Attachment of a canvas to an inflatable structure

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly for sun protection, which comprises an inflatable structure with captive air, a canvas (26) attached to the structure at first, second and third non-aligned attachment points, a permanent fastening member (32) for securely attaching the canvas (26) to the first attachment point, and a fastening member (34) with reduced mechanical strength for connecting the canvas (26) to the second attachment point, which is capable of attaching the canvas (26) to the second attachment point and of releasing the attachment to the second attachment point when the load exerted on the fastening member (34) with reduced mechanical strength exceeds a predetermined threshold. The permanent fastening member (32) is removably mounted to the first attachment point and / or to the canvas (26) between a mounted permanent fastening position and a removed storage position.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE: Fixing a canvas to an inflatable structure

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The technical field of the invention is assemblies for solar protection comprising an inflatable structure with captive air.

[0005] Previous techniques

[0006] A sun protection assembly, for example a parasol, generally comprises a rigid frame composed of a vertical mast and a plurality of ribs extending projecting from the mast, as well as a canvas fixed to the ribs of the frame.

[0007] If the canvas is exposed to too much wind, the assembly risks becoming destabilized or even deteriorating.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a fixing of a canvas to an inflatable structure which overcomes this drawback.

[0009] A further object of the invention is to provide a removable attachment of a canvas to an inflatable structure which is robust during strong winds.

[0010] Statement of the invention

[0011] The invention relates to a solar protection assembly comprising an inflatable structure with captive air, at least one canvas fixed on the inflatable structure with captive air at least first, second and third non-aligned fixing points, and at least one permanent attachment member for securely fixing said canvas to the first fixing point.

[0012] According to a general characteristic, said permanent attachment member is removably mounted at the first fixing point and / or at said canvas between a mounted permanent attachment position and a dismounted storage position.

[0013] According to another general characteristic, the assembly further comprises at least one attachment member with reduced mechanical strength compared to the mechanical strength of said permanent attachment member for connecting said canvas to the second fixing point, said attachment member with reduced mechanical strength being capable of fixing said canvas to the second fixing point and capable of releasing the fixing at the second fixing point when the stress exerted on said attachment member with reduced mechanical strength exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0014] Said attachment member with reduced mechanical resistance makes it possible to reduce the stress exerted by said canvas on the structure when said canvas exerts too much stress on the latter, in particular when said canvas exerts a stress greater than the predetermined threshold on the second fixing point of the structure.

[0015] When the attachment at the second attachment point is released by said attachment member with reduced mechanical strength, said permanent attachment member continues to securely attach said canvas to the first attachment point of the structure, thereby preventing its loss.

[0016] The structure of the assembly is an inflatable structure with captive air. Thus, the use of said attachment member with reduced mechanical resistance is particularly advantageous. Indeed, an inflatable structure is generally inflated and deflated frequently, for example at the beginning and end of each day. When the inflatable structure inflates or deflates, said canvas is set in motion and can end up facing the wind, thus exerting a greater force on the inflatable structure.

[0017] Said permanent attachment member removably mounted at the first attachment point and / or at said canvas between a mounted permanent attachment position and a dismounted storage position facilitates the use of the assembly for inflatable protection which comprises an inflatable structure with captive air, this structure being able to be inflated and deflated frequently.

[0018] Said attachment member with reduced mechanical resistance may comprise an elastic element.

[0019] Said elastic element can elongate when the stress exerted on said attachment member with reduced mechanical resistance exceeds the predetermined threshold and thus modify the wind resistance conditions of said canvas. Said elastic element can then retract when the stress exerted on said attachment member with reduced mechanical resistance falls below the predetermined threshold.

[0020] Said elastic element may comprise an elastic tensioner or a spring.

[0021] Alternatively, said attachment member with reduced mechanical resistance may comprise a fusible element serving as a tensile rupture initiator.

[0022] Said fusible element makes it possible to remove the connection between said canvas and the second fixing point of the structure when the stress exerted on said attachment member with reduced mechanical resistance exceeds the predetermined threshold.

