Releasable impact mitigating fastener

Abstract

The releasable impact mitigating fasteners is an adaptable mechanism that may be used as the main energy management source and/or be used as a supplemental energy management source. The improved releasable impact mitigating fasteners are easily incorporated into protective devices such as helmets and/or other protective gear for a variety of activities, applications and/or industries, that require enhanced impact absorption, reusability, and/or quick release capabilities under specifically designed impact loads, etc. Each of the releasable impact mitigating fasteners comprise a first end, a second end and an impact mitigation structure. The first end comprises a face plate, the second end may comprise at least one flange. Each of the releasable impact mitigating fasteners may further comprise a base.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A releasable impact mitigating fastener comprising:
 an upper body, the upper body comprises a first end, a second end and an impact mitigation structure, the first end comprising a face plate, the impact mitigation structure being a laterally supported filament structure, the laterally supported filament structure including a plurality of filaments and an equal number of plurality of lateral walls, each of the plurality of filaments are positioned proximate to an adjacent each of the plurality of filaments to form a polygonal shape, the equal number of the plurality of walls coupling the each of the plurality filaments to the adjacent each of the plurality of filaments.   
     
     
         2 . The releasable impact mitigating fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the second end comprises a flange. 
     
     
         3 . The releasable impact mitigating fastener of  claim 2 , wherein the flange is separated from the upper body by a space. 
     
     
         4 . The releasable impact mitigating fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the polygonal shape comprises a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a septagon, and an octagon. 
     
     
         5 . The releasable impact mitigating fastener of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the upper body comprises a retaining ring. 
     
     
         6 . The releasable impact mitigating fastener of  claim 2 , wherein a portion of the flange comprises a retaining ring. 
     
     
         7 . The releasable impact mitigating structure of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate comprises at least one opening. 
     
     
         8 . A helmet system comprising:
 an outer shell, the outer shell having an interior surface;   an inner shell having an exterior surface; and   an impact mitigation layer, the impact mitigation layer disposed between the inner and outer shell, the impact mitigation layer comprising a plurality of releasable impact mitigating fasteners, the plurality of releasable impact mitigating fasteners extending longitudinally between the inner external surface and outer shell internal surface,   each of the releasable impact mitigating fasteners including an upper body, a first end and a second end, the upper body comprising an impact mitigation structure, the first end having a face plate, the first end or second end proximate to the inner shell, the first end or second end proximate to the outer shell.   
     
     
         9 . The helmet system of  claim 8 , wherein the each of the releasable impact mitigating fasteners second end comprises at least one flange. 
     
     
         10 . The helmet system of  claim 9 , wherein at least one flange being separated from at least a portion of the upper body by a space. 
     
     
         11 . The helmet system of  claim 9 , wherein the space is sized and configured to receive a portion of an inner shell or outer shell. 
     
     
         12 . The helmet system of  claim 8 , wherein the impact mitigation structure includes a laterally supported filament structure, the laterally supported filament structure including a plurality of filaments and an equal number of plurality of lateral walls, each of the plurality of filaments are positioned proximate to an adjacent each of the plurality of filaments to form a polygonal shape, the equal number of the plurality of walls coupling the each of the plurality filaments to the adjacent each of the plurality of filaments. 
     
     
         13 . The helmet system of  claim 12 , wherein the polygonal shape comprises a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a septagon, and an octagon. 
     
     
         14 . The helmet system of  claim 8 , wherein a portion of the upper body comprises a retaining ring. 
     
     
         15 . The helmet system of  claim 9 , wherein a portion of the at least one flange comprises a retaining ring. 
     
     
         16 . The helmet system of  claim 8 , wherein the face plate comprises at least one opening. 
     
     
         17 . The helmet system of  claim 8 , wherein the upper body is frustum shaped. 
     
     
         18 . The helmet system of  claim 8 , wherein the impact mitigation layer further comprises a plurality of supplemental impact mitigation structures. 
     
     
         19 . The helmet system of  claim 18 , wherein the supplemental impact mitigation structures comprises a plurality of filaments. 
     
     
         20 . The helmet system of  claim 9 , wherein the flange having a flange diameter and the upper body having an upper body diameter, the flange diameter being greater than the upper body diameter.