Patent ID: 7900747
Filing Date: 2011-03-08
Classification: A62B

Abstract:
1. A balloon landing pad device comprising a) a first surface layer defining a top of said device having at least one transverse opening therein; b) a second layer defining a bottom of said device; c) side walls connecting said top to said bottom; d) an interior defined by said first surface layer, said second layer, and said side walls; said interior comprising regions of increasing density or penetration resistance gradient or combination thereof when traversing from said top toward said bottom; said interior further comprising at least one intermediary third layer separating said interior into at least two stories stacked one above the other, each adjacent pair of said stacked stories being referred to as an upper or lower story respectively of said pair of stories, such that said intermediary third layer defines a floor of said upper story and a ceiling of said lower story; said top also defining a ceiling of the uppermost of said at least two stories and said bottom also defining a floor of the lowermost of said at least two stories; each of said at least two stories having a minimum distance between said ceiling and said floor thereof of at least about 5 feet; each of said first surface layer and each intermediary third layer having at least one opening therein through which a person, upon landing on said device, falls through said first surface completely into said interior, continues to fall through at least one of said upper stories and land upon said intermediary third layer forming said floor of said upper at least one upper story, continues falling through said opening in said intermediary third layer completely into at least one of said lower stories, and completely thorough at least one of said lower stories; said bottom being in contacting a hard support or liquid surface onto which said device is placed, said bottom having an upper surface distal to said hard surface or liquid surface on which it is placed defining a final floor of the interior and designed to cushion said falling person from contacting said hard support or liquid surface; said interior comprising regions of increasing density or penetration resistance gradient or combination thereof as said falling member penetrates from said top toward said bottom; said device being of a size to cushion said at least one falling person so as to prevent said at least one falling person from striking said hard support or liquid surface after having slowed the rate of descent of said at least one falling person as said at least one falling person traverses from said first surface, through said opening in said first surface, through at least two of said at least two stories and at least one of said at least one intermediary third layer separating at least two of said at least two stories from each other, toward said bottom.