BG113266A - Inflatable air bag - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an inflatable air bag for cushioning the impact from falling items, finding application as inflatable equipment for sports, entertainment and training purposes, rescue activities from heights, outdoors or indoors, for individual or collective use. According to the present invention, the inflatable air bag (1) consists of at least one main inflatable chamber (2) with at least one inlet (2.6) and outlet (2.6) for air, an air pressure control valve (2.7) and with a plurality of perpendicularly attached inflatable shock absorbing chambers (3) connected in their base to the inflatable main chamber (2), as well as from at least one protection cover (4) positioned above the shock absorbing air chambers (3), where the shock absorbing chambers (3) are 70- 95% of the height of the main chamber (2), and are open at their base and fixedly connected to the front section of a connecting base - "skirt" (3.3), on which is arranged a central air vent (3.1) with a diameter from 10 cm to 25 cm, and which is attached movably or fixedly from its back to the surface of the main air chamber (2), so that the distance between the shock absorbing chambers (3) is not less than 1 cm and not more than 15 cm, and the protection cover (4) is movably and fixedly fastened sides (5) and/or side skirts (6), connected to each other by angular connections (5.1) and (6.1), respectively, and is attached to the main air chamber (2) by means of an elastic connection. The inflatable air bag designed according to this invention has a stable, efficient and optimized construction, which provides a high degree of energy absorption from the falling item and a high level of safety. The precise selection of elements, their dimensions and the material from which they are made, protects the designed of the inflatable air bag construction from wear as much as possible, ensuring its high level of strength, efficiency and safety in operation mode. The inflatable air bag according to this invention finds application in the construction of facilities for sports, entertainment and training activities, indoors and outdoors, including winter and various air sports, to secure occurred incidents, including rescue fire fighting activities, etc.

Description

INFLATABLE AIRBAG

FIELD OF ENGINEERING

The invention relates to an inflatable air cushion for absorbing impacts from falling bodies, being used as an inflatable device for sports-entertainment and training purposes, rescue activities from heights, outdoors or indoors, for individual or collective use.

PRIOR ART

Inflatable airbags are widely used to cushion impacts. They minimize the risk of injury and ensure the personal safety of the user in various disciplines / movements (emergency or not) requiring landing from the air to the ground.

Known from WO2010112953 A1 is an inflatable jumping mattress consisting of a flat elastic structure and a cover placed on it, where the mattress is provided on one side with evenly distributed elastic inflatable ridges (shock-absorbing chambers) positioned to the surface of the mattress. The combs described are fixedly attached at one end to the upper surface of the mattress by means of glue and/or welding and/or stitching, being open at their base which contacts the mattress. The combs are constructed as parallel cylinders, each fitting perpendicular to the surface of the mattress. The cover covers the top and sides of the mattress together with the combs, completely following the shape of the mattress. It is constructed of layers of elastic foam material, covered on top with a layer of elastic material with high resistance to bursting and mechanical perforation.

It is also known from DE102014013389B4 and an air cushion intended for injury prevention, consisting of: at least one inflatable main chamber with distributed inside it one or more sectors with holes, as well as with at least one air inlet and outlet and with a plurality of inflatable protrusions (shock absorbing chambers) connected basally to the first inflatable main chamber such that the air flow from the shock absorbing chamber passes into at least one inflatable main chamber. The described cushion also includes a strap or belt connecting means located parallel to the main chamber and perpendicular to the protrusions, connecting at least two inflatable protrusions such that movement of the inflatable protrusion causes movement of at least one other protrusion. It also includes a protective cover (connected by Velcro or an adhesive bond or a welded bond) providing a rigid connection between the plurality of inflatable protuberances and maintaining the other ends of the protuberances in a fixed position relative to each other. The protective cover can also be used independently without a binding agent.

The distance between the described protrusions of the air bag is uniform, chosen to be at least as much as the area of the protrusion or varying from 10% to more than 90% of the length of the corresponding protrusion.

