Progressive stiffness energy distributing suspension of impact plate

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to impact dissipating protective garment (IDPG) including impact mitigating support spacers (IMSS) configured to facilitate dissipation impact energy. In an illustrative example, an IDPG includes a base garment and multiple spacers releasably and adjustably coupled to the base garment. In operation, for example, a wearer may wear a protective armor having an armor plate to cover at least part of the base garment. For example, at least some of the IMSS are adjustably positioned to suspend the armor plate at four distinctive points around a periphery of the armor plate. In some implementations, at least 50% of the armor plate is separated from the wearer by an air gap. Various embodiments may advantageously mitigate impact power transferred to the wearer by dissipating excess energy at the suspended armor plate and at the IMSS.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective suit comprising:
 a base garment;   a plurality of spacers releasably coupled to an outer surface of the base garment; and,   a protective armor comprising an armor plate covering at least part of the base garment, wherein:
 at least some of the plurality of spacers are adjustably positioned to suspend a region of the armor plate at four or more points around a periphery of the region, wherein the suspended region comprises at least 50% of an area of an inner surface of the armor plate, and the suspended region is separated from the living body by a continuous air gap such that, 
 upon impact by a projectile colliding with the armor plate, impact power transferred from the projectile is redistributed across the suspended region of the armor plate before being transmitted to the living body via the plurality of spacers supporting the armor plate. 
   
     
     
         2 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , further comprising a first side of a fastener strip fixed coupled to the outer surface of the base garment, and wherein:
 each of the plurality of spacers comprises at least two apertures configured to be releasably coupled to a second side of a fastener strip, such that each of the plurality of spacers is adjustably and releasably coupled along the first side of the fastener strip on the outer surface of the base garment.   
     
     
         3 . The protective suit of  claim 2 , wherein the fastener strip comprises a hook-and-loop strip. 
     
     
         4 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises a wider bottom surface area at a proximal end to the outer surface of the base garment, wherein the bottom surface area is at least 4 square inches. 
     
     
         5 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises a cone shape. 
     
     
         6 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises protrusions extending orthogonal to a base of the spacer, each protrusion is configured such that,
 when a projectile impacts the armor plate such that an impact force is exerted at the spacers supporting the armor plate under impact, a stiffness of the spacers in a direction orthogonal to the inner surface of the armor plate progressively increases as the protrusions are compressed.   
     
     
         7 . The protective suit of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises a smooth surface against the outer surface of the base garment, wherein, at impact, the smooth surface does not deform such that an impact energy transferred to the wearer is distributed among an entire surface area of the smooth surface. 
     
     
         8 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises concentric rings of protrusions separated by concentric channels, wherein the channels are in fluid communication by apertures in the concentric rings of protrusions. 
     
     
         9 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spacers supporting the armor plate is configured to deflect, upon receiving kinetic energy transferred from the impact at the armor plate, against the back of the armor plate such that motion of the plate relative to the wearer is reduced. 
     
     
         10 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises recycled plasticized polyvinyl chloride, and a durometer of the plurality of spacers is between Shore A 45 to Shore A 60. 
     
     
         11 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises silicone. 
     
     
         12 . The protective suit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises polyurethane. 
     
     
         13 . A functional garment comprising:
 a plurality of spacers releasably coupled to an outer surface of a functional garment, wherein at least some of the plurality of spacers are adjustably positioned to suspend a region of the armor plate by at least four points around a periphery of the suspended region, such that:   an inner surface of the armor plate covers at least part of the outer surface of the functional garment, wherein the suspended region comprises at least 50% of an area of the inner surface of the armor plate and the suspended region is separated from a living body of a wearer by an air gap such that,   upon impact by a projectile colliding with the armor plate, impact power transferred from the projectile is redistributed across the suspended region of armor plate before being transmitted to the living body via the plurality of spacers supporting the armor plate.   
     
     
         14 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , further comprising a first side of a fastener strip fixed coupled to the outer surface of the functional garment, and wherein:
 each of the plurality of spacers comprises at least two apertures configured to be releasably coupled to a second side of a fastener strip, such that each of the plurality of spacers is adjustably and releasably coupled along the first side of the fastener strip on the outer surface of the functional garment.   
     
     
         15 . The functional garment of  claim 14 , wherein the fastener strip comprises a hook-and-loop strip. 
     
     
         16 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises a wider bottom surface area at a proximal end to the outer surface of the functional garment, wherein the bottom surface area is at least 4 square inches. 
     
     
         17 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises a cone shape. 
     
     
         18 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises protrusions extending orthogonal to the living body, each protrusion is configured such that,
 when a projectile impacts the armor plate, wherein an impact force is exerted orthogonal to the living body at the spacers supporting the armor plate under impact, a stiffness of the spacers in a direction orthogonal to the inner surface of the armor plate progressively increases as the protrusions are compressed.   
     
     
         19 . The functional garment of  claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises a smooth surface against the outer surface of the functional garment, wherein, at impact, the smooth surface does not deform such that an impact energy transferred to the living body is distributed among an entire surface area of the smooth surface. 
     
     
         20 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises concentric rings of protrusions separated by concentric channels, wherein the channels are in fluid communication by apertures in the concentric rings of protrusions. 
     
     
         21 . The protective suit of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of spacers supporting the armor plate is configured to deflect, upon receiving kinetic energy transferred from the impact at the armor plate, against the back of the armor plate such that motion of the plate relative to the wearer is reduced. 
     
     
         22 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises recycled plasticized Polyvinyl chloride, wherein a durometer of the plurality of spacers is between Shore A 45 to Shore A 60. 
     
     
         23 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises silicone. 
     
     
         24 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises polyurethane. 
     
     
         25 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises a plurality of spacer materials. 
     
     
         26 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of spacers comprises at least one elongated spacer configured to engage at least two contact points. 
     
     
         27 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein the at least four points of contact comprise four distinct points of contact. 
     
     
         28 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein the base garment comprises a harness, and wherein the plurality of spacers is releasably coupled to the harness. 
     
     
         29 . The functional garment of  claim 28 , wherein the harness comprises a handle configured to support a weight of the living body. 
     
     
         30 . The functional garment of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of spacers comprises a plurality of spacer modules. 
     
     
         31 . The functional garment of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of spacers comprises a housing, wherein the plurality of spacer modules is disposed in the housing such that the plurality of spacer modules is releasably coupled to the garment by the housing.