Method and device for agitating a grouping of cushioning articles

Abstract

An apparatus and method for agitating and rearranging a grouping of individual cushioning articles in an enclosed container are disclosed. The method and device may protect and individual from an injury resulting from landing in the enclosed container when the individual cushioning articles are overly compressed and lack appropriate spacing in order to absorb the kinetic energy of an individual landing in the enclosed container. The apparatus may include an air actuated inflatable bladder with inflatable extensions that may be utilized to lift and/or separate the cushioning articles, thus allowing the cushioning articles to be repositioned in a random, non-uniform, fashion. Additionally, the repositioned cushioning articles may have additional air space introduced between the individual cushioning devices, thereby allowing the cushioning device to absorb the kinetic energy and an individual without inducing as large an impact force, and providing a more compressive landing zone free of compacted and lodged pieces.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A device for agitating a plurality of cushioning articles, the device comprising:
 an inflatable bladder, wherein the inflatable bladder, when deflated, is positioned along at least one of a bottom of an enclosure or a side of the enclosure, and the enclosure is open along at least one side;   one or more inflatable extensions operably coupled to the inflatable bladder; and   a blower connection operably coupled to at least one of the inflatable bladder or the one or more inflatable extensions, wherein upon applying air to inflate the inflatable bladder and the one or more inflatable extensions via the blower connection at least one of the inflatable bladder or the inflatable extensions contact one or more cushioning articles resulting in decompression of the one or more of cushioning articles.   
     
     
         2 . The device as in  claim 1 , further wherein the inflatable bladder is comprised of a plurality of sections, and the plurality of sections are operably coupled to each other via seams and internal baffles. 
     
     
         3 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein when inflated, the inflatable bladder and the one or more inflatable extensions occupy at least fifty percent of a volume of the enclosure. 
     
     
         4 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable extensions are configured to inflate after the inflatable bladder has been inflated. 
     
     
         5 . The device as in  claim 1 , further comprising an air release valve that deflates the inflatable bladder and one or more inflatable extensions when opened. 
     
     
         6 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more cushioning articles comprise one or more foam pieces. 
     
     
         7 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein upon applying the air to inflate the inflatable bladder and the one or more inflatable extensions at least one of the one or more cushioning articles is lifted outside of the enclosure. 
     
     
         8 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable bladder is vaulted along sides of the enclosure such that, when inflated, the inflatable bladder extends further from the bottom of the enclosure along the sides of the enclosure than the inflatable bladder extends along the center of the enclosure. 
     
     
         9 . A method for decompressing foam pieces contained within a landing pit, the method comprising:
 applying compressed air to inflate an inflatable bladder located at a bottom of the landing pit; and   the inflatable bladder contacting a subset of a plurality of foam pieces contained within the landing pit, wherein the contact results in at least a portion of the plurality of foam pieces to increase in separation from other foam pieces within the landing pit, resulting in the decompression of at least the portion of the plurality of foam pieces.   
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 9 , wherein one or more inflatable extensions are operable coupled to the inflatable pit and the one or more inflatable extensions are also inflated upon applying the compressed air to inflate the inflatable bladder. 
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the one or more inflatable extensions are uniformly shaped. 
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 9 , further comprising applying a release valve to deflate the inflatable bladder after the inflatable bladder has been inflated. 
     
     
         13 . A device configured to decompress foam pieces that are contained within landing pit, the device comprising:
 an inflatable bladder, the inflatable bladder being positioned along a bottom of the landing pit when deflated; and   an air intake device coupled to the inflatable bladder, wherein upon applying compressed air to the air intake device the inflatable bladder is inflated, resulting in the inflatable bladder occupying at least a portion of the landing pit and displacing at least a subset of foam pieces located within the landing pit.   
     
     
         14 . The device as in  claim 13 , wherein displacing at least the subset of foam pieces located within the landing pit results in the decompressions of a plurality of foam pieces within the landing pit. 
     
     
         15 . The device as in  claim 14 , further comprising one or more inflatable extensions that are operably coupled to the inflatable bladder and that are also inflated upon applying compressed air to the air intake device the inflatable bladder. 
     
     
         16 . The device as in  claim 15 , wherein the one or more inflatable extensions are configured in one or more of the following shapes: a triangular prism, a pyramid, a cube, a rectangular prism, a cylinder, a polygonal prism, a cone, a semi-spheres, or a hemi-sphere. 
     
     
         17 . The device as in  claim 14 , wherein the inflatable bladder is divided into a plurality of sections that are separated by internal baffles. 
     
     
         18 . The device as in  claim 14 , further comprising an air release valve configured to deflate the inflatable bladder when opened. 
     
     
         19 . The device as in  claim 14 , wherein the inflatable bladder is configured to inflate in at least two stages, and an inflation rate of a first stage is faster than an inflation rate of a second stage. 
     
     
         20 . The device as in  claim 19 , wherein the first stage is inflated to a lower height from the bottom of the pit than the second stage, and the second stage is not directly adjacent to any side of the landing pit.