Importance

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Abstract

Shock absorbing structure for athletic equipment is disclosed in which a flexible air-tight fabric structure has an internal surface defining a cavity and an external surface adapted to be in fluid communication with the atmosphere outside the shock absorbing structure. The fabric structure includes a plurality of selectively dimensioned and disposed apertures which couple the cavity and the external surface of the shock absorbing structure in continuous fluid communication. A flexible foam portion having an open-celled structure defining a reservoir to releasably hold air is disposed in the cavity of the fabric structure and bonded, at least in part, to at least a portion of the internal surface of the fabric structure. In one embodiment, the flexible foam portion includes a multi-layered laminate of at least three open-celled foams of different foam density. The shock absorbing structure further includes shield structure to distribute the applied force across at least a portion of the fabric covered foam laminate.

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First Claim