HIGH PRESSURE ENHANCED STRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY

• US 20150300440A1
• Filed: 04/16/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Miller Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Miller Jr
• Inventors: Miller, Robert A. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,372,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/00 Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/20 inflatable, e.g. shaped, strengthened or supported by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

An energy dissipating article of manufacture is disclosed that is a high pressure enhanced structure technology comprising a structure having at least one wall forming a sealed inner chamber, and either (i) the sealed inner chamber is filled with a gas under pressure, or (ii) an inflated bladder filled with gas is located within the sealed inner chamber, or (iii) a deflated bladder that is located within the sealed inner chamber, and an inflation system that produces a gas to inflate the deflated bladder, or (iv) the sealed inner chamber at one atmosphere standard normal pressure, and an inflation system that produces a gas, to pressurize the inner chamber. A method of making the articles of manufacture and uses thereof are disclosed.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture having an improved weight to strength ratio comprising:

a structure having at least one wall forming a sealed inner chamber; and

a gas that is located within said sealed inner chamber for improving the weight to strength ratio of the structure.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein said sealed inner chamber has said gas in said chamber under pressure.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 2 wherein said pressure of said sealed inner chamber is either a positive pressure or a neutral pressure of 1 atmosphere.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein said sealed inner chamber contains at least one port wherein said port has one end that extends through at least one opening of said at least one wall forming said sealed inner chamber wherein said port has a valve that allows for the addition of gas into said inner chamber or allows for the escape of gas out of said inner chamber, and wherein said port is in sealed engagement with said opening of said at least one wall of said structure.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 4 including wherein said port has a first end that is external to said wall of said structure wherein said first end of said port accommodates a first end of a tube that is in sealed engagement with said one end of said port, and wherein said tube has a second end, wherein said second end of said tube accommodates the outlet of a compressor or gas storage cylinder and wherein said outlet of said compressor or said gas storage cylinder is in sealed engagement with said second end of said tube, said compressor or gas storage cylinder supplying gas under pressure through said tube and from said tube into said port and through said valve of said port wherein said valve is in an open position, and into said inner chamber.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1 having a sealed bladder located within said sealed inner chamber, and wherein said sealed bladder contains said gas.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 6 wherein said sealed bladder has said gas under pressure.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein said pressure of said sealed bladder is either a positive pressure or a neutral pressure of 1 atmosphere.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein said sealed bladder has at least one port wherein said port has one end that extends through at least one opening of said wall of said sealed bladder and through at least one opening of said wall of said sealed inner chamber wherein said port has at least one valve that allows for the addition of gas into said sealed bladder or allows for the escape of gas out of said sealed bladder, and wherein said port is in sealed engagement with said opening of said wall of said sealed bladder, or said opening of said wall of said sealed inner chamber, or said opening of said wall of said sealed bladder and said opening of said wall of said sealed inner chamber.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9 including wherein said one end of said port extends through said opening in said wall of said inner chamber, wherein said one end of said port accommodates a first end of a tube and wherein said first end of said tube is in sealed engagement with said one end of said port, and wherein said tube has a second end, wherein said second end of said tube accommodates the outlet of a compressor or gas storage cylinder and wherein said outlet of said compressor or said gas storage cylinder is in sealed engagement with said second end of said tube, said compressor or said gas storage cylinder supplying gas under pressure through said tube into said port and through said valve of said port that is in an open position into said sealed bladder.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 2 including one or more sensors located within said sealed inner chamber for monitoring said pressure of said gas within said sealed inner chamber.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 5 including one or more sensors located within said sealed inner chamber for monitoring said pressure of said gas within said sealed inner chamber.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 7 including one or more sensors located within said sealed bladder for monitoring the pressure within said sealed bladder.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 10 including one or more sensors located within said sealed bladder for monitoring the pressure within said sealed bladder.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 10 including one or more sensors located within said sealed inner chamber and one or more sensors located within said sealed bladder for monitoring the pressure of said sealed inner chamber.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 12 including a computer for receiving data transmitted from said one or more sensors to said computer, wherein said computer is interfaced with said compressor or said gas storage cylinder and said valve of said port, wherein said computer adjusts or maintains the pressure at a desired level within said inner chamber by activation of said compressor or gas storage cylinder and said valve of said port.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14 including a computer for receiving data transmitted from said one or more sensors to said computer, wherein said computer is interfaced with said compressor or said gas storage cylinder and said valve of said port, wherein said computer adjusts or maintains the pressure at a desired level within said inner chamber by activation of said compressor or said gas storage cylinder and said valve of said port.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 1 including wherein the article of manufacture is one or more selected from the group of an automobile, truck, industrial equipment, rail car, boat, aircraft, bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, device, frame, construction component, electronic component, packaging, and weapon.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 6 including wherein the article of manufacture is one or more selected from the group of an automobile, truck, industrial equipment, rail car, boat, aircraft, bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, device, frame, construction component, electronic component, packaging, and weapon.

18. A method of making an article of manufacture having an improved weight to strength ratio comprising:

forming an article of manufacture having an improved weight to strength ratio comprising;

a structure having at least one wall forming a sealed inner chamber; and

inserting a gas within said sealed inner chamber for making an article of manufacture having an improved weight to strength ratio.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said sealed inner chamber has said gas in said chamber under pressure.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said pressure of said sealed inner chamber is either a positive pressure or a neutral pressure of 1 atmosphere.

21. The method of claim 18 including providing said sealed inner chamber with a port wherein said port has one end that extends through at least one opening of said at least one wall of the sealed inner chamber and wherein said port has a valve that allows for the addition of gas into said inner chamber or allows for the escape of gas out of said inner chamber.

