EP0561576B1 - Chambre de stockage gonflable - Google Patents

Chambre de stockage gonflable Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0561576B1
EP0561576B1 EP19930301921 EP93301921A EP0561576B1 EP 0561576 B1 EP0561576 B1 EP 0561576B1 EP 19930301921 EP19930301921 EP 19930301921 EP 93301921 A EP93301921 A EP 93301921A EP 0561576 B1 EP0561576 B1 EP 0561576B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
chamber
air
upper sheet
sheet
base sheet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19930301921
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0561576A1 (fr
Inventor
George Page
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0561576A1 publication Critical patent/EP0561576A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0561576B1 publication Critical patent/EP0561576B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
    • E04H6/00—Buildings for parking cars, rolling-stock, aircraft, vessels or like vehicles, e.g. garages
    • E04H6/02—Small garages, e.g. for one or two cars
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
    • E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
    • E04H15/20—Tents or canopies, in general inflatable, e.g. shaped, strengthened or supported by fluid pressure
    • E04H15/22—Tents or canopies, in general inflatable, e.g. shaped, strengthened or supported by fluid pressure supported by air pressure inside the tent

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an inflatable storage chamber.
  • Valuable items such as vintage motor vehicles and antiques will deteriorate if not stored in dry, non-humid conditions. Even if for example a vintage car is stored in a garage, the storage conditions are far from perfect. The vehicle will collect dust and grit but even more important is the damage caused by still air and condensation resulting in rusting bodywork and chassis. The interior trim will collect moisture from the still air and will quickly deteriorate. It is known to drape a cover such as a sheet over a car in an attempt to prevent deterioration. However, if a cover remains in contact with the paint work for a substantial length of time then adhesion to the car will tend to occur and on removing the cover some of the paint will become detached from the car.
  • US-A-4 991 363 there is proposed the use of an inflatable structure within which the vehicle is positioned.
  • a metal frame is placed on a very large plastic sheet and the vehicle is driven on to the frame.
  • the sheet is pulled over the vehicle, adjoining edges are joined together and then a fan is operated to inflate the structure.
  • This arrangement has the disadvantages that the overall size of the sheet is very large and is difficult to handle, and the frame cannot easily be stored when the structure is not in use.
  • the sheet configuration is such that the vehicle can be driven on to the sheet from one end only. Also, there is no controlled through-flow of air, leading to air stagnation and unreliable drying if the vehicle is wet when located in the structure.
  • the present invention has been made from a consideration of these problems.
  • the present invention concerns an inflatable chamber adapted for the storage of a motor vehicle as described in US-A-4 991 363, which chamber comprises: a plastics material base sheet of a size not smaller than the vehicle with which the chamber is to be used; a flexible plastics material upper sheet pre-formed to be of such a shape that the upper sheet may enclose a motor vehicle located on the base sheet; zipper fastener means for joining the upper sheet to the base sheet; a first opening formed through the upper sheet; and electrically driven air fan means mounted on the upper sheet around the first opening and arranged to draw air from the ambient and supply said drawn air through said first opening under pressure to the interior of the chamber thereby to inflate the chamber.
  • Such a chamber is characterised in accordance with this invention in that: the base sheet is of generally rectangular shape and defines four side edges; the upper sheet defines four lower edges corresponding to the side edges of the base sheet; the zipper fastener means extends around all four said side edges of the base sheet and all four said lower edges of the upper sheet whereby operation of the zipper fastener means of the base sheet and the upper sheet joins together the base sheet and the upper sheet to form a substantially sealed chamber; and a second opening is formed in the upper sheet, an adjustable air vent means being mounted on the upper sheet to overlie the second opening whereby the flow of air through the chamber may be controlled by adjustment of said air vent means.
  • the chamber is inflated by a fan motor and safety release valves or vents may be provided in the membrane to prevent over inflation.
  • Any suitable gas or combination of gases may be used such as air, helium or nitrogen.
  • the gas is preferably dried and filtered prior to or upon entering the chamber.
  • a dehumidifier may be provided in or connected to the chamber.
  • the fan motor may be operated via any suitable power source such as a battery, mains or be solar powered.
  • an inflatable chamber 10 has a plastics base sheet 11 which may be connected to a plastics cover sheet 12 via a clasp fastener 16 the slide of which is movable around the base sheet.
  • the base 11 of the chamber may optionally be defined by rigid poles.
  • An electric motor driven fan is used to drive gas into the chamber through an opening 30, thereby inflating the chamber 10 such that only the base of the item or in the case of a motor vehicle the wheels are in contact with the base sheet 11.
  • a filter 28 and a dehydrating agent such as silica gel provided at the opening 30 to the chamber 10. These prevent contamination of the environment and maintain dry conditions within the chamber 10.
  • a dehumidifier may be used to maintain dry conditions in addition to, or as an alternative to this.
  • Inert gases such as helium or nitrogen are also suitable.
  • Safety valves may be provided in the cover sheet 12 to prevent overinflation of the chamber 10. Filters and dehydrating agents may be provided in such safety valves.
  • the cover sheet 12 is provided with adjustable vents, to allow a slow release of gas from the chamber 10. If this is so then the amount of gas within the chamber will need to be maintained within certain parameters. This can be achieved by using a pressure meter (not shown) which is connected to the motor and automatically switches on the motor when the amount of gas in the chamber has fallen below a certain minimum level and switches the motor off as the amount of gas in the chamber 10 reaches a predefined maximum level.
  • the sheets 11 and 12 may be made of any suitable flexible plastics material such as polypropylene, but the plastics material is preferably transparent to allow the stored item to be viewed from outside the chamber. Alternatively, windows of transparent plastics material may be provided.
  • the inflatable chamber 50 is formed by starting with a base sheet 52 of coloured pvc with a zip 54 around all four sides.
  • a clear pvc top 56 is attached and zipped to the base to form the sealed chamber.
  • a small fan and air filter unit 58 is added which not only inflates the chamber but supplies a constant flow of fresh filtered air through the entire unit.
  • the unit 58 is sewn into the top cover 56, at one end.
  • controlled openings 60 are provided in the other end of the top 56. These openings, or vents, are at the opposite end to the fan and filter unit 58, thus ensuring air passes over and through the entire contents of the chamber.
  • the fan and filter will supply enough dust free air to change the air inside the chamber three times every hour. This flow of constantly changing fresh air will have the effect of drying whatever is stored in the chamber. For example, if a wet motor car be placed in the chamber, it should dry completely (after several hours) and stay that way as long as it is stored in the inflated chamber.
  • the openings 60 have plastic, adjustable air vents.
  • the vehicle or object to be stored is placed on the base 52 and the clear top 56 is then thrown over it.
  • the top and base are then joined together around all four sides by means of the zip 54.
  • the fan is turned on to inflate the chamber. Usually such inflation will be achieved in approximately ten minutes.
  • the rear air vents 60 are then adjusted to control the chamber ventilation.
  • the chamber may be designed to approximate the shape of a motor vehicle, as illustrated.
  • the top cover may be 500s gauge clear plastic and the base sheet may be 1000s gauge clear plastic.
  • the present invention therefore provides an inflatable chamber which can store an item in a suitable environment whilst only the base of the item is in contact with the chamber and the item can be viewed from outside the chamber.
  • the size of the chamber may be adapted to suit the item to be stored.
  • Supplementary rigid supports may be attached to the sheets to ensure that once inflated the chamber has a set configuration.
  • Any item may be stored within the chamber such as motor vehicles and especially vintage cars, machinery, or furniture and especially antiques.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)
  • Tents Or Canopies (AREA)
  • Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)

