Inflatable lift device
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsVictor WONG, Jesus Anthony BERNAL, Juan Orlando ESPANA MEDINA, Paul W. ALEXANDER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inflatable lift system for a vehicle includes N bladders arranged vertically in a stack, where N is an integer greater than two. N pressure sensors are configured to sense pressure in the N bladders, respectively. A compressor is configured to supply pressurized gas. N valves are configured to selectively connect and disconnect the N bladders to the compressor. A controller is configured to control the N valves to inflate the N bladders sequentially in a first predetermined order and to deflate the N bladders sequentially in reverse.
Claims19
An inflatable lift system for a vehicle, comprising:
- N bladders arranged vertically in a stack, where N is an integer greater than two;
- N pressure sensors configured to sense pressure in the N bladders, respectively;
- a compressor configured to supply pressurized gas;
- N valves configured to selectively connect and disconnect the N bladders to the compressor;
- and
- a controller configured to control the N valves to inflate the N bladders sequentially in a first predetermined order and to deflate the N bladders sequentially in reverse.
An inflatable lift system for a vehicle, comprising:
- N bladders arranged vertically in a stack, where N is an integer greater than two;
- a bottommost one of the N bladders includes an upper planar surface and a flexible material including sides connected to the upper planar surface and a bottom surface connecting sides of the flexible material;
- a topmost one of the N bladders includes an upper planar surface, a lower planar surface, bellows connecting sides of the upper planar surface to the lower planar surface, and non-fixed tendons connecting the upper planar surface to the lower planar surface;
- and
- one or more middle ones of the N bladders include an upper planar surface, a lower planar surface, a flexible material connecting sides of the upper planar surface to the lower planar surface, and fixed tendons connecting the upper planar surface to the lower planar surface.
An inflatable lift system for a vehicle, comprising:
- N bladders arranged vertically in a stack, where N is an integer greater than two;
- a bottommost one of the N bladders includes an upper planar surface and a flexible material including sides connected to the upper planar surface and a bottom surface extending between the sides of the flexible material;
- a topmost one of the N bladders includes an upper planar surface, a lower planar surface, a bellows connecting sides of the upper planar surface to the lower planar surface, and non-fixed tendons connecting the upper planar surface to the lower planar surface;
- and
- one or more middle ones of the N bladders include an upper planar surface, a lower planar surface, a bellows connecting sides of the upper planar surface to the lower planar surface, and fixed tendons connecting the upper planar surface to the lower planar surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.