Cushioning element
OwnerDaniel A. Ferrara, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a cushioning element adapted to be mounted on an article to provide cushioning therefor. The cushioning element of the present invention has an encasing member at least partially defining a filling chamber. The filling chamber is filled with a flowable particulate matter. The present invention further includes a mounting member adapted to mount the encasing member onto the article. According to the present invention, at least a portion of the encasing member is deformable and the particulate matter within the filling chamber is capable of flowing inside the filling chamber upon the application of a deforming force to the deformable portion of the encasing member.
Claims9
A cushioning element comprising an annular elongate sleeve-shaped body adapted to serve as a gripping sleeve on a writing instrument, said cushioning element comprising:
- co-extensive inner and outer walls sealingly closed at opposite ends of the body, or one end selectively, and defining a chamber between the inner and outer walls, and
- particulate matter in the form of micro-spheres in air filling the chamber,
- the outer wall being flexible and capable of being deformed as particulate material in the chamber moves as the outer wall is forcibly engaged by gripping it, and
- the inner wall being adapted to receive a rigid element,
- the particulate material in the chamber tending to remain in the position it moved to during the gripping to keep the flexible outer wall in a shape it assumed during the gripping, and
- the particulate material in air and the sealingly closed opposite ends of the body cooperating to resist leakage of the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.