Patent ID: 8241726

Claim:
A resilient mat system comprising at least one mat, the mat having a mat thickness T, the mat having an upper layer with an upper layer thickness t, the mat further comprising a plurality of supporting resilient substructure columns, each column having a relatively uniform height h, such that T=t+h, wherein the ratio of h:t>3.5 for values of T>about 0.9 inch (about 2.3 cm), each column having a column wall, the column wall surrounding a central void from the top of the void to the bottom of the column, wherein the column wall has a cross-sectional thickness that increases from the bottom of the wall to the top of the void to form a frusto-conically shaped column, and wherein the column is tapered upwardly, both inside and out, with an outside draft angle >1 degree and <5 degrees, and an inside draft angle >0 degrees and <5 degrees and the outside draft angle is greater than the inside draft angle.