Patents Examined by Bobby H Muromoto, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7926124
    Abstract: Three dimensional fabric matrices are provided for insertion into compartments of or attachment to wearable items and padded items, referred to as contact articles. The matrix includes a core that maintains an air space between inner and outer layers to facilitate heat transfer by convection and evaporation, when the enclosure is breathable. When the enclosure restricts air permeation, the air space provides insulation. Embodiments reconfigurable from insulating to breathable include adjustable impermeable sections that releasably cover permeable sections. The matrix also absorbs shocks and distributes stresses to provide padding and cushioning, including reduction of backface signature in ballistic applications. Wearable items containing one or more matrices offer enhanced thermal regulation and shock absorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Variloft, LLC
    Inventors: Robert L. Hunter, Whitney R. Hunter, Stephen A. Gathings
  • Patent number: 7926117
    Abstract: A ballistic resistant garment quick release system may include an outer shell configured to form a pocket into which ballistic resistant material is positioned. A cable channel is positioned along at least a portion of the ballistic resistant garment and a release cable is positioned within the cable channel. The release cable may move from a first position to a second position wherein the release cable is configured in the first position to engage a removable attachment strap and retain the removable attachment strap to the ballistic resistant garment and the release cable is configured in the second position to disengage from the removable attachment strap and thereby enable the removable attachment strap to disengage from the ballistic resistant garment. A fixed attachment strap is attached to the ballistic resistant garment and configured to mate with the removable attachment strap to retain the ballistic resistant garment on the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Point Blank Body Armor
    Inventors: Ardith D. Parks, Chung Hong Lu-Lai
  • Patent number: 7926518
    Abstract: A face-to-face weaving machine is disclosed, which includes a cutting bench to guide the movement of a cutting blade in order to cut a face-to-face fabric. The cutting bench is carried and/or supported at its extremities by the frame of the weaving machine. In at least one additional location between the cutting bench extremities, the cutting bench is carried and/or supported by the frame by way of one or more intermediate parts. A face-to-face weaving machine with a cutting bench that possesses sufficient stiffness to significantly reduce sagging of the cutting bench is thereby obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: N.V. Michel Van de Wiele
    Inventors: Johny Debaes, Stéphan Vanneste
  • Patent number: 7921468
    Abstract: Protective eyeglasses provide hearing protection from elevated noise levels. The protective eyeglasses have safety lenses for protection of each of the eyes. Support members extend from the lenses of the eyeglasses to the ears, and have earplugs or protectors thereon which are inserted into the ears. The side support members are spring biased towards each other so that the side members provide pressure to hold the plugs in the ears of the wearer. Ear plugs are mounted so as to swivel relative to the side support members. The side support members are telescoping and are adjustable in length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Inventor: Daniel Joseph Conrad Sutton
  • Patent number: 7917968
    Abstract: An armored garment, such as a vest, has an attached rescue strap allowing a soldier in battle to quickly move a fallen comrade from immediate danger to safety. The rescue strap enables a rescuing soldier to move a wounded soldier in a manner that also allows the rescuing soldier to use his weapon and return enemy fire as necessary. The rescue strap may be affixed to an anchor strap secured to a panel of the garment and that distributes the pulling force across the garment panel. The rescue strap stores when not in use, but in a manner easily reached for quick deployment. A pull handle, for example a ring or a carabiner, can be affixed to an end of the strap to be grasped by a rescuing soldier. Pulling the handle draws the rescue strap from its storage location to be used to pull a wounded soldier to safety. A further feature of the armored garment is a stretchable flexible expansion joint that divides an outer woven back panel of the garment allowing greater freedom of movement to the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Inventor: Phillip D. Roux
  • Patent number: 7918249
    Abstract: A leno device uses the link mechanisms (31, 31?) to derive the movement of its half shaft (28) from the movement of its pull or lifting shafts (2, 3). The link mechanisms (31, 31?) connect the shaft rods (4, 5) of the pull or lifting shafts (2, 3) to the half shaft (28), whereby a connecting rod (32, 32?) extends between the two pull or lifting shafts (2, 3) from the top to the bottom through said shafts. The upper end of the connecting rod (32, 32?) is connected, on both sides of the connecting rod (32 32?) via connecting levers (33, 34, 33? 34?), to the joints (36, 37, 36?, 37?) that are connected to the upper shaft rods (4, 5) of the pull or lifting shafts (2, 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Groz-Beckert KG
    Inventor: Pascal Moser
  • Patent number: 7917967
    Abstract: A front break away ballistics vest (1) having a front (36) and a back section (11) that are securable to one another. The front section (36) has an upper front section (18) and a lower front (12) section. A first clip (38) is located on the upper front section (18) to release a first shoulder strap (4) from the first clip (38) and a second clip (39) is located on the upper front section (18) to release a second shoulder strap (5) from the second clip (39). The first and second clips (38 and 39) are secured to one another, preferably via a release strap (44). A third clip (40) is located on the lower front section (12) to release the first and second clips (38 and 39) from the third clip (40). The third clip (40) is also secured to the first and second clips (38 and 39), preferably via the release strap (44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Survival Armor, Inc.
