Removable pressure-adjustable shock-absorbing cushion device with an inflation pump for sports goods

• US 4,912,861 A
• Filed: 04/11/1988
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ing-Chung Huang
• Original Assignee: Ing-Chung Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Ing-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Schroeder, Werner H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Biefeld, Diana L.
• Application Number:
  US07/180,288
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 2/24, 12/114.4, 36/54, 36/71, 36/29, 36/30 R, 36/35 B, 36/44, 36/54, 36/59 R, 36/71, 36/114, 137/225, 5/441, 5/446, 5/447, 5/449, 5/450, 5/453, 5/454, 5/455, 5/456, 5/470, 5/480
• US Class Current: 36/29
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/203 provided with a pump or valve
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/206 provided with tubes or pipes or tubular shaped cushioning members
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/029 Pneumatic upper, e.g. gas filled
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0407 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/03 Inflatable garment

Abstract

A removable, pressure-adjustable, shock-absorbing cushion device for sports goods, comprising a cover and an air cushion enveloped in the cover. The cushion is a hollow flat bag having upper and lower sheets adhered to each other at round recesses or linear recesses, either alone or in combination. The recesses furnish the air cushion with shock-absorbing elasticity and flexibility whether the cushion is inflated or not. An inflation pump or an air nipple is provided in the cushion for inflating or deflating the cushion.

Claims

1. A removable, pressure-adjustable, shock-absorbing cushion device for sports goods, comprising:

(a) a pressurizable cushion having generally planar upper and lower sheets of synthetic plastic material, said sheets being superimposed and bounding an interior space, said sheets extending lengthwise along a longitudinal direction and widthwise along a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said sheets having a common peripheral edge and an inlet extending through the peripheral edge;

(b) a plurality of upper recesses formed in the upper sheet, each upper recess having an open upper end generally located in the plane of the upper sheet, and a pair of upper side walls extending away from a respective upper end toward the lower sheet and terminating in a closed upper end;

(c) a plurality of lower recesses formed in the lower sheet, each lower recess having an open lower end generally located in the plane of the lower sheet, and a pair of lower side walls extending away from a respective lower end toward the upper sheet and terminating in a closed lower end;

(d) each upper recess being aligned and symmetrical with a respective lower recess, and each closed upper end of a respective upper recess being integral with each closed lower end of a respective lower recess to form a common closed end for each pair of aligned upper and lower recesses, said common closed end being located between the upper and lower sheets and connecting the upper and lower sheets together at each said common closed end; and

(e) means at the inlet for admitting a fluid under pressure into the entire interior space of the cushion to space the upper and lower sheets apart from each other, said spaced-apart upper and lower sheets still generally lying in respective planes and being free of upstanding projections.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each recess extends along a linear channel along the longitudinal direction, and wherein all of the recesses extend along linear channels arranged in mutual paralellism and spaced apart of each other along the transverse direction.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first group of said recesses extends along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the longitudinal direction, and wherein a second group of said recesses extends along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the transverse direction.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1;

and further comprising a foam layer on outer surfaces of the upper and lower sheets.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1;

and further comprising a cover for containing the pressurized cushion, and means on the cover for fastening the device to a sports goods.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said fastening means includes lacing eyelets on the cover for tying the device to a tongue of a shoe.

7. A removable, pressure-adjustable, shock-absorbing cushion device for sports goods, comprising:

(a) a pressurizable cushion having generally planar upper and lower sheets of synthetic plastic material, said sheets being superimposed and bounding an interior space, said sheets extending lengthwise along a longitudinal direction and widthwise along a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said sheets having a common peripheral edge and an inlet extending through the peripheral edge;

(b) a plurality of upper recesses formed in the upper sheet, each upper recess having an open upper end generally located in the plane of the upper sheet, and a pair of upper side walls extending away from a respective upper end toward the lower sheet and terminating in a closed upper end;

(c) a plurality of lower recesses formed in the lower sheet, each lower recess having an open lower end generally located in the plane of the lower sheet, and a pair of lower side walls extending away from a respective lower end toward the upper sheet and terminating in a closed lower end;

(d) each upper recess being aligned and symmetrical with a respective lower recess, and each closed upper end of a respective upper recess being integral with each closed lower end of a respective lower recess to form a common end for each pair of aligned upper and lower recesses, said common end being located between the upper and lower sheets;

(e) each recess extending along a linear channel along the longitudinal direction, all of the recesses extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism and spaced apart of each other along the transverse direction, each linear channel having one end extending to the peripheral edge, and an opposite end spaced from the peripheral edge, each adjacent pair of linear channels forming an internal chamber therebetween; and

(f) means at the inlet for admitting a fluid under pressure into the interior space of the cushion to space the upper and lower sheets apart from each other, said spaced-apart upper and lower sheets still generally lying in respective planes and being free of upstanding projections.

