Patent ID: 8899563

Claim:
A flexible volumetric structure, comprising: a first spring defining a three-dimensional volume, said first spring including a serpentine structure elongatable and compressible along a length thereof, said first spring defining opposing outboard edge regions spanning said length; and a second spring coupled to at least one of said outboard edge regions, said second spring comprising a sheet-like structure capable of elongation and compression along an in-plane dimension thereof, said second spring oriented such that said in-plane dimension is aligned with said length of said serpentine structure, wherein the first spring and the second spring are each configured to return to an unloaded geometry after transitioning from an unloaded state to a loaded state, and wherein the serpentine structure is defined by a series of beams maintained in a spaced apart relation by a series of beam connectors aligned in two spaced apart columns along said length of said serpentine structure consisting of only one beam connector of the series of beam connectors between any two adjacent beams of the series of beams.