TODAY’S PATENT – ENERGY ABSORBING RUBBER COMPOSITION

This was invented by Mervin V. Pilkington (Akron, OH), Jack R. Creasey (Akron, OH), and Richard H. Becken (Windsor, VT). It was patented by the USPTO on March 12, 1985 bearing patent number US4504604A.

This invention relates to an improved composition of rubber that absorbs energy and can be used as a structural material in many different kinds of goods. The material’s exceptional energy-absorbing capacity, light weight, and hardness—which falls between 20 and 30—make it particularly valuable for shoe parts. More specifically, this enhanced rubber composition offers a distinct load deflection characteristic and a low specific gravity. This composition is used to create comfortable shoe items that shield the wearer from bone jarring shock, which is the primary cause of some injuries like shin splints and Achilles tendinitis.

A rubber composition with a high energy absorption capability is disclosed in this invention. This rubber blend is safe and nontoxic, with a Shore A hardness between 20 and 30. As a result, it has good qualities for usage in items that are in close proximity to people or animals and benefit from the capacity to absorb energy, like tumble mats, helmet liners, hammer handles, horse shoe pads, pistol butt pads, and shoe bottoms. This invention’s energy-absorbing rubber composition consists of a polynorbornene rubber, a plasticizer, and a resin that is incompatible with polynorbornene.