22. The method of claim 21 including providing said port having one end that is external to said wall of said structure wherein said one end of said port accommodates a first end of a tube for receiving a gas.

23. The method of claim 19 including providing one or more sensors located within said sealed inner chamber for monitoring said pressure of said gas within said sealed inner chamber.

24. The method of claim 23 including mounting said one or more sensors to an interior portion of said wall of said inner chamber for monitoring said pressure of said gas within said sealed inner chamber.

25. The method of claim 23 including providing said sensors for transmitting data to a computer concerning said pressure within said sealed inner chamber to a computer.

26. The method of claim 25 including providing said computer for receiving data transmitted from said one or more sensors to said computer, and providing said computer with a computer interface, said computer interface linked to a compressor or a gas storage cylinder and said valve of said port, wherein said compressor or said gas storage cylinder is in communication with a first end of a tube and wherein a second end of said tube is in communication with said port, and wherein said computer adjusts or maintains the pressure at a desired level within said inner chamber by activation of said compressor or said gas storage cylinder sending said gas through said tube and activation of said valve to an open position allowing said gas to flow from said second end of said tube through said open valve of said port into said sealed inner chamber.

27. A method of making an article of manufacture having an improved weight to strength ratio comprising:

providing a structure having at least one wall for forming an inner chamber;

inserting a sealed bladder within said inner chamber; and

sealing said inner chamber of said structure having said bladder located within said inner chamber for forming a sealed inner chamber having said bladder for making an article of manufacture having an improved weight to strength ratio.

28. The method of claim 27 including placing a gas within said bladder prior to sealing said bladder and prior to inserting said sealed bladder into said inner chamber.

29. The method of claim 28 including providing said gas under pressure in said sealed bladder.

30. The method of claim 29 including providing said gas in either a positive pressure or a neutral pressure of 1 atmosphere within said sealed bladder.

31. The method of claim 27 including providing a port located within a wall of said sealed bladder wherein said port has one that extends through at least one opening of said wall of said sealed bladder and through at least one opening in said at least one wall of said sealed inner chamber of said structure wherein said port has a valve that allows for the addition of gas into said sealed bladder or allows for the escape of gas out of said sealed bladder, and wherein said port is in sealed engagement with said opening of said wall of said sealed bladder and said opening of said wall of said inner chamber of said structure.

32. The method of claim 31 including providing said port having one end that is external to said opening of said wall of said structure wherein said one end of said port accommodates a first end of a tube for receiving a gas.

33. The method of claim 27 including providing one or more sensors located within said sealed inner chamber for monitoring said pressure of said gas within said sealed inner chamber.

34. The method of claim 33 including mounting said one or more sensors to an interior portion of said wall of said inner chamber for monitoring said pressure of said gas within said sealed inner chamber.

35. The method of claim 33 including providing said sensors for transmitting data to a computer concerning said pressure within said sealed inner chamber to a computer.

36. The method of claim 35 including providing said computer for receiving data transmitted from said one or more sensors to said computer, and providing said computer with a computer interface, said computer interface linked to a compressor or a gas storage cylinder and said valve of said port, wherein said compressor or said gas storage cylinder is in communication with a first end of a tube and wherein a second end of said tube is in communication with said one end of said port, and wherein said computer adjusts or maintains the pressure at a desired level within said bladder of said inner chamber by activation of said compressor or said gas storage cylinder sending said gas through said tube into said one end of said port and through said valve of said port that is in an open position said valve activated by said computer allowing said gas to flow from said second end of said tube through said open valve of said port into said sealed bladder of said sealed inner chamber.

37. The method of claim 36 including providing one or more sensors located within said sealed inner chamber and one or more sensors located within said sealed bladder for monitoring the pressure of said sealed inner chamber, said sealed bladder, or said inner chamber and said sealed bladder.

40. An article of manufacture having an improved weight to strength ratio comprising:

a structure having at least one wall forming a sealed inner chamber; and

a bladder that is in a deflated position located within said sealed inner chamber, wherein said deflated bladder has an inflation system that produces a gas to inflate said deflated bladder upon receiving a signal from a sensor, wherein said sensor is optionally linked to a computer processor.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 40 wherein said sensor is located either externally of said sealed inner chamber or within said sealed inner chamber.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 40 wherein said inflation system comprises a solid propellant and an igniter.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 42 wherein said igniter receives a signal from said sensor which causes said solid propellant to produce a gas wherein said gas inflates said deflated bladder to an inflated airbag under pressure.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 43 wherein said solid propellant is sodium azide (NaN3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3).

45. The article of manufacture of claim 44 wherein said igniter receives a signal from said sensor which causes said solid propellant of sodium azide (NaN3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3) to react to produce nitrogen gas wherein said nitrogen gas inflates said deflated bladder to an inflated bladder under pressure.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 43 wherein said pressure of said inflated bladder is either a positive pressure or a neutral pressure of 1 atmosphere.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 45 wherein said pressure of said inflated bladder is either a positive pressure or a neutral pressure of 1 atmosphere.

48. An article of manufacture is disclosed providing a structure having at least one wall forming a sealed inner chamber, and either (i) said sealed inner chamber is filled with a gas under pressure, or (ii) an inflated bladder filled with gas is located within said sealed inner chamber, or (iii) a bladder that is in a deflated position is located within said sealed inner chamber, and wherein said deflated bladder has an inflation system that produces a gas to inflate said deflated bladder upon receiving a signal from a sensor, wherein said sensor is optionally linked to a computer processor, or (iv) said sealed inner chamber has no additional added gas but is at 1 atm standard normal pressure, and an inflation system that produces a gas, to pressurize said inner chamber upon receiving a signal from a sensor, wherein said sensor is optionally linked to a computer processor.