Contact and support structures comprising a plurality of fingers

A support structure for skin contact, comprising a base layer having a first surface and a second surface, opposite the first surface, a plurality of fingers extending from the first surface of the base layer, wherein each finger has a distal end configured to form a skin contacting surface, wherein the base layer, as seen in cross section, has an undulating shape having undulations, wherein each finger extends from a crest portion of an undulation of the base layer, and wherein each finger is configured such that, when pressure is applied on the plurality of fingers, deflection of the crest portion of the undulation of the base layer exceeds deflection of the finger, in a direction substantially parallel to an axial direction of the finger and the fingers are configured to deflect in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the finger.

A support structure for supporting and/or contacting a body or a part of a body, comprising:

• a base layer having a first surface configured to face said body or part of body and a second surface opposite the first surface, a plurality of fingers extending from the first surface, wherein the plurality of fingers are integrally formed with the base layer, wherein the base layer, as seen in cross section, has an undulating shape having undulations, wherein each finger extends from a crest portion of an undulation of the base layer, each finger extending in an axial direction substantially perpendicular to the first surface and having a distal end configured to support or contact said body or part of body, the fingers being arranged at a distance from each other, wherein each finger is more rigid than a deformable portion of the base layer, the deformable portion surrounding said finger, wherein the base layer comprises a plurality of said deformable portions and a plurality of intermediary portions from which the fingers extend, the deformable portions being more flexible than the intermediary portions, the intermediary portions each extending from the first surface of the base layer to a respective one of the plurality of fingers.