Air Beam with Stiffening Members and Air Beam Structure
OwnerStanislaw Lukasiewicz, Harold Warnerinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air beam structural member having an elongate pneumatic tubular column, a plurality of stiffening members, and means for connecting the tubular column and the stiffening members. An inflatable shelter includes pneumatic tubular columns (arches) covered on both sides by flexible membranes. The columns are placed side by side to create a wall and enclosure of the space. The pneumatic columns are pressurized and keep their shape by means of a set of cables reinforcing them in the plane of the columns. The structure may be supported by an external support structure.
Claims13
A structural member comprising:
- (a) an elongate pneumatic tubular column;
- (b) a plurality of stiffening members;
- and
- (c) means for connecting the tubular column and the stiffening members.
An air beam structure comprising:
- (a) a plurality of structural members having
- i. a plurality of elongate pneumatic tubular columns, separated one from another by a gap;
- ii. a plurality of stiffening members connected with the elongate pneumatic tubular columns;
- and
- (b) a flexible membrane covering the plurality of structural members and the gap.
The air beam structure of 5, wherein the support member is a suspended structural beam.
A method of constructing an air beam structure comprising:
- (a) providing an elevated support structure, adapted to support at least a portion of the air beam structure;
- (b) providing a plurality of structural members having:
- i. a plurality of elongate pneumatic tubular columns, separated one from another by a gap;
- ii. a plurality of stiffening members connected with the elongate pneumatic tubular columns;
- (c) supporting each of the plurality of structural members from the support structure prior to connecting the stiffening members;
- and
- (d) covering the outer side of the structural members with a flexible membrane covering the plurality of structural members and the gap.
A method of determining the size and placement of a plurality of stiffening members for a pneumatic tubular column, comprising:
- (a) selecting a selected stiffening member from the plurality of stiffening members, the selected stiffening member having a stiffness;
- (b) adding the stiffness to a system general stiffness matrix if the selected stiffening member is in tension;
- (c) subtracting the stiffness from the system general stiffness matrix if the selected stiffening member is in compression;
- and
- (d) repeating steps (a) to (c) for the plurality of stiffening members in order to determine the system general system matrix.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.