Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC

Other

Charles M Milliren

Dan T Moore

Ajit Sane

Kristen L Parks

R Craig Virnelson

Bruce O Budinger

Randy Bryan Collins

James L Eucker

Hayden L Leon, Iii

Jeff Lennartz

Jason R Brand

A viscoelastic foam system is provided having an amine-based polyoxypropylene extended polyol to impart strength, recoverability and endurance to the foam, and an appropriately selected non-amine-based polyol to provide flexibility to the foam. The combination of amine-based propylene oxide extended polyol and non-amine-based polyol provides a viscoelastic semi-rigid foam with excellent impact and recovery properties, recovering to substantially 100% of its initial volume and shape following an impact, yet with sufficient rigidity and stiffness so that it is effective at absorbing multiple impacts. A method of making the above viscoelastic foam is also provided.

Viscoelastic foam layer and composition

A composite armor including a disrupting layer and a backing layer provides protection against blast and ballistic threats. The disrupting layer includes ceramic particles or tiles that disrupt the incoming projectile, while the backing layer prevents penetration past the armor by the disrupted projectile. The disrupting layer may include a layer of polygonal ceramic tiles with a deflecting front surface, encased by a retaining polymer, and may also include fire-retarding particles.

Encapsulated ceramic composite armor

A protective foam layer is provided. The protective layer has a foam substrate that is at least partially enclosed by a formed skin adjacent the outer surface of the foam substrate. The formed skin is substantially non-porous. The combination of the foam substrate with the formed skin results in a protective layer that is effective to absorb and/or dissipate impact force for both high- and low-speed impacts that can be experienced during a sporting event such as cycling. The formed skin can also be provided with a plurality of protective zones having vent holes through the formed skin to regulate the degree of energy absorption in the respective zones. In this manner, a single continuous protective foam layer can be provided having multiple protective zones having distinct energy absorption characteristics instead of providing discrete protective layers that must be joined or meet at a seam. According to the invention, by providing such a continuous protective layer with no such seams, a known failure mode in protective equipment is eliminated.

Protective foam with skin

A viscoelastic foam is provided having an amine-based polyol system to impart strength, recoverability and endurance to the foam, and an appropriately selected trifunctional non-amine-based polyol system to provide flexibility to the foam. The combination of amine-based and non amine-based polyols provides a viscoelastic semi-rigid foam with excellent impact and recovery properties, recovering to substantially 100% of its initial volume and shape following an impact, yet with high rigidity and stiffness so that it is effective at absorbing high as well as low-energy impacts. A method of making the above viscoelastic foam is also provided. In a preferred embodiment, the foam is made using an allophanate-modified MDI prepolymer in order to provide the isocyanate in liquid form at standard temperature and pressure in order to simplify the production of the invented viscoelastic foams.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a polyurethane foam backed instrument panel. This process comprises slicing a free-rise bun of polyurethane foam to form a skived polyurethane foam, bonding the skived foam to a skin material to form a laminate, optionally, rolling the foam/skin laminate, thermoforming the foam/skin laminate into an instrument panel skin, positioning the instrument panel skin into the cavity of a mold, positioning a retainer into the core of the mold, adhering the retainer to the laminate by placing an adhesive film onto the retainer, closing the mold to apply heat and pressure, and removing the resultant instrument panel from the mold. Suitable polyurethane foams for the present invention may be flexible foams or semi-rigid foams. This invention also relates to the polyurethane foam backed instrument panels produced by this process.

Growing community of inventors

Chesterland, OH, United States of America

Charles M Milliren