Escape and survival pod

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an escape and survival capsule that provides protection to occupants from, e.g., cataclysmic natural events such as tsunamis, flooding, monsoon, typhoons, tornadoes, hurricanes, water spouts, earthquakes and mudslides. The capsule may be designed to be inflatable with durable and rugged materials providing protection against hazardous environmental factors during one or more of the preceding cataclysmic events. The capsule may be designed to be easily stowable, transportable and deployable so that it can serve its intended purpose within minutes after the occurrence of any of the preceding or other cataclysmic events.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Prov. App. 61 / 795,666 filed Oct. 23, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for surviving catastrophic events including floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Severe natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis historically have caused catastrophic loss of life and property. Two recent examples (2004 Indian Ocean tsunami caused by the magnitude 9.1-9.3 Richter scale Sumatra-Andaman earthquake centered off of the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia and the magnitude 9.0 Richter scale 2011 Tohoku earthquake / tsunami) illustrate the devastating impact these natural events have on life and property. The Indian Ocean tsunami alone was responsible for over 230,000 deaths in 14 countries b...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The present invention comprises a new design for an escape and survival pod, capsule or sphere that provides a means for persons to survive a natural disaster event including catastrophic water-related events such as tsunamis, floods, torrential rains such as monsoon, typhoons, hurricanes and tornadoes formed over water (i.e., water spouts). In one aspect, the survival capsule is buoyant (i.e., capable of floating while experiencing events of flooding, torrential rains such as monsoons, tsunamis, water spouts, tropical storms, hurricanes, typhoons and the like) and provides protection for up to four persons. The present invention is herein defined as an escape and survival capsule, survival capsule, escape and survival pod, survival pod, escape and survival sphere, survival sphere or simply as a capsule, pod or sphere and, in one embodiment, provides shock mitigation (i.e., protection against high-impact forces encountered by the capsule during a natural disaster event) and buoyancy (see, e.g., FIGS. 9a-9c). However, the present invention is capable of being modified with well-known design and manufacturing methods to accommodate more or less than four persons to fulfill the requirements or needs of any specific customer or customers.

[0015]In one embodiment of the present invention, each drop-stitch panel thickness is about 4 inches. In other embodiments, other thicknesses may be used (for example, about 6 inches or greater). In one embodiment, the panel layers may be coated with certain coatings such as polyurethane coatings, techthane or other specialized coatings well known in the art to enhance the durability, abrasion, and puncture resistance qualities of the chosen panel material.

Problems solved by technology

Severe natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis historically have caused catastrophic loss of life and property.

Tsunamis are generally induced by earthquakes, and inflict their damage in two ways: the destructive force of a wall of water traveling at high speed over low-lying populated areas, and the resultant devastation caused by the receding water as it carries the debris along with it.

Similar extreme weather events such as typhoons, tornadoes, severe tropical storms and hurricanes can inflict severe damage to life and property from forces generated by moving water, wind and debris propelled by such forces.

Aluminum is not a material that is well suited for absorbing high-impact forces such as those to be encountered during a severe natural disaster event.

Furthermore, this design, with its rigid aluminum body, is not capable of being transported efficiently, as it is large and heavy; moving it from place to place would require a lifting harness and fork truck to hoist the device, and a flatbed truck to transport it.

Moreover, the fact that the design being discussed here has a capacity of four adults and is rigid in nature presents a significant challenge to efficient storage, particularly if it is intended for use by an individual family.

These particular aspects of the design—lack of shock mitigation, difficulty in transporting, and inefficient storage—present serious challenges to widespread deployment to and use by individuals who require a means of protecting themselves against the life-threatening hazards of severe natural disaster events such as catastrophic weather and geological events.

However, the same challenges and deficiencies apply except that fiberglass is even less likely to absorb high-impact forces typically encountered during severe natural disaster events as fiberglass is easily shattered when striking hard objects, which can lead to water ingress, injury to occupants including occupants that are otherwise adequately restrained within the capsule and potential sinking of the capsule leading to the drowning of those within.

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