zone 481 of
the core 44.
Each of the IFD of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 and the IFD of the outer
zone 481 of
the core 44 may have any suitable value. For instance, in some embodiments,
the IFD of
the inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be no more than 15 pound-force per
square inch
(psi), in some cases no more than 10 psi, and in some cases no more than 6 psi
according to ASTM D3574, and/or the IFD of the outer zone 481 of the core 44
may be no
more than 20 psi, in some cases no more than 16 psi, and in some cases no more
than
.. 12 psi according to ASTM D3574.
The zones of different materials 481-48z of the core 44 of the pad 36x may
include any
suitable materials.
In this embodiment, with additional reference to Figure 18, each of the outer
zone 481
and the inner zone 482 of the core 44 is a zone of expanded microspheres 601-
60m. That
is, each of the outer zone 481 and the inner zone 482 of the core 44 is at
least mainly (i.e.,
mainly or entirely) made of expanded microspheres 601-60m. Each expanded
microsphere 60x comprises a polymeric shell 62 expanded by a fluid
encapsulated in an
interior of the polymeric shell. In this example, the polymeric shell 62 of
the expanded
microsphere 60x is a thermoplastic shell. The fluid encapsulated in the
polymeric shell 62
is a liquid or gas (in this case a gas) able to expand the expanded
microsphere 60x when
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heated during manufacturing of the pad 36),. In some embodiments, the
expandable
microspheres 601-60m may be ExpancelTM microspheres commercialized by Akzo
Nobel.
In other embodiments, the expandable microspheres 601-60m may be Dualite
microspheres commercialized by Henkel; Advance!l microspheres commercialized
by
Sekisui; Matsumoto Microsphere microspheres commercialized by Matsumoto Yushi
Seiyaku Co; or KUREHA Microsphere microspheres commercialized by Kureha.
Various
other types of expanded microspheres may be used in other embodiments.
The expanded microspheres 601-60m may be provided in any suitable form during
manufacturing of the pad 36,. For example, in some embodiments, the expanded
microspheres 601-60m may include dry unexpanded, dry expanded, wet unexpanded,
wet
expanded, and/or partially-expanded dry and/or wet microspheres.
As discussed above, in this embodiment, the inner zone 482 of expanded
microspheres
of the core 44 is less dense than the outer zone 481 of expanded microspheres
of the
core 44.
In this embodiment, each of the outer zone 481 of expanded microspheres of the
core 44
and the inner zone 482 of expanded microspheres of the core 44 constitutes at
least a
substantial part (i.e., a substantial part or an entirety) of the core 44.
More particularly, in
this embodiment, each of the outer zone 481 of expanded microspheres of the
core 44
and the inner zone 482 of expanded microspheres of the core 44 constitutes at
least one-
quarter of the core 44 by weight, in some cases at least one-third of the core
44 by
weight, and in some cases at least half of the core 44 by weight.
Specifically, in this case,
the outer zone 481 of expanded microspheres of the core 44 is larger than the
inner zone
482 of expanded microspheres of the core 44, with the outer zone 481 of
expanded
microspheres of the core 44 constituting about 70% of the core 44 by weight
and the
inner zone 482 of expanded microspheres of the core 44 constituting about 30%
of the
core 44 by weight.
Thus, in this embodiment, the expanded microspheres 601-60m of the inner and
outer
zones 481, 482 of the core 44 constitute a substantial part (i.e., a
substantial part or an
CA 3026125 2018-11-30
entirety) of the core 44 by weight. More particularly, in this embodiment, the
expanded
microspheres 601-60m of the inner and outer zones 481, 482 of the core 44
constitute at
least one-quarter of the core 44 by weight, in some cases at least one-third
of the core 44
by weight, and in some cases at least a majority of the core by weight.
Specifically, in this
example, the expanded microspheres 601-60m of the inner and outer zones 481,
482 of the
core 44 constitute at least 80%, in this case, substantially the entirety of
the core 44.