    Inventor: Kurt J. Osborne
  • Patent number: 7917971
    Abstract: An energy absorbing and displacing structure for athletic protective equipment, such as an athletic shin-guard, is provided using a flexible web-shaped body to hold a rigid band-shaped member in place. The inner rigid band-shaped member follows the contour of the desired area to protect. The outer flexible web-shaped body is made of a softer rubber like material and works as a locator and supporter keeping the inner, rigid band-shaped member, in proper location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Inventor: Brian Edward Kamradt
  • Patent number: 7918248
    Abstract: A shed-forming component (1, 3, 4, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) of a shed-forming apparatus includes an information source (12, 16, 17, 18, 23, 29, 33) which may be connected to a control unit (13) for transmitting data about the specification of the component and/or data about operating parameters of the component during weaving to a control unit (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Bart Beernaert
  • Patent number: 7913317
    Abstract: A suit for use to be worn by a person when immersed in water or in contact with water and may be provided, for example, as a wetsuit construction or a dry suit construction. The suit includes an outer layer typically of a rubber foam construction and in accordance with the invention there is provided on the inner side of said layer, at least one portion of the suit, a layer of wool (8) or wool blended with other material. This inner wool (8) containing layer typically lies in contact with the wearer. In one embodiment the wool used is that obtained from Merino sheep which is found to be particularly well suited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Inventors: John Gordon, Corey Gordon
  • Patent number: 7913326
    Abstract: A patient laser goggle having a pair of eye cup assemblies adjustably joined to a formed bridge wire having collinear ends. Each eye cup has a clamping mechanism to which each bridge wire end is held and a strap hook to receive the looped ends of an adjustable band. The collinear bridge wire ends are horizontally and tiltably held within the clamping mechanisms so that the patient laser goggle can be easily custom fit to the eyes of a patient. Once adjusted, the clamping mechanism allows rotation of the bridge wire with respect to the eye cup so that a medical practitioner can have easy and unobstructed access to areas of the patient's face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Inventor: Thomas D. Barrows
  • Patent number: 7909066
    Abstract: Two layered beads (B) arranged between two neighboring warps (tx-1) and (tx) are woven by inserting a weft (yx) through center holes (2) of the beads in (B) in a forward direction or in a backward direction and turning the weft (yx), around one of the warps (t). A two layered beaded fabric is obtained by repeating the movements of the weft (yx). A three layered beaded fabric can be obtained in the same manner as the two layered beaded fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Inventor: Keiko Wada
  • Patent number: 7908676
    Abstract: A multi-functional, lightweight outerwear garment that transforms into a temporary freestanding shelter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Inventor: Linda Gutshe
  • Patent number: 7905256
    Abstract: A penetration-obstructing article comprising a multiplicity of fabric layers of fibers having elongation at break of less than 8%, measured according to EN 12562, wherein there are at least two groups of fibers in at least one single fabric layer, wherein the regions of a first group have a first fabric density DG1 according to Walz of from 8% to 80% and wherein the regions of a second group have a second fabric density according to Walz of from 8% to 80% and wherein the difference between DG1 and DG2 is at least 3%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Teijin Aramid GmbH
    Inventors: Rüdiger Hartert, Christian Böttger
  • Patent number: 7900268
    Abstract: A ballistic face guard (100) for providing additional protection to a wearer's face and neck. A ballistic face guard (100) in combination with a ballistic visor (1000) for providing additional protection to a wearer's face, neck, and eyes. A ballistic face guard (100) in combination with a ballistic visor (1000) and a military helmet (140) for providing protection to a wearer's face, neck, eyes and head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Mahan Technical Design
