Fluid Safety Liner

Abstract

A fluid safety liner includes a liner of closed-cell foam that uses a series of channels and reservoirs to spread forces and distribute fluid contained within the liner throughout different areas of the liner. The liner is useable in protective gear such as a helmet and has a shape that conforms to the area of protection. The channel and reservoir system generally includes a mesh of coupled channels and reservoirs in the closed-cell foam. The channel and reservoir system also generally includes an incompressible fluid movable throughout the system for redistributing pressure and absorbing the force of any impact through viscous flow. The reduction in peak force and lengthening of the duration of the force reduces the biomechanical severity (e.g. HIC, Head Injury Criterion) of a blow to the protective gear.

1 . A device, wearable on the body, for protecting a body part against a physical blow, the device comprising:
 a closed-cell foam member, such member having an inner surface conforming generally to an outer surface of the body part, such member including a plurality of conduits and such member being deformable;   a fluid disposed in the conduits;   so that when the foam member experiences a blow at a location, the blow triggers a pressure wave in the fluid and flow of fluid in the conduits away from that location in such a manner as to absorb energy from the blow and to redistribute force from the blow away from the location.   
   
   
       2 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the closed-cell foam member is a liner for a helmet. 
   
   
       3 . A device according to any of  claims 1  and  2 , wherein the device includes at least four conduits and such conduits are in communication with each other to form a mesh. 
   
   
       4 . A device according to any of  claims 1  through  3 , wherein the fluid is substantially incompressible. 
   
   
       5 . A device, wearable on the body, for protecting a body part against a physical blow, the device comprising:
 a closed-cell foam member, such member having an inner surface conforming generally to an outer surface of the body part, such member including at least one fluid channel;   wherein the at least one fluid channel is in communication with at least two reservoirs formed in the closed-cell foam member;   a liquid disposed in the at least one channel and in the reservoirs;   so that when the foam member experiences a blow in the vicinity of one of the reservoirs, the blow triggers a pressure wave in the fluid and flow of fluid in that onc of the reservoirs through the at least one channel to another one of the reservoirs in such a manner as to absorb energy from the blow and to redistribute force from the blow away from the vicinity.   
   
   
       6 . A device according to  claim 5 , wherein the closed-cell foam member is a liner for a helmet. 
   
   
       7 . A device according to any of  claims 5  and  6 , wherein such member includes at least four channels, at least four reservoirs are formed in the member, and the reservoirs are coupled to one another via the channels so as to form a mesh. 
   
   
       8 . A device according to  claim 5 , wherein the fluid is substantially incompressible. 
   
   
       9 . A device according to  claim 5 , wherein the fluid is a combination of incompressible fluid and compressible fluid 
   
   
       10 . A device according to  claim 5 , wherein the fluid is a shear thickening fluid. 
   
   
       11 . A device according to  claim 5 , wherein the fluid is a shear thinning fluid.