Inflatable articles and method of creating inflatable products
First Claim
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1. A method of making an article including the steps of:
- providing a gas impermeable inflatable envelope, positioning the envelope within an at least partially surrounding flexible preformed shell of flexible reinforcement material, positioning a flexible adhesive between the envelope and the shell, and then expanding the envelope to fill the shell to cause the adhesive to form a bond between the envelope and the shell and allowing the adhesive to cure to form a permanent flexible bond between the envelope and the shell;
wherein the shell includes a flexible body and a flexible end cap having a skirt portion; and
the end cap is secured by positioning at least a part of the skirt portion thereof between adjacent end portions of the shell body and the envelope and allowing the flexible adhesive to unite the cap with the flexible shell body and the envelope while the skirt portion of the cap is sandwiched therebetween.
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Abstract
A method of making a repeatedly inflatable and deflatable structure is disclosed wherein an inner envelope (3) of gas impermeable material is at least partially surrounded by a shell (1) of reinforcing material and adhesive (15/15a) is provided between the two and the envelope is expanded to contact the shell and to become adhered thereto by the flexible adhesive.
67 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of making an article including the steps of:
- providing a gas impermeable inflatable envelope, positioning the envelope within an at least partially surrounding flexible preformed shell of flexible reinforcement material, positioning a flexible adhesive between the envelope and the shell, and then expanding the envelope to fill the shell to cause the adhesive to form a bond between the envelope and the shell and allowing the adhesive to cure to form a permanent flexible bond between the envelope and the shell;
wherein the shell includes a flexible body and a flexible end cap having a skirt portion; and
the end cap is secured by positioning at least a part of the skirt portion thereof between adjacent end portions of the shell body and the envelope and allowing the flexible adhesive to unite the cap with the flexible shell body and the envelope while the skirt portion of the cap is sandwiched therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- providing a gas impermeable inflatable envelope, positioning the envelope within an at least partially surrounding flexible preformed shell of flexible reinforcement material, positioning a flexible adhesive between the envelope and the shell, and then expanding the envelope to fill the shell to cause the adhesive to form a bond between the envelope and the shell and allowing the adhesive to cure to form a permanent flexible bond between the envelope and the shell;
Specification