Shock isolating device

Claim 2

A plastic shock isolator element comprising a hollow toroidal-like body having spaced end walls and an intervening smooth side wall with the inside circumferEntial surface of said body merging into a solid integral web centered upon and extending transversely to the axis of said toroidal-like body, said element possessing an appreciable degree of resistance to compressional forces and on deformation restores itself to essentially its original shape, said end walls being relatively movable toward and away from each other between a position of wide separation wherein the side wall has a dimension corresponding to its dimension in the undeformed state and a position of close proximity wherein the side wall is collapsed.

Claim 3

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 1 wherein its intervening smooth side wall has an aperture communicating with the interior of said body.

Claim 4

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 1 wherein said intervening smooth side wall is curved.

Claim 5

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 1 made of low density polyethylene.

Claim 6

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 1 wherein the solid integral web lies on a mid-plane passing through said toroidal-like body normal to the axis thereof.

Claim 7

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 1 wherein the solid integral web is substantially coplanar with an end wall of said toroidal-like body, said end wall lying in a plane which is substantially normal to the axis of said toroidal-like body.

Claim 8

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 2 wherein the aperture in the intervening smooth side wall is located on a mid-plane passing through said toroidal-like body normal to the axis thereof.

Claim 9

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 1 wherein at least one end wall of said toroidal-like body is provided with a circular groove centered on the axis of said toroidal-like body, said end wall being substantially tangent to a plane normal to the axis of said body.

Claim 10

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 8 wherein a plurality of concentrically disposed grooves is provided.

Claim 11

The plastic shock isolator of claim 9 wherein each of said end walls is provided with a plurality of said concentrically disposed grooves.

Claim 12

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 1 including a backing sheet attached thereto substantially normal to the axis of said toroidal-like body.

Claim 13

A cushioned shipping container unit comprising an outer container adapted to receive an article to be cushioned and a plurality of plastic shock isolator elements adapted to completely space said article from said outer container, each of said plastic shock isolator elements comprising a hollow toroidal-like body having spaced end walls and an intervening smooth side wall with the inside circumferential surface of said body forming a solid integral web centered upon and extending transversely to the axis of said toroidal-like body, said element possessing an appreciable degree of resistance to compressional forces and on deformation restores itself to essentially its original shape, said end walls of each element being relatively movable toward and away from each other between a position of wide separation wherein their associated side wall has a dimension corresponding to its dimension in the undeformed state and a position of close proximity wherein said side wall is collapsed.

Claim 14

A cushioned shipping container unit comprising an outer container adapted to receive an article to be cushioned and a plurality of plastic shock isolator elements adapted to completely space said article from said outer container, each of said plastic shock isolator elements comprising a hollow toroidal-like body having spaced end walls and an intervening smooth side wall with the inside circumferential surface of said body forming a solid integral web centered upon and extending transversely to the axis of said toroidal-like body, said element possessing an appreciable degree of resistance to compressional forces and on deformation restores itself to essentially its original shape, said end walls of each element being relatively movable toward and away from each other between a position of wide separation wherein their associated side wall has a dimension corresponding to its dimension in the undeformed state and a position of close proximity wherein said side wall is collapsed.

Claim 15

The cushioned shipping container of claim 12 wherein the intervening side wall of each of said toroidal-like bodies is provided with an aperture.

Claim 16

The cushioned shipping container unit of claim 12 wherein the plastic shock isolator element is made of low density polyethylene.

Claim 17

A hollow plastic shock isolator element which is characterized in that it possesses an appreciable degree of resistance to compressional forces and on deformation restores itself to essentially its original shape comprising spaced end walls and an intervening smooth side wall, said end walls being relatively movable toward and away from each other between a position of wide separation wherein the side wall has a dimension corresponding to its dimension in the undeformed state and a position of close proxiMity wherein the side wall is collapsed.

Claim 18

A hollow plastic shock isolator element which is characterized in that it possesses an appreciable degree of resistance to compressional forces and on deformation restores itself to essentially its original shape comprising spaced end walls and an intervening smooth side wall, said end walls being relatively movable toward and away from each other between a position of wide separation wherein the side wall has a dimension corresponding to its dimension in the undeformed state and a position of close proxiMity wherein the side wall is collapsed.

Claim 19

The hollow plastic shock isolator element of claim 15 wherein the side wall forms a continuous circular surface.

Claim 20

The hollow plastic shock isolator element of claim 16 wherein the continuous circular surface is outwardly convex.

Claim 21

The hollow plastic shock isolator element of claim 15 wherein an aperture is provided in the side wall.

Claim 22

A plastic shock isolator element comprising a hollow toroidal-like body.

Claim 23

A plastic shock isolator element comprising a hollow toroidal-like body.

Claim 24

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 19 wherein the outside circumferential surface of said toroidal-like body has an aperture communicating with the interior of said body.

Claim 25

The plastic shock isolator element of claim 20 wherein the outside circumferential surface is curved.