US 2016/0355385 A1Published application

High lift bag device

AssigneeParatech, Incorporated

InventorsKenneth E. Nielsen, William O. Teach

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A lifting device, configured to expand in a first direction between a deflated configuration and an inflated configuration upon being filled with compressed gas, may have a continuous surface including a bottom surface, a lower and upper intermediate surfaces and a top surface. A bottom plate may be coupled to at least part of bottom surface and a top plate may be coupled to at least part of the top surface. The continuous surface may include a plurality of surface undulations that provide a low height profile when in the deflated configuration and a higher height profile when in the inflated configuration. The plurality of surface undulations may vary between a first and second height when in the deflated configuration, but in the inflated configuration the variance between the relative heights of any remaining undulations is relatively smaller.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A lifting system comprising:

a lifting bag configured to expand in a first direction between a deflated configuration and an inflated configuration upon being filled with compressed gas, the lifting bag comprising:
a continuous surface including a bottom surface, a lower intermediate surface, an upper intermediate surface, and a top surface, the bottom and lower intermediate surfaces defining a lower section, and the top and upper intermediate surfaces defining an upper section positioned above the lower section along the first direction;
a bottom plate coupled to at least part of bottom surface;
and
a top plate coupled to at least part of the top surface;
wherein, when the lifting bag is in the deflated configuration, the continuous surface includes a plurality of surface undulations that provide a low height profile of the lifting bag, the plurality of surface undulations having a height varying between a first deflated undulation height and a second deflated undulation height;
and
wherein, when the lifting bag is in the inflated configuration, the continuous surface has a relatively smoother surface as compared to the continuous surface in the deflated configuration, and wherein a relative difference between the first and second deflated undulation heights is greater than a relative height difference of any remaining features of the surface undulations, and wherein the lifting bag has a higher height profile in the inflated configuration.

5 more elements

A lifting device, comprising:

a lower section defining a lower chamber, the lower section configured to expand in a first direction between a deflated configuration and an inflated configuration upon being filled with compressed gas, the lower section comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom lower section surfaces including, when the lower section is in the deflated configuration, a plurality of surface formations, a height of the lower section surface formations varying between a first formation height and a second formation height;
and
an upper section defining an upper chamber, the upper section configured to expand in a first direction between a deflated configuration and an inflated configuration upon being filled with a compressed gas, the upper section comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom upper section surfaces including, when the upper section is in the deflated configuration, a plurality of surface formations, a height of the upper section surface formations varying between the first formation height and the second formation height;
wherein the top surface of the lower section is coupled to the bottom surface of the upper section;
and
wherein the lower section and upper section have a combined first height when each is in the deflated configuration, and a combined first exterior surface area when each is in the deflated configuration;
wherein the lower section and upper section have a combined second height when each is in the inflated configuration, and a combined second exterior surface area when each is in the inflated configuration;
wherein the combined second height exceeds the combined first height;
and wherein the first exterior surface area is substantially equal to the second exterior surface area.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.