Survival shelter

An emergency inflatable shelter comprising:

• opposed, non-inflatable end panels and inflatable floor and side portions cooperable to form an enclosed, self-supporting shelter;
• said floor and side portions each including:
• an outer wall;
• an inner wall;
• a plurality of substantially, parallel strips connected to said inner and outer walls, and extending substantially the entire length or width of said inner and outer walls, to space said walls from each other and divide the space therebetween into a plurality of pneumatically connected cells;
• said floor and side portions being attached to said end panels;
• and
• fastening means associated with said side and end panels for detachably fastening selected edges thereof to each other, thereby to permit said floor, side and end panels to be unfolded into a substantially planar configuration, each said side portion being connected to said floor portion by a longitudinal strip such that when said floor and side portions are in an abutting inflated relationship, the strip cooperates with said floor and said side portions to form a thermally insulating air pocket along an interface thereof, whereby an injured victim can be laid on said floor panel and transported in an enclosee, controlled environment and yet remain easily accessible for treatment without having to be moved from said floor panel.

A self-supporting, inflatable shelter comprising:

• an inflatable floor portion of air impermeable material;
• a pair of opposed, quilted end portions of non-inflatable insulation material;
• an arcuate, inflatable supported wall portion connecting said end portions;
• fastening means cooperable with one of said end portions and said wall portion to permit opening and closing of said one end portion;
• said floor and wall portions each including:
• an outer wall;
• an inner wall;
• and
• a plurality of substantially parallel, strips connected to said inner and outer walls, and extending substantially the entire length or width of said inner and outer walls, such that said inner and outer walls, when inflated, are spaced from one another and divided into a plurality of air-filled cells;
• the shelter further including longitudinally extending strips connecting adjacent abutting cells of said floor portion and said wall portion, each said strip and associated cells cooperating to form a longitudinal insulating air pocket adjacent an interface between said abutting cells when inflated.