This invention relates generally to inflatable structures, and more particularly to an inflatable structure that includes a baffle construction that is lighter and uses less material.
Standard inflatable structures, such as inflatable slides and similar structure, are well known in the art. Gordon, U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,264, for example, teaches an inflatable water slide that includes an inflatable wedge for children to slide down.
These inflatable structures typically include a plurality of baffles to provide support to the structure. In particular, these structures usually include a plurality of vertical walls for providing vertical support. Fisher, U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,011, for example, teaches an inflatable mattress which includes top and bottom layers that are connected by vertical baffle walls.
Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 10,131,092, teaches an inflatable structure wherein the baffle is connected to the outer skin of the inflatable structure with a T-shaped connector. A middle section of the connector is fused to the facing surface of the panel wall.
The prior art teaches a plurality of vertical baffles that are directly connected to top and bottom walls of the inflatable structure to provide vertical support to an inflatable structure. However, the prior art does not teach a vertical baffle connected to both the top and bottom walls of the inflatable structure, which also includes diagonal support baffles connecting the vertical baffle to the top and bottom walls of the inflatable structure, connected on either side of the vertical baffle. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides an inflatable structure that comprises a top wall, a bottom wall vertically spaced from the top wall, and a vertical baffle having a top edge connected to the top wall, and a bottom edge connected to the bottom wall. A pair of top diagonal support baffles connect the vertical baffle to the top wall, each of the pair of top diagonal support baffles being connected to the top wall on opposite sides of a top edge of the vertical baffle, and spaced a distance from the top edge of the vertical baffle. A pair of bottom diagonal support baffles further connect the vertical baffle to the bottom wall, each of the pair of bottom diagonal support baffles being connected to the bottom wall on opposite sides of bottom edge of the vertical baffle, and spaced a distance from the bottom edge of the vertical baffle.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an inflatable structure having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide an inflatable structure having three laterally spaced points of support with only a single vertical baffle, which significantly reduces the weight of the inflatable structure.
A further objective is to provide an inflatable structure that uses less material than standard prior art structures.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:
The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, an inflatable structure that includes a baffle construction that is lighter and uses less material. The internal baffle structure of the present invention provides three points of support with only a single vertical baffle. By enabling the removal of two of the three vertical baffles, the bulk and weight of the inflatable structure is significantly reduced without a loss of support and structural integrity.
As shown in
Furthermore, while this is illustrated in a slide, any form of inflatable structure may include this internal baffle structure 30, and any construction known in the art should be considered within the scope of the present invention.
In the embodiment of
In this embodiment, the top and bottom walls 20 and 22 are in the form of an inflatable slide having a side bumper 24, which may be supported by additional structures, as is well-known in the art. Further, the top and bottom walls 20 and 22 may each extend a longitudinal length past the top and bottom diagonal baffles 32 and 36, respectively, and into parallel supports 26 that terminate the inflatable slide. In this embodiment, two of the parallel supports 26 extend from an outer edge 38 of each of the top and bottom diagonal baffles 32 and 36, and one of the parallel supports 26 extends from the vertical baffle 34. The parallel supports 26 may be integrally formed with the internal baffle structure(s) 30, or they may be attached via any means known in the art (e.g., sewn, welded, etc.). As noted above, each of the internal baffle structures 30 of the present invention provides three laterally spaced points of support with only a single vertical baffle 34, which significantly reduces the weight of the inflatable structure 10. In some embodiments, the internal baffle structure 30 may further include a pair of rear diagonal baffles 28, discussed in greater detail below.
While illustrated as part of an inflatable slide, the inflatable structure 10 of this invention and its construction process and methods may be incorporated into the design and construction of any inflatable structure (e.g., a mattress, obstacle course, pool toy, etc.). The top wall 20 and the bottom wall 22 may each be constructed of sheets of thermo-plastic covered fabrics of the type typically used in inflatable structures, such as PVC coated woven nylon cloth, or any other suitable materials for an inflatable structure. The top wall 20, the bottom wall 22, and/or the side bumper 24 may be sewn and/or welded together, or may be otherwise attached directly to the inflatable structure 10 using any method known in the art. The inflatable structure 10, including the fabric portions, may be assembled via stitching, a hot-air fusing process, or any other suitable means of construction known to those skilled in the art. Further details of the internal baffle structure 30 and its construction are shown in the following figures and described below.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Each of the pair of bottom diagonal support baffles 36 may also have the upper edge 60 attached to the bottom band 52 of the vertical baffle 34, and the rear diagonal support baffles 28 may further have the inner edge 62 attached to the rear edge 55 of the rear band 54 of the vertical baffle 34 (shown in
The prior art teaches a plurality of vertical baffles that are directly connected to top and bottom walls of the inflatable structure to provide vertical support to an inflatable structure. However, the prior art does not teach a vertical baffle connected to both the top and bottom walls of the inflatable structure, which also includes diagonal support baffles connecting the vertical baffle to the top and bottom walls of the inflatable structure, connected on either side of the vertical baffle.
As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. The terms “approximately” and “about” are defined to mean+/−10%, unless otherwise stated. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application. While the invention has been described with reference to at least one particular embodiment, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather the scope of the invention is defined by claims made to the invention.
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Number | Date | Country |
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2249684 | Jun 2013 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220249962 A1 | Aug 2022 | US |