GB2570393A

GB2570393A - Inflatable enclosure

Info

Publication number: GB2570393A
Application number: GB1819792.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Morris Jonathan; Alan Tugwell Carl
Original assignee: Air Build Covers Ltd
Current assignee: Air Build Covers Ltd
Priority date: 2017-12-04
Filing date: 2018-12-04
Publication date: 2019-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-04
Also published as: GB201819792D0; GB201720169D0; GB2570393B

Abstract

The modular inflatable enclosure 100 for enclosing a region R adjacent a structure comprises a plurality of inflatable beams 102, at least one of the beams having at least one section for detachably coupling to a panel 106, at least one of the inflatable beams comprising at least one retractably extendable inflatable support member 104, and at least one panel detachably coupleable between an inflatable beam and a side of the structure for sealing the enclosure to the structure. The inflatable beams may define an upper wall and three side walls. The at least one panel and the inflatable beams may comprise magnetic means, zips, lacing, hooks and loops, elastic, toggle, or poppers for releasable coupling to other panels and inflatable beams. There may be a platform between the inflatable beams and the ground. The walls may comprise a door 108. The inflatable beams may be air-permeable or air-tight. The inflatable beams may comprise anchoring or ground affixing means. The enclosure may have an environmental control system. The enclosure may be used as a temporary shelter to cover construction work of house extensions and prevent building work delays in poor weather conditions.

Description

The present invention relates to a modular inflatable enclosure.

Temporary construction shelters such as tents and covers are well known to the construction industry to protect ongoing building projects from weather conditions. Currently temporary shelters consist of a structural frame and a material skin which extends over the frame. The framework is typically constructed using scaffold tubes, timber sections or flexible plastic tubes. The material skin may be a fabric or plastic type shrink wrap.

A common use for temporary shelters is to cover construction work of house extensions. Building work is often delayed by poor weather conditions and when this occurs, it can preclude completion for a substantial amount of time and lead to further problems and costs. One method to shelter building work is to erect scaffolding over the site and then cover the scaffolding with a material. However, the scaffolding can be prohibitively expensive, inappropriate and/or not allowable. Moreover, scaffold can cause damage to the house and construction if incorrectly installed. Furthermore, the material covering the scaffolding will not usually provide adequate protection from the environment or malicious activity to the works and equipment. Additionally, care must be taken to ensure that there are as few protruding poles and sharp edges etc. as possible to avoid damage and excessive reworking of the material cover.

The present invention overcomes at least some of the limitations of current temporary construction shelters.

In a first aspect, the present invention comprises a modular inflatable enclosure for enclosing a region adjacent a structure, the enclosure comprising: a plurality of inflatable beams;

wherein at least one of the inflatable beams comprises at least one detachably coupleable inflatable beam section;

wherein at least one of the inflatable beams comprises at least one retractably extendable inflatable support member; and, at least one panel detachably coupleable between an inflatable beam and a surface of the structure for sealing the enclosure to the structure.

Advantageously, the enclosure is simple, fast and efficient to construct. The enclosure has the benefit of being adaptable to variations in the geometry of the structure it is being sealed with via the detachably coupleable beam sections or retractably extendable support members, while the sealing panel ensures that the enclosed region is sheltered effectively from the external environment. Additionally the retractably extendable inflatable support member provides additional adaptability to the environment. As the enclosure is modular, multiple enclosures may be joined together to cover larger regions.

In an embodiment, the plurality of inflatable beams define an upper wall and three side walls, forming a substantially enclosed region with a side of the structure and a ground surface.

In an embodiment, the at least one support member is arranged to extend between the at least one beam and the side of the structure.

In an embodiment, the at least one panel is detachably coupleable to one or more additional panels.

In an embodiment, the plurality of inflatable beams comprise coupling means for releasable coupling to other beams and panels.

In an embodiment, the at least one panel comprises coupling mean for releasable coupling to additional panels and inflatable beams.

In an embodiment, the coupling means comprise magnetic members.

