ENERGY-ABSORBING PADS

• Main Authors: MOORE, DAN, T., III, NOVAK, KATHLEEN, M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 30.11.2006
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEARINGS; BLASTING; CARE OF BIRDS, FISHES, INSECTS; CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FISHING; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; FOOTWEAR; FORESTRY; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; SHAFTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; TRAPPING; WEAPONS

An energy-absorbing pad structure includes an energy-absorbing pad that is encapsulated by a polymeric film. The polymeric film is sufficiently air-permeable to permit air to escape during rapid compression of the pad structure, such as from a high-speed dynamic impact, but nonetheless is water resistant under ordinary conditions. It is desirable that the polymeric film is made from an elastic polymer. The air-permeability can be provided from a series of perforations such that the film's elastic quality tends to contract the perforations thereby impeding the progress of water through them under normal conditions. The energy-absorbing pad can be a semi-rigid viscoelastic foam. L'invention concerne une structure de coussinet à absorption d'énergie comprenant un coussinet à absorption d'énergie qui est encapsulé par un film polymère. Ce film polymère est suffisamment perméable à l'air pour permettre à l'air de sortir de la structure de coussinet, lorsque celle-ci subit une compression rapide ou un choc dynamique à vitesse élevée, ledit film étant néanmoins hydrorésistant dans des conditions normales. De préférence, le film polymère est constitué d'un polymère élastique. La perméabilité à l'air peut être rendue par une série de perforations qui sont ménagées de manière que l'élasticité du film entraîne une contraction des perforations qui empêche l'entrée d'eau dans lesdites perforations dans des conditions normales. Le coussinet à absorption d'énergie selon l'invention peut être constitué d'une mousse viscoélastique semi-rigide.