Shock energy absorber

Abstract

A shock absorber includes damping material in a solid state and which transitions from a solid to a viscous fluid state when stressed and a plunger device including a depending blade positioned in or adjacent the damping material to be driven into the damping material when impacted transitioning the damping material to a viscous fluid state absorbing the impact.

1 . A shock absorber comprising:
 damping material in a solid state and which transitions from a solid to a viscous fluid state when stressed in compression; and   a plunger device including a depending blade positioned in or adjacent the damping material to be driven into the damping material when impacted transitioning the damping material to a viscous fluid state absorbing impact energy.   
     
     
         2 . The shock absorber of  claim 1  in which the plunger further includes a plurality of concentric depending blades. 
     
     
         3 . The shock absorber of  claim 2  in which the plunger includes a face plate and the concentric blades depend from the face plate. 
     
     
         4 . The shock absorber of  claim 2  in which the blades are round. 
     
     
         5 . The shock absorber of  claim 1  further including a rail containing the damping material. 
     
     
         6 . The shock absorber of  claim 5  in which the plunger is configured as a beam with a linear blade depending from a top plate. 
     
     
         7 . The shock absorber of  claim 1  further including an outer cylinder wall lined with said damping material. 
     
     
         8 . The shock absorber of  claim 7  in which the plunger device includes an inner cylinder having a wall terminating in said depending blade. 
     
     
         9 . The shock absorber of  claim 8  in which said inner cylinder wall is also lined with said damping material. 
     
     
         10 . The shock absorber of  claim 9  further including an end cap plunger with a depending blade in or adjacent damping material lining said inner cylinder wall. 
     
     
         11 . The shock absorber of  claim 10  further including a damping material confinement wall depending from said end cap. 
     
     
         12 . The shock absorber of  claim 11  further including a strut depending from the end cap inside the innermost confinement wall. 
     
     
         13 . A shock absorbing structure comprising:
 a platform including damping material in a solid state which transitions from the solid state to a viscous fluid state when stressed under compression; and   a plunger including:
 a face plate, and 
   concentric blades depending from the face plate in or adjacent the damping material to be driven into the damping material when impacted transitioning the damping material to a viscous fluid state absorbing the impact.   
     
     
         14 . The shock absorbent structure of  claim 13  in which the platform includes a drop platform. 
     
     
         15 . The shock absorbent structure of  claim 13  in which the platform includes a blast shield securable to the under side of a vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . A drop platform comprising:
 a bottom surface;   damping material in a solid state and which transitions from a solid state to a viscous fluid state when stressed under compression on said bottom surface;   a plunger including:
 a face plate, and 
 concentric blades depending from the face plate in or adjacent the damping material to be driven into the damping material when impacted transitioning the damping material to a viscous fluid state absorbing the impact; and 
   one or more side rails including:
 damping material in a solid state and which transitions from a solid state to a viscous fluid state when stressed, and 
 a plunger configured a beam with a blade depending therefrom adjacent to or in the damping material to be driven into the damping material when impacted transitioning the damping material to a viscous fluid state absorbing the impact. 
   
     
     
         17 . A shock absorber comprising:
 an outer cylinder wall lined with damping material in a solid state and which transitions from the solid state to a viscous fluid state when stressed in compression; and   a plunger device including an inner cylinder having a wall terminating in a depending blade position in or adjacent the damping material to be driven into the damping material when impacted transitioning the damping material to a viscous fluid state absorbing the impact.   
     
     
         18 . The shock absorber of  claim 17  in which said inner cylinder wall is lined with said damping material. 
     
     
         19 . The shock absorber of  claim 18  further including an end cap plunger with a depending blade in or adjacent the damping material lining said inner cylinder wall. 
     
     
         20 . The shock absorber of  claim 19  further including a damping material confinement wall depending from said end cap. 
     
     
         21 . The shock absorber of  claim 20  further including a strut within the confinement wall. 
     
     
         22 . The shock absorbing method comprising:
 positioning a plunger device including a depending blade in or adjacent damping material in a solid state but which transitions from the solid state to a viscous fluid state when stressed; and   upon an impact, driving the depending blade into the damping material transitioning the damping material to a viscous fluid state to absorb the energy of the impact.