The protrusions are cylinder, pyramid, cone or cuboid in shape and are fixedly connected to the main chamber by gluing and/or welding. The protective cover forms the main and side surfaces of the airbag, being connected by an elastic band to the main chamber or by means of rubber "shoes". The airbag can be connected in series or in parallel with more airbags, form different airbag modules and have multiple individual chambers with reinforcing elements and openings for air exchange between them.

The diameter of the air holes of the main chamber is not described in the quoted level. This diameter, together with the height of the protrusions, is of particular structural importance, as they determine the property of shock absorption, i.e. the damping force, which is directly related and reflected in the stiffness of the inflatable surface. The greater hardness of the air bag surface creates the possibility of the body being thrown back and creating a risk of injury.

Another disadvantage is the existing large distance between two adjacent protrusions /10-90% of the height of the protrusions/, which necessarily requires a connecting means between them. Otherwise, this distance is a sufficient prerequisite for loss of stability and for the user to fall between the protrusions and thus risk injury, making the cushion insufficiently reliable.

Of particular importance in these structures is the connection between the inflatable projections and the main chamber, as well as their contact area of connection, which distributes the load and ensures the strength of the connection.

The task of the present invention is to create a safe and effective in use inflatable air cushion that eliminates the above-described problems, as well as increases the uniformity in distributing the pressure from the falling body on the working surface and as a result absorbs and softens the force of the impact from the falling body as much as possible , thereby ensuring a high level of safety during use and.

TECHNICAL ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

This task is solved by means of the inflatable airbag created according to the present invention, consisting of at least one main inflatable chamber with distributed inside it one or more transverse ribs with openings connecting the upper and lower bases of the main chamber, forming respectively one or more sectors , and having located on the outside of the side walls of the main chamber at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, as well as at least one valve for adjusting the air pressure.

Perpendicularly attached to the main shock-side air chamber are a number of parallel shock-absorbing chambers which are open at their base and fixedly attached to the face of a connecting base called the "skirt" which is in turn movably attached to its back to the surface of the main chamber by means of a soft connection - self-adhesive tape or zipper, or fixed (hard) by sewing, welding or gluing, so that the distance between the shock-absorbing chambers is not less than 1 cm and not more than 15 cm . The height of the shock-absorbing chambers (h) is directly dependent on the height of the main chamber (H) and occupies from 70 to 95% of the height of the main chamber (H).

On the skirts and central to the shock-absorbing chambers, there are openings matching their corresponding size openings on the main chamber, through which the airflow supplied by a fan moves. The diameter of these holes is from 10 cm to 25 cm.

The upper free ends of the shock-absorbing air chambers are covered with a protective cover, the sides and/or side skirts of which are attached respectively to the protective cover by a movable connection of self-adhesive tape, hook-loop or zipper or by a fixed connection by stitching, welding or gluing, and together are connected to the main air chamber by means of an elastic connection through holes, whereby the cover completely follows and permanently fixes the three-dimensional shape of the cushion.

The openings for the flexible elastic connections for connecting the protective cover to the main chamber are located simultaneously on strips positioned at the top edge, under the pages and side skirts of the protective cover, and on strips attached to the outer edge of the top and bottom of each page of the main camera.

On the sides and/or side skirts of the protective cover, there are one or more air-permeable zones with the possibility of occupying the entire surface of the side skirt. The connection between the sides and/or side skirts of the protective cover is made by corner connections of reinforcing elements of trapezoidal or rectangular shape, connected with a soft connection of self-adhesive tapes or zippers, or with a hard connection by sewing, welding or gluing.

Shock absorbing chambers can be cylinder, cube, cone, parallelepiped, and other irregular three-dimensional shapes.

The connecting base "skirt" can be square, rectangular, polygonal or oval-shaped.

The airbag created according to the present invention is made of polyester canvas with one-sided or double-sided coating of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, acrylic, etc.

The air bag according to the present invention can be connected in series or parallel with other identical to it - one or more modules, thus forming different configurations of air bags in one inflatable device. The connection in these cases is carried out by means of connecting elements from the protective cover and by matching the corresponding air inlet / outlet openings between the individual modules.

The inflatable air cushion created according to the present invention has a stable, efficient and optimized construction that provides a high degree of energy absorption from the falling body and a high level of safety.