In an embodiment, one or more of the plurality of walls comprises a door disposed therein.

In an embodiment, the enclosure further comprises a floor section configured to extend between the inflatable beams and a ground surface.

In an embodiment, the enclosure further comprises a raised platform configured to be disposed between the inflatable beams and a ground surface.

In an embodiment, the inflatable beams are air-permeable and inflated using a continuous airflow system.

In an embodiment, the inflatable beams are air-tight beams.

In an embodiment, the inflatable beams comprise a combination of air-permeable and air-sealed beams.

In an embodiment, the inflatable beams further comprise anchoring means.

In an embodiment, the plurality of inflatable beams comprise ground affixing means.

In an embodiment, the enclosure further comprises an environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions within the enclosed region.

In a second aspect of the invention there is provided an inflatable enclosure comprising a plurality of detachably coupleable, modular inflatable enclosures as described above.

The invention may be performed in various ways and embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front isometric view of an enclosure according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with retractably extendable support members;

Figure 2 is an isometric view from the rear of the enclosure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the enclosure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the enclosure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a front isometric view an enclosure according to a second embodiment of the present invention, with an additional wall section;

Figure 6 is a cutaway front isometric view of the enclosure illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a side view of the enclosure illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of an enclosure according to a third embodiment of the present invention, with non-extended retractably extendable support members.

Figure 9 is an isometric view of the enclosure illustrated in Figure 8, where a first retractably extendable support members is extended; and,

Figure 10 is an isometric view of the enclosure illustrated in Figure 8, where a first and second retractably extendable support members are extended.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated an enclosure (100) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The enclosure comprises a plurality of inflatable walls (102) which enclose a region (R) disposed adjacent a structure (not shown). There are three side walls one of which is opposite a side of the structure and an upper wall, which define the enclosed region in conjunction with the side of the structure and the ground. In the embodiment, there are shown a plurality of retractably extendable inflatable support members (104) located on the upper wall. The support members are shown in various levels of retraction/extension and are disposed in spaced relation across the width of the upper wall (102). The support members act to space the inflatables walls (102) from the structure and this spacing is closed by a plurality of panels (106). Also shown are doors (108) in the side walls (102) and an enclosure module connector (110) located on the upper wall.

During use, one or more enclosures can be used to enclose a region around a structure, such as a region adjacent a house. The enclosure can be delivered in a pre-constructed arrangement for simply placing and securing or can be supplied as deflated, modular components suitable for construction, coupling and inflation on site. Once the walls of the enclosure are constructed, certain support members may be extended as required to accommodate variations in the shape of the house and/or additional wall sections can be couple to the walls, this can lead to a nonuniform space between the enclosure and the house. The panels can then be coupled between the walls and the side of the house sealing the enclosure to the house. The enclosed region will be sealed from the external environment and thus enable construction works to continue. The region may be accessed by a door in a side wall (as illustrated in Figures 1-3 of the drawings) or by decoupling a side wall entirely. During later stages of construction the enclosure may be extended by adding further modular enclosures. Further modular enclosures may be coupled to the original enclosure in a similar manner, is positioned using the retractably extendable inflatable support member of the additional enclosures inflatable walls and the spacing is sealed using additionally panels. The enclosure can be put up simply and quickly. Additional features can be added to the enclosure such as a floor section or raised platform, and in dependency on the work being undertaken, environmental control units may used to control conditions in the enclosed region. It is also envisaged that the inflatable enclosure module can singularly or in conjunction with other modules cover the entirety of a structure or be deployed stand alone to cover select regions of an environment.

