Foldable inflatable structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inflatable drop stitch products are prone to material stress and cracking during storage and transportation due to uncontrolled rolling and wrapping, and complex products often require multiple structures glued together, increasing production costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A foldable inflatable structure with drop stitch fabric and defined folding lines that couple layers, allowing for controlled folding in both deflated and inflated states, reducing material stress and enabling the creation of complex products from a single fabric without gluing multiple structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If inflatable drop stitch products are rolled and wrapped for storage and transportation, then they become more compact and easier to store, but material stress and cracks occur on the drop stitch fabric
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the single large inflatable structure into multiple smaller inflatable chambers or sections. This segmentation allows the structure to be folded along predetermined lines without concentrating stress on the entire fabric surface, thereby reducing material stress and preventing cracks while maintaining compactness for storage and transportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention incorporates predetermined fold lines and coupling means during the manufacturing process, before the product is put into use. These preliminary structural features guide the folding process and distribute stress evenly across the fabric, preventing cracks from occurring during subsequent storage and transportation operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex inflatable products are made by gluing multiple drop stitch structures together, then the product functionality is improved, but production complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functional chambers and structures into a single integrated drop stitch fabric construction. By using coupling means to connect different sections of the same fabric rather than gluing separate structures, the invention achieves complex product functionality while simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention designs a universal drop stitch fabric structure that can serve multiple functions simultaneously. The same fabric with strategically placed fold lines and coupling means can create various chamber configurations, eliminating the need for multiple separate structures and reducing both production complexity and material costs.
3Stability of the object's composition
If inflatable structures are made stiff to maintain shape under pressure, then structural stability is improved, but the structure becomes ungainly and difficult to fold
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a dynamic structure that adapts its rigidity based on operational state. When inflated, the air pressure activates the drop stitch mechanism to provide structural stability. When deflated, the structure becomes flexible and can be easily folded along predetermined lines. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between stiffness for stability and flexibility for foldability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different structural properties to different locations of the inflatable structure. The drop stitch fabric provides rigidity and stability in regions that need to maintain shape under pressure, while predetermined fold lines with coupling means create flexible zones that enable easy folding. This local differentiation of structural quality allows the structure to be both stable when inflated and foldable when deflated.
Data Source
Figure 1a
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Figure 1c
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an inflatable structure (1) transformable between a deflated state and an inflated state. The inflatable structure comprises a drop stitch fabric (2) having a first layer (21) and a second layer (22) tethered by drop stitches (3). The inflatable structure is provided with one or more folding lines (4) defining the inflatable structure into two or more interconnected chambers (5), the one or more folding lines comprising coupling means (41) coupling the first layer to the second layer. Dimensions (6) of the one or more folding lines and/or coupling means are adapted to enable the inflatable structure to in both the deflated state and the inflated state be foldable along the one or more folding lines. The disclosure also relates to a method for manufacturing a foldable inflatable structure in accordance with the foregoing.