Protective padding layer

1. A flexible padding layer, comprising a section of resilient sheet material, having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface, said sheet material formed with repetitive composite pattern of surface features, said repetitive composite pattern comprising a geometric array of a plurality of structural elements, at least one structural element of each surface feature being shared with an adjoining surface feature, each surface feature further comprising:

a polygonal perforation surrounded by a plurality of sides joined at corners; and

a contoured crown surrounding said polygonal perforation, said crown including at each said corner an angular section having a first surface forming said upper surface, said angular sections being separated by a plurality of shoulders extending along said sides, said plurality of shoulders each integrally joining a pair of said plurality of angular sections to form said crown,

wherein each shoulder tapers from said first surface between adjoining angular sections in an arc-shaped concavity; and

wherein said surface patterns and perforations collectively providing consistent flexibility in multiple directions.

2. The flexible padding layer according to claim 1 , wherein said angular sections have an opposing second surface forming said lower surface, wherein each shoulder tapers from said second surface at said opposing edges such that an opposing cross-section adjoining angular sections is also an arc-shaped concavity.

3. The flexible padding layer according to claim 2 , wherein each shoulder tapers to a first thickness, and said plurality of angular sections are of a greater thickness between said first and second surfaces than said first thickness.

4. The flexible padding layer according claim 3 , wherein said greater thickness is a uniform thickness.

5. The flexible padding layer according to claim 1 , wherein the arc-shaped concavity is symmetrical.

6. The flexible padding layer according to claim 1 , wherein said shoulders extend along the entirety of said sides.

7. The flexible padding layer according to claim 1 , wherein said polygonal perforation is hexagonal.

8. The flexible padding layer according to claim 7 , further comprising six radially-arrayed shoulders.

9. The flexible padding layer according to claim 8 , wherein said angular sections are triangular.

10. The flexible padding layer according to claim 9 , further comprising six triangular angular sections.

11. The flexible padding layer according to claim 1 , wherein each said structural element overlaps an adjacent structural element by sharing at least one shoulder.

12. The flexible padding layer according to claim 11 , wherein each said structural element overlaps an adjacent structural element by sharing one shoulder and two angular sections.

13. A flexible padding layer, comprising:

a resilient sheet material, having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface, said sheet material defined by a composite pattern of surface features, said composite pattern comprising a repeating array of structural elements, each said structural element in said array comprising,

a geometric perforation through said sheet material,

a plurality of polygonal sections radially arrayed around said geometric perforation, said polygonal sections having a first surface forming said upper surface, each polygonal section having a plurality of sides connected by vertices,

a plurality of shoulders integrally attached to each of said polygonal section sides, wherein each shoulder extends between a pair of opposing sides and are tapered at said opposing sides from said first surface such that a cross-section between opposing sides is an arc-shaped concavity,

wherein said array of surface features collectively provides consistent flexibility in multiple directions.

14. The flexible padding layer according to claim 13 , wherein said polygonal sections have an opposing second surface forming said lower surface, wherein each shoulder tapers from said second surface at said opposing edges such that an opposing cross-section between opposing edges is also an arc-shaped concavity.

15. The flexible padding layer according to claim 14 , wherein each shoulder tapers to a first thickness, and said plurality of polygonal sections are of a greater thickness between said first and second surfaces than said first thickness.

16. The flexible padding layer according claim 15 , wherein said greater thickness is a uniform thickness.

17. The flexible padding layer according to claim 13 , wherein the arc-shaped concavity is symmetrical.

18. The flexible padding layer according to claim 13 , wherein each of said shoulders abuts a side of said geometric perforation, wherein said geometric perforation is a polygon surrounded by a plurality of sides joined at corners.

19. The flexible padding layer according to claim 18 , wherein said polygonal perforation is hexagonal.

20. The flexible padding layer according to claim 19 , further comprising six radially-arrayed shoulders.

21. The flexible padding layer according to claim 20 , wherein said polygonal sections are triangular.

22. The flexible padding layer according claim 21 , further comprising six triangular sections.

23. The flexible padding layer according to claim 18 , wherein each said structural element overlaps an adjacent structural element.

24. The flexible padding layer according to claim 23 , wherein each said structural element overlaps an adjacent structural element by sharing at least one shoulder.

25. The flexible padding layer according claim 24 , wherein each said element overlaps an adjacent structural element by sharing at least one polygonal section.

26. The flexible padding layer according claim 25 , wherein each said element overlaps an adjacent structural element by sharing one shoulder and two polygonal sections.