The enclosure (100) comprises inflatable walls (102) which may be of various shapes and dimensions. In an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure comprises four walls, namely an upper wall, two side walls and a rear wall, which together with a side of the structure and a ground floor, create an enclosed region. The inflatable walls may be comprised from more than one type of inflation system; a wall may be constructed from a plurality of inflatable members. Some of the inflatable walls may comprise support members (104) and/or wall sections, and in the embodiments shown in the Figures, the support members and/or wall sections are disposed on the upper wall; this allows the members and/or sections to locate under the eaves of a house, for example to maintain rigidity of the enclosure. Not all the members need to be extended or retracted to the same extent and/or any amount of wall sections coupled and this variability enables additional adaptability to structure surface variations.

The enclosure comprises panels (106) which are coupleable between the inflatable walls and the structure thereby sealing the enclosure to the structure and creating the enclosed region. The panels can be modular, allowing multiple panels to be connected to accommodate the contour of the structure while covering the spacing between the enclosure and the structure. The panels can include integrated flashing for water removal.

The side of the structure may include irregular geometry such as a wall having a bay window or extending porch, and this will create a non-uniform spacing between the walls of the enclosure and the structure. The design of the modular enclosure is adaptable to these variations. The retractably extendable inflatable support members and/or detachably coupleable wall sections permits the enclosure to be spaced from the structure and one or more panels can be provided to seal the inflatable walls and enclosure to the structure. Additional enclosure modules can be added to cover larger structures.

In an embodiment, the panels, inflatable walls and wall sections are provided with coupling means which allow for simple construction and connection of multiple walls, sections, panels or other enclosures which may all be of varying dimensions. It will be appreciated that the coupling means may be any suitable means and can include, but is not limited to, magnetic fastening arrangement, zip fastener arrangement, lacing, hook and loop fastening arrangement, elastic, toggle, popper etc. type arrangements. Additionally, the coupling means further enables the modular enclosure to be attached to another enclosure. A module connecting means (110) is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and in this arrangement, an additional panel is placed on an upper wall overlapping adjacent sides wall of the two enclosures, and the panels can be coupled to the enclosures using coupling means, such as those described above. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the enclosure can form different geometrically shaped enclosures in dependence on the shape and number of walls to be used, for example triangular or hexagonal.

In embodiments of the enclosure, the inflatable walls (102) may further comprise doors (108) disposed therein, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The doors allow personnel to enter and exit the enclosed region. Furthermore, the entirety of a side wall (102) may be uncoupled from the enclosure to allow access for larger items to be placed within the enclosure or so that another modular enclosure may be coupled and connected thereto.

In embodiments not shown in the Figures, the enclosure (100) may have an additional floor section and/or be placed upon on a raised platform. The flooring may be used as required in response to the environment and can be coupled to the enclosure using coupling means, such as those described above. Furthermore, the enclosure may be placed onto a raised platform to avoid contact with the ground, add additional height or protect the enclosure. The platform can be used with the floor section and can be coupled to the enclosure using coupling means, such as those described above.

In an embodiment, the inflatable walls (102) may comprise an air-permeable arrangement or an air-tight arrangement. For air-permeable arrangements, a fan or blower is required to continuously pump air into the walls to maintain their form. For air-tight arrangements, a fan or blower can be used to inflate the wall to the desired form and then removed. It is envisaged that the inflatable walls of the enclosure may comprise a combination of both an air-permeable arrangement and an air-tight arrangement.

In an embodiment, the inflatable walls (102) may comprise anchoring means and/or ground affixing means which help stabilise the enclosure. It will be appreciated that the anchoring means may be any suitable means and can include but is not limited to water ballast tanks or other weighted members. The anchoring means may be included inside the walls or coupled thereto. Furthermore, the inflatable walls can be secured to the ground using pegs, straps or any other suitable fastener.

In an embodiment, the enclosure (100) may comprise an environmental control unit to control the environmental conditions within the enclosed region. It will be appreciated that certain construction works may be sensitive to heat and moisture, and so suitable means for controlling the conditions can include but are not limited to heaters, dehumidifiers, air conditioning units, fans, lighting etc.

