Recoil pad for a firearm
A recoil pad for a firearm has a compressible body, the body having a forward surface configured to face toward the firearm, an opposed rear surface configured to face toward the shoulder of a user, and the body comprising an anisotropic matrix of flexible material extending from the forward surface to the rear surface. The body may be a unitary mass. The body may be an agglomeration of welded particles. The body may have a plurality of planar members interconnected by elongated spans. The body may define a medial plane associated with a medial plane of the firearm. The planar members may be oriented perpendicularly to the medial plane of the body. The body may define a first array of elongated holes passing through the body in a first direction, and a second array of elongated holes passing through the body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
1. A recoil pad for a firearm having an elongated stock defining a vertical medial stock plane comprising:
a compressible body;
the body having a forward surface configured to face toward the firearm, an opposed rear surface configured to face toward the shoulder of a user;
the body defining a vertical medial body plane perpendicular to the forward surface and parallel to the stock plane;
the body comprising an anisotropic matrix of flexible material extending from the forward surface to the rear surface; and
the body formed of a multitude of interconnected elements having surface portions facing in a direction at least partly toward the medial body plane.
2. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 1 wherein the body is a unitary mass.
3. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 1 wherein the body is an agglomeration of welded particles.
4. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 1 wherein the body comprises a plurality of planar members interconnected by elongated spans.
5. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 4 wherein the body defines a medial plane associated with a medial plane of the firearm, and wherein the planar members are oriented perpendicularly to the medial plane of the body.
6. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 1 wherein the body defines a medial plane associated with a medial plane of the firearm and wherein the body defines an array of elongated holes passing laterally through the body.
7. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 1 wherein the body defines a first array of elongated holes passing through the body in a first direction, and a second array of elongated holes passing through the body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
8. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 7 wherein the body includes a plurality of spaced-apart planar members parallel to the first direction and to the second direction such that the spaced-apart planar members are not penetrated by the elongated holes of the first and second arrays.
9. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 7 including a rear panel portion enclosing at least some of the elongated holes of the first and second arrays.
10. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 7 wherein at least some of the elongated holes of the first and second arrays are hexagonal.
11. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 1 wherein the body has a peripheral surface spanning from the rear surface to the forward surface, and encompassed by a peripheral element.
12. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 11 wherein the peripheral element is a mesh formed of a plurality of elongated spans.
13. A recoil pad for a firearm comprising:
a core defining a vertical medial body plane perpendicular to the forward surface and parallel to the stock plane and formed as a matrix of interconnected elements;
at least some of the interconnected elements having surface portions facing in a direction at least partly toward the medial body plane;
the core having a forward portion configured to face toward the firearm and an opposed rear portion configured to face toward the shoulder of a user, and
wherein the core comprises an anisotropic matrix of flexible material extending from the forward surface to the rear surface.
14. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 13 including a rear panel connected integrally at the rear portion and formed of the same material as the core.
15. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 13 including a front panel connected integrally at the front portion and formed of the same material as the core.
16. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 15 wherein the front panel includes an attachment facility configured to connect to a firearm stock.
17. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 13 wherein the interconnected elements are elongated.
18. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 17 wherein the elongated interconnected elements are articulated bars each having opposed end portions at different angles.
19. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 17 wherein the elongated interconnected elements each have a length to width ratio of greater than 2.
20. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 17 wherein the elongated interconnected elements each have a length to width ratio of less than 10.
21. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 17 wherein the elongated interconnected elements are straight bars connected at their ends.
22. The recoil pad for a firearm of claim 13 wherein at least some of the surface portions are obstructed by another interconnected element from view in a direction perpendicular to the medial plane.