Patent ID: 9078784
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A flexible structural apparatus comprising: multiple substantially parallel beams comprising two end beams and multiple intermediate beams, wherein the multiple intermediate beams are in between the two end beams, each of the multiple substantially parallel beams having a beam length, a beam width, and a beam height, wherein, for a plurality of the multiple substantially parallel beams, the beam length is at least four times greater than the beam width and the beam length is at least four times greater than the beam height; multiple connections between the multiple substantially parallel beams, wherein each of the multiple connections connects one of the multiple substantially parallel beams to one other of the multiple substantially parallel beams, wherein each of the multiple substantially parallel beams has at least one of the multiple connections to at least one other of the multiple substantially parallel beams and each of the multiple intermediate beams has a plurality of the multiple connections to at least two other of the multiple substantially parallel beams, wherein each of the multiple connections has a connection width dimension parallel to the beam length, wherein the connection width dimension of each of the multiple connections is no greater than one fourth of the beam length of either of the multiple substantially parallel beams that the connection width dimension is between, wherein each of the multiple intermediate beams is restrained relative to other of the multiple substantially parallel beams only at the multiple connections; and wherein the multiple connections consist of multiple first connections and multiple second connections wherein a plurality of the multiple intermediate beams each have precisely two of the multiple first connections to precisely one first adjacent beam of the multiple substantially parallel beams and precisely one of the multiple second connections to precisely one second adjacent beam of the multiple substantially parallel beams, wherein for each of the plurality of the multiple intermediate beams, the precisely two multiple first connections and the precisely one of the multiple second connections are spaced apart along the beam length by a first distance of at least one fourth of the beam length with no other of the multiple connections therebetween, and wherein, from one of the two end beams to an other of the two end beams, the multiple connections alternate between the precisely two of the multiple first connections and the precisely one of the multiple second connections.