Impact Absorbing Padding System with Elastomeric Sub-surface Structure

Abstract

A cushioning and impact absorbing pad system with a surface layer of thickness t, and an elastomeric sub-surface structure of height h. The sub-surface structure comprises an array of elastomeric columns wherein each column has a frustoconical column wall surrounding a central void. In other embodiments, pad thickness and column height are variable to create a surface which follows an anatomical contour.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A resilient pad system, comprising at least one pad, the pad having surfaces,
 the pad comprising a plurality of particular supporting resilient substructure hollow columns, each particular column having a column central axis, a column wall, a first end and an enclosed second end, the column wall surrounding a central void, the void extending from the first end to the enclosed second end of the column;   wherein the column wall of at least one column has a cross-sectional thickness that is thinner at the first end of the wall than at the enclosed second end of the wall;   wherein at least one of the pad surfaces is contoured to a non-planar surface that conforms to a preselected anatomical surface;   wherein the pad system has a cross-sectional pad thickness T that conforms over the expanse of the at least one of the pad surfaces in accordance with variation in the non-planar surface;   wherein each central void defined by the column walls has a height h at the column central axis within the cross-sectional thickness T, such that h varies over the expanse of the pad; and   wherein a surface layer with cross-sectional thickness t extends beyond the enclosed end of each central void within the cross-sectional pad thickness T, such that T=t+h.   
     
     
         2 . The resilient pad system of  claim 1  wherein the ratio of h:t for each column selectably falls within the range of greater than 4 and less than 6. 
     
     
         3 . The resilient pad system of  claim 1  wherein the column wall tapers, forming a frustoconically shaped column. 
     
     
         4 . The resilient pad system of  claim 3  wherein the cross-sectional thickness of the column wall increases from the first end of the column wall to the enclosed end of the column wall by a percentage within a range of greater than 184% and less than 231%. 
     
     
         5 . The resilient pad system of  claim 3  wherein the column wall increases in thickness to meet and form a dome at the enclosed end. 
     
     
         6 . The resilient pad system of  claim 3  wherein an outside draft angle of a cylinder wall is greater than five degrees and less than eleven degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The resilient pad system of  claim 6  wherein the outside draft angle is ten degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The resilient pad system of  claim 3  wherein an inside draft angle of a cylinder wall is greater than two degrees and less than five degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The resilient pad system of  claim 8  wherein the inside draft angle is four degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The resilient pad system of  claim 1  wherein at least a plurality of substructure columns are spaced apart in the pad on a uniform grid. 
     
     
         11 . The resilient pad system of  claim 10  wherein at least two of the plurality of substructure columns in the grid are joined to one another by elastomeric linkages. 
     
     
         12 . The resilient pad system of  claim 1  wherein at least a plurality of substructure columns are in honeycomb configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The resilient pad system of  claim 1  wherein a cross sectional shape of the columns is selected from the group of cross sectional shapes consisting of circular shape, elliptical shape, and multi-sided shape from three sided to twenty sided. 
     
     
         14 . The resilient pad system of  claim 13  wherein the selected cross sectional shape is circular. 
     
     
         15 . A resilient pad system, comprising at least one pad,
 the pad comprising a plurality of particular supporting resilient substructure hollow columns, each particular column having a column central axis, a column wall, a first end and an enclosed second end, a first zone extending from the first end and a second zone extending from the second end, the two zones abutting each other, the column wall surrounding a central void, the void extending from the first end to the enclosed second end of the column;   wherein the column wall of at least one column has a cross-sectional thickness in the first zone that is relatively uniform throughout the zone and a cross-sectional thickness in the second zone that relatively uniform throughout the zone, the first zone thinner than the second zone, and   wherein at the abutment of the two zones the change in column wall thickness is relatively abrupt.   
     
     
         16 . The resilient pad system of  claim 15  further wherein the pad system has a cross-sectional pad thickness T and wherein each central void defined by the column walls has a height h at the column central axis within the cross-sectional thickness T; and
 wherein a surface layer with cross-sectional thickness t extends beyond the enclosed end of each central void within the cross-sectional pad thickness T, such that T=t+h. 
 
     
     
         17 . The resilient pad system of  claim 16  wherein the ratio of h:t for each column selectably falls within the range of greater than 4 and less than 6. 
     
     
         18 . The resilient pad system of  claim 15  wherein at least a plurality of substructure columns are spaced apart in the pad on a uniform grid. 
     
     
         19 . The resilient pad system of  claim 18  wherein at least two of the plurality of substructure columns in the grid are joined to one another by elastomeric linkages. 
     
     
         20 . The resilient pad system of  claim 15  wherein at least a plurality of substructure columns are in honeycomb configuration.