8. A removable, pressure-adjustable, shock-absorbing cushion device for sports goods, comprising:

(a) a pressurizable cushion having generally planar upper and lower sheets of synthetic plastic material, said sheets being superimposed and bounding an interior space, said sheets extending lengthwise along a longitudinal direction and widthwise along a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said sheets having a common peripheral edge and an inlet extending through the peripheral edge;

(b) a plurality of upper recesses formed in the upper sheet, each upper recess having an open upper end generally located in the plane of the upper sheet, and a pair of upper side walls extending away from a respective upper end toward the lower sheet and terminating in a closed upper end;

(c) a plurality of lower recesses formed in the lower sheet, each lower recess having an open lower end generally located in the plane of the lower sheet, and a pair of lower side walls extending away from a respective lower end toward the upper sheet and terminating in a closed lower end;

(d) each upper recess being aligned and symmetrical with a respective lower recess, and each closed upper end of a respective upper recess being integral with each closed lower end of a respective lower recess to form a common end for each pair of aligned upper and lower recesses, said common end being located between the upper and lower sheets;

(e) a first group of said recesses extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the longitudinal direction;

(f) a second group of said recesses extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the longitudinal direction, said first and second groups being longitudinally spaced apart of one another by a a spacing;

(g) a third group of said recesses in said spacing; and

(h) means at the inlet for admitting a fluid under pressure into the interior space of the cushion to space the upper and lower sheets apart from each other, said spaced-apart upper and lower sheets still generally lying in respective planes and being free of upstanding projections.

9. A removable, pressure-adjustable, shock-absorbing cushion device for sports goods, comprising:

(a) a pressurizable cushion having generally planar upper and lower sheets of synthetic plastic material, said sheets being superimposed and bounding an interior space, said sheets extending lengthwise along a longitudinal direction and widthwise along a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said sheets having a common peripheral edge and an inlet extending through the peripheral edge;

(b) a plurality of upper recesses formed in the upper sheet, each upper recess having an open upper end generally located in the plane of the upper sheet, and a pair of upper side walls extending away from a respective upper end toward the lower sheet and terminating in a closed upper end;

(c) a plurality of lower recesses formed in the lower sheet, each lower recess having an open lower end generally located in the plane of the lower sheet, and a pair of lower side walls extending away from a respective lower end toward the upper sheet and terminating in a closed lower end;

(d) each upper recess being aligned and symmetrical with a respective lower recess, and each closed upper end of a respective upper recess being integral with each closed lower end of a respective lower recess to form a common end for each pair of aligned upper and lower recesses, said common and being located between the upper and lower sheets;

(e) a first group of said recess extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the longitudinal direction;

(f) a second group of said recesses extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the transverse direction;

(g) a third group of said recesses extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the transverse direction, said second and third groups being arranged at opposite end regions of said first group; and

(h) means at the inlet for admitting a fluid under pressure into the interior space of the cushion to space the upper and lower sheets apart from each other, said spaced-apart upper and lower sheets still generally lying in respective planes and being free of upstanding projections.

10. A removable, pressure-adjustable, shock-absorbing cushion device for sports goods, comprising:

(a) a pressurizable cushion having generally planar upper and lower sheets of synthetic plastic material, said sheets being superimposed and bounding an interior space, said sheets extending lengthwise along a longitudinal direction and widthwise along a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said sheets having a common peripheral edge and an inlet extending through the peripheral edge;

(b) a plurality of upper recesses formed in the upper sheet, each upper recess having an open upper end generally located in the plane of the upper sheet, and a pair of upper side walls extending away from a respective upper end toward the lower sheet and terminating in a closed upper end;

(c) a plurality of lower recesses formed in the lower sheet, each lower recess having an open lower end generally located in the plane of the lower sheet, and a pair of lower side walls extending away from a respective lower end toward the upper sheet and terminating in a closed lower end;

(d) each upper recess being aligned and symmetrical with a respective lower recess, and each closed upper end of a respective upper recess being integral with each closed lower end of a respective lower recess to form a common end for each pair of aligned upper and lower recesses, said common end being located between the upper and lower sheets;

(e) a first group of said recesses extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the transverse direction;

(f) a second group of said recesses extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the transverse direction;

(g) a third group of said recesses extending along linear channels arranged in mutual parallelism along the longitudinal direction, said first and third groups being arranged at opposite end regions of said second group; and

(h) means at the inlet for admitting a fluid under pressure into the interior space of the cushion to space the upper and lower sheets apart from each other, said spaced-apart upper and lower sheets still generally lying in respective planes and being free of upstanding projections.