Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62J—CYCLE SADDLES OR SEATS; AUXILIARY DEVICES OR ACCESSORIES SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CYCLES AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. ARTICLE CARRIERS OR CYCLE PROTECTORS
  • B62J17/00—Weather guards for riders; Fairings or stream-lining parts not otherwise provided for
  • B62J17/02—Weather guards for riders; Fairings or stream-lining parts not otherwise provided for shielding only the rider's front
  • B62J17/04—Windscreens
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F10/00—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins
  • E04F10/02—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
  • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
  • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
  • E06B9/24—Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blinds
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45B—WALKING STICKS; UMBRELLAS; LADIES' OR LIKE FANS
  • A45B19/00—Special folding or telescoping of umbrellas
  • A45B19/02—Inflatable umbrellas; Umbrellas without ribs

Definitions

• the present invention concerns an inflatable protection screen that, if deflated, automatically rolls up onto itself so as to have, in its non-use condition, a definitely lower space occupied than in its use condition.
• a purpose of the present invention is to provide a device that allows to overcome the above drawbacks or at least to mitigate them.
• patent document DE 195 36 510 Al describes a roller blind for a window of a vehicle, which can be partially inflated to assume its own shape of use, and provided with spring elements, made of a plastic or metal material, which allow it to be rolled up again whenever it is deflated, the non inflatable part of the blind being at least partially formed of a sheet made of a plastic material definitely different from said spring elements.
• a protection screen a screen that is partially inflatable to assume its own configuration of use and is made of a material that enables it to roll up onto itself whenever it is deflated, characterized in that the non inflatable part of the screen is at least partially formed of a sheet of a plastic material of a type that, the screen being rolled up, if heated up to a determined temperature which depends on the type of the plastic material and is subsequently cooled down, keeps a memory of its own rolled up condition, so as to make the screen automatically roll up onto itself whenever it is deflated and left free.
• Plastic materials provided with memory suitable for this purpose are for instance PVC deprived of plasticizers, or PET, in the form of sheets.
• these materials when heated up to their respective softening temperature (around 80°C), in a furnace or in a bain-marie bath, and subsequently cooled down, according to well known techniques (the so-called thermoforming) , keep a memory of the shape they had during the thermoforming and, if there are no impediments, they automatically reassume such as a shape (i.e. the shape whereby the screen is rolled up onto itself) .
• the inflatable part of the screen can be embodied for instance by a fabric spread with polyurethanic resins to make it airtight, of the type used for life jackets or camping tents, or by using sheets or tapes made of PVC containing plasticizers . Such sheets of tapes and such fabric can be used to manufacture inflatable tubular elements to implement the inflatable part of the screen.
• figure 1 is a schematic front view of a screen according to the present invention, in its condition preceding thermoforming;
• figure 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view thereof, a little bit enlarged with respect to figure 1 (enlarged are also those of the successive figures 3-5) , made along line 2-2 in figure 1;
• figure 3 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 3-3 in figure 1;
• figure 4 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view thereof along line 4-4 in figure 1;
• figure 5 is an intermediate vertical cross-sectional view of the screen depicted in figure 1 inflated, in its condition of use, applied onto the handlebar of a bicycle by means of specifically designed fixing means;
• figure 6 is an elevation view thereof according to arrow 6 in figure 5
• figure 7 is an elevation view thereof according to arrow 7 in figure 5;
• figure 8 is similar to figure 6, the screen being rolled up onto itself, under non-use condition;
• figure 9 is similar to figure 7, the screen being rolled up onto itself, under non use condition;
• figure 10 is a side view thereof according to arrow 10 in figure 9;
• figure 11 is similar to figure 6 the difference being in that the screen represented therein is of a type simpler than that depicted in figure 1 and this is in its condition of use (inflated) ;
• figure 12 is an intermediate cross-sectional view thereof .
• figure 13 is an elevation view of another embodiment of the screen according to the invention, in its condition of use;
• figure 14 is a side view thereof in the direction of arrow 14 in figure 13;
• figure 15 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 15-15 in figure 13;
• figure 16 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 16-16 in figure 13, but in the non-use condition .
• Figures 1-4 show an example of how could a screen be embodied according to the present invention, shown in its condition preceding the thermoforming process.
• the screen 10 comprises a tubular frame 12 also comprising in this specific case a tubular cross member 14.
• the frame 12 is obtained by using two sheets 21 and 22 (figures 2-4) made of a PVC containing plasticizers, some tenths of millimeters thick, cut out, for instance, from a tape of the same material.
• the sheets 21 and 22 make it possible to form the front and rear faces respectively (which will also be identified by the reference numerals 21 and 22 respectively in this document) of the frame 12 after being hermetically welded, for instance high-frequency welded, to each other along their respective contours to obtain the inflatable frame composed of the tubular elements 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, in this specific case all communicating with each other.
