AIR-SUPPORTED SHELTER SYSTEM

Abstract: An air-supported shelter for covering swimming pools, warehousing, greenhouses, recreation areas, climate control, pouring cement foundations and the like uses. The shelter system includes an inflatable enclosure (10) and a blower assembly for inflation thereof. The enclosure is attached to a base by a plurality of anchors (22, 24) which hold a cable (18) disposed in a hem forming the lower portion of the enclosure. The cable is connected to a tautening device (28) by means of which an air-tight seal between the enclosure and the base is attained. The entire shelter system with the enclosure in collapsed state may be placed in a housing for storage or shipping purposes.

Description: AIR-SUPPORTED SHELTER SYSTEM Technical Field The present invention relates generally to improvements in air- supported shelters and more particularly to inflatable shelters which provide an enclosure for an area thus shielding it against elements and assuring comfort and pleasant environment. Background and Prior Art Various types of air-supported shelters are presently known or have been described in patent literature. For instance, the U. S. patent No. 3 » 159 . 165 discloses an air-supported structure including a door for entering and leaving the enclosure and a blower mechanism, both of which are separate from the sheet of the enclosure. The base of the enclosure which extends along the ground over the blower outlet and over the door frame includes a sleeve with an elongated cable mounted within the passage thereof. The cable is fastened to the ground by hook fasteners which are screwed into fittings embedded in the apron. Another cable extending around the door frame and anchored to the ground is provided to insure that the door frame is held solidly in place. Such structure has a few drawbacks. Thus a separate door has to be installed with special care to avoid air leakage and is difficult to disassemble. The hook fasteners are hazardous when left screwed into fittings embedded in the concrete base. If it is desired to remove them, such operation is tedious and time consuming. U. S. patent No. 3,353 . 309 describes an inflatable structure, the lower edge of which is formed of a tubular rim filled with water to provide a sealing contact with the deck. Several parallel strips extending across the ceiling portion of the enclosure are attached to the deck by pins embedded therein. Water-filled tubes have been found disadvantageous as they frequently develop leaks which necessitate repairs, are awkward and time-consuming to be emptied or refilled OMPI /,. WIFO with water when assembling or disassembling the structure and are adversely affected by formation of algae or mildew. U. S. patent No. 3,651,609 shows an air-inflated structure formed by a number of horizontally elongated panels joined together and a reinforcing cable system comprising parallel tensioning cables connected at their ends to ground anchors. U. S. patent No. 3,728,831 discloses a similar air-inflated structu includung parallel tension devices connected to tension transmittin cables running lengthwise of the central section of the structure. Such reinforcing cables are not only costly but, in addition, rende the structure difficult to assemble and disassemble. An inflatable shelter" having a metallic track permanently secured to the decking for affixing the bottom edge of the shelter around a swimming pool is also known. A drawback of such an installation is that people walking or children playing on the deck may trip over the track and suffer an injury. Rigid enclosures are likewise known for use in covering swimming pools. However, such enclosures are cumbersome in that not only the are difficult to be removed in hot weather when they are not needed, but they also require a large area for storage when not in use. The various drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art structures discussed hereinabove can be overcome by the provision of an improve air-supported shelter system described in detail hereinafter. Summary of Invention and Advantages Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide an air- supported shelter system having an inflatable enclosure which is held secured to the ground by especially designed and easily installed or removed anchoring devices. The inflatable shelter includes a cable extending throughout its periphery adjacent to the ground, the cable being maintained taut while the shelter is inflated to assure an air-sealing contact betwe the lower edge of the shelter and the ground. The shelter is weather resistant and can easily be erected or disassembled in a matter of minutes. It can be stored and easily transported when not in use together with all its accessories in a relatively small housing unit The shelter can be manufactured at a low cost from readily available materials to cover a small or a large area and shield it from inclement or cold weather and snow. x,:?o The invention will become more fully apparent from the following description considered together with the accompanying drawing. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention, an air-supported shelter system comprises, in combination, an inflatable enclosure attached to a base along the periphery of the enclosure. The enclosure has a relatively narrow integral hem at its lower portion and the peripheral edge of the enclosure is adapted to be in air-sealing contact with the base. A flexible cable extending within the hem provides a connection with anchoring means which releasably attach the enclosure to the base. The anchoring means includes a plurality of cornere anchors and side anchors, both types of anchors being slidably insertable into openings in the base. A cable tautening means is provided for holding the periphery of the enclosure firmly in contact with the base, whereby loss or leakage of air from under the enclosure is substantially prevented. A blower assembly for inflating the enclosure is installed nearby to insure that the enclosure is maintained in inflated form while in use. Brief Description of the Drawing Referring to the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention showing an inflated enclosure covering a swimming pool with anchors disposed around the pool for securing the cable extending in the lower portion of the enclosure to the base and also showing a housing for auxiliary accessories and equipment for the enclosure; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one of the corner anchors; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the corner anchor shown in Fig.2 when inserted into sun. opening in the base; Fig. ^ is a cross-sectional view of one of the side ' anchors also inserted in the opening in the base; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the tautening means showing one end of the cable affixed thereto, the other end of the cable being secured to a fastener device mounted in the base or a wall of a housing, the cable being broken away; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the housing of this invention indicating the location of various accessories therein when the housing is open for use in conjunction with the enclosure. - k - Detailed Description of Invention Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding elements, an air-supported shelte system S is illustrated with an enclosure 10 in its inflated positio over a swimming pool 11 which is surrounded by a deck or base 12. The shelter system S is comprised of an inflatable enclosure 10 preferably made of a single piece of a light weight, flexible, water repellent and substantially non-porous sheet material, such as a plastic, for example a vinyl or polyethylene film, a rubberized 10 fabric or a coated fabric, such as polyurethane-coated polyester and the like. The enclosure 10 is provided with an entrance formed of a heavy duty zipper 13 for access in and out of the enclosed area. The zipper 13 is fastened to the edges of a slit made in the enclosure 1 by a seam or any other suitable method in such a manner that an air- - c tight seal between the zipper 13 and the material of the enclosure 1 is assured. A relatively narrow, integral hem Λk forms the lower peripheral portion of the enclosure 10. Such hem may conveniently be made by folding over a short bottom portion of the enclosure 10 and stitching its edge to the body of the enclosure thus forming a passa 0 around the entire periphery of the enclosure 10 for a cable which wi be referred to hereinafter. V/hile the ceiling portion of the enclosure 10, when inflated as show in Fig. 1 , is of a substantially arcuate shape and has a rectangular floor plan, it will be understood that enclosures of various curved 5 configurations and triangular or polygonal floor plans are within the scope of this invention,, As previously mentioned, a highly suitable sheet material for use in the manufacture of the enclosure 10 is a polyurethane-coated, water- repellent polyester fabric of relatively light weight, such as from 0 about 100 to 300 grams per 0.84 square meter for an enclosure covering a swimming pool having a size of 6 by 12 meters. Heavier sheet materials may be employed, however, for larger size pools. A suitable resinous surface coating of the sheet material imparts not only water repellency thereto but improves durability of the 5 sheet material by inhibiting its deterioration due to weathering. The lower edge 6 of the hem Λ is maintained in sealing contact with the base 12 by a cable 18 which is encased within the hem O PI .. WIPO around the entire periphery of enclosure 10 with its both ends extending outside of the hem to be secured within the housing 48, as will be explained hereinafter. Although it is preferred herein to employ a metallic cable of adequate thickness and strength to v/ithstand tension exerted by the inflated enclosure in a given installation, a rope made from any other flexible, relatively non-stretchable materials such as a polyester fiber, nylon or fiberglass is satisfactory for use in the hem 14 of enclosure 10. The enclosure 10 is firmly attached to the base 12 when inflated by the blower 20 and it is maintained in air-sealing contact with base 12 by anchoring means which are disposed exteriorly of the shelter and are comprised of corner anchors 22 shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 and side anchors 2 shown in Fig. 4. The anchors are adapted to be in releasable contact wit the cable 18, each of the anchors being slidably insertable in vertical longitudinal openings 2β provided around the perimeter of the base 12. