Double Fabric with Defined Hollow Structure for Inflatable Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing double fabrics with spacer threads lack sufficient stability and versatility to meet static requirements, limiting their applications due to the inability to be crushed flat or laminated with flat components, necessitating the use of bulkier conventional building materials.
Innovation Solution
A double fabric with an upper and lower fabric connected by a common edge formed by interwoven warp and weft threads, allowing for gas injection to create a 4-wall structure that satisfies static requirements and can be easily produced using existing weaving technology, with the option to coat or laminate segments for enhanced properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If double-layered fabrics are connected by spacer threads, then they can be manufactured cost-effectively and are suitable for padding applications, but they lack sufficient stability and cannot meet static requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric is divided into multiple segments (first segment A, segment C, second segment A) along the weft thread path, with each segment serving a specific function. The weft threads connect warp threads in at least 3 segments, creating a segmented structure that provides both manufacturing efficiency and structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a 2D flat fabric structure to a 3D volumetric structure by creating inflated spacer fabrics with defined hollow structures. The weft threads extend through multiple layers and segments, establishing vertical connectivity that enables gas injection and creates stable three-dimensional form.
2Reliability
If the edges of fabric layers are joined to create inflated spacer fabrics, then gas pressure can be built-in, but the fabric cannot be compressed flat or laminated with flat components
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric structure is designed to be dynamic rather than static, allowing it to transition between compressed flat state for transport and inflated state for use. The weft threads connecting multiple segments enable this dynamic transformation while maintaining structural integrity in both states.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflated fabric structure can be nested or folded into a compact flat form for transport and storage, then expanded to its full three-dimensional form when needed. The segmented structure with weft thread connections enables this nesting capability while maintaining reliability when inflated.
3Strength
If conventional building materials are used, then structural requirements are met, but the materials are bulkier, heavier, and more expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a thin fabric structure with weft threads connecting warp threads across multiple segments to create a flexible shell that can be inflated to provide structural strength. This thin-film approach replaces bulky conventional building materials while maintaining required strength through the inflated three-dimensional form.
Solution Approach 2:
Gas injection into the defined hollow structures created by the weft thread connections provides internal pressure that generates structural strength. This pneumatic support system enables the lightweight fabric to meet structural requirements without using heavy conventional materials.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the distance between two fabric layers is increased for versatility, then application range expands, but the fabric layers become less stable relative to each other
Solution Approach 1:
The weft threads serve as intermediary elements that connect the upper and lower fabric layers across multiple segments. These weft threads maintain stable spacing between layers while allowing sufficient distance for versatility, acting as mediators that prevent lateral shifting while enabling the defined hollow structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a double-layered fabric and a method for producing the double-layered fabric, wherein at least one weft thread S(AHBL) connects the segment AH of the upper fabric GH to the segment BL of the lower fabric GL, and at least one weft thread S(ALBH) connects the segment AL of the lower fabric GL to the segment BH of the upper fabric GH. An inflatable structure comprising the double-layered fabric is also claimed, wherein the double-layered fabric is closed and has a closable opening, a gas generator, and/or a gas pressure vessel, wherein at least one of the segments AH, AL, BH, and/or BL is provided with at least one coating and/or laminated with a planar component BT. Furthermore, the use of the double-layered fabric, the double-layered fabric produced according to the method, and the structure is also claimed.