Inflatable Vehicle Cover With Venting and Access Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inflatable vehicle covers trap moisture between the vehicle and the cover, leading to potential damage, lack convenient access, and do not provide ventilation or prevent ground contact, while requiring deflation for vehicle removal.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle cover with inflatable tubes forming a top and sidewalls, support columns to lift the cover off the ground, movable flaps for access, a vent for moisture escape, and a valve for inflation/deflation, allowing easy vehicle entry and exit without deflation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the cover is made from water impermeable polymer material, then protection from rain and environmental hazards is improved, but moisture trapping between the vehicle and cover occurs causing paint damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cover incorporates porous breathable material that allows water vapor transmission while blocking liquid water. This resolves the contradiction by permitting moisture escape to prevent paint damage while maintaining protection from rain and environmental hazards through the water-repellent properties of the porous structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A breathable membrane or vapor-permeable layer is introduced as an intermediary between the vehicle surface and the outer cover. This intermediary layer allows moisture vapor to pass through while blocking liquid water, thereby preventing moisture trapping while maintaining environmental protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the cover is designed as a sealed inflatable structure, then protection from environmental damage is improved, but vehicle access requires deflation decreasing convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into segmented inflatable sections with independently operable access openings. These segmented sections allow vehicle access through localized deflation or opening of specific segments rather than requiring complete deflation, maintaining protection in sealed sections while providing convenient access points.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover incorporates dynamically adjustable access openings that can be opened or closed as needed. The inflatable structure maintains its protective sealed state when access is not required, while allowing dynamic creation of access pathways when vehicle entry or exit is needed, eliminating the need for complete deflation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the cover contacts the ground, then stability is improved, but environmental contaminants trapped between cover and vehicle damage the painted surface
Solution Approach 1:
Elevated support legs or pedestals are introduced as intermediaries between the cover and the ground. These supports raise the cover structure off the ground, preventing direct contact and the associated contamination risk, while still providing stable support for the cover during vehicle storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover design transitions from ground-level contact to elevated positioning by adding vertical support elements. This dimensional change in the support structure raises the cover in the vertical dimension, creating space between the cover and ground to eliminate contaminant trapping while maintaining stability through the elevated support system.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the cover is designed to fit closely on the vehicle, then protection from impact damage is improved, but moisture and contaminants are trapped against the vehicle surface
Solution Approach 1:
The cover utilizes porous breathable material that provides close fitting coverage for impact protection while allowing moisture vapor to pass through. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining the protective close fit while enabling moisture escape through the porous structure to prevent surface damage.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cover have different properties: the outer surface provides impact protection with close fitting, while the inner surface or intermediate layers incorporate breathable porous material specifically for moisture management. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of impact protection and moisture prevention.
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 solution provides effective protection, ventilation, and convenient access while maintaining a gap from the ground, ensuring the vehicle's surface is not damaged by moisture or contact, and enabling easy entry and exit without deflating the cover.
Implementation Method 1
The top structure and the one or more sidewalls are each formed from a plurality of inflatable tubes
Implementation Method 2
The top structure includes a vent that prevents water from entering the interior space and allows moisture to escape from the interior space
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle cover includes a top structure, one or more sidewalls, and a valve. The top structure is configured to be positioned above a top of a vehicle. Each of the one or more sidewalls is configured to be positioned adjacent to a side of the vehicle and is configured to hold the top structure above the top of the vehicle. The valve is positioned adjacent to the top structure or one of the one or more sidewalls. The top structure and the one or more sidewalls define an interior space that is sized to receive the vehicle. The top structure and the one or more sidewalls are each formed from a plurality of inflatable tubes, where each of the inflatable tubes is fluidly coupled to the valve.