The enclosure (100) is designed to be modular such that multiple enclosures can be coupled together to cover larger regions and readily adapt to the contour of the adjacent structure. Such an arrangement of modules can allow for a corner region of a structure to be readily enclosed, for example.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is illustrated a side view of the enclosure (100) with the panel (106) and side wall (102). The enclosure shows a plurality of inflatable walls (102) enclosing a region (R) which is adjacent a structure (not shown). There are illustrated two side walls one of which is opposite the side of the structure, the other with a door (108), and an upper wall. In the illustrated embodiment, there are shown a plurality of retractably extendable inflatable support members (104) located on the upper wall. The support members are shown with various levels of retraction/extension, at which they can be set. The support members act to space the enclosure from the structure, and the panels (106) are arranged to extend between the enclosure and the structure. Figure 4 shows the embodiment of the enclosure as shown in Figure 3 without the panel and side wall.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, there is illustrated an enclosure (200) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The enclosure of the second embodiment comprises similar features to the enclosure of the first embodiment and so like features have been referenced with the same numerals. The enclosure of the second aspect comprises a plurality of inflatable walls (102) which enclose a region (R) disposed adjacent a structure (not shown). There are three side walls, one of which is opposite a side of the structure, and an upper wall, which in conjunction with the side of the structure and the ground, collectively define the enclosed region. In the illustrated embodiment, there is shown an inflatable wall section (204) coupleable to the upper wall. The wall section is shown with a different length but an identical width to the upper wall (102). The wall section has an angular abutment surface for contacting the side of a structure. The abutment surface is angled to conform to the side surface of the structure. The wall section acts to space the inflatables walls (102) from the structure and this spacing is closed by a plurality of panels (106). Also shown are doors (108) in the side walls (102) and an enclosure module connector (110) located on the upper wall.

Referring now to Figure 7, there is illustrated a side view of the enclosure (200) with the panel (106) and side wall (102). The enclosure shows a plurality of inflatable walls (102) enclosing a region (R) which is adjacent a structure (not shown). There are illustrated two side walls one of which is opposite the side of the structure, the other with a door (108), and an upper wall. In the illustrated embodiment, there are shown a plurality of inflatable walls sections (204) coupled to the upper wall. The wall sections can be of various shapes and dimensions, enabling the enclosure to be adaptable to varying surfaces. The wall sections act to space the enclosure from the structure, and the panels (106) are arranged to extend between the enclosure and the structure.

Referring now to Figures 8, 9 and 10 there is illustrated a modular enclosure (300) according a third embodiment of the present invention. The enclosure of the third embodiment comprises some similar features to the enclosure of the first and second embodiments. In Figure 8 the enclosure of the third aspect comprises a plurality of inflatable beams (302) which enclose a region disposed adjacent to a structure (S). The plurality of inflatable beams (302) define inflatable walls. The inflatable beams can be of varying size, shape and construction to produce different walls suitable to variations in the environments they are used. In the illustrated embodiment, there are shown the following beam sections, an inflatable frame section (302f), an inflatable arch section (302a) and inflatable spacer sections (302s). Not shown are connectors which allow the beams to be detachably coupleable, these can be any suitable means as previously described in respect of other embodiments. There are effectively three walls in the embodiment. The wall defined by the inflatable beams (302) stretches perpendicular from the structure and comprises an upper portion (defining roof), middle portion (angled section) and lower portion (engaging the ground). There are two side walls defined by panels (306) which are coupled to the inflatable wall/beams, structure and ground, there is a panel on both sides of the inflatable wall (only one side is shown). The two side walls may equally be formed from inflatable beams (302) if required. The shape of these walls in the embodiment shown improves the enclosure resilience to adverse weather conditions such as wind and rain. These walls define the enclosed region in conjunction with the side of the structure and the ground. Within the side panels are shown doors (308a, 308b), a door (308a) may be larger for plant and equipment to be brought in, or doors (308b) may be formed differently for personnel access or other access purposes. Connected to the inflatable beams, specifically main frame (302f), are shown inflatable support members (304a/304b), which are shown not inflated and not extended. There is a panel (306f) which extends from the inflatable support member (304b) to the structure, which acts as a flashing for preventing ingress of water into the enclosed region. Coupled between the inflatable beams (302), specifically spacer beams (302s), are additional panels (306), which can also define the wall, depending on the material construction of the enclosure this may be a preferential method of enclosing the region.

