Protective cushion

The cushion of cliam 1 wherein:

• the pad means is a generally flat pad located in engagement with the walls of the case means.

A cushion for use to protect a human body part from injury comprising:

• a pad of air entrained, springy compressible open cell material;
• a case having a pair of sheet members surrounding a single chamber accommodating said pad, said sheet members having adjacent outer peripheral edges sealed together to enclose the pad between the sheet members, said sheet members being of an air impervious flexible material, said pad being of a size to substantially fill said internal chamber, said chamber having an internal dimension less than the fully expanded corresponding dimension of the pad whereby the sheet members hold the pad in partial compression within the chamber, and means located in said outer peripheral edges regulating permissible air flow out of the chamber and open cells of the pad and pressure of the air in the open cells of the pad upon compression of the pad due to impact of an external force whereby the pad and air in the open cells of the pad simultaneously absorb and distribute impact forces applied thereto and flow of air into the chamber and the open cells of the pad upon expansion of the pad, said means regulating air flow including at least one opening in the sealed outer peripheral edges of the sheet members.

A cushion for a shoe to absorb and distribute impact forces on a human foot comprising:

• flexible case means having a general shape to conform to the bottom of a foot and fit into a shoe, said case means having air impervious walls sealed together at the outer peripheral edges thereof forming an internal chamber, said sealed outer peripheral edges having opposite toe and heel portion and opposite sides, pad means of compressible open cell material located within said chamber, said pad means being of a size to substantially fill said chamber, said chamber of the case means having an internal dimension less than the fully expanded corresponding dimension of the pad means whereby the pad means is retained under nominal compression within the chamber by the walls of the case means, said outer peripheral edges having at least one opening in the sealed portion thereof to allow restricted air flow into and out of the chamber and pad means regulating the pressure of the air in the chamber whereby the pad means and air in the open cells of the pad means simultaneously absorbs and distributes impact force applied to the foot during walking and running activities.

A cushion for use with a shoe to absorb and distribute impact forces on a human foot applied to the foot during walking and running activities comprising:

• flexible case means having a general shape to conform to the bottom of a person's foot and to fit into the bottom of the inside of a shoe, said case means having air impervious walls and outer peripheral edges connected together to form a single internal chamber, said outer peripheral edges having opposite toe and heel portion and opposite sides, pad means of compressible open cell foam plastic material located within said chamber, said pad means being of a size to substantially fill said chamber, said chamber of the case means having an internal dimension less than the fully expanded corresponding dimension of the pad means whereby the pad means is retained under partial compression within the chamber by the walls of the case means, said outer peripheral edges having at least one small opening to allow restricted air flow into and out of the chamber and open cells of the pad means thereby regulating the pressure of the air in the chamber and open cells of the pad means and flow of air out of the open cells of the pad means and chamber whereby the pad means and air in the open cells of the pad means simultaneously absorb and distribute impact forces applied to the foot during walking and running activities.

A protective cushion comprising:

• a pad of air entrained, springy compressible open cell plastic material, a case surrounding said pad having a pair of sheet members forming a single chamber accommodating said pad, said sheet members having adjacent outer peripheral edges connected together to enclose the entire pads between the sheet members, said sheet members being of an air impervious flexible material, said pad being of a size to substantially fill internal chamber, said chamber having an internal dimension less than the fully expanded corresponding dimension of the pad whereby the sheet members retain the pad in partial compression within the chamber, and means located in said outer peripheral edges regulating permissible air flow out of the chamber and open cells of the pad and the pressure of the air in the open cells of the pad upon compression of the pad due to impact of an external force whereby the pad ;and the air in the open cells of the pads simultaneously absorb and distribute impact forces applied thereto and flow of air into the chamber and the open cells of the pad upon expansion of the pad, said means regulating air flow including at least one opening in the outer peripheral edges of the sheet members.