INFLATABLE UNIT

• US 20110011673A1
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Viking Life-Saving Equipment A/S (Claus Sørensen Fond Holding A/S)
• Original Assignee: Viking Life-Saving Equipment A/S (Claus Sørensen Fond Holding A/S)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Gert Smedmann
• Application Number:
  US12/922,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20110011673A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 182/48
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 1/20 by making use of sliding-ropes, sliding-poles or chutes, e.g. hoses, pipes, sliding-grooves, sliding-sheets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/147 the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inflatable unit for evacuation purposes, said inflatable unit comprising at least a first inflatable chamber (1) and a second inflatable chamber (2), said chambers abutting each other, an opening, which is arranged between the two inflatable chambers (1, 2), a pressure source with an inflating gas, which pressure source is connected to the first inflatable chamber (1), a one-way valve (3), which is arranged in connection with the opening between the inflatable chambers, so that the inflating gas only can pass from the first chamber (1) to the second chamber (2). The one-way valve (3) comprises at least a first sheet (4), which is made of a flexible material, said first sheet (4) being adapted to be a sleeve (5) or be part of a sleeve (5). Furthermore, the sleeve (5) has a first end (7) and a second end (8), and at least openings (9, 10) at both ends (7, 8), said sleeve (5) being substantially closed between the ends (7, 8). The sleeve (5) is directly or indirectly connected at the first end (7) to an outer side (6) of the first chamber (1) around the opening so that an airtight passage for the inflating gas is created inside the sleeve (5).

Claims

1. An inflatable unit for evacuation purposes, comprising:

at least a first inflatable chamber and a second inflatable chamber, said chambers abutting each other;

an opening, which is arranged between the two inflatable chambers;

a pressure source with an inflating gas, which pressure source is connected to the first inflatable chamber;

a one-way valve, which is arranged in connection with the opening between the inflatable chambers so that the inflating gas can only pass from the first chamber to the second chamber, wherein the one-way valve comprises;

at least a first sheet, which is made of a flexible material, said first sheet being adapted to be a sleeve or be part of a sleeve, said sleeve having a first end and a second end, and at least openings at both ends, said sleeve being substantially closed between the ends, said sleeve being directly or indirectly connected at the first end to an outer side of the first chamber around the opening so that an airtight passage for the inflating gas is created inside the sleeve.

2. The inflatable unit according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is constituted by the first sheet and the outer side of the first chamber.

3. The inflatable unit according to claim 1, wherein the first sheet is arranged so that it constitutes the sleeve.

4. The inflatable unit according to claim 1, wherein the one-way valve comprises a second sheet, so that the sleeve is constituted by the first sheet and the second sheet.

5. The inflatable unit according to claim 1, wherein the one-way valve comprises a plurality of sheets, said sheets constituting the sleeve.

6. The inflatable unit according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is connected to the first chamber or the sheets are connected to each other by welding, gluing, cementing or a combination thereof.

7. The inflatable unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sheets is made of a flexible material such as silicone.

8. The inflatable unit according to claim 1, wherein a width of the sleeve is varying along a length of the sleeve.

9. The inflatable unit according to claim 1, wherein a flange is arranged between the opening at the first end of the sleeve and the opening between the two inflatable chambers.

10. The inflatable unit according to claim 9, wherein the flange is made of a material which is weldable and/or glueable to the outer side of the first chamber.

11. The inflatable unit according to claim 9, wherein the flange is a composite which has different properties on each side of the flange.