3m Innovative Properties Company

Stirling Mouldings Limited

Other

Stirling Moulded Composites Limited

David S Taylor

Desmond T Curran

Peter D Lee

Peter B Allen

Scott R Alexander

Christopher P Henderson

Jason A Graves

A flexible material includes a plurality of separate resilient elements joined to a flexible, resiliently stretchable substrate. Such a material is suitable for providing protective war for human and animal bodies. Preferably, the elements includes a foam material such as a closed cell polyethylene foam and the substrate includes a knitted fabric. In an advantageous embodiment, a second flexible substrate is bonded over the elements to sandwich them between the two layers of substrate.

Flexible material

A method of manufacturing a flexible, impact-resistant material () comprises the steps of providing a sheet of a closed-cell foam material () and cutting the sheet () into a plurality of spaced elements (). These elements () are substantially separated except for connecting portions () that connect the elements to neighboring elements such that the elements () are joined to define a lattice (). A first flexible substrate () is bonded to one face of the lattice. The connecting portions () that connect the elements () to neighboring elements are then removed, either with or without removing those portions of the substrate () bonded to the connecting portions (), for example by punching, cutting or laser ablation. A second flexible substrate () may be bonded to the opposite face of the lattice either before or after removal of the connecting portions.

Method of manufacturing a flexible, impact-resistant material

A respiratory component mounting assembly includes a first respiratory component, a second respiratory component and a mounting clip for mounting the second respiratory component to the first respiratory component. Each of the first and second respiratory components includes at least two spaced apart clip openings. The mounting clip has an intermediate portion and two spaced apart free ends connected to the intermediate portion. The intermediate portion of the mounting clip is received within both of the clip openings of the first respiratory component and the free ends of the mounting clip are received in the clip openings of the second respiratory component for releasably securing the first and second respiratory components together.

Respiratory component mounting assembly

An anatomically fitted belt is used for carrying one or more waist-mounted respiratory protection components. The belt includes a main belt portion and a belt buckle portion. The main belt portion includes a back section, a left side section, a right side section, a left connective section between the back section and the left side section, and a right connective section between the back section and the right side section. The back section is wider than the other sections of the main belt portion. The main belt portion has a generally conical shape to be secured around a user's pelvic girdle and to align the respiratory component over the lumbar region of the user's spine to distribute a weight of the respiratory component. The belt buckle portion includes a right piece connected to the right side section of the main belt portion and a left piece connected to the left side section of the main belt portion.

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Accrington, United Kingdom

David S Taylor