The zones of different materials 481-48z of the core 44 of the pad 36x may be
arranged in
any suitable way and have any suitable size and configuration.
In this embodiment, each of a thickness T1 of the outer zone 481 of the core
44 and a
thickness T2 of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 corresponds to a significant
part of a
thickness Tc of the core 44. More particularly, in this embodiment, each of
the thickness
T1 of the outer zone 481 of the core 44 and the thickness T2 of the inner zone
482 of the
core 44 corresponds to at least one-quarter, in some cases at least one-third,
and in
some cases at least a majority of the thickness Tc of the core 44.
Specifically, in this
example, each of the thickness T1 of the outer zone 481 of the core 44 and the
thickness
T2 of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 corresponds to more than half of the
thickness Tc
of the core 44.
Also, in this embodiment, the outer zone 481 of the core 44 and the inner zone
482 of the
core 44 may be interlocked. For instance, in this embodiment, a given one of
the outer
and inner zones 481, 482 of the core 44 and an adjacent one of the outer and
inner zones
481, 482 of the core 44 are interlocked by an interlocking part 61 of the
given one of the
outer and inner zones 481, 482 of the core 44 extending into an interlocking
void 63 of the
adjacent one of the outer and inner zones 481, 482 of the core 44. This may be
done to
facilitate manufacturing (e.g., molding) of the outer and inner zones 481, 482
of the core
44) and/or to help secure them.
In this embodiment, the inner zone 482 of the core 44 comprises projections
641-646
projecting from an adjacent part 65 of the inner side 49 of the core 44 and
spaced from
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one another. The projections 641-646 may provide areas of increased cushioning
and
may facilitate air circulations thereabout.
The covering 46 of the pad 36x covers at least a substantial part (i.e., a
substantial part or
.. an entirety) of the core 44 of the of the pad 36x. This may help to retain
integrity of the
core 44. For example, in this embodiment, this may help to retain the zones of
different
materials 481-48z of the core 44 together. Also, in this embodiment in which
the core 44
includes expanded microspheres, the covering 46 may help to protect the outer
and inner
zones 481, 482 of expanded microspheres against chipping, crumbling or
cracking in use,
as their expanded microspheres may otherwise be friable.
In this embodiment, the covering 46 covers at least part of the inner side 49
of the core
44 and at least part of the outer side 47 of the core 44. More particularly,
in this
embodiment, the covering 46 covers at least a majority of the periphery 67 of
the core 44.
In this example, the covering 46 covers at least a majority, in this case all,
of the inner
side 49 of the core 44 and at least a majority, in this case all, of the outer
side 47 of the
core 44. Specifically, in this example, the covering 46 envelopes the core 44
(i.e.,
completely encloses the core 44). This may help to maximize an effect of the
covering 46
in retaining integrity of the core 44.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the covering 46 is molded to conform to
the core
44. That is, the covering 46 is shaped by molding equipment including one or
more molds
in order to conform to the core 44 during a molding process for making the pad
36, as
further discussed later. This allows the covering 46 to closely follow and
match the
periphery 67 of the core 44. Also, the covering 46 is affixed to the core 44.
In this case,
the covering 46 is bonded to the core 44 during the molding process.
In this example of implementation, the covering 46 comprises a layer of
polymeric
material 70 molded to conform to the core 44. In this embodiment, the layer of
polymeric
.. material 70 is a layer of polyurethane (e.g., thermoplastic polyurethane).
The layer of
polymeric material 70 may include any other suitable polymeric material in
other
embodiments (e.g. polyester, nylon fabric, etc.).
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In this embodiment, the covering 46 comprises an outer covering member 51 that
covers
the outer side 47 of the core 44 and an inner covering member 53 that covers
the inner
side 49 of the core 44. More particularly, in this embodiment, the outer and
inner covering
members 51, 53 comprise respective parts of the layer of polymeric material 70
and meet
at a junction 55. The outer and inner covering members 51, 53 may be formed
separately
during manufacturing of the pad 36x, as discussed later.
