IP Library Granted Patent US 12,633,070
Granted Patent B2
US 12,633,070 · App. 17/180,180 · Granted May 19, 2026

Custom headwear manufactured by additive manufacture

Inventors: Timothy R Littlefield (Phoenix, AZ); Jerold N Luisi (Phoenix, AZ); George E Kechter (Peoria, IL)
Assignee: CRANIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
G06T19/20A61F5/05891B29C64/386B33Y30/00B33Y50/00B33Y50/02B33Y80/00B29K2105/04B29L2031/4807G06T2210/22G06T2210/41G06T2219/2016
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,633,070
App. No.
17/180,180
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Custom manufactured headwear for a subject's head is provided. The headwear comprises an inner layer shaped to contact the head of the subject at predetermined areas. The inner layer is deposited by an additive manufacturing device. The headwear further comprises an outer layer deposited by the additive manufacturing device. The inner layer and the outer layer are each formed by the additive manufacture device utilizing a device data file derived from a subject data file. The subject data file is representative of the shape of the head and the device data file determining the shape of the headwear.

Claims (41)

1 . Custom manufactured headwear for a head of a current subject, comprising:

an inner layer comprising a first material shaped to contact said head of said current subject at predetermined areas;

an outer layer comprising a second material;

an intermediate layer comprising a third material disposed between said inner layer and said outer layer;

said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer each comprise additive manufacturing apparatus deposited material;

each of said first material, said second material, and said third material having different characteristics from the others of said first material, said second material, and said third material;

each of said custom manufactured headwear, said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer having shapes each defined by a device data file derived from a current subject data file, said current subject data file comprising a three-dimensional data file representative of an unmodified shape of said head of said current subject; and

each of said inner layer, said intermediate layer and said outer layer comprising a peripheral edge having a shape defined by contour line data in said device data file, said contour line data determined directly from said current subject data file from calculated predetermined locations and calculated predetermined curvatures identified on said current subject head as represented in said current subject data file.

2 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

said inner layer, said outer layer and said intermediate layer each comprise one or both of different strength properties, material properties, and configurations.

3 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

said intermediate layer comprises cellular construction.

4 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

said intermediate layer comprises fibers.

5 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , wherein:

at least one layer of said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer comprises fibers.

6 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

at least one of said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer comprises carbon fibers.

7 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

said inner layer comprises portions positioned to contact predetermined surface areas of said head of said current subject.

8 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

said inner layer comprises a plurality of separate portions, each portion configured to contact one of a corresponding plurality of areas on said head of said current subject.

9 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

one or more removable manufacturing supports to facilitate additive manufacture of said custom headwear.

10 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , wherein:

at least one of said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer comprises cellular construction.

11 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising: said inner layer comprises a plurality of portions arranged to contact said head of said current subject at a corresponding predetermined surface area of said head of said current subject.

12 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

one or more of one or both of electronic sensors and transducers integrated into said custom headwear.

13 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising: one or more of one or both of electronic sensors and transducers integrated into said headwear and operable to determine pressure levels applied to said head of said current subject when said headwear is worn on said head of said current subject.

14 . The custom headwear of claim 1 , comprising:

components integrally formed with said custom headwear, said components comprise one or more of electronic transducers and electronic sensors.

15 . Custom manufactured headwear for a head of a current subject, comprising: an inner layer comprising a first material and shaped to contact said head of a current subject, said inner layer comprising additive manufacturing apparatus deposited material; an outer layer comprising a second material comprising additive manufacturing apparatus deposited material; an intermediate layer comprising a third material disposed between said inner layer and said outer layer, said intermediate layer comprising additive manufacture apparatus deposited material; each of said first material, said second material, and said third material having different characteristics from the others of said first material, said second material, and said third material: said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer are each determined by a device data file derived from a current subject data file, said current subject data file comprising a three-dimensional data file representative of an unmodified shape of said head of said current subject; a shape of said custom manufactured headwear, and each of said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer determined by said device data file; and each of said inner layer, said intermediate layer and said outer layer having a peripheral edge defined by contour line data in said device data file, said contour line data calculated directly from said three-dimensional data file of an unmodified shape of said head of said current subject and corresponding to contour lines on said head of said current subject.

16 . The custom manufactured headwear of claim 15 , wherein

at least one of said intermediate and outer layers comprises fibers.

17 . The custom manufactured headwear of claim 15 , wherein:

one of said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer comprises a cellular construction.

18 . The custom manufactured headwear of claim 15 , wherein:

said inner layer comprises a plurality of portions, each arranged to contact a corresponding predetermined surface portion of said head of said current subject.

19 . The custom manufactured headwear of claim 15 , wherein:

said periphery of each of said inner layer, intermediate layer and outer layer corresponds to said contour lines being extended outward through said inner layer, said intermediate layer, and said outer layer.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 8, 2022
From: CRANIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 059192/0248 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2021
From: LITTLEFIELD, TIMOTHY R; LUISI, JEROLD N; KECHTER, GEORGE E
To: CRANIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 055338/0523 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16925700 · Jul 10, 2020
Continuation 15474684 · Mar 30, 2017
Related Publication 20210268790A1 · Sep 2, 2021
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