Abstract
An internal aircell inside a first flexible structural cover of a structural air-beam used in air supported supports such as tents is connected to the internal aircell of an adjacent air-beam by means of an air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly attached between said aircells through a cooperating structural cover port aperture in the structural cover. The airflow port assembly allows communicating airflow between the connected aircells forming an integral air volume for inflation and deflation through a single inflation point.
Claims
1. An air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly for an air supported structure comprising a first aircell, two facing concentric circular airflow port disks, one of said disks joined and hermetically sealed to an outer surface of said first aircell, the other said port disk joined and hermetically sealed to an outer surface of a second aircell, said port disks hermetically joined together from their centers outwardly to about halfway to their outer perimeters forming an integral central disk seal and forming two facing annular disk flanges extending outwardly from said disk seal, and an airflow port disk central communicating aperture punched through the central portion of said disk seal and into said aircells to allow flow of inflating gas through said communicating aperture between said hermetically joined aircells.
2. An air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first aircell enclosed by a flexible non-elastic structural cover, said first structural cover having a communicating cover port aperture through which said second aircell and one of said airflow port disks are inserted through and retained external to said first structural cover.
3. An air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein said second aircell enclosed by a flexible non-elastic second structural cover.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
(1) FIG. 1 is a simplified, perspective view of a first aircell 12 joined and hermetically sealed and connected to a second aircell 18 by a first embodiment of the airflow port assembly 10 and shows an air inflation valve 8;
(2) FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective view of a first aircell 12 showing an airflow port disk 22 attached (joined) to the outer side of said first aircell with indicia on said disk indicating the location of an airflow port disk central communicating aperture 30 to be later formed;
(3) FIG. 3 is a simplified, perspective view of a second aircell 18 showing an airflow port disk 24 attached (joined) to the outer side of said second aircell with indicia on said disk indicating the location of an airflow port disk central communicating aperture 30 to be later formed;
(4) FIG. 4 is a partial, cutaway, perspective view of the airflow port assembly 10 shown in FIG. 1;
(5) FIG. 5 is a simplified, partial side view of the aircell communicating airflow port assembly 10 shown in FIG. 1;
(6) FIG. 6 is a top view of two facing coaxial circular airflow port disks 22, 24 showing a disk flange 28 of disk 22 folded upward to reveal the disk 24 and disk flange 29 below, and showing a central disk seal 26 that connects said disks;
(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a first aircell 12 joined and hermetically sealed to a second aircell 18 by a first embodiment of the invention;
(8) FIG. 8 is an exploded plan view of a first structural cover 14 to be assembled and connected (attached) to a second structural cover 20 to be assembled, said second structural cover having a coped end 21 as shown in FIG. 9;
(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a first structural cover 14 connected (attached) to a second structural cover 20, said second structural cover having a coped end 21 and showing indicia A, B, and C;
(10) FIG. 10 is a partial, perspective view from within said first structural cover 14;
(11) FIG. 11 is a side view of said first structural cover 14 and said second structural cover 20 shown in FIG. 9;
(12) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of said first aircell 12 and said second aircell 18 shown in FIG. 7 inserted and retained within said first structural cover 14 connected (attached) to a second structural cover 20, said second structural cover having a coped end 21 and preferably further comprising a longitudinal spine zipper 54 joining two longitudinal edges of said first structural cover shown in FIG. 9 other cover zippers not shown;
(13) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an air supported tent structure 4 showing a tent fly 100 partially uplifted and an air-beam support leg 7 having a partially opened spine zipper 56 allowing access to the interior of said leg and showing said internal aircell 18 within said support leg;
(14) FIG. 14 is an exploded plan view of a best embodiment of a first structural cover 64 to be assembled and connected (attached) to a second structural cover 20 to be assembled, said second structural cover having a coped end 21 as shown in FIG. 15;
(15) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of said first structural cover 64 connected (attached) to a second structural cover 20, said second structural cover having a coped end 21 and showing attachment zippers 50, 52 and spinal zipper 54;
(16) FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of an airflow port disk 22 spaced above a circular portion 112 of the outer surface of an aircell 12 and showing the following indicia: guideline to disk placement 120, guideline to inner perimeter 125 of perimeter weld of disk to outer surface of said aircell perimeter weld to be formed, guideline to disk seal outer perimeter 126 of seal to be formed, and guideline to airflow port disk central communicating aperture placement 130;
(17) FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a airflow port disk 22 joined to said circular portion 112 of the outer surface of an aircell 12 and a perimeter weld 25 of disk to said outer surface, and showing the following indicia: guideline to disk seal outer perimeter 126 of seal to be formed, and guideline to airflow port disk central communicating aperture placement 130;
(18) FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of a airflow port disk 24 spaced above a circular portion 118 of the outer surface of an aircell 18 and showing the following indicia: guideline to disk placement 120, guideline to inner perimeter 125 of perimeter weld of disk to outer surface of said aircell perimeter weld to be formed, guideline to disk seal outer perimeter 126 of seal to be formed, and guideline to airflow port disk central communicating aperture placement 130;
(19) FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a airflow port disk 24 joined to said circular portion 118 of the outer surface of an aircell 18 and a perimeter weld 25 of disk to said outer surface, and showing the following indicia: guideline to disk seal outer perimeter 126 of seal to be formed, and guideline to airflow port disk central communicating aperture placement 130 (preferably after the perimeter weld is made, the portion of the outer surface 118 bounded by the inner perimeter of the perimeter weld is removed to lessen the impact of the flange 19 thickness on later forming of the disk seal;