The covering 46 is significantly thinner than the core 44. For example, in
some
embodiments, a thickness TE of the covering 46 corresponds to no more than
10%, in
some cases no more than 5%, and in some cases no more than 2% of the thickness
Tc
of the core 44. For instance, in some embodiments, the thickness TE of the
covering 46
may be no more than 2 mm, in some cases no more than 0.5 mm, in some cases no
more than 0.2 mm, and in some cases even less.
In this embodiment, the covering 46 may be used to enhance an appearance of
the pad
36x. For example, in this embodiment, the covering 46 displays a decoration 72
that
includes an arrangement of a plurality of different colors. This may be useful
as the 361-
36c occupy a significant area within the helmet 10.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the decoration 72 is defined by the
layer of
polymeric material 70 and includes four different colors. In this example, the
decoration
72 includes areas of contrasting colors and lines in one color which are
spaced apart by
gaps having another color and which cross other lines.
The decoration 72 of the covering 46 may take on any other suitable
configuration in
other embodiments. For instance, in some embodiments, the decoration 72 may
include
a graphical representation of: one or more alphanumeric characters that may
form text
(e.g., a word, a message, etc.); one or more symbols (e.g., a logo, a sign, an
emblem,
etc.); one or more shapes or patterns; and/or one or more real or imaginary
objects (e.g.,
a person, an animal, a vehicle, an imaginary or fictional character, or any
other real or
imaginary thing). For example, in some embodiments, the arrangement of colors
of the
18
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decoration 72 may represent colors and/or a logo of a sports team for which
the player
plays.
The decoration 72 may be provided in any suitable way. For example, in this
embodiment, the decoration 72 may be provided by silk-screening. In other
embodiments, the decoration 72 may be provided by sublimation, roller
printing, pad
printing, or any other suitable technique.
The covering 46 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments.
For
example, in some embodiments, the covering 46 may comprise a fabric layer,
such as a
non-woven fabric layer or a woven fabric layer (e.g., of spandex, nylon,
polyester,
polypropylene, or any other suitable fabric material). As another example, in
some
embodiments, the covering 46 may comprise a plurality of layers of different
materials.
For instance, in some embodiments, the inner covering member 53 that covers
the inner
side 49 of the core 44 may include the layer of polymeric material 70 (e.g.,
polyurethane),
while the outer covering member 51 that covers the outer side 47 of the core
44 may
include a fabric layer. As yet another example, in some embodiments, the
covering 46
may comprise a plurality of layers that are stacked.
In this embodiment, the pad 36x comprises a plurality of ventilation holes
801, 802. In this
example, the ventilation holes 801, 802 are aligned with ventilation holes
821, 802 of the
outer shell 11. Each ventilation hole 80x of the pad 36x extends through the
core 44 and is
defined by an interior surface 90 of the core 44, and the covering 46 covers
at least part,
in this case all, of the internal surface 90 of the core 44.
The pad 36x may be manufactured in various ways. In this embodiment, the pad
36x is
made by a molding process in which its core 44 is molded into shape and its
covering 46
is molded to conform to the core 44. The molding process uses molding
equipment
including one or more molds to shape the core 44 and the covering 46.
The zones of different materials 481-48z are provided. In this embodiment,
each of the
outer and inner zones 481, 482 of the core 44 is provided separately. More
particularly, in
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this embodiment, each of the outer and inner zones 481, 482 of the core 44 is
molded into
shape by the molding equipment. For instance, as the outer and inner zones
481, 482 of
the core 44 have different shapes, a mold having a cavity corresponding to a
three-
dimensional shape of the outer zone 481 of the core 44 may be used to form the
outer 481
of the core 44, whereas another mold having a cavity corresponding to a three-
dimensional shape of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be used to form the
inner
zone 481 of the core 44.
In this embodiment, as it is a zone of expanded microspheres 601-60m, each of
the outer
and inner zones 481, 482 of the core 44 is formed by placing an amount of
microspheres
in the cavity of the mold in which it is to be formed. In some examples, the
microspheres
placed into the mold may include unexpanded microspheres (e.g., dry unexpanded
microspheres in a loose powder, wet unexpanded microspheres in a paste-like
form).
Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, the microspheres placed into
the mold
may include pre-expanded microspheres that have been previously heated to pre-
expand
them (e.g., either partially or fully expand them). Also, in some examples,
any other minor
constituent of the outer and inner zones 481, 482 of the core 44 (e.g., a
color pigment
substance) may be placed into the mold with the microspheres.
Each of the outer and inner zones 481, 482 of the core 44 is separately molded
in the
mold in which is to be formed by applying heat. As part of the molding
process,
microspheres provided in the mold expand. The molding process may then include
a cold
molding phase in which the temperature is lowered. Temperature and pressure of
the
molding process cause bonding of adjacent ones of the expanded microspheres.
The covering 46 is molded to conform to the core 44. In this embodiment, each
of the
outer and inner covering members 51, 53 of the covering 46 is provided
separately. More
particularly, in this embodiment, each of the outer and inner covering members
51, 53 is
molded into shape by the molding equipment to respectively conform to the
outer and
inner sides 47, 49 of the core 44. For instance, in some embodiments, a mold
comprising
a cavity that includes a surface corresponding to a three-dimensional shape of
the outer
covering member 51 and that of the outer side 47 of the core 44 may be used to
form the
CA 3026125 2018-11-30
outer covering member 51, and another mold comprising a cavity that includes a
surface
corresponding to a three-dimensional shape of the inner covering member 53 and
that of
the inner side 49 of the core 44 may be used to form the inner covering member
53.
In some embodiments, a precursor of each of the outer and inner covering
members 51,
53 is prepared for placement into the mold in which it is to be formed in
order to conform
to the core 44. More particularly, in this embodiment, the precursor of each
of the outer
and inner covering members 51, 53 includes a sheet (e.g., which may have been
previously cut from a larger sheet). In this example, the sheet comprises part
of the layer
of polymeric material 70. In some cases, the sheet may include the decoration
72.
Molding of the sheet of each of the outer and inner covering members 51, 53
into the
mold in which it is to be formed in order to conform to the core 44 may be
achieved in any
suitable way. In this embodiment, at least part of the covering 46 is vacuum-
formed to
conform to the core 44. For example, in this embodiment, the sheet to form the
inner
covering member 53 is vacuum-formed in the mold for shaping the inner covering
member 53. The inner zone 482 of the core 44 is then placed on the inner
covering
member 53, which has been vacuum-formed. The outer zone 481 of the core 44 is
then
placed on the inner zone 482 of the core 44. The sheet to form the outer
covering
member 51 is then placed on the outer zone 481 of the core 44 in the mold in
which it is
to be formed to conform to the outer zone 481 of the core 44. For instance, in
some
embodiments, the sheet to form the outer covering member 51 may be vacuum-
formed in
the mold, which is then closed. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the sheet
to form the
inner covering member 53 may be shaped to conform to the outer zone 481 of the
core
.. 44 when the mold is closed and it is pressed against the outer zone 481 of
the core 44.
The covering 46 is bonded to the core 44 during the molding process. More
particularly,
in this embodiment, the outer and inner covering members 51, 53 are
respectively
bonded to the outer and inner sides 47, 49 of the core 44. In some
embodiments, a hot-
melt adhesive film or another adhesive may be associated with one or both of
the outer
and inner covering members 51, 53 to enhance bonding to the core 44. In this
example,
the outer and inner covering members 51, 53 meet at their junction 55 where
they are
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CA 3026125 2018-11-30
joined, thereby enveloping the core 44. The molding process may then include a
cold
molding phase in which the temperature is lowered.
The pad 36, with its core 44 shaped and its covering 62 molded to conform to
its core
44, is removed from the molding equipment and may be finished by one or more
post-
molding operations. For example, in some embodiments, a trimming operation may
be
performed to remove excess material from the covering 46 that extends beyond
the core
44 (e.g., at the junction 55 of the outer and inner covering members 51, 53).
