Inflatable Awning Stiffening Element for Caravan Weight Reduction

The patent applies pneumatic principles by using an inflatable hollow body instead of a traditional solid awning shaft. The hollow body can be inflated with air to provide the necessary structural support and stiffness, and deflated for easy stowage. This eliminates the need for heavy solid materials while maintaining the required mechanical properties during use.

The patent changes the physical state and properties of the support structure by using a material that can transition between inflated and deflated states. By controlling the internal pressure parameter, the hollow body can switch between a rigid support state during awning operation and a flexible, compact state for stowage, thereby resolving the weight and ease of operation contradiction.

The patent divides the hollow body structure into multiple independent chambers or segments. This segmentation allows each chamber to contribute to the overall stiffness and structural integrity while maintaining simplicity in the design of individual chambers. The segmented structure can be inflated independently in different sections to achieve the required rigidity without complex interconnections.

The patent uses thin-walled flexible hollow bodies that derive their stiffness from internal pressure rather than thick rigid walls. This approach maintains structural strength and stiffness while minimizing material usage and structural complexity. The flexible shell can deform elastically to accommodate inflation and deflation cycles without requiring complex reinforcement structures.