Landing safety device

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. Such an arrangement may facilitate training for exercises wherein a skill cushion and/or semi-solid surface is used to practice landings. Training routines may utilize a skirt attachment or landing mat to simulate landing on ground.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 an inflatable bladder, the inflatable bladder being positioned at least along a bottom of an enclosure;   a plurality of inflatable extensions that are operably coupled to the inflatable bladder;   an air intake device coupled to the inflatable bladder, wherein upon applying air to the air intake device the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions are configured to transition from a deflated state to an inflated state, and in the inflated state the inflatable bladder is configured to form a base section and the plurality of inflatable extensions are configured to extend substantially perpendicularly from a top side of the base section; and   a removeable skirt attachment arranged within and/or above the enclosure, wherein the removeable skirt attachment is further arranged at least above the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions while the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions are in the inflated state, wherein the removeable skirt attachment is configured to provide a raised landing area that is raised above the bottom of the enclosure and that is configured to absorb landing impacts.   
     
     
         2 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable bladder is separated into a plurality of sections using internal baffles. 
     
     
         3 . The device as in  claim 2 , wherein each of the sections defined by the internal baffles are uniformly shaped. 
     
     
         4 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable extensions are configured to extend substantially the same distance vertically from the base section of the inflatable bladder. 
     
     
         5 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of 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. 
     
     
         6 . The device as in clam  1 , further comprising an air release valve configured to deflate the inflatable bladder when opened in order to transition the inflatable bladder back to the deflated state. 
     
     
         7 . The device as in  claim 1 , 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, and the first stage is inflated to a lower height from the bottom of the enclosure than the second stage. 
     
     
         8 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein the removable skirt attachment is further arranged above a plurality of foam pieces. 
     
     
         9 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable bladder is arranged above a trampoline or foam surface that is positioned on the bottom of the enclosure. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 positioning an inflatable bladder, wherein a plurality of inflatable extensions are operably connected to the inflatable bladder;   positioning a removeable skirt attachment at least above the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions; and   applying air to an air intake device coupled to the inflatable bladder, wherein upon applying the air to the air intake device the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions transition from an deflated state to an inflated state, and in the inflated state the inflatable bladder forms a base section and the plurality of inflatable extensions extend substantially perpendicularly from a top side of the base section, wherein the removeable skirt attachment is positioned such that a raised landing area is formed while the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions are in the inflated state such that the raised landing area formed by the removeable skirt attachment absorbs landing impacts.   
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the inflatable bladder is separated into a plurality of sections using internal baffles. 
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 11 , wherein each of the sections defined by the internal baffles are uniformly shaped. 
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the inflatable extensions extend substantially the same distance vertically from the base section of the inflatable bladder. 
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of 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. 
     
     
         15 . The method as in clam  10 , wherein the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions are positioned in a landing pit. 
     
     
         16 . The method as in  claim 10 , 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. 
     
     
         17 . A device comprising:
 an inflatable bladder; a plurality of inflatable extensions that are operably coupled to the inflatable bladder;   a removeable skirt attachment arranged at least above the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions; and   an air intake device coupled to the inflatable bladder, wherein upon applying air to the air intake device the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions are configured to transition from an deflated state to an inflated state, and in the inflated state the inflatable bladder is configured to form a base section with a top face substantially parallel to the ground and the plurality of inflatable extensions are configured to extend substantially perpendicularly from the top face of the base section, wherein the removeable skirt attachment is arranged at least above the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions while the inflatable bladder and the plurality of inflatable extensions are in the inflated state such that the removeable skirt attachment forms a raised landing area, the raised landing area being configured to absorb landing impacts.   
     
     
         18 . The device as in  claim 17 , wherein the inflatable bladder is separated into a plurality of sections using internal baffles. 
     
     
         19 . The device as in  claim 17 , wherein the removable skirt attachment is further arranged above a plurality of foam pieces. 
     
     
         20 . The device as in  claim 17 , wherein the removable skirt attachment comprises a landing mat.