Inflatable Cover Device for Rapid Vehicle Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing weather and vandalism protection solutions for vehicles and large areas require costly and labor-intensive assembly and disassembly, and are not effective against vandalism due to their design and material limitations.
Innovation Solution
A cover device with a rigid case and spiral elastic bands that can be easily opened and closed, featuring an inflatable inner chamber for structural support and a motorized opening mechanism, allowing for quick deployment and storage, and incorporating a winder system for efficient winding and unwinding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If flexible plastic cloths are used for covering vehicles, then protection from weather is provided, but assembly and disassembly operations become costly and lengthy
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is transformed from a static flexible cloth to a dynamic structure with inflatable chambers that can be rapidly deployed and retracted. The inflatable chambers provide structural support when inflated, enabling the cover to assume a protective configuration over the vehicle, and can be deflated for quick storage, dramatically reducing assembly and disassembly time while maintaining weather protection functionality.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If flexible plastic cloths are used for covering vehicles, then protection from weather is provided, but resistance to vandalism is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cover structure combines flexible plastic material with inflatable chambers that create a rigid when pressurized. This composite approach integrates the flexibility and weather resistance of plastic with the strength and vandalism resistance of inflated structural elements, achieving both weather protection and enhanced security against vandalism attempts.
3Area of stationary object
If large-sized cloths are mounted on special frames, then coverage of larger areas is achieved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The large cover is divided into multiple inflatable chambers that can be independently inflated and deployed. This segmentation allows the cover to be stored in a compact state and rapidly deployed by inflating individual chambers, achieving large area coverage without requiring complex frame structures or complicated assembly procedures. Each chamber acts as an independent module that contributes to the overall coverage area.
4Ease of manufacture
If manual folding and storage of cloths is required, then storage is achieved, but manual effort and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical process of folding and storing the cover is replaced with a pneumatic system. By deflating the inflatable chambers, the cover automatically collapses and can be quickly stored without manual folding operations. This substitution of pneumatic pressure control for manual mechanical manipulation dramatically reduces both the effort and time required for storage operations.
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 cover device provides fast and simple operation for protection against weather and vandalism, is easily transportable, and reduces manual effort, while offering enhanced security through its elastic band structure and inflatable support, making it suitable for various scales and applications.
Implementation Method 1
at least a winding support (30) and a winder device (40)... at least a plurality of elastic bands (8a, 8b, 8c) integral with the cover (2)... the elastic force of said plurality of elastic bands (8a, 8b, 8c) contributes to the forces needed for the phase of winding the cover (2)
Implementation Method 2
at least one inner chamber (9) made of a flexible material impermeable to fluids... an inflation device and deflation device of the cover, in fluidic communication with the inner chamber (9) for the inflation and deflation of the cover (2) by means of a fluid introduced in, or removed from, the internal chamber (9)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A cover device (1) comprises a hard case (4) suitable to be positioned on a support (5) that keeps it raised with respect to a lower bottom surface (6). In the closed configuration, the case contains a cover (2) wound inside it. When the case opens, the cover is suitable to come out, unwinding and outstretching itself around said case (4) in a radial direction, passing from the wound configuration to the outstretched configuration to cover an area of space under the cover and comprised between the lower bottom surface (6) and said cover (2).