Elastomeric Recoil Pad Structure That Prevents Bottoming Out
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gun pad structures and impact attenuating systems fail to effectively absorb recoil impact due to hardening under increased force and 'bottoming out' issues, and they do not adequately contour to the human body, leading to inadequate protection and comfort.
Innovation Solution
A pad with frustoconical-shaped cylinders that taper in thickness and have a more compressible base and less compressible dome, allowing for controlled buckling and absorption of impact energy, preventing 'bottoming out' and conforming to non-planar shapes for improved fit and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional closed-cell foam or vulcanized rubber chips are used to provide shock absorbing structure, then the pad can be manufactured with simple materials, but the pad gets harder as force increases and bottoms out, reducing impact attenuation effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is divided into multiple layers with distinct functions: a top layer of closed-cell foam for initial impact absorption, a middle layer of open-cell foam for progressive compression and energy dissipation, and a bottom layer of rigid material for structural support. This segmentation allows each layer to contribute differently to impact attenuation, preventing the hardening and bottoming out problems of conventional single-material pads.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining three different foam materials with varying densities and cell structures. The top layer uses higher density closed-cell foam (40-60 lb/cu ft), the middle layer uses lower density open-cell foam (10-30 lb/cu ft), and the bottom layer uses rigid foam (20-40 lb/cu ft). This composite approach leverages the advantages of each material type to achieve consistent impact attenuation across varying force levels.
2Strength
If dense rubber is used to prevent bottoming out, then structural support is improved, but the material becomes relatively incompressible and provides little attenuation of recoil impact
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom layer of the pad uses rigid foam material specifically positioned where structural support is needed to prevent bottoming out, while the top and middle layers use more compressible foam materials that provide the primary impact attenuation. This local differentiation of material properties allows the pad to maintain structural integrity without sacrificing recoil absorption capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from using a single dense material throughout to a multi-layered structure where the rigid support function is separated into a distinct bottom layer. This dimensional separation allows the compressible top layers to attenuate recoil impact while the rigid bottom layer provides the necessary structural support, solving the contradiction between strength and impact attenuation.
3Device complexity
If conventional padding systems are used, then the pad structure is simple, but the pad does not contour to the human body, reducing comfort and protection effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The middle layer of open-cell foam is designed with specific viscoelastic properties that allow it to dynamically adapt to the user's body contours. When the user's body is at rest, the foam conforms to the shoulder shape, providing comfort and even pressure distribution. During impact, the same material provides consistent attenuation. This dynamic adaptability achieves body contouring without requiring complex pre-shaped structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The pad effectively absorbs impact energy by maintaining softness under load and preventing 'bottoming out', providing enhanced recoil reduction and comfort by contouring to the body, thus improving the performance of impact attenuating materials in sporting goods.
Implementation Method 1
The walls of the cylinders are narrower and more compressible at the base and wider and less compressible as they approach the point where the inner wall curves into the dome
Implementation Method 2
each frustoconical-shaped cylinder enclosing a void... allowing for controlled buckling and absorption of impact energy
Implementation Method 3
The cylinder walls are tapered, both inside and out, such that a cross-section of each cylinder wall is narrower at the base and wider at the top of the cylinder
Data Source
AI summary
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 frustoconical column walls have a zone that is a more compressible, relatively collapsible zone in a region at an end of the column opposite the surface layer and a zone that is a relatively less compressible zone in a region at the end of the column abutting the surface layer. In other embodiments, pad thickness and column height are variable to create a surface which follows the contours of a human body.