[0023] Said fusible element may, for example, comprise a glue or a multi-strand rope or an open ring.

[0024] Thus, the said fuse element can be easily replaced.

[0025] Said fuse element may comprise a self-gripping strip or a magnet or an alligator clip.

[0026] Thus, the said fuse element can be reset manually.

[0027] The captive air inflatable structure may comprise at least first and second inflatable elongated elements of revolution on which said canvas is fixed.

[0028] Optionally, the first, second and third non-aligned attachment points are located on said first and second inflatable elongated revolution elements.

[0029] The assembly may include at least one link extending between the first and second inflatable elongated revolution members.

[0030] Said canvas can be fixed to said link.

[0031] Optionally, a portion of the first, second, and third non-aligned attachment points are located on said link, another portion of the first, second, and third non-aligned attachment points being located on said first and second inflatable elongated revolution elements. The assembly may comprise a plurality of links extending between the first and second inflatable elongated revolution elements and a plurality of canvases attached to said links.

[0032] Optionally, a portion of the first, second and third non-aligned attachment points of one of said webs are located on one of said links, another portion of the first, second and third non-aligned attachment points of one of said webs being located on another of said links.

[0033] The assembly may include a captive air inflatable vertical drum.

[0034] The first and second inflatable elongated revolution elements can extend transversely relative to said barrel.

[0035] The assembly may comprise at least three, in particular six, inflatable elongated elements of revolution extending transversely relative to said shaft and regularly spaced in the circumferential direction, and at least one canvas fixed between each pair of successive inflatable elongated elements of revolution.

[0036] Brief description of the drawings

[0037] The present invention will be better understood upon studying the detailed description of embodiments, taken as non-limiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings in which:

[0038] [Fig 1] is a schematic side view of an assembly for solar protection according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0039] [Fig 2] is a top view of the assembly of Figure 1;

[0040] [Fig 3] is a detail view of Figure 2; and

[0041] [Fig 4] is a view of Figure 3 under heavy load.

[0042] Detailed description

[0043] Figure 1 schematically represents an assembly 2 for solar protection comprising a trunk 4, an inflatable structure 6 mounted on the trunk 4 and provided with an inflatable vertical shaft 8 with captive air deploying from the trunk 4 and a canopy 10 projecting transversely relative to the vertical shaft 8, and a plurality of guy ropes 12 fixing the canopy 10 to the vertical shaft 8.

[0044] As illustrated more visibly in Figure 2, the canopy 10 comprises a plurality of members or tubes 14, here six in number, extending transversely relative to the vertical shaft 8 and regularly spaced in the circumferential direction. Each member 14 comprises an elongated element 16 of revolution inflatable with captive air (Figure 3), in particular composed of a plurality of internal air chambers and an external envelope inside which the internal air chambers are housed.

[0045] The outer casing of the captive air inflatable elongated elements 16 of revolution is formed of a fabric, for example DACRON®. Each internal air chamber of the captive air inflatable elongated elements 16 of revolution is formed of a stretchable material, for example polyurethane. The internal air chambers form the framework of the captive air inflatable elongated elements 16 of revolution. Alternatively, each member 14 comprises an airtight casing, for example formed of a coated fabric. In this case, each member 14 can be assembled by heat welding and each member 14 can be devoid of an internal air chamber.

[0046] Each elongated element 16 of captive air inflatable revolution comprises one or more inflation points (not shown), in particular an inflation valve allowing the internal air chambers of the elongated element 16 to be inflated simultaneously or several inflation valves allowing the internal air chambers of the elongated element 16 to be inflated independently, so that each elongated element 16 of captive air inflatable revolution can be inflated independently of the other elongated elements 16 of captive air inflatable revolution.

[0047] The assembly 2 for solar protection also comprises canvases 18 fixed between the successive members 14 of the canopy 10 in the circumferential direction, the canvases 18 being fixed on the elongated elements 16 of revolution inflatable with captive air, the canvases 18 forming a protection under the canopy 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the canopy 10 comprising six members 14 is hexagonal in shape, thus making it possible to juxtapose several assemblies 2 for solar protection according to a hexagonal mesh in order to obtain solar protection over a larger surface. Alternatively, the canopy 10 may have other shapes, for example circular, oval, square, rectangular.

