Inflatable flying body for the rescue descent of a person
First Claim
1. An apparatus for enabling a person or cargo to descend from an elevation higher than a landing area, wherein said apparatus is unfoldable and inflatable into a deployed configuration having a generally conical outer shape with a narrower nose end and a wider end opposite thereto and a hollow inner space, and wherein said apparatus in said deployed configuration comprises:
- an inflatable outer stabilizing ring at said wider end;
a nose structure including an inflatable central pneumatic damping element at said narrower nose end;
plural inflatable spoke struts extending conically between said nose structure and said outer stabilizing ring;
a cover skin arranged on and spanning between said spoke struts to define at least a portion of said generally conical outer shape;
at least one gas generator pneumatically connected to and adapted to inflate said outer stabilizing ring, said central pneumatic damping element, and said spoke struts; and
a load support element that is adapted to receive the person or cargo thereon and that is arranged and secured in or on said nose structure at a location on or above said central pneumatic damping element in said deployed configuration.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A person can safely descend from a burning high-rise building or the like using an inflatable flying body that has a hollow conical form in an inflated deployed condition, but is deflated and folded into a backpack form in a stowed condition. The flying body includes an upper stabilizing ring, a lower nose structure with a pneumatic damping body, spoke struts extending conically therebetween, a cover skin covering the abovementioned inflatable components to form the conical outer surface and provide aerodynamic braking drag, and gas generators to inflate the inflatable components. A person straps on the apparatus in the stowed backpack form and pulls a handle to actuate the gas generators for inflating the apparatus, whereby the expanding apparatus ejects the person from the building and then orients itself in a nose-down attitude during the descent. The pneumatic damping body damps and dissipates the landing impact energy.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for enabling a person or cargo to descend from an elevation higher than a landing area, wherein said apparatus is unfoldable and inflatable into a deployed configuration having a generally conical outer shape with a narrower nose end and a wider end opposite thereto and a hollow inner space, and wherein said apparatus in said deployed configuration comprises:
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an inflatable outer stabilizing ring at said wider end;
a nose structure including an inflatable central pneumatic damping element at said narrower nose end;
plural inflatable spoke struts extending conically between said nose structure and said outer stabilizing ring;
a cover skin arranged on and spanning between said spoke struts to define at least a portion of said generally conical outer shape;
at least one gas generator pneumatically connected to and adapted to inflate said outer stabilizing ring, said central pneumatic damping element, and said spoke struts; and
a load support element that is adapted to receive the person or cargo thereon and that is arranged and secured in or on said nose structure at a location on or above said central pneumatic damping element in said deployed configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
a) securing said apparatus in said stowed configuration on a person'"'"'s back in the manner of a backpack;
b) positioning said person adjacent to an egress of said structure with said apparatus and said person'"'"'s back facing outwardly away from said structure;
c) actuating at least one said gas generator to inflate and deploy said apparatus from said stowed configuration to said deployed configuration, whereby an inflation of said apparatus pulls said person out of and away from said structure;
d) descending said person from said structure to said landing area with said apparatus in said deployed configuration, wherein said generally conical outer shape is oriented with said narrower nose end thereof pointed downward; and
e) touching said apparatus down onto said landing area while a touchdown impact is cushioned by said pneumatic damping element of said apparatus.
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Specification