Impact-absorbing coating

Abstract

An impact-absorbing coating may provide an impact-absorbing material and an outer skin. The impact-absorbing coating may be applied to an object and may reduce injuries that may be sustained by a user of the object to which the coating is applied. The impact-absorbing material may have a thickness of approximately ⅜″. The outer skin may be provided over the impact-absorbing material and may provide a paintable and decoratable finish.

1 . An impact-absorbing coating applied to a helmet to reduce bodily injuries when the helmet impacts another object, the coating comprising:
 an impact-absorbing material arranged to coat an exterior of the helmet and contact with another object, wherein the impact-absorbing material coating the exterior of the helmet is a single piece of dome-shaped and unsegmented material; and   an outer skin provided over the impact-absorbing material,
 wherein the coating cushions the exterior of the helmet to reduce head injuries when the helmet contacts with another object, and wherein any combination of head, neck, and spinal injuries sustained by a wearer of the helmet to which the coating is applied are reduced, 
 wherein the coating itself is non-obtrusive, and transparent or camouflaged against the exterior of the helmet, 
 wherein the coating prevents brain concussions by reducing an impact force of the helmet with the another object and reducing any other impact forces present to less than 60 G-forces and less than a threshold for experiencing a brain concussion, and 
 wherein the impact force occurs when two or more objects contact or collide with one another including the helmet and the another object, and 
 wherein the any other impact forces occur when two or more objects contact or collide with one another. 
   
     
     
         2 . The coating of  claim 1 , wherein the coating is flexible. 
     
     
         3 . The coating of  claim 1 , wherein the outer skin provides a paintable and decoratable finish. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The coating of  claim 1 , wherein the coating is integrally and directly formed about the exterior of the helmet, bonded directly onto the exterior of the helmet, affixed directly to the exterior of the helmet, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The coating of  claim 1 , wherein the impact-absorbing material is formed in layers. 
     
     
         7 . The coating of  claim 1 , wherein the outer skin covers the entirety of the impact-absorbing material. 
     
     
         8 . The coating of  claim 1 , wherein the impact-absorbing material covers the entirety of the exterior of the helmet, and wherein the coating is resistant to damage including bending, denting, deforming, and flexing. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for reducing bodily injuries, comprising:
 an impact-absorbing coating applied to an exterior surface of a helmet, the impact-absorbing coating provided to absorb energy, reduce an impact force, and reduce injuries to the brain,
 wherein the impact-absorbing coating is a single piece of dome-shaped and unsegmented material, 
 the impact-absorbing coating comprising: 
 an outer skin provided over an impact-absorbing material,
 wherein any combination of head, neck, and spinal injuries sustained by a wearer of the helmet to which the coating is applied are reduced, 
 wherein the coating is non-obtrusive, and transparent or camouflaged against the exterior of the helmet and the exterior of the object, 
 
 wherein the coating prevents brain concussions by reducing the impact force of the helmet and the object and reducing any other impact forces present to less than 60 G-forces and less than a threshold for experiencing a brain concussion, and 
 wherein the impact force and any other impact forces occur when two or more objects contact or collide with one another including the helmet and the object. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the coating is flexible. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the outer skin provides a paintable and decoratable finish. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein contact is the helmet colliding with the object at a force that is greater than a predetermined force. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the predetermined force is an impact up to approximately 100 G-forces. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the object is selected from the group comprising:
 a ground surface, a floor, an inanimate object, a wall, a person, an extension of a person, and another helmet. 
 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the impact-absorbing material has a thickness of approximately ⅜″. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the impact-absorbing coating is integral with the helmet to which it is applied. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the impact-absorbing coating provides cushioning around the exterior of the helmet. 
     
     
         18 . An impact-absorbing coating applied to an object, the coating comprising:
 an impact-absorbing material arranged to coat an exterior of the object, wherein the impact-absorbing material is a single piece of unsegmented material; and   an outer skin provided over the impact-absorbing material,
 wherein the coating itself is non-obtrusive, and transparent or camouflaged against the exterior of the object, 
 wherein the coating prevents brain concussions by reducing an impact force of the object, in which the coating is applied to the object, against an additional object and reducing any other impact forces present to less than 60 G-forces and less than a threshold for experiencing a brain concussion, and 
 wherein the impact force and the any other impact forces occur when two or more objects contact or collide with one another. 
   
     
     
         19 . The impact-absorbing coating of  claim 18 , wherein the object is selected from the group comprising:
 an athletic helmet, a hat, a non-athletic headgear, a stationary object, a moving object, a wall, a piece of athletic equipment, a ground surface, a person, an extension of a person, and a floor.   
     
     
         20 . The impact-absorbing coating of  claim 18 , wherein the coating decreases the impact force of the object to which the coating is applied even when the impact force is up to 100 G-forces.