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the corner anchors 22 are arranged in four corners of the enclosure 10, three anchors being inserted in predrilled holes in the pool deck or base 12 and one anchor being affixed in a suitable manner in housing 48. The corner anchors 22 which are placed in the openings 26 made in the base 12 are comprised of a longitudinal rod 3 of cylindrical shape whose diameter is somewhat smaller than that of the openings 2β to insure an easy insertion and removal of the anchors 22 to and from the openings 26. One end of the rod 30 is affixed by welding or any other convenient manner to a plate 32 at a substantially right angle to the plane of the plate 32. The plate 32 is preferably made of a sheet metal and has a triangular configuration to provide reinforcement for the anchor and thus prevent the anchor from bending under pressure and stress exerted by the inflated shelter. The plate 3 has a central groove extending from its apex to the center of its base, the opposite side of the plate 3 having a corresponding longitudinal protrusion 33, as shown in Fig. 2. One end of the rod 30 extends into the groove of the plate 3 and is secured therein by welding or any other suitable method. It should be noted that when a corner anchor 22 is mounted in housing 43, the rod 30 is not required and anchor 22 may be affixed to the housing 40 by securing the plate 32 to the floor of the housing with any suitable fastener, such as nuts and bolts. A curved flange 34 is joined to the plate 3 adjacent to its base by welding or any other suitable means, a small portion of the protrusion 33 is cut out to accomodate the portion of flange >k crossing it so that the flange is positioned flat on the surface of the plate 32. The outwardly extending curved flange > has a U-shaped recess throughout its length, the recess 36 forming a track for receiving cable 18. The flange 34 is comprised of an upper lip 38 and a lower lip 39, a portion of the bottom surface of the lower lip 39 contacting the surface of plate . 32. The upper lip 38 is covered preferably with, a protective strip 4θ of a resilient material, such as rubber, vinyl or the like to prevent a direct contact between the edge of lip 38 and the sheet material of enclosure 10 thus preventing possible tearing of such material which is placed under stress when enclosure 10 is fully inflated and anchored to the base 14. The corner anchors 22 provide a means of holding portions of enclosure 10 adjacen to the corners in a smooth configuration thus eliminating stress point commonly occurring in air-supported structures of the prior art. The side anchors 24 which are disposed around the perimeter of a swimming pool or any other area to be sheltered are substantially L-shaped and include a cylindrical rod 42 slidably insertable into a vertical longitudinal opening 26 in the base 12, such opening being of a diameter slightly larger than that of the rod 42 so that each side anchor 24 can be readily inserted or removed manually into or from the opening 26. As shown in Fig. 4, the side anchor 24 comprises an arm 44, the free end of v.'hich is of a hook-like shape 46 adapted to receive and hold cable 18. The side anchors 24 are spaced apart from each other a distance sufficient to insure that cable 1S held by them under tension causes the lower edge of the enclosure 10 to be in firm, air-tight contact wit the surface of the base 12. Such contact is provided by a conventional narrow strip of sheet material forming a part of enclosure 10 and disposed interiorly thereof along its perimeter, whereby the air pressure maintained inside the enclosure 10 causes the free end portion of the strip to adhere to the base 12. For example, in a swimming pool of 6 by 12 meters size, the side anchors 2 may be spaced about 1 meter apart when the surface of base 12 is rough and about 1.2 to 1.5 meters apart when its surface is smooth. In general, the spacing between the side anchors around the area to be enclosed is dependent on the size and configuration of the specific enclosure, the criterion being that a substantially air-tight seal between the enclosure 10 and the surface of base 12 must be provided. As stated earlier, both types of anchors are slidably insertable into the openings 26 in base 12 and held firmly therein merely by the tension conditions exerted by cable 18 maintained tightly stretched be the tautening means 28. In some instances where a piece of equipment or any object is placed under the edge 16 of enclosure 10, the hem 14 may have to be partially tailored to fit the contour of such object and in such case it may be desirable to install one or more additional side anchors to prevent escape of internal air under pressure from the inflated enclosure 10. When a new enclosure 10 is initially installed, small holes or slits are usually made in the hem 14 to enable the hooks 46 to enter inside the hem for engagement with cable 18« Such small openings in the hem are, of course, aligned with each of the side anchors throughout the periphery of enclosure 10. It is an important feature of this invention to provide a cable tautening means 28, the function of which is to hold the periphery of the enclosure 10 firmly in contact with the ground or base 12 thereby preventing escape of air from the inflated shelter. A cable tautening device 28 shown diagramatically in Fig. 5 s secured to base 12 or to a wall of housing 48 by any suitable fastener means, such as a clamping device (not shown). One end of cable 18 is secured to the tautening means 2 and the other end of cable 18 is secured to another fastening means, such as an eyebolt or a hook likewise affixed to base 12 or to a wall of housing 48. Thus the cable 