Inflatable Chamber Lock for Negative-Pressure Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wooden chamber locks for asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), and lead-contaminated building environments are time-consuming, expensive, and not reusable, leading to material waste and inefficiency in demolition or renovation processes.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable chamber lock system that can be quickly installed and adjusted to form a sealed barrier between contaminated and non-contaminated areas, utilizing an inflatable frame with integrated air supply and pressure sensors to maintain a negative pressure gradient, ensuring safe containment of contaminants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wooden chamber locks are used to seal contaminated building environments, then safety containment is achieved, but installation time increases and material waste occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by using an inflatable chamber lock system where a flexible chamber is inflated with air to create a rigid sealing structure. The chamber lock comprises an inflatable chamber, sealing elements, and an air supply system that inflates the chamber to form a stable barrier in doorways and openings of contaminated buildings, eliminating the need for time-consuming wooden construction while maintaining safety containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The chamber lock transitions from a flexible, compact state to an inflated, rigid state dynamically. The system can be quickly deployed by inflating the chamber and deflated for removal and reuse. This dynamic transformation allows rapid installation and adjustment without requiring carpentry skills or extensive construction time, while the inflated state provides the necessary structural stability for safety containment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wooden chamber locks are manufactured on site by carpenters, then customization to openings is achieved, but production time increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable chamber lock is designed as a universal system that can be adapted to various opening sizes and shapes without requiring custom manufacturing for each specific opening. The chamber can be inflated to different dimensions and configurations, and the system includes adjustable sealing elements that can accommodate different doorway and opening dimensions. This eliminates the need for on-site carpentry customization while maintaining adaptability to specific opening requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows parameter changes in the chamber dimensions and shape by adjusting the inflation pressure and volume. The chamber can be inflated to match different opening sizes, and the sealing elements can be adjusted to fit various gap dimensions. This parametric adaptability replaces the need for custom-built wooden chambers for each opening while maintaining the ability to customize the fit to specific requirements.
3Reliability
If wooden chamber locks are used, then initial containment is achieved, but reusability is lost and material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable chamber lock system is designed for recovery and reuse after use. The chamber can be deflated, removed from the opening, cleaned, and reused for subsequent containment applications. This eliminates the material waste associated with disposable wooden chamber locks while maintaining effective containment through each use cycle. The system is particularly valuable for remediation projects where multiple openings need to be sealed sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the disposable concept by creating a durable, reusable alternative. Instead of using expensive, single-use wooden chambers that must be discarded after contamination risk, the inflatable chamber provides a cost-effective, reusable solution that maintains containment effectiveness across multiple uses, thereby reducing overall material consumption and waste generation in asbestos remediation projects.
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 chamber lock provides a rapid, efficient, and reusable solution that meets safety standards, allowing for quick installation and positioning, reducing material waste, and ensuring containment of asbestos, PCB, and lead contaminants.
Implementation Method 1
inflating (S3) the chamber lock from a first non-inflated position (P1) to a second inflated position (P2)
Implementation Method 2
ensuring (S2) a negative pressure in the building
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of mounting an inflatable chamber lock (100) in a asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), and/or lead contaminated building environment (120), the method comprising: sealing the asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), and/or lead contaminated building (120), ensuring a negative pressure in the building, inflating the chamber lock (100) from a first non-inflated position (P1) to a second inflated position (P2), positioning the chamber lock in an opening (110) of the building (120), and if necessary, adjusting the inflated chamber lock in the opening of the contaminated building. Further the invention relates to a chamber lock (100) adapted to be installed in an opening (110) in a contaminated building environment (120). The chamber lock comprises an inflatable frame (130) comprising a plurality of coherent, inflatable tubes, at least two flexible external walls (140) mounted on the inflatable frame