Inflatable deck panel with embedded fasteners
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsNicholas A Valm, Paul V Cavallaro, Bryon A Nelson
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Abstract
An inflatable drop stitch panel and method of use is provided with a plurality of rigid embedded fasteners inserted in apertures in the panel. In the method of use for the inflatable panel, the uninflated panel with embedded fasteners is placed on the deck of a surface ship and secured to deck fittings by tensioned lines. The panel is then inflated to operational pressure and equipment is secured to the panel using the embedded fasteners. The inflatable panel is a temporary structure and requires no permanent changes to the deck surface, such as drilling holes and welding fasteners.
Claims11
An inflatable panel for securing equipment on a ship deck;
- said inflatable panel comprising:
- a planar drop-stitch panel having a woven top surface, a woven bottom surface and a plurality of drop yarns connecting said woven top surface to said woven bottom surface between a first plane of said woven top surface and a first plane of said woven bottom surface;
- an elastomeric membrane laminated to a second plane of said woven top surface opposite to said first plane of said woven top surface and laminated to a second plane of said woven bottom surface opposite to said first plane of said woven bottom surface to create a top skin on said second plane of said woven top surface and to create a bottom skin on said second plane of said woven bottom surface to ensure air-tightness of said inflatable panel;
- a plurality of apertures extending through said top skin and said bottom skin;
- at least one side wall secured to and extending between said top skin and said bottom skin around each of said plurality of apertures;
- a first tab of material secured to said top skin around a top perimeter of each of said plurality of apertures;
- a second tab of material secured to said bottom skin around a bottom perimeter of each of said plurality of apertures;
- and
- a rigid fastener disposed in each of said plurality of apertures and secured to said first tab and said second tab of said plurality of apertures, said rigid fastener defining a central aperture therein with internal threads formed on a surface of said central aperture to be capable of receiving an externally threaded device.
A method of using an inflatable panel to secure equipment on a deck of a surface ship, said method comprising the steps of:
- placing the inflatable panel in an uninflated state at a desired location on the deck of the surface ship;
- securing the inflatable panel in the uninflated state to the deck using tensioned lines secured at one end to embedded fasteners in the inflatable panel and at another end to deck fittings;
- inflating the inflatable panel to an operational pressure;
- and
- securing the equipment to the inflatable panel using the embedded fasteners in the inflatable panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.