Pads are utilized to absorb and/or divert various types of energy and/or substances.
One aspect of the invention provides a pad including: a substrate; a first plurality of parallel ridges extending from a first side of the substrate, the first plurality of parallel ridges terminating in longitudinal alternating bevels; and a second plurality of parallel ridges extending from a second side of the substrate.
This aspect of the invention can have a variety of embodiments. The second plurality of parallel ridges can have substantially identical profiles terminating in an isosceles triangle. The isosceles triangle can be an equilateral triangle.
The first plurality of parallel ridges can be offset from the second plurality of parallel ridges so that the substrate under the first plurality of ridges can deflect to absorb a load applied to one or more of the first plurality of parallel ridges.
The longitudinal alternating bevels can have an angle with respect to a surface of the substrate of about 30°.
Two edges of the substrate parallel to the first plurality of parallel ridges and the second plurality of parallel edges can include complementary slots and ridges extending in substantially the same direction as the first plurality of parallel ridges, wherein the complementary slots and ridges are adapted and configured to produce a uniform height as the first plurality of ridges upon mating.
The pad can be extruded. The pad can include an extruded polyolefin composite. The polyolefin composite can include post-consumer tire particles. The polyolefin can be polyethylene.
The pad can be sufficiently compliant so as to lie against an underlying surface. The pad can be sufficiently compliant so as to conform to an underlying surface.
At least one of the first plurality of parallel ridges and second plurality of parallel ridges can include periodic breaks allowing water to traverse the ridges.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and desired objects of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views. Any dimensions depicted are exemplary and should not be deemed to exclude the use of other dimensions, either of the same or different proportions.
The instant invention is most clearly understood with reference to the following definitions:
As used herein, the singular form “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Unless specifically stated or obvious from context, as used herein, the term “about” is understood as within a range of normal tolerance in the art, for example within 2 standard deviations of the mean. “About” can be understood as within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless otherwise clear from context, all numerical values provided herein are modified by the term about.
As used in the specification and claims, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “containing,” “having,” and the like can have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. patent law and can mean “includes,” “including,” and the like.
Unless specifically stated or obvious from context, the term “or,” as used herein, is understood to be inclusive.
Ranges provided herein are understood to be shorthand for all of the values within the range. For example, a range of 1 to 50 is understood to include any number, combination of numbers, or sub-range from the group consisting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, or 50 (as well as fractions thereof unless the context clearly dictates otherwise).
One aspect of the invention provides pads (including, but not limited to, connectable pads) that are useful, for example, in absorbing and/or diverting various types of energy and/or substances.
Referring now to
The substrate 102 can be substantially flat, textured, or have other geometric features beyond the upper parallel ridges 104 and lower parallel ridges 106.
The upper parallel ridges 104 can have a variety of geometries. In one embodiment, the upper parallel ridges 104 terminate in longitudinally alternating bevels 108a, 108b. As depicted in
In some embodiments, the longitudinally alternating bevels 108a, 108b have an angle of about 30° with respect to a surface of the substrate of about 60° with respect to the vertical upper parallel ridges 104. However, other angles can be utilized. Preferably, the angles are symmetrical so that parallel deformation of the ridges will occur.
The lower parallel ridges 106 can have a variety of geometries. In one embodiment, the lower parallel ridges 106 have substantially identical profiles. In one embodiment, the profiles approximate and/or terminate in a triangle as depicted in
Although distinct upper parallel ridges 104 and lower parallel ridges 106 are depicted in many of the drawings herein, other embodiments have identical parallel ridges on both sides of a substrate 102, only have ridges on one side of a substrate, or do not have any ridges.
The upper parallel ridges 104 can be offset from the lower parallel ridges 106 so that substrate 102 under the upper parallel ridges 104 can deflect, bend, or sag to absorb impact applied to the upper parallel ridges 104. Alternatively, the upper parallel ridges 104 can be positioned over the lower parallel ridges 106.
As a result of the design features described herein, this embodiment of an impact-absorbing pad achieves the same impact attenuation (Gmax) as conventional pads having three times the thickness.
Referring to
In one embodiment of the invention, the pad 100 is impermeable or substantially impermeable to water and is useful in the construction of artificial playing surfaces and in the construction of flooring and walls. Additionally or alternatively, the pad's resistance to moisture and configurability of ridges 104, 106 make the pad suitable for a lightweight replacement for heavy cementitious backer board used as a substrate for tile surfaces or for use as an underlayment for patio stones or pavers.
In some embodiments, one or more drainage holes are provided through the substrate for drainage through the pad. In other embodiments, one or more notches are periodically provided along one or more of the ridges in order to allow fluid to cross between the ridges in the event that a groove between two ridges becomes blocked or restricted.
Referring now to
The pad can be extruded or can be manufacturing using molding, machining, or other techniques.
In one embodiment, the pad comprises a polymer such as a polyolefins (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polybutene-1, polyisobutylene, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, and the like), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, fluorocarbon rubber, perfluoroelastomer, silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, chloroprene rubber, neoprene rubber, polyester urethane, polyether urethane, natural rubber, polyacrylate rubber, ethylene acrylic, styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene oxide epichlorodrine rubber, chlorosulfonated polytethylene, butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, butyl rubber, and the like.
In one embodiment, the pad is a composite such as a polymeric composite. Suitable matrices include resins such as polyolefins (e.g., polyethylene). Suitable reinforcements include recycled materials such as post-consumer tire particles, engineered recycled rubber particles (ERRP), and the like.