• Figures 1-4 also show that a part 24 of the face 22 also occupies the upper field of the screen 10, specifically that comprised between the cross-member 14 and the frame sections 15, 17, and 18.
• the faces 21 and 22 can also be obtained from a fabric spread with polyurethanic resins so as to make it airtight.
• the lower field comprised between the cross member 14 and the frame sections 16, 19, and 20 is occupied, in this specific case, by a sheet 26 made of a PVC deprived of plasticizers, which is a material stiffener than a PVC with plasticizers, even though still rather flexible, its thickness being of few tenths of millimeters only, which is suitable for thermoforming, whereby it keeps a memory of the shape it has during such operation.
• PET can be alternatively used.
• the sheet 26 is incorporated between the flaps of the faces 21 and 22, also by means of a high-frequency welding.
• Figures 1 and 2 show that the sheet 26 extends upwards beyond the cross-member 14, thus by-passing such cross- member and invading the field 24 (as it can be noted by looking at the middle part of figure 2), so that the upper edge of the sheet 26 remains trapped between its respective flaps of the faces 21 and 22.
• FIGs 2-4 the position of the linear weldings used to form the screen 10 are indicated by black rectangles.
• the screen 10 is provided with a conventional inflation valve 28 and two conventional deflation valves 29.
• a conventional inflation valve 28 and two conventional deflation valves 29.
• using two deflation valves considerably facilitates deflation, whereas in the embodiment depicted in figures 10 and 11 (which does not comprise any cross-member) it will be sufficient to equip the deflation valve 29 located in the section 16 only.
• a safety or overpressure valve 31 might also be provided as a protection from an excessive inflation .
• the sheet 26 comprises a number of holes 30 whose function will be apparent later.
• the inventor of the present invention had realized that rolling up the screen 10 onto itself in the direction of its length at least for that part which comprises the sheet 26 and raising the temperature of at least such part up to approximately 80°C and then letting it cool down, while leaving the screen rolled up (i.e. substantially submitting the rolled up sheet 26 to thermoforming) , such sheet subsequently retains the rolled up form all the time and, if unrolled and then left free, it comes back to its rolled up condition.
• the frame 12 is inflated by means of any suitable means (a tyre pump, an inflation bomb available on the market, or any compressed air or suitable controlled pressure gas source) up to a sufficient pressure value (in this case limited by the overpressure valve) , then a progressive unrolling of the screen 10 is obtained.
• a suitable means a tyre pump, an inflation bomb available on the market, or any compressed air or suitable controlled pressure gas source
• a sufficient pressure value in this case limited by the overpressure valve
• the sheet 26 is conveniently made transparent (by specifically using a transparent PVC or PET) , whereas the frame and even the upper field 24 can be made of an opaque material, in particular in the case of a fabric spread with polyurethanic resins, as a protection from the sunlight.
• a simplified screen 10A is shown in figures 10 and 11
• the sheet 26A (made of a material that keeps a memory of the rolled up shape assumed during the thermoforming) occupies the whole inside of the frame 12A (with no cross-member) . Therefore, whenever the sections 15, 16, 19, and 20 of the frame 12A are inflated, the screen 12A extends starting from its rolled up condition in the receptacle 38 and assumes the configuration depicted in figures 11 and 12 without making any angles .
• Figures 13-16 show a further screen according to the present invention, identified by the reference numeral 10B, wherein the inflatable frame, globally referred to by the numeral 12B, is downgraded to the two side sections 19 and 20.
• the inflatable frame globally referred to by the numeral 12B
• FIG. 13-16 show a further screen according to the present invention, identified by the reference numeral 10B, wherein the inflatable frame, globally referred to by the numeral 12B, is downgraded to the two side sections 19 and 20.
• too elements equal or similar to those of the screens 10 and 10A are identified by the same reference numerals .
• a sheet 26B also made of a material that keeps a memory of the rolled up shape assumed by it during the thermoforming process, is laterally delimited by the side sections 19 and 20 which, when inflated, assume a curvilinear profile which consequently is also assumed by the sheet 26B, which profile is suitable for imparting to the inflated screen 10B a more streamlined and protective- canopy-shaped configuration (figure 14).
• the upper edge 39 of the curvilinear sheet 26B is curl-shaped, which allows to reinforce such edge and even to improve the stability of the complete assembly.
• the lower ends of the side sections 19 and 20, after being inflated, are received in their respective, symmetrically arranged semicylindrical seats 40, being part of the support means 34A, in the specific case here illustrated also connectable to a cross-member 32 of a handlebar.
• the sheet 26B is sandwiched between the two parts that make up the support 34A and is fixed to the latter by using the holes 30.
• the screen 10B is also provided with an inflation circuit 41 formed of hosepipes leading to one valve 42, formed of hosepipes that facilitate the inflation of the two side sections 19 and 20.
• the valve 42 can be of a type equipped with a drilled cap provided with a pin that, upon screwing the cap in, presses the valve sealing device, thus causing a deflation.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Operating, Guiding And Securing Of Roll- Type Closing Members (AREA)

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• 2015
  • 2015-03-25 WO PCT/EP2015/056365 patent/WO2015172926A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2015-03-25 EP EP15712874.5A patent/EP3145799A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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