Claims (7)

  1. Chambre gonflable adaptée au stockage d'un véhicule à moteur, cette chambre (10) comprenant:
    - une feuille de base (52) en matière plastique d'une taille non-inférieure au véhicule avec lequel la chambre doit être utilisée;
    - une feuille supérieure(56) en matière plastique flexible préformée pour avoir une forme telle que la feuille supérieure puisse enfermer un véhicule à moteur placé sur la feuille de base;
    - des moyens de fermeture à glissière (54) pour joindre la feuille supérieure (56) à la feuille de base (52);
    - une première ouverture (30) formée à travers la feuille supérieure (56); et
    - des moyens à ventilateur entraîné électriquement (58) montés sur la feuille supérieure (56) autour de la première ouverture (30) et agencés pour aspirer de l'air de l'ambiance et fournir cet air aspiré à travers ladite première ouverture (30) sous pression à l'intérieur de la chambre (10) de manière à gonfler la chambre;
       caractérisée en ce que:
    - la feuille de base (52) est de forme générale rectangulaire et définit quatre bords latéraux;
    - la feuille supérieure (56) définit quatre bords inférieurs correspondant aux bords latéraux de la feuille de base;
    - les moyens de fermeture à glissière (54) s'étendent tout autour des quatre bords latéraux de la feuille de base (52) et des quatre bords inférieurs de la feuille supérieure (56) de sorte que le fonctionnement des moyens de fermeture à glissière (54) de la feuille de base et de la feuille supérieure joint la feuille de base avec la feuille supérieure pour former une chambre sensiblement étanche (10); et
    - une seconde ouverture (60) est formée dans la feuille supérieure, un moyen d'évent réglable étant monté sur la feuille supérieure pour recouvrir la second ouverture (60) de sorte que l'écoulement d'air à travers la chambre (10) peut être réglé par ajustement du moyen d'évent.
  2. Chambre de stockage gonflable selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle les moyens à ventilateur (58) aspirent de l'air de l'ambiance et fournissent ledit air aspiré à la chambre (10) avec un débit tel que l'air dans la chambre est renouvelé environ trois fois par heure.
  3. Chambre de stockage gonflable selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans laquelle un déshumidificateur est prévu dans la chambre (10).
  4. Chambre de stockage gonflable selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans laquelle un déshumidificateur est prévu dans ladite première ouverture (30) de sorte que de l'air fourni sous pression par les moyens à ventilateur passe à travers le déshumidificateur.
  5. Chambre de stockage gonflable selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la feuille de base (52) comprend une matière plastique transparente d'approximativement 250µm (1000 gauge)
  6. Chambre de stockage gonflable selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la feuille supérieure (56) comprend une matière plastique transparente d'approximativement 125µm (500 gauge)
  7. Chambre de stockage gonflable selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la forme de la chambre telle que définie par la feuille de base (52) et la feuille supérieure (56), lorsqu'elle est gonflée est approximativement celle d'un véhicule à moteur, de sorte que ledit véhicule à moteur peut être stocké dedans.
EP19930301921 1992-03-14 1993-03-12 Chambre de stockage gonflable Expired - Lifetime EP0561576B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9205618 1992-03-14
GB929205618A GB9205618D0 (en) 1992-03-14 1992-03-14 Inflatable storage chamber

