Internally tensioned inflatable structure that is posable in multiple positions

An inflatable structure comprising:

• a top end cap;
• a bottom end cap;
• a bladder attached to the top and bottom end caps and configured to hold pressurized fluid between the top and bottom end caps;
• a nozzle configured to allow fluid to enter and exit the bladder;
• a pair of loops attached to the bottom end cap;
• a tether disposed within the bladder, coupled to the top end cap, and extending through the pair of loops;
• and
• a clamp attached to the bottom end cap and adjustable between a first position and a second position, wherein:
• when the clamp is in the first position, the clamp allows the tether to slide through the pair of loops and thereby allows the top end cap to be repositioned relative to the bottom end cap;
• and
• when the clamp is in the second position, the clamp prevents the tether from sliding through the pair of loops and thereby maintains a position of the top end cap relative to the bottom end cap.

An inflatable system comprising:

• an inflatable structure including a top end cap, a bottom end cap, a bladder attached to the top and bottom end caps and configured to hold pressurized fluid between the top and bottom end caps, a nozzle configured to allow fluid to enter and exit the bladder, at least one loop attached to one of the top and bottom end caps, and a first tether disposed within the bladder, coupled to the other one of the top and bottom end caps, and extending through the at least one loop, wherein the top end cap assumes a first position when the bladder is inflated and, when the top end cap is adjusted from the first position to a second position, the first tether is configured to maintain the top end cap in the second position;
• a compressor in fluid communication with the bladder through the nozzle and operable to inflate the bladder;
• and
• a compressor control module configured to control the compressor to adjust a pressure within the bladder between a first pressure and a second pressure that is less than the first pressure, wherein:
• the at least one tether is configured to maintain the top end cap in any one of M positions when the bladder pressure is equal to the first pressure;
• the at least one tether is configured to maintain the top end cap in any one of N positions when the bladder pressure is equal to the second pressure;
• and
• M and N are numbers, and N is greater than M.