Inflatable shelter

• US 5,007,212 A
• Filed: 03/21/1990
• Issued: 04/16/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Darren J. Myers, Monty Fritts
• Original Assignee: Darren J. Myers, Monty Fritts
• Inventors: Fritts, Monty, Myers, Darren J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Watson, Linda J.
• Application Number:
  US07/496,870
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 52/2 K, 52/2 J, 52/2 H, 135/116
• US Class Current: 52/2.18
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/20 inflatable, e.g. shaped, strengthened or supported by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 2015/201 with inflatable tubular framework, with or without tent cover
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 2015/208 with inflatable mattresses

Abstract

A temporary shelter having an inflatable, tubular base frame with inflatable, tubular wall support ribs fixedly attached thereto, the ribs converging to near an apex of the shelter. Flexible, water-resistant wall portions are fixedly attached to the tubular base and wall support ribs. The base frame, wall support ribs and wall covering form a domed structure when the base frame and support ribs are inflated.

Claims

1. A shelter comprising:

(a) a circular floor made from a flexible, water-resistant material and including a perimeter;

(b) an inflatable, annular, cross-sectionally tubular base frame with an inner edge, an outer edge, a base frame top and a base frame bottom, said base frame surrounding said floor and being fixedly attached at said base frame bottom to said floor perimeter;

(c) a plurality of inflatable, arcuate, cross-sectionally tubular support ribs each having a rib inner edge, a rib outer edge, opposite rib side edges, a rib lower end and a rib upper end, each said rib at its lower end being attached to said base frame top and generally centered on said base frame;

(d) said ribs and said base frame comprising a flexible, air-impervious material;

(e) an apex;

(f) said ribs terminating at their upper ends at said apex;

(g) a wall comprising a plurality of flexible, water-resistant wall panels each having opposite side edges, a top and a lower edge, each said side panel being fixedly and integrally connected at its side edges to a respective adjacent pair of support ribs, each said side edge being substantially centered at its connection to a respective rib between said rib inner and outer edges, each said panel bottom edge being fixedly connected to base frame top and said connection therebetween being substantially centered between said base frame inner and outer edges, said wall panel tops being connected to said apex;

(h) a zippered door located in one of said wall covering panels between a respective pair of said support ribs, said apex and said base frame, said door comprising a first slit extending generally from said apex to said base frame and further comprising a horizontal slit extending along said base frame substantially between a respective pair of ribs;

(i) a pair of windows each located in a respective wall covering panel and including a pane of flexible, transparent material and a window frame connecting said window pane to said wall panel;

(j) a mattress including an inflatable annular, cross-sectionally tubular mattress frame with an inner edge, an outer edge, a top and a bottom, said mattress frame being positioned within and retained by said base frame with said mattress frame outer edge frictionally engaging said base frame inner edge and said mattress frame bottom resting on said floor, said mattress further including a plurality of elongated, juxtaposed, inflatable tubes with diameters approximately equal to a diameter of said mattress frame, said inflatable tubes extending across said mattress frame in substantially coplanar relationship with said mattress frame, each said tube including opposite ends fixedly connected to said mattress frame at said mattress frame inner edge, said elongated mattress tubes resting on said floor;

(k) said base frame including an air chamber;

(l) each said support rib having an air chamber;

(m) said mattress having a pneumatically discrete air chamber;

(n) said rib upper ends being fluidically interconnected at said apex and said ribs being fluidically interconnected with said base frame at their lower ends.

2. A shelter comprising:

(a) a circular floor made from a flexible, water-resistant material and including a perimeter;

(b) an inflatable, annular, cross-sectionally tubular base frame with an inner edge, an outer edge, a base frame top and a base frame bottom, said base frame surrounding said floor and being fixedly attached at said base frame bottom to said floor perimeter;

(c) a plurality of inflatable, arcuate, tubular support ribs each having a rib inner edge, a rib outer edge, opposite rib side edges, a rib lower end and a closed rib upper end, each said rib at its lower end being attached to said base frame top and generally centered on said base frame;

(d) said ribs and said base frame comprising a flexible, air-impervious material;

(e) an apex;

(f) said ribs terminating at their closed, upper ends in spaced relation at said apex with said apex being located therebetween;

(g) a wall comprising a plurality of flexible, water-resistant wall panels each having opposite side edges, a top and a lower edge, each said wall panel being fixedly and integrally connected at its side edges to a respective adjacent pair of support ribs, each said side edge being substantially centered at its connection to a respective rib between said rib inner and outer edges, each said panel bottom edge being fixedly connected to base frame top with said connection therebetween being substantially centered between said base frame inner and outer edges, said wall panel tops being connected to said apex;

(h) a zippered door located in one of said wall covering panels between a respective pair of said support ribs, said apex and said base frame, said door comprising a first slit extending generally from said apex to said base frame and further comprising a horizontal slit extending along said base frame substantially between a respective pair of ribs.

(i) a pair of windows each located in a respective wall covering panel and including a pane of flexible, transparent material and a window frame connecting said window pane to said wall panel;

(j) a mattress including an inflatable annular, cross-sectionally outer tubular mattress frame with an inner edge, an outer edge, a top and a bottom, said mattress frame being positioned within said base frame with said mattress frame outer edge frictionally engaging and retained by said base frame inner edge and said mattress frame bottom resting on said floor, said mattress further including a plurality of elongated, juxtaposed, inflatable tubes with diameters approximately equal to a diameter of said mattress frame, said inflatable tubes extending across said mattress frame in substantially coplanar relationship with said mattress frame, each said tube including opposite ends fixedly connected to said mattress frame at said mattress frame inner edge, said elongated mattress tubes resting on said floor;

(k) said base frame including a pneumatically discrete air chamber;

(l) each said support rib having a pneumatically discreet air chamber; and

(m) said mattress having a pneumatically discreet air chamber.