Mesh Impact Absorber With Ligatures for Dropped Weight Deceleration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gym mats fail to adequately absorb and dissipate the energy of falling weights, leading to excessive impact forces, noise, vibration, and potential damage to floors and walls, posing safety hazards and disrupting environments.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a mesh layer connected to a frame by energy-absorbing and dissipating ligatures, with a void-space between the mesh layer and the surface, allowing the weight to decelerate over a greater distance and time, utilizing viscoelastic ligatures to dissipate energy through friction and internal mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional rubber or foam gym mats are used, then the device provides basic cushioning, but the impact force and deceleration of falling weights remain excessively high, causing damage and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the impact absorption function into multiple components: a mesh layer for initial contact and distribution, ligatures for progressive energy absorption through elongation, and a void space for extended deceleration distance. This segmentation allows each component to contribute to reducing impact force while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device pre-configures an energy absorption system with ligatures attached to a frame, creating a cushioning structure before impact occurs. The void space is pre-established to provide extended deceleration distance, ensuring that impact forces are reduced from the outset rather than relying on post-impact damage.
2Device complexity
If the stopping distance is short as in conventional mats, then the mat structure remains simple, but the deceleration time is brief resulting in high kinetic energy transmission to the floor
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from a two-dimensional flat mat structure to a three-dimensional structure with a void space between the mesh layer and the supporting surface. This additional vertical dimension provides extended deceleration distance, allowing the weight to slow down gradually while the ligatures elongate, thereby dissipating kinetic energy effectively without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the physical parameters of the cushioning system by introducing a variable stopping distance through the void space. As the weight impacts, the mesh layer deflects and the ligatures elongate, dynamically adjusting the stopping distance to maximize energy dissipation while controlling the complexity of the overall structure.
3Duration of action of moving object
If high deceleration forces are applied to stop the weight quickly, then the stopping time is reduced, but excessive forces are transmitted to the floor and foundation causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The device pre-configures a cushioning system with ligatures and void space that extends the stopping time before impact forces are fully transmitted. The ligatures are designed to elongate progressively, creating a time-delayed energy absorption mechanism that reduces peak force transmission to the floor and foundation.
Solution Approach 2:
The device dynamically changes the stopping time parameter by allowing the ligatures to elongate over an extended period during impact. This parameter change transforms a brief, high-force impact into a longer-duration, lower-force deceleration process, protecting the floor and foundation from excessive forces.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional wall padding is used, then the wall surface is protected, but significant noise and vibration are still generated from medicine ball or wall ball impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the impact absorption function into a mesh layer for initial contact, ligatures for energy absorption through elongation, and a void space for extended deceleration. This segmentation effectively reduces both wall damage and noise/vibration generation by distributing the impact energy across multiple components rather than concentrating it on the wall surface.
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
Effectively reduces impact force, minimizes sound and vibration transmission, and improves user safety by preventing weight bounce, while protecting floors and walls from damage.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing viscoelastic ligatures to dissipate energy through friction and internal mechanisms
Implementation Method 2
Friction between the deforming elements of the mesh layer contributes to the kinetic energy dissipation
Implementation Method 3
The void-space allows the falling weight to decelerate over a greater distance and time, thereby reducing the total dynamic force applied to the frame and the supporting surface
Implementation Method 4
The frame contact area is large, distributing the reduced impact force over a greater physical contact area, contributing to greatly reduced sound transmission
Data Source
AI summary
A device for absorbing and dissipating the energy of a dropped or thrown object is disclosed. The device includes a flexible planar layer (mesh layer), energy absorbing and dissipating elements (ligatures), a frame, and a void-space between the mesh layer and the supporting surface where the frame rests, for example, a floor, foundation, or wall. The mesh layer is connected to the frame by energy absorbing and dissipating ligatures. The falling or thrown weight contacts and deflects the mesh layer, causing the ligatures to elongate in tension and absorb and dissipate a portion of the kinetic energy of the weight. Also, the friction between the deforming elements of the mesh layer contributes to the kinetic energy dissipation. The remaining kinetic energy is transferred to the frame and the supporting surface. The void-space allows the falling weight in contact with the mesh layer to decelerate over a greater distance and time, thereby reducing the total dynamic force applied to the frame and the surface on which the frame rests.