The shock-absorbing chambers placed extremely close to each other have a minimum distance between them, which provides an optimal and effective working surface on impact and stability of each cushion individually or in configurations, since they work equally functionally in their structures, both independently and in a connected state.

At the same time, the introduction of the special structural element "skirt" enables simplified replacement of wearing parts, as well as makes the structure easy to maintain, convenient to assemble and disassemble, compact for transportation purposes and generally cost-effective for its owner. an intermediate connecting element "skirt" also provides a large contact area of connection between the "skirt" and the main chamber, increasing this area by 25-30% compared to the same shock-absorbing chamber connected directly (without a skirt) to the main chamber and thus ensuring the correct distributing the effort at the point of attachment of the shock absorbing chamber to the main chamber

The precise selection of the elements, their sizes and the material from which they are made protects the created structure of the inflatable air cushion from wear and tear, guaranteeing its efficiency and safety in working mode.

The specially selected diameter of the air opening of the "skirt" between the two chambers (the main and the shock absorbing one) predetermines the optimal behavior of the shock absorbing chambers in impacts from different angles, with which the thus constructed shock absorbing chamber guarantees the damping power.

Reinforcement elements in the main chamber retain its shape during operation and allow air to flow at the required speed through its openings.

The protective cover used attaches easily to the main camera and can be easily replaced if damaged or worn; fully protects the inflatable shock absorbers (protrusions), providing them with adequate strength, flexibility and high resistance to tearing and mechanical perforation, as well as quick and easy access when replacing the shock absorbers located below.

The inflatable air cushion according to the present invention is used in the construction of facilities for sports, entertainment and training activities, outdoors and indoors, including winter and various air sports, for the safety of accidents, including rescue and firefighting activities, etc. .

It is intended for installation in the fall, landing and jump area and can include more than one module, with the first module being easily connected in parallel or in series with another module and forming a different configuration of the connected airbags according to the needs, the terrain and the intended purpose.

The modules are compact, convenient for safe storage when not in use in an uninflated state. The operating mechanisms of the airbag systems are designed to create the highest possible landing safety, and in sports and games, allow users to safely and fully enjoy the experience of the inflatable device.

EXPLANATION OF FIGURES

Fig.1. is a three-dimensional view of an inflatable air cushion;

Fig.2. is a three-dimensional view of an inflatable air bag and protective cover with side skirts;

Fig. 2.a is a close-up view of openings for flexible elastic connections;

Fig. 3. is a three-dimensional view of an inflatable air bag and protective cover with sides;

Fig. 4 a. is a view of a cylindrical shock-absorbing inflatable chamber connected to a "skirt" and their A-A section with a movable connection of the "skirt" to the base chamber;

Fig. 4 b. is a view of a connecting base "skirt" with a movable connection between the skirt and the base chamber and with a connection point of the shock-absorbing cylindrical chamber to the skirt;

Fig. 4c. is a view of a connecting base "skirt" with a fixed connection between the skirt and the base chamber and with a connection point of the shock absorbing cylindrical chamber to the skirt.

Fig.5. is a cross-sectional view of the main chamber and fins with openings of the airbag;

Fig.b.a. is a view of a cube-shaped shock-absorbing inflatable chamber connected to a "skirt" and their B-B section with a movable connection of the "skirt" to the chamber base;

Fig.b.b. is a view of a connecting base "skirt" with a movable connection between the skirt and the base chamber and with a connection point of the shock-absorbing cube-shaped chamber to the skirt;

Fig. b.v. is a view of a connecting base "skirt" with a fixed connection between the skirt and the base chamber and with a connection point of the shock-absorbing cube-shaped chamber to the skirt;

Fig. 7 is a three-dimensional view of an inflatable air bag and protective cover with strips;

Fig.7.a is a close-up view of strips with holes for flexible elastic connections.