It will be appreciated that inflatable beams (302) may be used to create enclosures of varying size and shape, with as many or little as necessary. Furthermore the variation in size and shape of individual beams contributes to the adaptability of the enclosure to the environment and other modular enclosures. The addition of panels (306) coupled between the beams can reduce the number of beams required. The panels may be coupled in any suitable manner or produced integrally with specific enclosure designs.

Referring to Figure 9, there is illustrated the enclosure as shown in Figure 7, wherein the inflatable support member (304a) is inflated and extended. It will be appreciated that the panel (306f) is coupled to a second support member (304b) and is still attached to the structure; as a result the enclosure has extended from away from the structure. An additional panel (306a) has been attached to the inflatable beams (302) and the structure to enclosure the region where it has extended.

Referring to Figure 10, there is illustrated the enclosure as shown in Figure 8, wherein the further inflatable support member (304b) is inflated and extended. It will be appreciated that the panel (306f) is coupled to a second support member (304b) and is still attached to the structure; as a result the enclosure has extended from away from the structure. A further additional panel (306b) has been attached to the io inflatable beams (302), additional panel (306a) and the structure (S) to enclosure the region where it has extended.

The retractably extendable inflatable support members (304) may be connected to any of the inflatable support beams at any position, such that when they are inflated they can vary the position of the enclosure on any axis.

The third embodiment as described is compatible with the features as described with respect to the first and second embodiments. Furthermore the third embodiment can be modular combined with enclosures of the first and second embodiments to create larger enclosures.

In use the third embodiment may be used in a substantially similar manner as that of the first and second embodiments.

It is envisaged that the structure to which the modular inflatable enclosure is adjacent may be another modular inflatable enclosure.

Select embodiments of the invention only have been described and illustrated, and it will be readily apparent that other embodiments, modifications, additions and omissions are possible within the scope of the invention.

The apparatus of the invention may be varied according to requirements, having as its ultimate objective to provide a modular inflatable enclosure for enclosing a region adjacent a structure.

Claims

1. A modular inflatable enclosure for enclosing a region adjacent a structure, the enclosure comprising:

a plurality of inflatable beams;

wherein at least one of the inflatable beams comprises at least one retractably extendable inflatable support member; and.

at least one panel detachably coupleable between an inflatable beam and a side of the structure for sealing the enclosure to the structure.

2. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the plurality of inflatable beams define an upper wall and three sides walls, forming a substantially enclosed region with a side of the structure and a ground surface.

3. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the at least one support member is arranged to extend between the at least one beam and the side of the structure.

4. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the at least one panel is detachably coupleable to one or more additional panels.

5. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the plurality of inflatable beams comprise coupling means for releasable coupling to other beams and panels.

6. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the at least one panel comprises coupling mean for releasable coupling with additional panels and inflatable beams.

7. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in claim 5 or 6 wherein the coupling means are magnetic members.

8. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of walls comprises a door disposed therein.

9. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, further comprising a floor section configured to be positioned between the inflatable beams and a ground surface.

10. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, further comprising a platform configured to be placed between the inflatable beams and a ground surface.

11. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the inflatable beams are air-permeable.

12. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any claim 1 to 11, wherein the inflatable beams are air-tight.

13. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any claim 1 to 11, wherein the inflatable beams comprise a combination of air-permeable and air-tight beams.

14. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the inflatable beams further comprise an anchoring means.

15. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the inflatable beams comprise ground affixing means.

16. A modular inflatable enclosure as claimed in any previous claim, further comprising an environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions within the enclosed region.

17. An inflatable enclosure comprising a plurality of detachably coupleable modular inflatable enclosures according to any preceding claim.