Patent ID: 8677563

Claim:
A cushion member, comprising: a resilient material body having multiple different diameters defining a bell-shape, the body including: a substantially solid first portion having a first diameter, the first portion being coaxially aligned with a body longitudinal axis; a through-aperture extending through the first portion and oriented perpendicular to the body longitudinal axis; a substantially hollow second portion defining a hollow chamber in communication with the through-aperture, the second portion having a second diameter which is larger than the first diameter of the first portion; a flange oppositely positioned with respect to the first portion, the differing first and second diameters of the body inducing the body to longitudinally compress when a force is applied to the flange and to return to an uncompressed state after the force is dissipated; and a slot extending partially into the solid first portion and communicating with both the hollow chamber and the through-aperture permitting air in the hollow chamber to escape through the through-aperture to the atmosphere during compression of the second portion, the through-aperture divided into two discharge paths defined by first and second portions of the through-aperture where the slot intersects the through-aperture, the through-aperture portions each having a different diameter such that an overall flow rate of air through the slot is divisible into oppositely directed ones of the first and second through-aperture portions defining first and second flow rates.