Inflatable barrier

• US 7,963,075 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warwick & York Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Warwick & York Incorporated
• Inventors: Howland, Charles A
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield; Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHMAD, CHARISSA L
• Application Number:
  US11/561,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 52/21.1, 52 213- 215, 52 218- 225, 522/02, 52D/IG.12, 89 3601- 3617, 160/40, 160/44
• US Class Current: 52/202
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/10 Fire-proof curtains
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/02 for area conflagrations, e.g. forest fires, subterranean fires
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0257 Fire curtains, blankets, walls, fences
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 9/04 against air-raid or other war-like actions
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/2318 by applying over- or under-pressure, e.g. inflatable gasproof doors or windows E06B5/12; for vehicles B60J10/244
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/00 Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction E06B5/10 takes precedence; wings for doors or windows, connected at their edges, E06B3/48; additional indoor equipment of doors or windows, not forming part of the proper finishing work of a building, e.g. curtains, A47H; gratings as building elements E04C2/24; fastening means E05; operating-mechanisms for wings in general E05F
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/00 Defence installations; Defence devices constructional aspects see Section E, e.g. air-raid shelters E04H9/04; protective arrangements for buildings E04B1/92; extinguishing or preventing the spread of fire from, incendiary bombs A62C3/06; dynamic armour F41H5/007; ballistically deployed systems for restraining persons or animals F41H13/0006; electronic countermeasures G01S
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/00 Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 52/12 Temporary protective expedient

Abstract

An inflatable barrier system for a doorway or other opening comprising a front side envelope of rectangular front elevation and dog bone shaped horizontal plane cross section, inflatable with gas and fillable with a hardening foam, combined with an inflatable back side array of tubular air beams configured with self sealant, both connected to a source of gas for inflating the fabric envelope and the back side array of tubular air beams. The front side envelope is configured for frontal resistance to predetermined levels of push, cut, puncture, flame, chemical, and ballistic attack. The system is used as a method for closing a doorway to such attacks by erecting and inflating the system within the opening such that the edges on either side of the opening are gripped between the lobes of the respective ends of the dog bone profile of the front side envelope.

Claims

1. An inflatable barrier system for closing an opening to frontal attacks, the opening being bounded on at least two opposing sides by substantially flat bounding edges, the bounding edges providing accessible opposing sides adjacent to the opening, the inflatable barrier system comprising:

a front side envelope of rectangular front elevation, a horizontal plane cross-sectional profile of the front side envelope having an elongated central region terminated at each end by a pair of opposing lobes, each pair of opposing lobes defining a vertically oriented edge gripping channel into which a bounding edge can be inserted, the gripping channel being bounded on opposing sides by the opposing lobes,

the envelope being inflatable with gas and fillable with a hardening foam, said inflation causing the lobes of each pair of opposing lobes to press toward each other so as to grip the bounding edge inserted within the channel, said gripping being sufficient to maintain the front side envelope in attachment to the opening during predetermined levels of push, cut, puncture, flame, chemical, and ballistic attack;

a source of gas for inflating the envelope;

an inflatable back side array of tubular gas beams configured with self sealant and combined with the front side envelope, the backside array being connected to the source of gas for inflating the array; and

a source of hardening foam for filling and hardening the envelope, a front face of the envelope being configured for resistance to the predetermined levels of push, cut, puncture, flame, chemical, and ballistic attack.

2. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, said envelope comprising a drop thread woven fabric envelope whereby the lengths of the drop threads define at least in part the horizontal plane cross-sectional profile of the envelope.

3. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, the front face of the envelope being configured with a protective coating system comprising carbon, glass and silicon.

4. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, the front face of the envelope being configured with a ceramic loaded coating.

5. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, the front face of the envelope being configured with a glass mat and a base metalized layer.

6. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, the envelope configured with bladders containing CS powder.

7. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, the source of gas and the source of hardening foam comprising a source of halogenated fire resistant urethane foam.

8. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, said backside array of tubular gas beams comprising a vertical stack of horizontally disposed gas beams.

9. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, the source of gas comprising a dual redundant source of gas including dual manifold gas delivery system connected at separate points to the backside array of gas beams.

10. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, said tubular gas beams configured with pre-compressed, molded-foam, self-sealing neoprene.

11. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of reinforcing edge members configured with an engagement mechanism for being secured to proximate selected edges of the opening.

12. The inflatable barrier system of claim 11, said reinforcing edge members comprising telescoping edge members configured with an explosive mechanism for telescopic extension.

13. The inflatable barrier system of claim 1, comprising an integral release mechanism for releasing the barrier from the opening, the integral release mechanism being operable from the back side of the barrier.

17. The inflatable barrier system of claim 11, wherein the reinforcing edge members include apertures for application of manually or explosively applied fasteners into a door jam or other proximate selected edge of the opening.

14. An inflatable barrier kit for closing an opening to frontal attacks, the opening being bounded on at least two opposing sides by substantially flat bounding edges such as edges of a door frame, the bounding edges providing accessible opposing sides adjacent to the opening, the inflatable barrier system comprising:

a front side envelope of rectangular front elevation, a horizontal plane cross-sectional profile of the front side envelope having an elongated central region terminated at each end by a pair of opposing lobes, each pair of opposing lobes defining a vertically oriented edge gripping channel into which a bounding edge can be inserted, the gripping channel being bounded on opposing sides by the opposing lobes, said envelope comprising a drop thread woven fabric envelope whereby the lengths of the drop threads define at least in part the horizontal plane cross-sectional profile of the envelope, the envelope being inflatable with gas and fillable with a hardening foam, said inflation causing the lobes of each pair of opposing lobes to press toward each other so as to grip the bounding edge inserted within the channel, said gripping being sufficient to maintain the front side envelope in attachment to the opening during predetermined levels of push, cut, puncture, flame, chemical, and ballistic attack a front face of the envelope being configured for resistance to the predetermined levels of push, cut, puncture, flame, chemical, and ballistic attack;

a source of gas and hardening foam for inflating and hardening the envelope;

an inflatable back side array of tubular gas beams attached to the back of the front side envelope and configured with self sealant;

a source of gas for inflating the back side array; and

a plurality of reinforcing edge members, the edge members being configured with engagement mechanisms for being secured to proximate selected edges of the opening.

15. The inflatable barrier kit of claim 14, the source of gas and hardening foam comprising a source of halogenated fire resistant urethane foam.

16. The inflatable barrier kit of claim 15, said tubular gas beams being configured with pre-compressed, molded-foam, self-sealing neoprene.

18. The inflatable barrier system of claim 14, wherein the reinforcing edge members include apertures for application of manually or explosively applied fasteners into a door jam or other proximate selected edge of the opening.