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US 8,191,819 B2Granted
Floating bearing structure with static buoyancy
AssigneeProspective Concepts AG
InventorRolf Luchsinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A suspended load-bearing structure that is formed by pneumatic structural load-bearing elements comprising an elongate hollow body, compression bars, and traction elements. The hollow body is impinged upon by gases that are lighter than air. In a first embodiment, an individual suspended structural load-bearing element is used as a ridge beam of a large tent hall whose interior has no pillars. The roof is formed by a waterproof cover, the sides of which are stretched on pillars. The cover and the structural load-bearing element are anchored to the ground by means of anchoring ropes.
Claims22
A pneumatic structure comprising:
- at least one bearing-structure element, the at least one bearing-structure element comprising:
- a plurality of gas-tight elongated hollow bodies of low expansion flexible material, the plurality of gas-tight elongated hollow bodies operable to be pressurized by a compressed gas;
- wherein at least one first gas-tight elongated hollow body of the plurality of gas-tight elongated hollow bodies comprises:
- at least one first bubble filled with air, the at least one first bubble comprising a variable volume;
- at least one second bubble filled with a light gas, the at least one second bubble comprising a variable volume;
- wherein the at least one first bubble and the at least one second bubble together occupy an entire volume of the at least one first gas-tight elongated hollow body;
- and
- wherein a volume of the air and a volume of the light gas contained in the at least one first gas-tight elongated hollow body is adjusted via selective pressurization of the at least one first bubble and the at least one second bubble;
- wherein at least one second gas-tight elongated hollow body of the plurality of gas-tight elongated hollow bodies comprises:
- at least one first load-bearing member interoperably coupled to the at least one second gas-tight elongated hollow body and disposed along a generator line of the at least one second gas-tight elongated hollow body, the at least one first load-bearing member supporting longitudinal axial compression;
- at least one second load-bearing member interoperably coupled to the at least one second gas-tight elongated hollow body, the at least one second load-bearing member supporting longitudinal axial tension;
- and
- wherein the at least one first load bearing member and the at least one second load-bearing member are connected to each other at respective ends.
10 more elements
A pneumatic structure comprising:
- at least one bearing-structure element, the at least one bearing-structure element comprising:
- a gas-tight elongated hollow body of low expansion flexible material, the gas-tight elongated hollow body operable to be pressurized by a compressed gas, the gas-tight elongated hollow body comprising:
- at least one first bubble filled with air, the at least one first bubble comprising a variable volume;
- at least one second bubble filled with a light gas, the at least one second bubble comprising a variable volume;
- wherein the at least one first bubble and the at least one second bubble together occupy an entire volume of the gas-tight elongated hollow body;
- wherein a volume of the air and a volume of the light gas contained in the gas-tight elongated hollow body is adjusted via selective pressurization of the at least one first bubble and the at least one second bubble;
- at least one first load-bearing member interoperably coupled to the gas-tight elongated hollow body and disposed along a generator line of the gas-tight elongated hollow body, the at least one first load-bearing member supporting longitudinal axial compression;
- at least one second load-bearing member interoperably coupled to the gas-tight elongated hollow body, the at least one second load-bearing member supporting longitudinal axial tension;
- and
- wherein the at least one first load bearing member and the at least one second load-bearing member are connected to each other at respective ends.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.