Energy control systems

Abstract

An energy control system comprising one or more fibers, the one or more fibers each comprising strain-rate sensitive material. Wearable items comprising the energy control system. A method of manufacturing a strain-rate sensitive fiber, the method comprising: extruding strain-rate sensitive material to form one or more fibers; coating the extruded one or more fibers with a tackiness reducing powder; and applying the coated one or more fibers onto a storage component. A method of manufacturing a strain-rate sensitive fiber, the method comprising: extruding strain-rate sensitive material to form one or more fibers; reducing tension on the extruded one or more fibers; and applying the reduced tension one or more fibers onto a storage component. A protection element configured to at least partially enclose one or more elongate elements, the protection element comprising strain-rate sensitive material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An energy control system comprising one or more fibers, the one or more fibers each comprising strain-rate sensitive material. 
     
     
         2 . The energy control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the strain-rate sensitive material comprises one or more of:
 a solid strain-rate sensitive material,   a chemically strain-rate sensitive material,   a polymer,   a siloxane, and   a chemical dilatant.   
     
     
         3 . The energy control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy control system comprises textile formed at least in part by interlocking fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The energy control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the interlocking fibers comprise the one or more fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The energy control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the textile comprises substantially only fibers formed of strain-rate sensitive material. 
     
     
         6 . The energy control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the interlocking fibers comprise one or more further fibers not formed of strain-rate sensitive material. 
     
     
         7 . The energy control system according to  claim 6 , wherein the textile is configured to provide a predetermined ratio of fiber formed of strain-rate sensitive material to fiber not formed of strain-rate sensitive material, the predetermined ratio being associated with a predetermined energy control parameter of the system. 
     
     
         8 . The energy control system according to  claim 3 , wherein a density of strain-rate sensitive material in the textile varies according to position in the textile. 
     
     
         9 . The energy control system according to  claim 8 , wherein the textile comprises a plurality of zones, each of the plurality of zones being associated with a respective density of strain-rate sensitive material. 
     
     
         10 . The energy control system according to  claim 9 , wherein a first zone in the plurality comprises a first density of strain-rate sensitive material and a second zone in the plurality comprises a second different density of strain-rate sensitive material. 
     
     
         11 . The energy control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the textile is configured to provide at least one interstitial contact point where at least one of the one or more fibers is in contact with an adjacent fiber. 
     
     
         12 . The energy control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the adjacent fiber comprises strain-rate sensitive material. 
     
     
         13 . The energy control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the adjacent fiber does not comprise strain-rate sensitive material. 
     
     
         14 . The energy control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the textile is configured to provide a plurality of interstitial contact points. 
     
     
         15 . The energy control system according to  claim 14 , wherein the textile is configured to provide a predetermined number of interstitial contact points, the predetermined number being associated with a predetermined energy control parameter of the system. 
     
     
         16 . The energy control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the textile is configured to compress at least one of the one or more fibers. 
     
     
         17 . The energy control system according to  claim 1 , wherein a perimeter to cross-sectional area ratio of at least one of the one or more fibers is configured to provide a predetermined energy control parameter of the system. 
     
     
         18 . The energy control system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more fibers has a cross-section shaped substantially as: a circle, an oval, a square, a quadrilateral, or a quadrilateral with one or more concave sides. 
     
     
         19 . The energy control system according to  claim 7 , wherein the predetermined energy control parameter comprises one or more of: energy absorption, stiffness, and interstitial friction. 
     
     
         20 . The energy control system according to  claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of at least one fiber of the one or more fibers varies along a length of the at least one fiber. 
     
     
         21 . The energy control system according to  claim 20 , wherein the at least one fiber has a ribbed texture, the ribbed texture comprising a plurality of ribs running substantially circumferentially around the at least one fiber. 
     
     
         22 . The energy control system according to  claim 21 , wherein the ribbed texture is imparted at least in part by compression of the at least one fiber by an adjacent fiber. 
     
     
         23 . The energy control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fibers each have a thickness of at least 10 microns. 
     
     
         24 . A wearable item comprising an energy control system comprising one or more fibers, the one or more fibers each comprising strain-rate sensitive material. 
     
     
         25 . The wearable item according to  claim 24 , wherein:
 the wearable item comprises a body-close wearable item configured such that, when the wearable item is worn by a user, at least part of the wearable item is positioned adjacent to a body of the user; and   the one or more fibers are configured to control motion of one or more body parts of the user.   
     
     
         26 . The wearable item according to  claim 25 , wherein the one or more body parts comprise soft-tissue body parts. 
     
     
         27 . The wearable item according to  claim 26 , wherein the motion of the one or more body parts comprises one or more of:
 a velocity of the one or more body parts,   a displacement of the one or more body parts,   an acceleration of the one or more body parts,   an energy absorption of the one or more body parts, and   a stiffness of the one or more body parts.   
     
     
         28 . The wearable item according to  claim 26 , wherein the controlling is dependent on a frequency of motion of the one or more body parts. 
     
     
         29 . The wearable item according to  claim 28 , wherein the controlling is greater at relatively high frequencies of motion of the one or more body parts compared to relatively low frequencies of motion of the one or more body parts. 
     
     
         30 . The wearable item according to  claim 29 , wherein the controlling comprises performing substantially zero control at relatively low frequencies of motion of the one or more body parts. 
     
     
         31 . The wearable item according to  claim 29 , wherein the relatively low frequencies comprise frequencies below 5 Hz and the relatively high frequencies comprise frequencies above 5 Hz. 
     
     
         32 . The wearable item according to  claim 29 , wherein the relatively low frequencies comprise frequencies between 1 Hz and 5 Hz and the relatively high frequencies comprise frequencies between 10 Hz and 30 Hz. 
     
     
         33 . The wearable item according to  claim 25 , wherein the one or more fibers are configured to control motion of the one or more body parts of the user in a given direction. 
     
     
         34 . The wearable item according to  claim 33 , wherein the given direction comprises one or more of:
 a radial direction from a bone of the user, and   a circumferential direction around a bone of the user.   
     
     
         35 . The wearable item according to  claim 33 , wherein the given direction comprises one or more of:
 a radial direction from a given body part of the user,   an axial direction along a given body part of the user, and   a circumferential direction a given body part of the user.   
     
     
         36 . The wearable item according to  claim 35 , wherein the given body part of the user comprises a torso of the user. 
     
     
         37 . The wearable item according to  claim 25 , wherein the one or more fibers are configured not to control motion of the one or more body parts of the user in a different, given direction. 
     
     
         38 . The wearable item according to  claim 37 , wherein the different, given direction comprises an axial direction along a bone of the user. 
     
     
         39 . The wearable item according to  claim 38 , wherein the bone of the user comprises a femur. 
     
     
         40 . The wearable item according to  claim 24 , wherein the wearable item comprises one or more of:
 a pair of shorts,   a brassiere,   a sock, and   a sleeve or tube with an opening at both ends.