Impact-resistant pad and method of manufacturing

Abstract

Impact-resistant pads, methods of manufacturing impact-resistant pads, and protective apparatuses are disclosed. An impact-resistant pad includes a spacer fabric, a fluid permeated within the spacer fabric, and a containment layer encapsulating the spacer fabric and the fluid. The fluid has a viscosity dependent on a force applied to the pad. A method for manufacturing the impact-resistant pad is includes cutting a spacer fabric to a desired shape, providing a fluid having a viscosity dependent on a force applied to the pad, permeating the spacer fabric with the fluid, and encapsulating the spacer fabric and the fluid with a containment layer.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An impact-resistant pad comprising
 a spacer fabric;   a fluid permeated within the spacer fabric; and   a containment layer encapsulating the spacer fabric and the fluid, wherein the fluid has a viscosity dependent on a force applied to the pad.   
     
     
         2 . The impact-resistant pad of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer fabric has a three-dimensional shape corresponding to a shape of the pad. 
     
     
         3 . The impact-resistant pad of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer fabric is formed from an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         4 . The impact-resistant pad of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer fabric comprises polyester. 
     
     
         5 . The impact-resistant pad of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a shear thickening fluid. 
     
     
         6 . The impact-resistant pad of  claim 5 , wherein the shear thickening fluid comprises silica nanoparticles and polyethylene glycol. 
     
     
         7 . The impact-resistant pad of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid completely saturates the spacer fabric. 
     
     
         8 . The impact-resistant pad of  claim 1 , wherein the containment layer comprises polyolefin. 
     
     
         9 . The impact-resistant pad of  claim 1 , wherein the pad has a thickness of no more than 10 mm. 
     
     
         10 . A protective apparatus configured to be worn by a human, the protective apparatus comprising the impact-resistant pad of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The protective apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the protective apparatus is configured to be worn by a human participant during an athletic activity. 
     
     
         12 . The protective apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the impact-resistant pad has a shape that approximately conforms to an external periphery of a body region of the human. 
     
     
         13 . A method for manufacturing an impact-resistant pad comprising:
 cutting a spacer fabric to a desired shape;   providing a fluid having a viscosity dependent on a force applied to the pad;   permeating the spacer fabric with the fluid; and   encapsulating the spacer fabric and the fluid with a containment layer.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the providing step comprises:
 providing a shear thickening fluid.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the providing step comprises:
 mixing silica nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the permeating step comprises:
 completely saturating the spacer fabric with the fluid.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the permeating step comprises:
 placing the spacer fabric in a container of the fluid until the spacer fabric is completely saturated.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the encapsulating step comprises:
 positioning the spacer fabric and the fluid in a compression mold between a pair of sheets for forming the containment layer; and   melting the pair of sheets to form the containment layer.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of:
 is compressing the impact-resistant pad into a desired shape with the compression mold.