Patent ID: 7918167

Claim:
A temporary barrier for use with a structure, the barrier comprising: a bag that is made of a fabric and being expandable with a fluid, the bag further being resistant to puncture and being of dimensions selected to enable the bag to substantially occlude an opening in the structure; a carrying implement for carrying the bag when the bag is in a folded, compact orientation, the carrying implement having an element enabling the carrying implement to be carried on a body portion of an individual, and the carrying implement having dimensions selected to hold and maintain the bag therein in the folded, compact orientation so that the bag can be deployed from the carrying implement at a location where the bag needs to be implemented; the bag further including an inflation valve for permitting inflation of the bag and a deflation valve; a fluid source secured to the inflation valve of the bag and in communication with an interior area of the bag for releasing a fluid into the interior area of the bag to expand the bag; the deflation valve being in communication with the interior area of the bag to enable the fluid from the fluid source that has been released into the interior area of the bag to be evacuated from the interior area of the bag, and the bag collapsed to its pre-inflated condition without damage to the bag, and the bag able to be re-used by the user; and a shear thickening fluid permeating the fabric of the bag and having a first state in which the shear thickening fluid allows at least a portion of the fabric of the bag to be flexible and a second state in which the shear thickening fluid causes the portion of the fabric of the bag to be inflexible, the first state being characterized by the absence of shear in the shear thickening fluid, the second state being characterized by the existence of shear in the shear thickening fluid.