Modular Inflatable Airframe Tent With Hinged Inflatable Door
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inflatable tents lack modularity and require structural elements for hinged doors, limiting their usability and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A modular tent design featuring an inflatable airframe that supports both an inner tent and an outer shell, with a hingedly connected inflatable door, allowing for flexible configuration and enhanced structural support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional loose fabric doors are used in inflatable tents, then the tent structure remains simple, but the door cannot maintain a structured open position and requires additional structural elements for hinged operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by using an inflatable door assembly that can be filled with air to maintain its shape and structural integrity. The door includes an inflatable frame or border that when inflated, provides the rigidity needed for hinged operation without requiring traditional rigid structural elements. This allows the door to be hinged and open while maintaining its shape, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the door material from deflated (flexible) to inflated (rigid). By controlling the inflation parameter, the door can transition between a compact storage state and an operational structured state. This parameter change allows the door to function as a hinged door when needed while maintaining simplicity when not in use, resolving the contradiction between operational capability and structural complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If inflatable tents use fixed configurations, then manufacturing is simpler, but modularity and versatility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tent into separate modular components including the inflatable airframe, inner tent, and outer shell that can be independently configured. The door assembly is also segmented as a separate inflatable component that can be attached or removed. This segmentation allows for various configurations and uses while keeping each individual component relatively simple in design, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable door assembly serves multiple functions: it provides weather protection when closed, maintains structural integrity when open, and can be inflated or deflated as needed. The modular inflatable components can be configured for different uses and environments. This multi-functionality increases versatility without requiring proportionally complex designs, as the same basic inflatable structure adapts to different needs.
3Ease of operation
If hinged doors are added to inflatable tents, then access convenience improves, but structural elements must be built into the tent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses pneumatic inflation to provide the structural support needed for hinged door operation. The inflatable door assembly, when filled with air, creates internal pressure that maintains the door's shape and provides the strength necessary for hinged movement. This eliminates the need for traditional rigid structural elements like metal frames or wooden supports, as the inflated air structure itself provides the necessary strength for convenient door access.
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 modular design provides increased versatility and ease of use, with the inflatable airframe enabling various configurations and the hinged door facilitating convenient access while maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
an airframe that is inflatable to provide structural support to the modular tent
Implementation Method 2
an inflatable door hingedly connected to the tent body
Data Source
AI summary
A modular tent includes an airframe that is inflatable to provide structural support to the modular tent and an inner tent supported on an inside part of the airframe. The modular tent also includes an outer shell supported on an outside part of the airframe. A tent with a tent body having a doorway disposed therein. The tent also includes an inflatable door hingedly connected to the tent body.