EXAMPLE IMPLEMENTATION AND USE OF THE INVENTION EXAMPLE 1

In one described variant of the invention according to fig. 1-5 and fig.7 the inflatable air cushion 1, includes: a rectangular main inflatable air chamber 2 with multiple sectors distributed in its internal space, connected to an upper 2.1 and a lower 2.4 base by means of ribs 2.3 with openings 2.8, whose height 2.5 is equal to at the height of the sides of the main chamber 2, and at least one air inlet 2.6 and at least one air outlet 2.6 and at least one valve for adjusting the air pressure 2.7 are located on the sides of the main chamber 2. To the main air chamber 2 perpendicularly, on the impact side, a number of replaceable cylindrical shock-absorbing chambers 3 with a diameter of 50 cm are attached, and each shock-absorbing chamber 3 is fixedly connected at the connection point 3.5 from the face of a connecting square base "skirt" 3.3, in the center of which is an air opening 3.1 with a diameter of 13 cm, which ensures the two-way passage of air. Each shock-absorbing chamber 3 together with its "skirt" 3.3. is attached with a removable connection 3.4 by means of previously attached to the back of the "skirt" 3.3 by sewing a self-adhesive tape or a zipper in place 3.6 to the surface of the main chamber 2, with a distance of 2.5 cm between the shock-absorbing chambers 3.

On the upper end 3.2 of the shock-absorbing chambers 3, a protective rectangular cover 4 (fig. 3) is also positioned, connected movably with an adhesive tape, hook-loop or zipper 4.1 with its sides 5, whose corner connections 5.1 are rectangular and attached to the sides 5 by means of double velcro tape (crocodile mouth type) 5.2. Air-permeable areas 5.3 made of mesh are also located on the pages 5. The main air chamber 2 is connected to the protective cover 4 by means of an elastic connection (not shown in the figures) simultaneously passing through holes 6.4, on strips 6.3, previously attached at the upper end, under the stations 5 and through holes 2.9 located on strips 2.2 fixedly attached in advance with a seam to the outer edge of the top and bottom of each page 2.5 of the main chamber 2.

The inflatable air bag is suitable for use in sports for recreational and training purposes, games and rescue activities outdoors and indoors and allows one or more air bags to be connected to it and is modulated according to the terrain and intended purpose. The height (h) of the shock-absorbing chamber (3) represents 91.5% of the height (H) of the main chamber (2).

Suitable for maximum jump - up to 5 t;

Required area - 7t x 7t;

Recovery time -15 sec.

EXAMPLE 2

In another variant, the inflatable cushion 1 has the same design according to Fig. 1-5 and 7, the difference is that the shock-absorbing chambers 3 are cube-shaped acc. Fig.6 with a size of 1mx 1mx 1m, each shock-absorbing chamber 3 being attached at the joining point 3.5 to its square "skirt" 3.3, which is immovably (rigidly) connected with a connection 3.7 by sewing or gluing to the surface of the main chamber 2, where the air holes 3.1 have a diameter of 16 cm, with a distance of 12 cm between the shock-absorbing chambers 3.

The protective rectangular cover 4 is fixedly (rigidly) connected by means of stitching or gluing to the side skirts 6, and the trapezoidal corner connections 6.1 are connected to the side skirts 6 by a fixed connection by means of stitching, welding or gluing 6.2. The main air chamber 2 is connected to the protective cover 4 by means of an elastic connection passing simultaneously through openings 6.4 located on strips 6.3 at the upper end, from the back of the side skirts 6 and through openings 2.9 located on strips 2.2 previously attached immovably with a seam to the outer edge of the top and bottom of each page 2.5 of the main chamber 2. The height (h) of the shock absorbing chamber (3) is 90.9% of the height (H) of the main chamber (2)

Suitable for a maximum jump of up to 10 t;

Required area - 10 m2;

Recovery time -15 sec.

Example 3

It represents the same implementation of the inflatable air chamber 1 as Pimer 1 with the difference that the distance between the shock-absorbing chambers (3) is 1.2 cm, the diameter of the air holes 3.1 is 22 cm and the height (h) of the shock-absorbing chamber (3) is 72 % of the height (H) of the main chamber (2).

Principle of operation and use of the present invention:

The user initially supplies air to the first main chamber 2 of the inflatable air bag 1 through the air supply inlet 2.6 until the main chamber 2 fills its volume.

At the same time, the shock-absorbing chambers 3 of the inflatable air cushion 1 are inflated, and the air pressure is adjusted to the required working value through the flap 2.7.