Various other manufacturing techniques may be used to make the pad 36x in
other
embodiments.
The pad 36, including its core 44 and its covering 46, may be implemented in
various
other ways in other embodiments.
For example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 20, a state of the inner
zone 482
of expanded microspheres of the core 44 may be different from a state of the
outer zone
481 of expanded microspheres of the core 44. That is, the expanded
microspheres 601-
60m of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be in a different state from
those of the
outer zone 481 of the core 44.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the outer zone 481 of expanded
microspheres of
the core 44 is consolidated, i.e., its expanded microspheres 601-60m are
consolidated
such that the outer zone 481 is substantially solid, while the inner zone 482
of expanded
microspheres of the core 44 is unconsolidated, i.e., its expanded microspheres
601-60m
are unconsolidated such that the inner zone 482 is softer and more malleable
than the
outer zone 481. For instance, in some embodiments, the unconsolidated expanded
microspheres 601-60m of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be in a paste-
like form.
The unconsolidated state (e.g., paste-like form) of the expanded microspheres
601-60m of
the inner zone 482 may be achieved by encapsulating the inner zone 482 with
the inner
covering member 53 while it is vacuum-formed, wherein the vacuum molding
process is
performed at a temperature lower than the consolidation temperature of the
expanded
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microspheres 601-60m This may help to enhance a cushioning effect of the inner
zone 482
of the core 44.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 21A, one or more
of the
zones of different materials 481-48z of the core 44 of the pad 36x may not be
a zone of
expanded microspheres (i.e., not be mainly or entirely made of expanded
microspheres,
but may rather be a zone at least mainly made of material other than expanded
microspheres). For instance, in this embodiment, the inner zone 482 of the
core 44 is a
zone of foam 85, i.e., a zone at least mainly (i.e., mainly or entirely) made
of foam 85,
.. while the outer zone 481 of the core 44 is a zone of expanded microspheres
as discussed
above. The foam 85 may help to enhance comfort for the player's head. This may
also be
useful to provide better impact absorption or other protection against linear
and rotational
impacts.
In this embodiment, the foam 85 includes polyurethane foam (e.g., PORON XRD
foam
commercialized by Rogers Corporation, or any other suitable polyurethane
foam). The
foam 85 may include any other suitable foam in other embodiments (e.g.,
polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) foam, vinyl nitrile foam, etc.).
More particularly, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 21B, before being
molded, the
foam 85 of the inner zone 482 of the core 44 of the pad 36x includes: a foam
layer 86
(e.g., which may include one or more foam plies) that forms a "base" which
extends over
at least a majority, in this case all, of the inner side 49 of the core 44 to
be molded; a
foam layer of foam 87 that is smaller than and overlies the foam layer 86 in a
specific
region of the inner zone 482 (e.g., in this case a region located underneath
the projection
641); and respective portions of a foam layer 89 for forming each of the
projections 641-
646 projecting from the adjacent part 65 of the inner side 49 of the core 44
and spaced
from one another.
In this embodiment, the outer zone 481 of the core 44 may be formed by placing
an
amount of microspheres in the cavity of the mold in which it is to be formed
by applying
heat as described earlier, and the inner zone 482 of the core 44 may be formed
by
23
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placing the foam layers 86, 87, 89 of the foam 85 into the cavity in which it
is to be formed
(e.g., on the outer zone 481 of the core 44) so that after molding the foam
layers 86, 87,
89 of the foam 85 amalgamate into the inner zone 482 of the core 44.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 22 to 24, the
zones of
different materials 481-48z of the core 44 of the pad 36x may be more than two
in number,
such as three, four or more zones. For instance, in this embodiment, the outer
zone 481
of the core 44 is a zone of expanded microspheres and the inner zone 482 of
the core 44
is a zone of foam as discussed above, while there is another inner zone 483 of
foam 88
different from the foam 85 of the inner zone 482. In this case, the inner zone
483 of the
core 44 comprises the projections 641-646 projecting from the adjacent part 65
of the
inner side 49 of the core 44 and spaced from one another.