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0561576A1 EP0561576A1 (fr) 1993-09-22
EP0561576B1 true EP0561576B1 (fr) 1997-07-30

Family

ID=10712156

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19930301921 Expired - Lifetime EP0561576B1 (fr) 1992-03-14 1993-03-12 Chambre de stockage gonflable

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0561576B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69312535T2 (fr)
GB (2) GB9205618D0 (fr)
SG (1) SG43282A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN100523409C (zh) * 2006-08-22 2009-08-05 孙兆忠 高压气骨架车型车位车库

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5566512A (en) * 1994-05-13 1996-10-22 Page; George Inflatable storage chamber
FR2721340B1 (fr) * 1994-06-15 1996-07-19 Jet Plastique Sarl Dispositif permettant d'enlever la bulle d'un abri gonflable en laissant en place le dispositif d'ancrage ou de lestage au sol.
US5571933A (en) 1994-11-17 1996-11-05 Duquesne University Of The Holy Ghost Derivatives of estra 1,3,5(10)triene-17-one, 3-amino compounds and their use
GB9702904D0 (en) 1997-02-13 1997-04-02 Page George Storage chamber
IT1298836B1 (it) * 1998-01-05 2000-02-07 Edoardo Moscarelli Metodo ed apparato per l'immagazzinamento di apparecchiature, macchinari e mezzi mobili, in atmosfera controllata.
FR2814187B1 (fr) * 2000-09-18 2002-10-25 Styl Piscines Abri gonflable
GB2386136A (en) 2002-03-08 2003-09-10 Stanley Millward A pivoting cover suitable for a vehicle
CN103628713A (zh) * 2013-10-27 2014-03-12 沈阳建筑大学 一种多功能便携式移动车库
DE202017000076U1 (de) 2017-01-07 2017-02-07 Udo Gräfe Verpackung für Kraftfahrzeuge, Wohnwagen und Objekte
FR3066519A1 (fr) * 2017-05-17 2018-11-23 Eder Numero 1 Dispositif permettant la creation d'un environnement de travail sous atmosphere controlee
US20240309667A1 (en) 2021-03-09 2024-09-19 In The Garage Ag Vehicle enclosure

Family Cites Families (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3474803A (en) * 1968-06-19 1969-10-28 Ephraim F Davis Automobile enclosure
US4031674A (en) * 1976-01-19 1977-06-28 Rand J Patrick Inflatable tent
US4103369A (en) * 1977-02-28 1978-08-01 Riordan David B Inflatable structure
US4164829A (en) * 1977-11-14 1979-08-21 Sadler Philip M Inflatable structure
GB2024588A (en) * 1978-07-10 1980-01-16 Plastics Fabricating & Distrib Protective enclosure
US4183184A (en) * 1978-08-18 1980-01-15 Clarence Sargent Air-supported shelter system
GB2084211A (en) * 1980-09-19 1982-04-07 Northgreaves Kenneth Roy Shelter to provide protection from nuclear fallout and/or war gas
US4550533A (en) * 1982-09-30 1985-11-05 Fraioli Donato M Air-supported structure for sport activities
GB2134559A (en) * 1983-02-02 1984-08-15 Disco Bounce Int Inflatable building in which lights or sound sources are mounted
GB8518710D0 (en) * 1985-07-24 1985-08-29 Pi Cat Ltd Inflatable tents
WO1990012940A1 (fr) * 1989-04-14 1990-11-01 John Kay Tente pour exposition solaire

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN100523409C (zh) * 2006-08-22 2009-08-05 孙兆忠 高压气骨架车型车位车库

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0561576A1 (fr) 1993-09-22
GB2264963B (en) 1996-11-06
GB9305064D0 (en) 1993-04-28
DE69312535T2 (de) 1998-02-26
GB9205618D0 (en) 1992-04-29
DE69312535D1 (de) 1997-09-04
SG43282A1 (en) 1997-10-17
GB2264963A (en) 1993-09-15

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