[0048] Figure 3 shows in more detail a pair of successive elongated inflatable air-captive revolution elements 16 of the canopy 10 in the circumferential direction.

[0049] The assembly 2 for sun protection here comprises a proximal link 20, an intermediate link 22 and a distal link 24 stretched between the successive captive air inflatable elongated elements 16 of revolution of the canopy 10, the links 20, 22, 24 being fixed to the captive air inflatable elongated elements 16 of revolution. The links 20, 22, 24 are, for example, ropes. The intermediate link 22 is located between the proximal 20 and distal 24 links.

[0050] The assembly 2 for solar protection here comprises a proximal canvas 26, an intermediate canvas 28 and a distal canvas 30 stretched between the successive elongated elements 16 of revolution inflatable with captive air of the canopy 10. The intermediate canvas 28 is located between the proximal 26 and distal 30 canvases.

[0051] The assembly 2 for solar protection comprises a plurality of permanent attachment members 32 and attachment members with reduced mechanical resistance 34 compared to the mechanical resistance of the permanent attachment members.

[0052] Each canvas 26, 28, 30 is fixed on the one hand to the two ends of one of the links 20, 22, 24 of the assembly 2 by two permanent attachment members 32 securely fixing the canvas 26, 28, 30 to the canopy 10.

[0053] Each canvas 26, 28, 30 is also fixed to the two successive elongated elements 16 of revolution inflatable with captive air of the canopy 10, in particular at a plurality of aligned attachment points, by a plurality of attachment members with reduced mechanical resistance 34. The attachment members with reduced mechanical resistance 34 are capable of fixing the canvases 26, 28, 30 to the canopy 10 of the inflatable structure 6.

[0054] In the event of high stress exerted on a canvas 26, 28, 30, more particularly when the stress exerted on the attachment members with reduced mechanical strength 34 exceeds a predetermined threshold, for example in the event of high wind during inflation or deflation of the inflatable structure 6, the attachment members with reduced mechanical strength 34 are capable of releasing the attachment of the canvas 26, 28, 30 to the canopy 10 of the inflatable structure 6, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The predetermined threshold is, for example, equal to a fraction of the mechanical strength of the permanent attachment members 32, in particular equal to a fraction less than 50% of the mechanical strength of the permanent attachment members 32.

[0055] The permanent attachment members 32 keep the canvases 26, 28, 30 firmly attached to the inflatable structure 6 when the attachment members with reduced mechanical resistance 34 release the attachment of the canvases 26, 28, 30.

[0056] Each attachment member with reduced mechanical strength 34 may comprise a crocodile clip capable of gripping a canvas 26, 28, 30, the clamping force of the clip defining the predetermined threshold. When a crocodile clip releases the canvas 26, 28, 30, it is then easy to reattach the canvas 26, 28, 30 to the inflatable structure 6 by replacing the crocodile clip.

[0057] Alternatively, all or part of the crocodile clips can be replaced by another fusible element serving as a tensile fracture initiator, in particular a self-gripping strip or a magnet or glue or an open ring or a multi-strand rope.

[0058] Alternatively, all or part of the crocodile clips may be replaced by an elastic element, in particular an elastic tensioner or a spring.

[0059] More precisely, the proximal web 26 is fixed by permanent attachment members 32 to the two ends of the proximal link 20 and by attachment members with reduced mechanical resistance 34 to each of the members 14 of the pair of successive members 14, the proximal web 26 extending inwards from the proximal link 20.

[0060] The intermediate web 28 is fixed by permanent attachment members 32 at the two ends of the intermediate link 22 and by attachment members with reduced mechanical resistance 34 at three points of the proximal link 20, the intermediate web 28 extending between the proximal link 20 and the intermediate link 22.