In this embodiment, the foam 88 includes polyurethane foam (e.g., PORON XRD
foam
commercialized by Rogers Corporation, or any other suitable polyurethane
foam). The
foam 85 may include any other suitable foam in other embodiments (e.g.,
polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) foam, vinyl nitrile foam, etc.).
More particularly, in this embodiment, the density of the foam 85 is different
from the
density of the foam 88. In this example, the density of the foam 88 is less
than the density
of the foam 85. For instance, in some embodiments, the density of the foam 88
may be
no more than 90%, in some cases no more than 80% and in some cases no more
than
70% of the density of the foam 85. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the
foam 88 may
be denser than the foam 85.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 25, the inner zone
482 of
the core 44 of the pad 36x may be perforated such that it comprises a
plurality of
apertures 911-91A. This may be useful to enhance ventilation and provide sweat
management to the player.
As another example, in some embodiments, the covering 46 of the pad 36x may
cover
less than the entirety of the core 44 of the pad 36. For example, in some
embodiments,
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certain regions of the inner side 49 and/or certain regions of the outer side
47 of the core
44 may not be covered by the covering 46 but may rather be exposed.
Although in this embodiment the article of protective athletic gear 10 is the
helmet 10, in
other embodiments, the article of protective athletic gear 10 may be any other
article of
protective athletic gear comprising one or more cushioning components
constructed
using principles described herein in respect of the cushioning components 121-
12c.
For example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 26, the article of
protective
athletic gear 10 may be an arm guard (e.g., an elbow pad) for protecting an
arm (e.g., an
elbow) of a user, in which the arm guard 10 comprises a cushioning component
212
constructed using principles described herein in respect of cushioning
components 121-
12c and constituting a pad 236 of the arm guard 10.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 27, the article of
protective athletic gear 10 may be shoulder pads for protecting an upper torso
(e.g.,
shoulders and a chest) of a user, in which the shoulder pads 10 comprise a
cushioning
component 312 constructed using principles described herein in respect of the
cushioning
components 121-12c and constituting a pad 336 of the shoulder pads 10.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 28, the article of
protective athletic gear 10 may be a leg guard for protecting a leg of a user,
in which the
leg guard 10 comprises a cushioning component 412 constructed using principles
described herein in respect of the cushioning components 121-12c and
constituting a pad
436 of the leg guard 10.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 29, the article of
protective athletic gear 10 may be a chest protector for a goalie or baseball
catcher for
protecting his/her chest, in which the chest protector 10 comprises a
cushioning
component 712 constructed using principles described herein in respect of the
cushioning
components 121-12c and constituting any portion of the chest protector 10
(e.g., a chest
portion, an abdominal portion, an arm portion if present, etc.).
CA 3026125 2018-11-30
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 30, the article of
protective athletic gear 10 may be a glove for protecting a user's hand, in
which the glove
comprises a cushioning component 812 constructed using principles described
herein
5 in respect of the cushioning components 121-12c. For example, in this
case, the glove 10
is a blocker glove for a goalie and the cushioning component 812 constitutes a
board
portion of the blocker glove 10 to deflect pucks or balls.
In some embodiments, the article of athletic gear 10 may be used for purposes
other than
10 .. protection.
For instance, in some embodiments, with additional reference to Figures 31 to
33, the
article of athletic gear 10 may be a sports implement for handling by a user,
in which the
sports implement 10 comprises a cushioning component 612 constructed using
principles
described herein in respect of the cushioning components 121-12c. For example,
in some
embodiments, a core 644 of the cushioning component 612 may be constructed
using
principles described herein in respect of the core 44 of each of the
cushioning
components 121-12c in order to provide shock absorbance, while a covering 646
of the
cushioning component 612 may be constructed using principles described herein
in
respect of the covering 46 of each of the cushioning components 121-12c but
comprise
rigid material 670 that imparts strength and rigidity (e.g., that forms a wall
of the sports
implement 10). In some embodiments, the rigid material 670 may comprise fiber-
reinforced polymeric material (e.g., carbon-fiber-reinforced polymeric
material or glass-
fiber-reinforced polymeric material) or any other composite material that is
provided (e.g.,
wrapped as pre-impregnated fiber tape) about the core 644.
