Impact Absorbing Safety Matting 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. The cross-sectional thickness of the column wall increases from the first end to the enclosed second end by a percentage within a range of greater than 125% and less than 140%. Column walls are tapered with draft angles in the range of greater than 6 degrees and less than 10 degrees.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A resilient pad system comprising at least one pad, the pad comprising a plurality of supporting resilient substructure hollow columns, each such column having a column wall with a cross-sectional thickness, the wall tapered from a first end to 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 cross-sectional thickness of the column wall increases from the first end to the enclosed second end by a percentage within a range of greater than 125% and less than 140%.   
     
     
         2 . The resilient pad system of  claim 1  wherein the column wall taper forms a frustoconically shaped column 
     
     
         3 . The resilient pad system of  claim 1  wherein the enclosed second end of the column is in the form of a dome. 
     
     
         4 . The resilient pad system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of hollow columns are arrayed on a uniform grid beneath the surface layer. 
     
     
         5 . The resilient pad system of  claim 4  wherein the plurality of hollow columns are joined to one another and to the underside of the surface layer by elastomeric linkages. 
     
     
         6 . A resilient pad system comprising at least one pad, the pad comprising a plurality of supporting resilient substructure hollow columns, each such column having a column wall tapered, both inside and out, from a first end to 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 is tapered with an outside wall draft angle greater than 6 degrees and less than 10 degrees, and an inside wall draft angle greater than 6 degrees and less than 10 degrees.   
     
     
         7 . The resilient pad system of  claim 6  wherein the outside draft angle is greater than the inside draft angle. 
     
     
         8 . The resilient pad system of  claim 6  wherein the outside draft angle is approximately equal to the inside draft angle. 
     
     
         9 . The resilient pad system of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of hollow columns are arrayed on a uniform grid beneath the surface layer. 
     
     
         10 . The resilient pad system of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of hollow columns are joined to one another and to the underside of the surface layer by elastomeric linkages. 
     
     
         11 . A resilient pad system comprising at least one pad, the pad comprising a surface layer and a plurality of supporting resilient substructure hollow columns arrayed beneath the surface layer having a thickness t, each such column having a central axis and a column wall, the column wall surrounding a central void, the void extending from a first end to an enclosed second end of the column;
 wherein the pad system has a cross-sectional pad thickness T, each central void defined by the column walls has a relatively uniform height h within the cross-sectional thickness T, and thickness t extends beyond the enclosed end of the central voids within the cross-sectional thickness T, such that T=t+h; and the ratio of h:t is greater than 1.3 and less than 3.5.   
     
     
         12 . The resilient pad system of  claim 11  wherein the ratio of h:t is greater than 1.3 and less than 2.4. 
     
     
         13 . The resilient pad system of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of hollow columns are arrayed on a uniform grid beneath the surface layer. 
     
     
         14 . The resilient pad system of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of hollow columns are arrayed with the central axes of the hollow columns spaced on centers spaced between 4 mm to 8 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The resilient pad system of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of hollow columns are joined to one another and to the underside of the surface layer by elastomeric linkages. 
     
     
         16 . The resilient pad system of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of hollow columns are arrayed in a honey comb configuration having shared walls. 
     
     
         17 . The resilient pad system of  claim 11  wherein the hollow columns are selected from the group of column shapes consisting of circular, elliptical, and multi-sided column shapes. 
     
     
         18 . The resilient pad system of  claim 17  wherein the hollow column shapes selected are circular. 
     
     
         19 . The resilient pad system of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of hollow columns each have a first wall zone starting at the column first end and a thicker second wall zone adjacent to and above the first zone to effect a thickness difference between the two wall zones. 
     
     
         20 . The resilient pad system of  claim 19  wherein the thickness difference between the wall zones is a stepped thickness difference.