The protective cover 4 is placed on the upper free end 3.2 of the shock-absorbing chambers 3, and the protective cover 4 is previously connected to its sides 5 and/or side skirts 6 together with their corner connections respectively 5.1 and 6.1, respectively removable - by means of self-adhesive tape, hook-loop or zipper or fixed - with a seam, welding or gluing. In turn, the pages 5 and/or side skirts 6 are connected to the main chamber 2 by means of flexible connections that pass respectively through strips 6.3 with openings 6.4 located on the pages 5 or side skirts 6 of the protective cover 4, as well as through openings 2.9, positioned on an identical strip 2.2, attached respectively to each upper and lower edge of the main chamber 2. Modularly, another ( η ) number of such modules can be connected to the inflatable airbag by means of elastic connections through holes 2.9. When the falling body hits the surface of the airbag 1, the protective cover 4 takes the load and transmits and distributes it to the shock-absorbing chambers 3, which work and reduce the force of the impact on the falling body, and the connection of each shock-absorbing chamber 3 by means of the "skirt" 3.3 increases the contact surface between the two chambers (the main chamber 2 and the shock-absorbing chamber 3), as well as improves the supporting force and protects the main chamber 2 from damage. An additional protective role ensures the correct regulation of the pressure in the main chamber 2 by means of the valve 2.7 for regulating the pressure in the occupied volume of the construction. The modules of the inflatable facility are easily and conveniently stored when folded.

Claims (9)

1. An inflatable air bag, comprising at least one main inflatable chamber having at least one air inlet and outlet, an air pressure regulating valve, and a plurality of perpendicularly attached inflatable shock absorbing chambers connected at the base to the main inflatable chamber, such as at least one protective cover _x positioned above the shock-absorbing air chambers, characterized in that the shock-absorbing chambers (3) have a height of 70-95% of the height of the main chamber (2), and are open at their base and fixedly connected to the front part on a connecting base - "skirt" (3.3), on which is located a central air opening (3.1) with a diameter of 10 cm to 25 cm, and which is attached movably or immovably from its back to the surface of the main air chamber (2), so that the distance between the shock-absorbing chambers (3) is not less than 1 cm and not more than 15 cm, and the protective cover (4) has movable and fixed sides (5) and/or side panels and (6) connected to each other by angle connections (5.1) and (6.1) respectively, and is attached to the main air chamber (2) by means of an elastic connection. 2. Inflatable airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that the "skirt" (3.3) is square, rectangular, oval or polygonal in shape. 3. An inflatable airbag according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the removable attachment of the "skirt" (3.3) to the surface of the main chamber (2) is by means of a removable connection (3.4) of self-adhesive tape or a zipper, and the fixed attachment is by means of a rigid connection (3.7) by sewing, welding or gluing. 4. Inflatable airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that the shock-absorbing chambers (3) have the shape of cylinders, cubes, cones, parallelepipeds and other irregular three-dimensional shapes. 5. An inflatable air cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more transverse ribs (2.3) with openings (2.8) connecting the upper (2.1) and the lower base (2.4) are located inside the main inflatable chamber (2) ) of the main air chamber 2, forming respectively one or more sectors with a height equal to the height of the sides (2.5) of the main air chamber (2). 6. Inflatable airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that the corner connections of the sides (5) and/or the side skirts (6) of the protective cover (4) have a rectangular (5.1) or trapezoidal (6.1) shape. 7. An inflatable air cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic connection passes simultaneously through openings (6.4) with strips (6.3) located at the upper end, under the stations (5) and station skirts (6) and through openings ( 2.9) located on strips (2.2) attached in advance to the outer edge of the upper and lower sides of each page (2.5) of the main chamber (2). 8. Inflatable airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more air-permeable zones (5.3) are located on the sides (5) and side skirts (6) of the protective cover (4), with the possibility of occupying the entire surface from the side skirt (6). 9. An inflatable air bag according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a module, with the possibility of connecting in parallel or in series with one or more identical modules, forming a different configuration of an inflatable device intended for sports, entertainment and training purposes, rescue activities, of open or closed, for individual or collective use.