The dimensions and/or properties of the pad can be configured to facilitate various form factors. For example, the pad can be delivered in a roll that can be unrolled and coupled to other unrolled pads to underlay an artificial turf surface. Such embodiments can be sufficiently compliant to lay flat and/or conform to the underlying prepared surface, which may be crowned, sloped, or have irregularities. In other embodiments, the pad can be provided as relatively stiff sheets (e.g., 4′×4′ or 4′×8′ sheets) for mounting on a wall (e.g., with screws, nails, or other fasteners) prior to covering with wallboard (e.g., drywall, plasterboard, blueboard, and the like), tile, or other surfaces.
Embodiments of the invention can contain or contain attachment points, grooves, or channels for accommodating heating and/or cooling elements. Exemplary elements include cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing or copper tubing through which a heated or cooled fluid flows and Ohmic or resistive heating elements such as wires through which electricity flows.
Although embodiments of the invention have been described in the context of impact absorbing pads, the principles described herein can be utilized in other applications such as residential, commercial, or industrial flooring underlayment, soundproofing, artificial turf for landscaping, wrapping of non-leaking pipeline defects, impermeable barriers for use in “green roofs” that are partially completely covered with vegetation, ground protection during construction, oil and gas drilling, and the like. For example, embodiments of the pads described herein can be placed over piping and conduit to protect against corrosion from poured concrete and can be placed under poured concrete slabs or on walls to provide insulation, soundproofing, and a vapor barrier.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.
The entire contents of all patents, published patent applications, and other references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/160,562, filed May 12, 2015. The entire content of this application is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2571715 | Henning | Oct 1951 | A |
4007307 | Friedrich | Feb 1977 | A |
4147007 | Eppich | Apr 1979 | A |
4228116 | Colombo | Oct 1980 | A |
4637942 | Tomarin | Jan 1987 | A |
4915299 | Harkus | Apr 1990 | A |
4946719 | Dempsey | Aug 1990 | A |
5057354 | Kunert | Oct 1991 | A |
5383314 | Rothberg | Jan 1995 | A |
5489317 | Bergevin | Feb 1996 | A |
5605721 | Di Geronimo | Feb 1997 | A |
5614288 | Bustos | Mar 1997 | A |
5848940 | Yamada | Dec 1998 | A |
5976645 | Daluise | Nov 1999 | A |
6375546 | Lemieux | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6723412 | Prevost | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6740387 | Lemieux | May 2004 | B1 |
7273642 | Prevost | Sep 2007 | B2 |
7645501 | Sawyer | Jan 2010 | B2 |
7939144 | Verleyen | May 2011 | B2 |
7975452 | Wennberg | Jul 2011 | B2 |
8006460 | Chen | Aug 2011 | B2 |
8153227 | Stroppiana | Apr 2012 | B2 |
8291661 | Bengry | Oct 2012 | B2 |
8440289 | De Giuseppe | May 2013 | B2 |
8557363 | Van Balen | Oct 2013 | B2 |
8603601 | Sawyer | Dec 2013 | B2 |
8726602 | DeLong | May 2014 | B2 |
8833028 | Whispell | Sep 2014 | B2 |
8968502 | Bearden | Mar 2015 | B1 |
20060003148 | Zwynenburg | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20070231532 | Walters | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20090197021 | Jones | Aug 2009 | A1 |
20100239790 | Stricklen | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20110123758 | Pollaud | May 2011 | A1 |
20110135851 | Dozeman | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20140094543 | Bloyaert | Apr 2014 | A1 |
20140193593 | Daluise | Jul 2014 | A1 |
20140228503 | Cialone | Aug 2014 | A1 |
20140270992 | Ayers | Sep 2014 | A1 |
20140311074 | Cormier et al. | Oct 2014 | A1 |
20150098757 | Mitchell | Apr 2015 | A1 |
20160123021 | Cormier et al. | May 2016 | A1 |
20160138275 | Cormier et al. | May 2016 | A1 |
20160177562 | Cormier et al. | Jun 2016 | A1 |
20160255898 | Cormier et al. | Sep 2016 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2268412 | Sep 2000 | CA |
2409637 | Apr 2004 | CA |
2215622 | Sep 1989 | GB |
WO 2007078296 | Jul 2007 | WO |
WO 2013150459 | Oct 2013 | WO |
WO 2014032102 | Mar 2014 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Internet definition of “parallel”. |
Costco, “EZ-Flex Interlocking Recycled Rubber Floor Tiles”, http://www.costco.com/EZ-Flex-Interlocking-Recycled-Rubber-Floor-Til . . . , Apr. 2015. |
de Castro, K. C., et al., “Development and Characterization of Post-consumer Rubber Tire Powder, High Density Polyethylene and Ethylene-octene-1Copolymer Ternary Mixtures”, Polímeros, vol. 24, n. 6, p. 654-660, 2014. |
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Air and Radiation (6202J), “Composite Wrap for Non-Leaking Pipeline Defects”, Lessons Learned from Natural Gas Star Partners, p. 1-11, Oct. 2006. |
Evans, A., et al., “The Differences in Post-Consumer Tyre Processing: Ambient vs Cryogenic; Devulcanisation; Pyrolysis”, The Waste & Resources Action Programme, p. 1-7, May 2006. |
Montagna, L. S., et al., “Evaluation of the Effect of the Incorporation of Rubber Tire Waste Particles on the Properties of PP, HIPS and PP/HIPS Matrices”, Polímeros, p. 1-6, 2013. |
Schut, J. H., “Wood is Good for Compounding, Sheet & Profile”, Plastics Technology, p. 1-5, Mar. 1999. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20160333534 A1 | Nov 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62160562 | May 2015 | US |