    Inventor: Benjamin Mahan
  • Patent number: 7900283
    Abstract: A chest protector formed of a base, upper and lower shoulder straps, a neck pad, neck cushions, shoulder cushions, chest cushions, upper and lower abdomen cushions, lateral cushions, bottom cushions and breathing cloths. Each upper abdomen cushion is formed of an inner low bounce foam, an outer low bounce foam and an intermediate hard plastic board sandwiched in between the inner low bounce foam and outer low bounce foam. Each lower abdomen cushion is formed of an inner low bounce foam and an outer low bounce foam. The inner low bounce foam of each abdomen cushion is shorter and relatively softer than the associating outer low bounce form so that a buffer space is defined between the outer low bounce foam of each abdomen cushion and the base below the associating inner low bounce foam and the outer low bounce foams of the abdomen cushions are respectively held in a sloping status after stitching of the breathing cloths to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Racer Sporting Goods Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Shyan-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 7900282
    Abstract: A device for protecting against impact. The device includes an inflatable valve made of sheets of high-strength PVC (1) provided with an inflating end (3). Fitted within this valve using a method of thermal bonding (4) are walls (2) configured as a labyrinth in order to better regulate the air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignees: RXR Protect
    Inventor: David Schuller
  • Patent number: 7900267
    Abstract: Multiaxial fabrics contain at least one layer of nonwoven fabric, thermoplastic film or thermoset film, a first layer containing a plurality of first yarns being substantially parallel in a first direction, a second layer containing a plurality of second yarns being substantially parallel in a second direction and skew or off-set with respect to the first yarns, and transverse yarn interlaced transversely within the layers wherein each layer may be arranged in any sequential order and optionally coated with a high viscosity polymer that has a Tg in the range of about ?40 to about 0° C., and a zero shear melt viscosity of about 2×106 to about 1013 poise at 20° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Minshon J. Chiou
  • Patent number: 7896034
    Abstract: A fabric for supporting a fibrous web is disclosed. The fabric has a layer that includes a plurality of weft yarns and a plurality of warp yarns interwoven with the plurality of weft yarns. The warp and weft yarns define a web-facing side and an opposite machine-facing side. The warp yarns include at least one of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). In addition, a yarn count, weave pattern, and yarn shape of the fabric are configured such that molten polymer drops are scrapable from the web-facing side leaving an upper support surface that does not blemish a fibrous web supported by the fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH
    Inventors: William Harwood, Gilbert Ross
  • Patent number: 7896035
    Abstract: In an industrial multilayer fabric, narrower wefts of a small diameter are placed between lower side wefts so as to sandwich a knuckle formed by a lower side warp on the lower surface side of the fabric. The industrial fabric is obtained by stacking at least upper side wefts and lower side wefts one after another and weaving these wefts with warps. Narrower wefts that have a smaller diameter than that of the lower side wefts and form a shorter crimp than that formed by the lower side wefts on the lower side surface are arranged between the lower side wefts. And at a knuckle portion formed by warps passing under one or two successive lower side wefts, the narrower wefts form a crimp passing under lower side warps so as to sandwich, from both sides, one knuckle or two knuckles formed by two adjacent warps under two adjacent wefts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Filcon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikuo Ueda, Yoshihisa Kondo