Patent ID: 11946525
Assignee: HEXNEST INC.
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC F  A  B | IPC A  B  F

Claim 0:
1. An impact absorbing mat configured to be placed on a surface for decelerating and absorbing an impact of a user falling thereon, the impact absorbing mat comprising:
a generally planar top surface exposed upwardly so as to receive the impact of the user impacting the top surface wherein the user has an impact velocity relative to the top surface;
the top surface having a pre-impact condition, and being supported on a first layer and a second layer layered one on the other such that the impact of said user causes the top surface to undergo downward deformation below the pre-impact condition and to compress the first and second layers;
said first layer including one or more baffles configured to undergo compression in response to the impact of the user and the downward deformation of the top surface, wherein said compression causes increased pressure in the one or more baffles that increases compression resistance of the one or more baffles such that the one or more baffles exert a first decelerating force that decelerates the user after the impact, wherein the first decelerating force increases as the one or more baffles are compressed; and
the second layer including one or more baffles layered on the one or more baffles of the first layer, wherein the one or more baffles of the second layer are configured to undergo compression that causes a change from an original shape thereof when the top surface is in the pre-impact condition without the downward deformation to a compressed shape thereof in response to the compression of the one or more baffles of the first layer responsive to the impact and the downward deformation of the top surface, and
wherein the one or more baffles of the second layer are configured to decompress and return to the original shape thereof when the compression of the impact absorbing device by the impact and weight of the user having fallen thereon is no longer present, and the top layer returns to the pre-impact condition thereof without any of the downward deformation;
wherein the one or more baffles of the second layer each include:
(1) one or more air outlet/inlets each having an aperture open at all times and allowing air to flow out of the baffle at all times, said aperture being configured to cause restriction of air displacement that passes therethrough during compression of each baffle; and
(2) a content material in each baffle that is configured to absorb energy of the impact and to expand after compression of each baffle so that each baffle returns to the original shape thereof;

wherein, upon initial compression of the one or more baffles of the second layer on the impact of the user, air flows through the aperture of the one or more baffles of the second layer and pressure is increased in the one or more baffles of the second layer as a result of the restriction of air displacement by the aperture of the one or more air outlet/inlets in the one or more baffles of the second layer; and
wherein the increased pressure in the one or more baffles of the second layer provides compression resistance of the one or more baffles thereof, such that the second layer exerts a second decelerating force that decelerates the velocity of the falling user, said second decelerating force decreasing as the compression of the one or more baffles of the second layer causes air displacement of air flowing through the aperture of the one or more air inlet/outlets out of the baffle until the pressure in the baffle drops to a level of ambient air pressure around the impact absorbing mat and slows the velocity of the user.