Abstract: A helmet for protecting a head of a wearer, such as a hockey, lacrosse, football or other sports player. The helmet includes an outer shell and padding disposed between the outer shell and the wearer's head. The padding includes an inner part configured to face the wearer's head and an outer part disposed between the outer shell and the inner part. The inner part of the padding includes rotational impact protection pads that are spaced from one another and arranged so that they are oriented towards different areas of the wearer's head. Each rotational impact protection pad is separately connected to the outer part of the padding and is movable relative thereto by sliding against the outer part of the padding in response to a rotational impact on the helmet, wherein given ones of the rotational impact protection pads have different shapes and/or different sizes from one another.

Abstract: Articles comprising one or more additively-manufactured components are provided, as are method of additively manufacturing such components. The additvely-manufactured components are designed to enhance performance and use of the article, such as, but not limited to: impact protection, including for managing different types of impacts; fit and comfort; adjustability; and/or other aspects of the article. The provided methods of additive manufacturing include methods involving expandable materials and the expansion of post-additively manufactured expandable components.

Abstract: A helmet comprising one or more additively-manufactured components designed to enhance performance and use of the helmet, such as: impact protection, including for managing different types of impacts; fit and comfort; adjustability; and/or other aspects of the helmet. Methods of additively-manufacturing components for such helmets are also provided, including methods involving expandable materials and the expansion of post-additively manufactured expandable components.

Abstract: A goalkeeper catching glove has a front portion, a rear portion, and a trap. The goalkeeper catching glove is movable between an at rest position and a closed position. The goalkeeper catching glove is normally biased toward the at rest position. The goalkeeper catching glove has a perimeter. A projection of the perimeter of the goalkeeper catching glove in the at rest position onto a plane disposed in front of the goalkeeper catching glove having an at rest surface area. The at rest surface area is at least 90 percent of a maximum surface area. The maximum surface area corresponds to a projection of the perimeter of the goalkeeper catching glove onto the plane in a position of the goalkeeper catching glove providing a largest possible surface area.

Abstract: A goalkeeper catching glove being movable between an at rest position and a closed position. A front portion of the glove has: an outer member; and an inner member connected to the outer member. In the at rest position of the goalkeeper catching glove, a portion of the outer member in the palm region has a first radius of curvature. In the at rest position of the goalkeeper catching glove, a portion of the inner member in the palm region has a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is greater than the second radius of curvature. In the at rest position of the goalkeeper glove, the portion of the outer member having the first radius of curvature is spaced from the portion of the inner member having the second radius of curvature.

Abstract: A goalkeeper catching glove having a front portion defining a cuff region, a thumb region, a finger region, and a palm region, the palm region being concave; a rear portion; and a trap. The goalkeeper catching glove is movable between an at rest position and a closed position. The front portion has a puck reflection area. The puck reflection area is at least 80 percent of a total outer surface area of the thumb region, the finger region, and the palm region. The puck reflection area is shaped such that, in the at rest position, for each incident line being normal to a plane defined by a front surface of the cuff region and passing through the puck reflection area a corresponding reflection line extends through the trap.

Abstract: A goalkeeper catching glove has a front portion defining a cuff region, a thumb region, a finger region, and a palm region. The palm region is concave. The palm region extends between the thumb region and the finger region, and between the cuff region and the finger region. The front portion has a unitary impact resistant member. The unitary impact resistant member spans at least a majority of the thumb region, at least a majority of the finger region, and at least a majority of the palm region. The goalkeeper catching glove also has a rear portion connected to the front portion, the front portion and the rear portion defining therebetween a space for receiving a hand of a goalkeeper; and a trap connected to at least one of the front portion or the rear portion, the trap extending between the thumb region and the finger region.

Abstract: A goalkeeper catching glove having: a front portion defining a cuff region, a thumb region, a finger region, and a palm region; a hand covering selectively removably connected to an inner side of the front portion. The hand covering has at least one finger stall and a thumb stall. The at least one finger stall and the thumb stall are selectively connected to the inner side of the front portion along the finger region and the thumb region respectively. A rear portion has a finger cover for selectively covering the at least one finger stall and a thumb cover for selectively covering the at least one thumb stall. The finger cover is movable between a finger covering position and a finger donning position. The thumb cover is movable between a thumb covering position and a thumb donning position. A trap extends between the thumb region and the finger region.

Abstract: A helmet comprising one or more additively-manufactured components designed to enhance performance and use of the helmet, such as: impact protection, including for managing different types of impacts; fit and comfort; adjustability; and/or other aspects of the helmet. Methods of additively-manufacturing components for such helmets are also provided, including methods involving expandable materials and the expansion of post-additively manufactured expandable components.

Abstract: A helmet selection/customization process, which includes obtaining a 3D scan of a user's head; identifying a retail helmet variant that would fit the user's head; providing the user with an option to select the identified retail helmet variant or design a custom liner for a base helmet; and in case the user selects to design a custom helmet, causing generation of a 3D model of a custom liner based on the 3D scan and a 3D model of the base helmet. The method includes determining, based on the 3D scan, parameters associated with the user's head; and accessing a database storing parameters associated with a plurality of retail helmet variants, wherein the identifying is carried out based on processing of the parameters associated with the user's head and the parameters stored in the database, so as to identify one of the variants in the plurality of retail helmet variants.