For example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 31, the sports implement
10 may
be a hockey stick. The hockey stick 10 comprises a shaft 620, a handle 622
disposed at
a proximal end portion of the shaft 620, and a blade 624 disposed adjacent a
distal end
portion of the shaft 620. In this embodiment, the blade 624 of the hockey
stick 10
comprises the cushioning component 612. In other embodiments, the handle 622
of the
hockey stick 10 may comprise the cushioning component 612 or another
cushioning
26
CA 3026125 2018-11-30
component similar to the cushioning component 612. In yet other embodiments,
the blade
624 of the hockey stick 10 may comprise the cushioning component 612, while
the
handle 622 of the hockey stick 10 may comprise another cushioning component
similar to
the cushioning component 612.
As another example, with additional reference to Figure 32, the sports
implement 10 may
be a lacrosse stick. The lacrosse stick 10 comprises a shaft 650, a handle 652
disposed
at a proximal end portion of the shaft 650, and a lacrosse head 654 disposed
adjacent a
distal end portion of the shaft 650. In this example, the handle 652 of the
lacrosse stick
10 comprises the cushioning component 612.
As another example, with additional reference to Figure 33, the sports
implement 10 may
be a ball bat, such as a baseball bat or a softball bat. The ball bat 10
comprises a handle
752, a barrel 754, and a tapered transition 755 between the handle 752 and the
barrel
754. In this example, the barrel 754 comprises the cushioning component 612.
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 34, the article of
athletic
gear 10 may be an article of footwear comprising a cushioning component 512
constructed using principles described herein in respect of the cushioning
components
121-12c. In this embodiment, the article of footwear 10 is a skate. For
example, in this
case, the skate 10 is a hockey skate for a hockey player. The skate 10
comprises a boot
525, a blade holder 547 and a blade 549. In this example, the cushioning
component 512
constitutes a portion of the boot 525. More particularly, in this example, the
cushioning
component 512 constitutes a sole portion of the boot 525). The article of
footwear 10
may be any other type of footwear (e.g., shoes) in other embodiments.
Although in embodiments considered above the article of athletic gear 10 is
hockey,
lacrosse, or baseball/softball gear, in other embodiments, the article of
athletic gear 10
may be any other article of athletic gear usable by a player playing another
type of
contact sport (e.g., a "full-contact" sport) in which there are significant
impact forces on
the player due to player-to-player and/or player-to-object contact or any
other type of
sports, including athletic activities other than contact sports. For example,
in other
27
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embodiments, the article of athletic gear 10 may be an article of football
gear for a
football player, an article of soccer gear for a soccer player, etc.
In other embodiments, a device comprising one or more cushioning components
constructed using principles described herein in respect of the cushioning
components
121-12c may be anything other than an article of athletic gear and may thus be
designed
for any suitable purpose. For example, this may include blunt trauma personal
protective
equipment (PPE), automotive interior components, chair cushioning components,
bed
cushioning/mattresses, etc.
Certain additional elements that may be needed for operation of some
embodiments
have not been described or illustrated as they are assumed to be within the
purview of
those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, certain embodiments may be free
of, may lack
and/or may function without any element that is not specifically disclosed
herein.
Any feature of any embodiment discussed herein may be combined with any
feature of
any other embodiment discussed herein in some examples of implementation.
In case of any discrepancy, inconsistency, or other difference between terms
used herein
and terms used in any document incorporated by reference herein, meanings of
the
terms used herein are to prevail and be used.
Although various embodiments and examples have been presented, this was for
purposes of description but this should not be limiting. Various modifications
and
enhancements will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
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