18 extends in opposite directions from the two points of its attachment located adjacent the base 12. The cable 18 follows the track of curvatures in flanges 34 in the corner anchors 22 v/hile being held in place by hooks 46 of the side anchors 24. The tautening means 28 stretches the cable 1c to a point that there is no slackness so that loss of air from the inflated enclosure 10 is virtually nil and the concentration of stress is substantially evenly distributed throughout the entire length of the cable 18 which runs along the surface of base 12. Various cable tautening devices which are suitable in the practice of this invention include a ratchet puller with safety hooks, a winch, a load binder connected to a turnbuckle and the like. A housing 48 may optionally be included in the shelter system of this invention not only to store the deflated enclosure 10 but also to contain all the equipment and accessories required for erection of -r the shelter and for maintaining the shelter in inflated position. When a suitable housing is included in the system, the shelter togethe with, all the auxiliary accessories may conveniently be placed therein for storage or shipping purposes. The housing 48 may be fabricated from a rigid, weather-resistant, water-resistant, durable, non-rotting material, such as molded plastic, certain kinds of wood or fiberboard or plywood overlaid with a resin-treated cellulosic sheet. V/hile the specific design of the housing 48 will depend on the size of the enclosure 10 and on the number and size of the accessories, the design illustrated in Fig. 6 is very satisfactory. It is adapted to contain the blov/er assembly including an intermittently operated blov/er 20 and the shutter means ~ - interconnected therev/ith by an air-tight duct formed by a false bottom 3k in the housing 48, the cable tautening means 28, an air pressure control sv/itch 50, a corner anchor 22 and sufficient storage space to accomodate the enclosure 10 in its collapsed form and folded over. The housing 48 is preferably located on the base 12 adjacent the bottom periphery of enclosure 10 in such a manner that a portion of enclosure 10 held by corner anchor 22 traverses the housing with its small lid 6θ, large lid with hinged front wall 65 and one side wall 64 in open position. Accordingly, when the enclosure is inflated, the shutter means 56 constitutes the blov/er outlet and has flapping slats 58 which are in open position v/hen the blower is operating and in closed position v/hen the blov/er is inactive The shutter means ϋ>6 is situated inside the enclosure 10 v/hile all other auxiliary equipment is located outside the enclosure 10. The blov/er 20 v/hich forces air through the duct 54 and shutter 56 into the interior of enclosure 10 includes a fan and a motor (not shown) and is mounted on the bottom wall 66 of the housing 48 in a small compartment arranged by provision of a vertical inner partition wall 68 v/hich separates it from a large compartment in v/hich the shutter box 56 and a corner anchor 22 are mounted. A sv/itch 0 mounted on the side wall 5 of the small compartment is connected to a power source and to the motor leads of the blower. The partition wall 68 -- cr is provided with a hole 70 adjacent the bottom edge thereof for the passage of the cable 18 which is positioned in the curved track 36 of corner anchor 22 affixed by any common fastener means to the floor 66 of the large compartment and interconnects with tautening means 28. The rear wall 72 of housing 48 is stationary and hingedly connects at the top with lids 6θ and 62 and with side wall 64, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The front wall 6 is likewise hingedly secured to lid 62. As mentioned earlier, the enclosure 10 in its collapsed and folded state can be stored in the large compartment of housing 48. Standard locks 7 are suitably affixed to lid 60 and the front wall 65 with their registering locking parts affixed near the top edge of the front wall of the small compartment and the front of the false bottom wall, respectively. It is within the scope of this invention to optionally provide an additional inflatable cover (not shown) for a swimming pool or the like, such cover being constructed, anchored and operable in substantially the same manner as the enclosure 10. V/hen installed and maintained in its inflated position, the cover extends a short distance above the surface of water in a swimming pool and its top has a slightly convex configuration. The cover may be used primarily to shield the swimming pool from leaves, debris, etc. when enclosure 10 is dismantled and stored away. It will be understood, however, that to install such a cover a separate set of side and corner anchors with a corresponding number of openings in the deck and separate accessories including a cable tautening means, a blower assembly and a switch for the blower would be needed. It may also be necessary to provide a larger housing to insure adequate storage space for the cover and all the additional accessories. To erect the shelter, the enclosure 10 is removed from the housing 48, then unfolded and spread over a swimming pool or any other area to be protected. The cable 18 extending in the hem 14 of enclosure 10 is positioned in the tracks of corner anchors 22 which cause a change in the direction of the cable. The cable 18 is then tightened to a desired tension with tautening means 28. All the side anchors 24 are