[0061] The distal web 30 is fixed by permanent attachment members 32 at the two ends of the distal link 24 and by attachment members with reduced mechanical resistance 34 at four points of the intermediate link 22, the distal web 30 extending between the intermediate link 22 and the distal link 24.

[0062] When the stress exerted on the attachment members with reduced mechanical resistance 34 exceeds the predetermined threshold, the proximal canvas 26 is no longer fixed except by the permanent attachment members 32 at the two ends of the proximal link 20. Thus the wind resistance of the proximal canvas 26 is greatly reduced, greatly reducing the risk of deterioration and destabilization of the inflatable structure 6.

[0063] The intermediate canvas 28 is then only fixed to the inflatable structure 6 by the permanent attachment members 32 at the two ends of the intermediate link 22. Concerning the distal canvas 30, this is then only fixed to the inflatable structure 6 by the permanent attachment members 32 at the two ends of the distal link 24.

[0064] In the example shown, the proximal canvas 26 is fixed to the inflatable structure 6 by two permanent attachment members 32 and by two attachment members with reduced mechanical strength 34. Alternatively, a canvas 18 of the assembly 2 could be fixed to the inflatable structure 6 only by two permanent attachment members 32 and by one attachment member with reduced mechanical strength 34. As a variant, a canvas 18 of the assembly 2 could be fixed to the inflatable structure 6 only by one permanent attachment member 32 and by two attachment members with reduced mechanical strength 34.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Assembly (2) for sun protection comprising an inflatable structure (6) with captive air, at least one canvas (18, 26, 28, 30) fixed on the inflatable structure (6) with captive air at least at first, second and third non-aligned fixing points, and at least one permanent attachment member (32) for securely fixing said canvas (18, 26, 28, 30) to the first fixing point, characterized in that said permanent attachment member (32) is removably mounted at the first fixing point and / or to said canvas (16, 26, 28, 30) between a mounted position for permanent attachment and a dismantled storage position;and in that it further comprises at least one attachment member with reduced mechanical strength (34) compared to the mechanical strength of said permanent attachment member (32) for connecting said canvas (18, 26, 28, 30) to the second fixing point, said attachment member with reduced mechanical strength (34) being capable of fixing said canvas (18, 26, 28, 30) to the second fixing point and capable of releasing the fixing at the second fixing point when the stress exerted on said attachment member with reduced mechanical strength (34) exceeds a predetermined threshold.; 2. Assembly (2) according to claim 1, in which said hooking member with reduced mechanical resistance (34) comprises an elastic element.

3. Assembly (2) according to claim 2, wherein said elastic element comprises an elastic tensioner or a spring.

4. Assembly (2) according to claim 1, in which said hooking member with reduced mechanical resistance (34) comprises a fusible element serving as a tensile rupture initiator.

5. Assembly (2) according to claim 4, wherein said fusible element comprises a self-gripping strip or a magnet or a glue or an open ring or a crocodile clip or a multi-strand rope.

6. Assembly (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the captive air inflatable structure (6) comprises at least first and second elongated elements (16) of revolution which are captive air inflatable on which said fabric (18, 26, 28, 30) is fixed.

7. Assembly (2) according to claim 6, comprising at least one link (20, 22, 24) extending between the first and second inflatable elongated elements (16) of revolution, said canvas (18, 26, 28, 30) being fixed to said link (20, 22, 24).

8. Assembly (2) according to claim 7, comprising a plurality of links (20, 22, 24) extending between the first and second inflatable elongated elements (16) of revolution and a plurality of canvases (18, 26, 28, 30) fixed to said links (20, 22, 24).

9. Assembly (2) according to one of claims 6 to 8, comprising a vertical inflatable barrel (8) with captive air, the first and second inflatable elongated elements (16) of revolution extending transversely relative to said barrel (8).

10. Assembly (2) according to claim 9, comprising at least three, in particular six, inflatable elongated elements (16) of revolution extending transversely relative to said barrel (8) and regularly spaced in the circumferential direction, and at least one canvas (18, 26, 28, 30) fixed between each pair of successive inflatable elongated elements (16) of revolution.

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