Inflatable insulated vacuum panel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inflatable panels lack thermal efficiency and adequate insulation in extreme weather conditions, requiring significant energy for heating or cooling when used as shelters or furniture.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable panel design featuring a sealed enclosure with air-evacuation capabilities, incorporating drop-stitch structures and hollow pillar-like structures with rigid insulators, which increases thermal insulation by creating a vacuum chamber and maintaining structural integrity under pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional inflatable panels are used, then ease of deployment and storage is improved, but thermal insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable panel is divided into multiple separate air compartments that can be independently inflated and evacuated. This segmentation allows the panel to achieve vacuum insulation in one compartment while maintaining structural integrity through other inflated compartments, resolving the contradiction between ease of deployment and thermal insulation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pressure parameter within the sealed enclosure from positive pressure (traditional inflatable) to negative pressure (vacuum). This parameter change enables the enclosure to provide both structural support when inflated and thermal insulation when evacuated, addressing the contradiction between operational ease and energy loss.
2Loss of energy
If vacuum enclosure is added for insulation, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable enclosure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support when inflated, creates a vacuum seal when evacuated, and acts as a thermal insulation barrier. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate structural and insulation components.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable panel structure itself serves as the vacuum enclosure, eliminating the need for additional rigid vacuum vessel components. The flexible inflatable material provides both the vacuum seal and structural support, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining insulation performance.
3Loss of energy
If rigid structure is used for insulation, then thermal insulation is improved, but ease of transportation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation structure transitions from a rigid static form to a dynamic inflatable form. When inflated, the panel provides structural support and can be evacuated to create vacuum insulation. When deflated, it compresses to a compact size for easy transportation, resolving the contradiction between insulation performance and transportation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible inflatable material to create the vacuum enclosure instead of rigid insulation structures. This flexible shell can be inflated to provide structural support and evacuated to provide thermal insulation, then deflated and rolled up for compact storage and transportation, addressing the contradiction between insulation and transportation ease.
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 design provides a thermally efficient, rigid, and stable inflatable structure that maintains insulation and structural integrity, reducing energy consumption for temperature regulation while allowing for easy deployment and storage.
Implementation Method 1
means for evacuating air from the sealed enclosure, wherein, said sealed enclosure is configured to increase thermal insulation between the first part and the second part
Implementation Method 2
The rigid insulator is made from a material having a very low thermal conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an inflatable panel (10) comprising an inflatable first part (12) having an internal compartment (13); an inflatable second part (14) having an internal compartment (15); and a third part (16) connecting the first part (12) to the second part (14) at a periphery of the first and second parts (12, 14). The first, second, and third parts (12, 14, 16) together define a sealed enclosure (18) therebetween. The inflatable panel (10) also includes means for evacuating air from the sealed enclosure (18), and said sealed enclosure is configured to increase thermal insulation between the first part (12) and the second part (14).