(20) FIG. 20 is an exploded side view of an air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly 10 before a central disk seal 26 is formed between said disks 22, 24;
(21) FIG. 21 is an side view of an air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly 10 after a central disk seal 26 is formed between said disks 22, 24 and indicating a cross-sectional view for FIG. 22;
(22) FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of said air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly 10 indicated in FIG. 21 and showing a coaxial airflow port disk central communicating aperture 30;
(23) FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of an airflow port disk 24 spaced below a fin weld flange 19 and an opened end portion of the outer surface of said aircell 18 that is open along the belly weld line 150, and above an airflow port disk 22 that is joined to the outer surface of aircell 12 that is open along the belly weld line 160 to allow access during the fabrication process to the interior of said aircell 12;
(24) FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a airflow port disk 24 joined to said fin weld flange 19 and said opened end portion and joined by a central disk seal 26 to said airflow port disk 22 joined to the outer surface of aircell 12 and the belly weld 162 and two fin welds fully formed in aircell 12 and showing a airflow port disk central communicating aperture 30;
(25) FIG. 25 is a top view of two aircells 12, 18 shown in FIG. 24 hermetically and fully joined one to the other with fin welds 19, 164 and belly welds 152, 162 welded and showing an attached air inflation valve 8;
(26) FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a first aircell 12 joined and hermetically sealed to a second aircell 18 and also to a third aircell 18;
(27) FIG. 27 is a partial perspective view of said aircell communicating airflow port assembly 10 shown in FIG. 26;
(28) FIG. 28 is a top view of said first aircell 12 joined and hermetically sealed to said second aircell 18 and also to a third aircell 18 shown in FIG. 26;
(29) FIG. 29 is a top view of a second embodiment of an air-beam structure 104 having a first aircell 12 joined and hermetically sealed to a second aircell 18 and also to a third aircell 18 incorporating two port assemblies 10 and showing four cover end caps at four free ends of said air-beam structure; and
(30) FIG. 30 is a partial, cutaway perspective view from below of the intersecting support legs 6, 7 of the air supported tent structure 4 shown in FIG. 13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(31) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 30, the present invention is a novel air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly 10 preferably used with a cooperating structural cover port 42 that joins and hermetically seals one aircell to another aircell to communicate the aircells one to the other and permit the inflation and deflation of the joined aircells by a single air inflation valve 8.
(32) The invention is useful in the manufacture of air-beam structures as illustrated in FIG. 13 showing an air supported tent structure 4 having a plurality of air beam support legs 6, 7, 9 or in other instances where two or more aircells are to be joined and hermetically sealed to communicate one aircell to another aircell. The elements of the invention comprise a first aircell 12 having or connected to an aircell inflation valve 8 and said first aircell enclosed by a flexible non-elastic first structural cover 14; said first aircell joined and hermetically sealed by an air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly 10 to an adjacent second aircell 18 preferably enclosed by a flexible non-elastic second structural cover 20 having a coped end 21 joined to said first structural cover; said airflow port assembly comprising two coaxial circular airflow port disks 22, 24, said disks hermetically sealed preferably along their perimeters respectively to an outer surface of said first aircell and to an outer surface of said second aircell, said disks joined and hermetically sealed one disk to the other disk from their disk centers outwardly about halfway toward their outer disk perimeters forming an integral central disk seal 26 and forming two facing annular disk flanges 28, 29, an airflow port disk central communicating aperture 30 is punched or cut in and preferably perpendicularly through the central portion of said disk seal and through the outer surfaces of said aircells to allow flow of air or other inflating gas between said hermetically joined aircells; said first structural cover 14 having a communicating cover port aperture 42 into the interior volume of said second structural cover, said cover port aperture sized to closely receive there-through said second aircell and one of said disks that is sealed to said second aircell and said port aperture sized to closely interface said central disk seal along the outer diameter of said central disk seal and said cover port aperture and the immediately surrounding portion of the cover retained between said disk flanges of said airflow port assembly; and preferably a cover port aperture reinforcing ring 44 encircles said cover port aperture and is attached to said structural cover to reinforce said structural cover and maintain the integrity of said port aperture.
(33) Preferably said aircells have a single inflation valve 8 for inflating and deflating the aircells 12, 18.
(34) A majority of the fabric components of the invention (such as the structural covers 14, 20) are preferably made from a flexible non-elastic PVC coated flexible fabric material. The aircells preferably are made from flexible polyurethane film or sheet material or other suitable flexible inflating gas impervious material and preferably being about 12 to 14 mil in thickness. The airflow port disks preferably are made from flexible polyurethane sheet material or other suitable flexible inflating gas impervious material preferably about 40 to 60 mil in thickness and preferably when joining ten inch cross-sectional diameter aircells are six to eight inches in diameter and when joining other sized aircells up to 36 inch cross-sectional aircells are appropriately sized for such other sized aircells.
(35) Means of joining or attaching of elements of the invention one element to another element preferably may include welding, hot air welding, RF welding, other suitable method of plastic welding, adhesive, or appropriate stitching.
(36) The preceding description and exposition of a preferred embodiment of the invention is presented for purposes of illustration and enabling disclosure. It is neither intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications or variations in the invention in light of the above teachings that are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted to the breath to which they are fairly, legitimately and equitably entitled.
