Modular Inflatable Tent With Hinged Air Door Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inflatable tents lack modularity and require structural elements for hinged doors, limiting their versatility and usability.
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 various configurations and enhanced functionality.
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 functionality is poor and creates tripping hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by using an inflatable door frame that can be filled with air to maintain a rigid, upright door structure. This eliminates the need for complex mechanical hinges and support structures while providing stable door functionality and eliminating tripping hazards associated with loose fabric doors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the door frame from flexible to rigid by inflating it with air. This parameter change allows the door to stand upright independently without requiring structural elements built into the tent, thus improving door functionality while maintaining relative simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If structural elements are built into the tent to achieve hinged door functionality, then the door can be hinged open, but the tent modularity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable door frame provides the necessary structural support for hinged door functionality through air pressure rather than built-in structural elements. This allows the door to be hinged open while maintaining the tent's modularity, as the structural support is provided by a removable inflatable component rather than permanent structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a dynamically inflatable door frame that can be inflated or deflated as needed. This dynamic characteristic allows the door structure to be deployed when hinged door functionality is required and removed or deflated when modularity and versatility are prioritized, thus resolving the contradiction between fixed structural requirements and modular adaptability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If an inflatable door frame is used, then door structure stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses pneumatic inflation to achieve door structure stability, replacing complex mechanical support structures with a simple inflatable frame. The air pressure within the inflatable frame provides the necessary rigidity and stability for the door to stand upright and function properly, while the mechanism itself remains relatively simple compared to traditional structural solutions.
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 usability, enabling multiple configurations, including canopy use, wheelchair access, and improved door functionality with reduced tripping hazards.
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.