Impact sensors and systems including impact sensors

Abstract

An impact sensor system includes at least one impact sensor including at least a first conductive layer, at least a second conductive layer, and at least one insulating layer between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The insulating layer maintains the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer in spaced, non-contacting relation. The first conducting layer and the insulating layer are deformable upon an impact to the first conducting layer such that separation between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer decreases upon an impact of a predefined nature. The impact sensor system also includes circuitry in connection with the impact sensor to measure a change in at least one electrical property of the impact sensor resulting from the decrease in the separation between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer. A body armor system to be worn by a person includes at least one section of body armor and at least one impact sensor associated with at least a section of the body armor.

1 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one impact sensor comprises a plurality of electrically-separated impact sensors arranged in a grid, wherein each electrically-separated impact sensor of the plurality of electrically-separated impact sensors corresponds to a region of anatomy of a wearer that wears the body armor system. 
     
     
         6 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the control system comprises a microprocessor. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising
 a sound recording system in operative connection with the control system. 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising
 a manually-operable alarm actuator communicatively-coupled to the communication system. 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layers include a flexible material, wherein the flexible material includes a metallic sheet, conductive woven fibers, a conductive carbon material, a polymer/metal composite material, or a conductive polymeric material. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the communication system comprises:
 a transmitter unit communicatively-coupled to the control system, wherein the transmitter unit includes a wireless transmitter that is communicatively-coupled with one or more of a local receiver and a remote receiver. 
 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a body armor system including: at least one panel section of ballistic resistant armor and at least one impact sensor positioned outside of and adjacent to at least a panel section of ballistic resistant armor; wherein the at least one impact sensor includes a multi-layer structure having a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and an insulating layer disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, wherein an overall thickness of the multi-layer structure includes an entire thickness of each of: the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer and the insulating layer, wherein the multi-layer structure is arrangeable in one of: a non-impact orientation, and an impact orientation, wherein the non-impact orientation includes the insulating layer including a substantially constant thickness that maintains the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer in a spaced-apart, non-contacting relationship without upsetting the overall thickness of the multi-layer structure, wherein the impact orientation includes a portion of the insulating layer not maintaining the spaced-apart, non-contacting relationship of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer such that a portion of the first conductive layer directly contacts a portion of the second conductive layer, wherein the impact orientation of the multi-layer structure includes one of: a non-pierced orientation and a pierced orientation, wherein the pierced orientation includes a passage that extends through the overall thickness of the multi-layer structure, wherein the entire thickness of the insulating layer is not constant when the multi-layer structure is arranged in the non-pierced orientation, wherein the body armor system further comprising circuitry in connection with the impact sensor and control system.   
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the portion of the first conductive layer directly contacting the portion of the second conductive layer, the first conductive layer is in electrical communication with the second conductive layer. 
     
     
         18 . The body armor system of  claim 14  wherein the insulating layer includes a woven fabric, an insulating gel, an open-celled foam, a polymeric sheet or resilient polymeric beads. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus  claim 14  further comprising
 a third conductive layer, and 
 a second insulating layer disposed between the third conductive layer and the second conductive layer. 
 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising
 a communication system communicatively-coupled to the control system. 
 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the communication system includes a communication port that communicatively-couples the control system to a computer. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the entire thickness of the first conductive layer is between approximately about 20 to 1000 μm, wherein the first conductive layer is formed from a malleable conductive material, wherein the entire thickness of the insulating layer is less than approximately about 1 mm. 
     
     
         24 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 providing at least one impact sensor of a body armor unit including: a first flexibly-malleable conductive layer, a second flexibly-malleable conductive layer, and a flexibly-malleable insulating layer disposed between the first flexibly-malleable conductive layer and the second flexibly-malleable conductive layer;   maintaining a non-impact orientation of the at least one impact sensor by
 utilizing the flexibly-malleable insulating layer to retain the first flexibly-malleable conductive layer and the second flexibly-malleable conductive layer in a spaced-apart, non-contacting relationship; 
   malleably-deforming the at least one impact sensor by
 flexibly-moving the first flexible conducting layer through an entire thickness of each of the second flexibly-malleable conductive layer and the flexibly-malleable insulating layer such that the flexibly-malleable insulating layer fails to maintain the first flexibly-malleable conductive layer in the spaced-apart, non-contacting relationship with respect to the second flexibly-malleable conductive layer such that a portion of the first flexibly-malleable conductive layer directly contacts a portion of the second flexibly-malleable conductive layer; 
   communicative-coupling circuitry with the at least one impact sensor; and   utilizing the circuitry for detecting and communicating a change in at least one electrical property resulting from the portion of the first flexibly-malleable conductive layer directly contacting the portion of the second flexibly-malleable conductive layer.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the at least one impact sensor includes a plurality of electrically-separated impact sensors arranged in a grid, the method further comprising the step of:
 associating each electrically-separated impact sensor of the plurality of impact sensors with a region of anatomy of a wearer that wears the body armor unit. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of:
 communicatively-coupling a recording system to the at least one impact sensor; and 
 recording environmental sounds upon the portion of the first flexibly-malleable conductive layer directly contacting the portion of the second flexibly-malleable conductive layer. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of:
 communicatively-coupling a manually-operable alarm actuator to the at least one impact sensor; and 
 transmitting an alarm upon manual activation of the manually-operable alarm actuator. 
 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of:
 communicatively-coupling a communication system to the at least one impact sensor; and 
 transmitting a signal to a receiver upon the portion of the first flexibly-malleable conductive layer directly contacting the portion of the second flexibly-malleable conductive layer. 
 
     
     
         29 . (canceled)