Abstract: A helmet for protecting a head of a wearer, such as a hockey, lacrosse, football or other sports player. The helmet includes an outer shell and padding disposed between the outer shell and the wearer's head. The padding includes an inner part configured to face the wearer's head and an outer part disposed between the outer shell and the inner part. The inner part of the padding includes rotational impact protection pads that are spaced from one another and arranged so that they are oriented towards different areas of the wearer's head. Each rotational impact protection pad is separately connected to the outer part of the padding and is movable relative thereto by sliding against the outer part of the padding in response to a rotational impact on the helmet, wherein given ones of the rotational impact protection pads have different shapes and/or different sizes from one another.

Abstract: Methods and systems for customizing wearable equipment such as athletic equipment, including ice skates and protective equipment such as masks. For example, a hockey goaltender mask may comprise a shell a liner attached to the shell, the liner being customized for a face of a user. The liner may be produced using a customized mold. Such customized mold may include a base mold and at least one attachment attached to the base mold; wherein each of the at least one attachment is characterized by at least one feature determined based on computer processing of data representative of the face of the user.

Abstract: A helmet for protecting a head of a wearer, such as a hockey, lacrosse, football or other sports player. The helmet includes an outer shell and an inner padding disposed between the outer shell and the wearer's head when the helmet is worn. The inner padding includes a plurality of shock absorbers and an interconnector interconnecting the shock absorbers, each shock absorber being deformable in response to a rotational impact on the helmet such that an outer part of the shock absorber moves relative to an inner part of the shock absorber in a direction tangential to an angular movement of the outer shell due to the rotational impact.

Abstract: Methods and systems for customizing wearable equipment such as athletic equipment, including ice skates. For example, an ice skate may comprise a skate boot and blade holder. The skate boot may be customized, e.g., may be manufactured using a custom last. A method of operating a computing device to customize the skate boot last may comprise: carrying out a 3D modeling application; obtaining a scan of a foot from an image acquisition device; creating a model of the foot; obtaining a model of a customized last based on the model of the foot; creating metadata and associating the metadata with the 3D model data; and generating a production specification for the customized last based on the model of the customized last and the metadata.

Abstract: A footbed and a method for manufacturing footbed for a skate of a player are provided. The method has the steps of: obtaining data from at least one of a scan of a foot and a plantar pressure map of the foot; obtaining a player position of a player for whom the footbed is to be manufactured; generating a virtual footbed model based on the data and the player position; and causing an additive manufacturing machine to manufacture, based on the virtual footbed model, the footbed for the hockey skate.

Abstract: A helmet selection/customization process, which comprises obtaining a 3D scan of a user's head; identifying a retail helmet variant that would fit the user's head; providing the user with an option to select the identified retail helmet variant or design a custom liner for a base helmet; and in case the user selects to design a custom helmet, causing generation of a 3D model of a custom liner based on the 3D scan and a 3D model of the base helmet. The method includes determining, based on the 3D scan, parameters associated with the user's head; and accessing a database storing parameters associated with a plurality of retail helmet variants, wherein the identifying is carried out based on processing of the parameters associated with the user's head and the parameters stored in the database, so as to identify one of the variants in the plurality of retail helmet variants.

Abstract: A 3D printed thermal expansion structure includes a thermoplastic material and a thermal expansion material, wherein the thermoplastic material is in a range from 50 to 90 wt % based on a weight of the 3D printed thermal expansion structure, and the thermal expansion material is in a range from 10 to 50 wt % based on the weight of the 3D printed thermal expansion structure. The thermoplastic material and the thermal expansion material are mixed to form a mixed material, and the mixed material is utilized by a 3D printing apparatus to form a solid object, and the solid object is heated to form the 3D printed thermal expansion structure. A manufacturing method of a 3D printed thermal expansion structure is provided herein.

Abstract: A device (e.g., an article of athletic gear) comprising a post-molded expandable component, which is a part of the device that is configured to be expanded or has been expanded after being molded. This may allow the post-molded expandable component to have enhanced characteristics (e.g., be more shock-absorbent, lighter, etc.), to be cost-effectively manufactured (e.g., by using less material and/or making it in various sizes), and/or to be customized for a user (e.g., by custom-fitting it to the user).

Abstract: A helmet comprising one or more additively-manufactured components designed to enhance performance and use of the helmet, such as: impact protection, including for managing different types of impacts; fit and comfort; adjustability; and/or other aspects of the helmet. Methods of additively-manufacturing components for such helmets are also provided, including methods involving expandable materials and the expansion of post-additively manufactured expandable components.

Abstract: A skate or other footwear comprising one or more additively-manufactured components designed to enhance performance and use of the skate or other footwear, such as fit and comfort, power transfer (e.g., to a skating surface during skating strides), and/or other aspects of the skate or other footwear.