Shock absorbing and impact mitigating structures based on axial-rotational coupling mechanism

A device for mitigating impact to a protected object, the device comprising:

• a panel;
• and
• a plurality of elongate members having a first end attached to the panel and a second end configured to engage the protected object,
• wherein the elongate members comprise a plurality of longitudinally connected unit cells;
• each unit cell comprising:
• an end member and a corresponding tubular member having an elastically variable axial length, wherein a first end of the tubular member is fixed to the end member and a second end of the tubular member extends away from the end member, the tubular member comprising a plurality of sides each side comprising a first triangular portion and a second triangular portion, wherein for each side:
• i) the first triangular portion shares an elastic connecting edge with the second triangular portion, the connecting edge extending across the variable axial length of the tubular member;
• ii) the first and second triangular portions are non-coplanar such that the side is concave;
• iii) the first triangular portion shares an elastic angled upright edge with the second triangular portion of an adjacent side, the angled upright edge extending across the variable axial length of the tubular member;
• and
• wherein compressing the tubular member longitudinally causes the connecting edge and the angled upright edge to elastically deform and further causes the second end of the tubular member to rotate with respect to the first end of the tubular member.