Inflatable barrier

• US 20060260226A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Targus International Company (Targus International LLC)
• Original Assignee: Targus Group International Incorporated (Targus International LLC)
• Inventors: Gower, Ted
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/202
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/02 Shutters, movable grilles, or other safety closing devices, e.g. against burglary louvre windows or grilles E06B7/08; lamellar blinds E06B9/26
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/08 Roll-type closures roller blinds E06B9/40; operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; usable only as awnings E04F10/06
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/40 Roller blinds usable only as awnings E04F10/06
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/581 Means to prevent or induce disengagement of shutter from side rails

Abstract

A flexible hurricane shutter or barrier to protect buildings from over pressure has inflatable cushions held in place by a fabric material capable of withstanding winds in excess of 100 mph. The barrier can be stored on site in a rolled fashion. Retainers are mounted on a building to guide and secure the longitudinal edges of the fabric to permit ease of deployment. The retainers may be spaced apart over one side of a building and the barrier may be deployed over an entire surface of a multi-story building by raising and lowering the fabric. Inflatable cushions are held between the fabric and the building. The inflated cushions reinforce the material and distribute the force of impact throughout the surface of the cushions and act as spacers to both hold the fabric off the structure and focus the forces onto stranger portions of the structure.

Claims

1. A flexible barrier for protecting frangible portions of structures and objects from high winds, rain, and wind bourne debris comprising:

a fabric material capable of withstanding at least 1 inch Hg. over pressure combined with at least one inflatable cushion, the combination being of a size and shape to cover at least a portion of said frangible portion of the structure.

2. A flexible barrier of claim 1 wherein said fabric material is formed with at least one sleeve having at least one central opening and opposed flaps extending therefrom and terminating in longitudinal edges, each of said opposed flaps having at least one attachment devices located in said longitudinal edges for connecting to a structure, said cushion being disposed in and surrounded by said sleeve.

3. A flexible barrier of claim 1 wherein said cushion is adapted to be positioned between said fabric material and a structure whereby said cushion to act as a spacer between said fabric and said structure.

4. A Flexible barrier of claim 1 wherein said fabric material includes a belt on one surface, said cushion adapted to be positioned between said fabric material and said belt.

5. A flexible barrier of claim 4 wherein said fabric material has a top and a bottom, a selvage edge along said bottom, fasteners in said selvage edge adapted to attach said fabric material to a structure.

6. A flexible barrier of claim 5 wherein said fabric material has opposite longitudinal sides connecting said top and said bottom, longitudinal selvages in said sides, a plurality of pins spaced along said longitudinal selvages, said pins adapted to attach said fabric material to a structure.

7. A flexible barrier of claim 1 wherein said cushion includes a valve for introducing and/or removing of a gas.

8. A hurricane shutter kit for installation on a structure, said kit comprising a fabric material of a size and shape to cover at least one opening of a structure, at least one inflatable cushion adapted to be connected to said fabric material and of a size and shape to span a portion of an opening in a structure, said fabric material having opposite longitudinal edges, a connector attached to said longitudinal edges.

9. A hurricane shutter kit of claim 8 wherein said cushion is centrally located over the structure opening.

10. A hurricane shutter kit of claim 8 wherein said cushion is juxtapositioned along an edge of the structure opening.

11. A hurricane shutter kit of claim 8 including a retainer of a length commensurate with said fabric material, said retainer including a channel of a size and shape to capture said connector, said retainer having a base adapted to be permanently attached to a structure whereby said at least one inflatable cushion is held between said fabric material and the structure when said retainer is mounted on a structure and said connector are captured by said channel.

12. A hurricane shutter kit of claim 8 including a second retainer similar to said retainer, said retainer and said second retainer adapted to be spaced apart across the surface of a structure.

13. A hurricane shutter kit of claim 8 including a valve means for each said cushion, said valve means permitting the introduction and removal of gas from each said cushion.

14. A flexible barrier for protecting frangible portions of structures and objects from high winds, rain, and wind bourne debris comprising:

a) providing a fabric material of a size and shape to cover a frangible portion of a building, said fabric material capable of withstanding 100 mph wind, said fabric material having longitudinal edges, said fabric material having a top edge, a bottom edge and longitudinal side edges, attachment devices in said edges for connecting to a building;

b) providing an inflatable cushion;

c) placing said inflatable cushion between said fabric material and said frangible portion of a building;

d) connecting said attachment devices to the building; and

e) inflating said cushion.

15. A method of protecting a building of claim 14 comprising the steps of:

a) providing said fabric material longitudinal edges with a first and a second series of pins or edge bead in each of said longitudinal edges;

b) providing two retainers, said retainers each having a slot terminating in an enlarged channel, said channel of a size and shape commensurate with said pins;

c) mounting one of said retainers between the roof and the foundation of a building on one side of the building;

d) mounting another of said retainers between the roof and the foundation of a building on the same side of the building;

e) placing said first set of pins in one retainer and said second set of pins in the other retainer;

f) deploying said fabric material between said roof and said foundation by sliding said pins along said retainers; and

g) inflating said cushion.