inserted into openings 26 in base 12 and connected to cable 18 in a matter of minutes. The enclosure 10 is inflated by activating the control switch 50 connected to blower 20 and inflation operation proceeds until the final contour of enclosure 10 is attained. Several experimental trials have shov/n that the inflating procedure usually requires less than 30 minutes for a swimming pool of 6 by 12 meters size. After the enclosure 10 has been erected, it maintains its curved shape by automatically controlled action of the blower assembly which supplies air under pressure into the area covered by the enclosure 10. It v/ill be apparent from the foregoing description that I have devised an improved air-supported shelter system characterized by having a new combination of elements which are required for its operation. Such combination produces an easily and rapidly erectable inflated enclosure which can readily be dismantled manually and conveniently stored together with all the auxiliary equipment in a compact housing. Industrial Applications V/hile the shelter system has been described herein primarily in conjunction with a swimming pool, the present invention is not restricted to such use alone but is applicable to cover other areas, such as tennis courts, agricultural areas, greenhouses, radar installations, recreation spots, as well as in warehousing, climate control, pouring of cement foundations and the like, thereby providing a comfortable environment protected from outside elements and cold v/eather. It will be understood that various modifications in the forms of this invention as herein described may be made without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the claims which follow. l-I ^ I? °

Claims: Claims 1. An air-supported shelter system comprising in combination: (a) an inflatable enclosure attached to a base along the periphery of said enclosure and having a relatively narrow integral hem at the lower portion thereof, the peripheral edge of said enclosure being _- adapted to be in air-sealing contact with said base; (b) a cable extending within said hem; (c) a blov/er assembly for inflating said enclosure and maintaining said enclosure in inflated form; said shelter system being characterized by having: 0 (d) an anchoring means attaching releasably said enclosure to said base, said anchoring means including a plurality of corner anchors, each of said corner anchors comprising a rod slidably insertable into an opening in said base, a plate affixed to said rod at a substantially right angle thereto and an outv/ardly extending curved flange, said 5 flange having a recess forming a track for receiving said cable, and a plurality of side anchors slidably insertable into openings in said base; and (e) a cable tautening means for holding the periphery of said enclosure firmly in contact with said base, whereby loss of air from under said enclosure is substantially prevented. 2. The shelter system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said inflatable enclosure is formed of a lightweight , flexible, water-repellent and substantially air-tight sheet material. 3« The shelter system according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said flange comprises an upper lip and a lower lip, said upper lip being covered with a protective strip of a resilient material. 4. The shelter system according to claims 1 to 5, characterised in that each of said side anchors is substantially L-shaped and includes a rod slidably insertable into an opening in said base and an arm, the free end of said arm being of a hook-like configuration to receive and hold said cable. 5. The shelter system according to claims 1 to 4, characterized by including a housing for containing said blov/er assembly, an air-pressure control sv/itch, said cable tautening means and one of said corner anchors, said housing having sufficient storage space to c accomodate said inflatable enclosure in its collapsed state. 5 6. The shelter system according to claim 5 . characterized in that one end of said cable is secured within said housing, the other end of said cable being secured to said tautening means. 7. The shelter system according to claims or 6, characterized i that said housing comprises a false bottom constituting an air-tight duct in said blov/er assembly. 8. The shelter system according to claims 1 to 7j characterized in that said blov/er assembly includes an intermittently operated blov/er means mounted and operated within one end of said housing, a shutter means mounted at the opposite end of said housing, said blov/er means and said shutter means being interconnected by said air-tight duct and a portion of said enclosure traversing said housing so that the blov/er means is situated outside said enclosure and said shutter means is situated within said enclosure. 9. T e shelter system according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said system further includes an inflatable cover to be disposed over a swimming pool or the like, said cover being constructed, anchored and operable in substantially the same manner as said enclosure and extending a short distance above the surface of water in said swimming pool v/hen in inflated position. 10. The shelter system as claimed in any preceding claim, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing Oi PI

Inventors: SARGENT C
Applicants: SARGENT C
Application year: 1979
Main classification: E04B1
IPC codes: E04H15