Patent ID: 7156416

Claim:
An Air Cushion System for protecting at least one protected entity, from impact from an impacting object comprising: a) an impacted structure comprising said protected entity; b) at least one sacrificial chamber located in a predetermined position within said impacted structure, such that said impact from impacting object, will compress said sacrificial chamber, said sacrificial chamber being filled with a compressible fluid at the time of said impact; c) at least one elongate fluid path, each with first and second spaced apart end, and each comprising flow control mechanisms, that is connected to said sacrificial chamber at its first end, and filled with said compressible fluid, such that under impact to the sacrificial chamber, said fluid paths conduct a predetermined controlled volume of said compressible fluid out of said sacrificial chamber to predetermined locations away from said sacrificial chamber; d) one or more micro-air cushions placed in predetermined locations and supported by said impacted structure, said micro-air cushions being connected to said at least one fluid path at its second end, thereby receiving predetermined controlled volumes of said compressible fluid from said fluid paths at and immediately following said impact; thereby said sacrificial chamber inflating said micro-air cushions in predetermined directions unrelated to the direction of compression of said sacrificial chamber by transferring fluid from the first end of said at least one fluid path, to the second end of said at least one fluid path and protecting said protected entity.