Hyperbaric Chamber Inflatable Support Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hyperbaric chambers face a trade-off between portability and capacity, with higher-pressure chambers being rigid and less portable, and portable chambers being limited in pressure and requiring difficult-to-install rigid frames, which are also aesthetically and physically uncomfortable.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible hyperbaric chamber with an inflatable support structure that allows for higher pressures up to 22 psig, reducing the need for a rigid frame and incorporating reinforcing features like zippers, harnesses, and polycarbonate-reinforced viewports to maintain a substantially uncollapsed shape and ensure safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a rigid frame is used to retain the uncompressed chamber in a substantially uncollapsed configuration, then the chamber maintains its shape and facilitates ingress to and egress from the chamber, but the installation of the rigid frame becomes difficult and time consuming, and the exposed metal frame is not aesthetically pleasing and may be physically uncomfortable for the chamber occupant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid metal frame with an inflatable support structure made of flexible material. The support structure includes an inflatable bladder that can be inflated to provide structural support and maintain the chamber's uncompressed configuration, eliminating the need for difficult-to-install rigid frames while improving aesthetics and comfort for occupants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic pressure to inflate the support structure, which then provides the necessary structural support to maintain the chamber shape. This pneumatic support system replaces the mechanical rigid frame, making installation easier and more comfortable while achieving the same structural function.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid frame is used to retain the uncompressed chamber, then the chamber maintains its shape, but the installation becomes difficult and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable support structure made of flexible material can be quickly deployed and inflated to provide structural support, eliminating the time-consuming installation of rigid frames while maintaining the chamber's uncompressed configuration stability during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure transitions from a deflated state during installation to an inflated state during operation, allowing for quick deployment and installation while providing stable structural support when needed. This dynamic characteristic enables rapid setup without compromising configuration stability.
3Weight of moving object
If portable chambers are designed to be collapsible, then portability is improved, but higher pressures cannot be achieved and the chamber requires a rigid frame for structural support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible inflatable support structures that can withstand higher pressures while maintaining portability. The support structure is designed to be inflated during operation to provide the necessary structural integrity for high-pressure operation, yet remains collapsible and portable when deflated.
Solution Approach 2:
The chamber transitions between a collapsed portable state and an inflated operational state, with the inflatable support structure providing the necessary rigidity for high-pressure operation only when inflated. This dynamic transformation enables both portability and high-pressure capability without requiring a permanent rigid frame.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The inflatable support structure enables a portable, high-pressure hyperbaric chamber that is easier to install, more comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing, while reducing the likelihood of sudden decompression and allowing for effective treatment of severe pressure sickness symptoms.
Implementation Method 1
an inflatable support member supporting the bladder in a substantially uncollapsed configuration
Implementation Method 2
Various reinforcing features, such as a reinforcing zipper on the closure, a reinforcing harness, and a polycarbonate-reinforced viewport, may be incorporated to permit the chamber to achieve higher pressures
Data Source
AI summary
A hyperbaric chamber includes a collapsible, pressurizable bladder and an inflatable support member supporting the bladder in a substantially uncollapsed configuration. The inflatable support member may be either internal or external to the bladder, and, in embodiments, is a rib with curvature corresponding generally to the uncollapsed shape of the bladder. A stiffening stave may provide additional support. The bladder further includes an accessway into the interior thereof and a substantially non-breathable closure on the accessway. The closure includes a substantially air-impermeable gasket sandwiched between first and second zippers. A reinforcing zipper may provide additional strength to the closure. Similarly, a reinforcing harness substantially surrounding the bladder may provide additional strength to the bladder. A source of compressed air is in fluid communication with the interior of the bladder, and a cooling source may also be provided.