Inside stay and inside stay berm unit
AssigneeArgonaut Inflatable Research and Engineering, Inc.
InventorsGregory D. Ramp, Bao Truong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inside stay berm unit incorporates a plurality of inside stays each stay connected to the interior of the berm unit by a plurality of stay securement tapes. Each respective stay is a respective closed ring after the stay is threaded through and retained within at least one respective wing aperture in at least one floor stay securement tape and at least one wing aperture in at least one sidewall stay securement tape and through at least one wing loop aperture in a sidewall top edge stay securement tape and closed by a closure means. The invention allows easy removal and replacement of any damaged stays.
Claims16
An inside stay for an inside stay berm unit comprising
- an outer stay layer 18 having a male end portion 20 adjacent a propping leg portion 22 adjacent a base leg portion 30 adjacent a sidewall leg portion 32 adjacent a female end portion 34;
- said propping leg portion 22 having a generally u-shaped propping leg portion slot 26 aligned along said propping leg portion 22 with the legs of said propping leg portion slot 26 aligned towards said male end portion 20 and the bottom of said propping leg portion slot 26 closer towards said base leg portion 30;
- said propping leg portion slot 26 defining an outer stay layer prop flap 28 between the legs of said propping leg portion slot 26 and defining an initial propping leg window 65;
- said propping leg portion 22 underlaying in facing opposing relationship an intermediate propping leg stay layer 40 and secured by a joining means to said propping leg stay layer 40, said propping leg stay layer 40 having a prop flap portion 42 sized to overlay in facing opposing cooperating relationship said outer stay layer prop flap 28;
- said prop flap portion 42 having a propping leg registration window 44 centrally located;
- an intermediate stay layer 46 overlaying in facing opposing relationship and secured by said joining means to said sidewall leg portion 32, said base leg portion 30, and said propping leg portion 22;
- said intermediate stay layer 46 bridging across and blocking over the end of said initial propping leg window 65 away from said male end portion 20 defining a shorter final propping leg window 67;
- said intermediate stay layer 46 having a base leg registration window 48 centrally located over said base leg portion 30 and a sidewall leg registration window 50 centrally located over said sidewall leg portion 32;
- a propping leg reinforcing member 52 registered in said propping leg registration window 44;
- a base leg reinforcing member 54 registered in said base leg registration window 48;
- a sidewall leg reinforcing member 56 registered in said sidewall leg registration window 50;
- an inner stay layer 60 having an inner stay layer u-shaped slot 62 sized and located to overlay said propping leg portion slot 26 and defining an inner stay layer flap 64 between the legs of said inner stay layer u-shaped slot 62, said inner stay layer 60 overlaying in facing opposing relationship said intermediate propping leg stay layer 40 and said intermediate stay layer 46 and overlaying said reinforcing members and secured by said joining means to said intermediate propping leg stay layer 40 and said intermediate stay layer 46, and
- a closure means for securing said male end portion to said female end portion.
A plurality of inside stays in combination with a berm unit said berm unit comprising
- a berm unit wall and floor blank, said floor blank having a floor peripherally surrounded by and connected to at least one sidewall, said floor having at least one floor stay securement tape attached and spaced towards the center of said floor from said sidewall;
- said sidewall having an inward sidewall surface and a free upper edge and having a plurality of sidewall stay securement tapes attached to said inward sidewall surface spaced from and distributed upwards away from said floor and towards said free upper edge to receive and retain each said respective inside stay;
- each said floor stay securement tape in a cooperating relationship with respective said sidewall stay securement tapes to receive and retain each said respective inside stay, wherein each said inside stay comprises:
- an outer stay layer 18 having a male end portion 20 adjacent a propping leg portion 22 adjacent a base leg portion 30 adjacent a sidewall leg portion 32 adjacent a female end portion 34;
- said propping leg portion 22 having a generally u-shaped propping leg portion slot 26 aligned along said propping leg portion 22 with the legs of said propping leg portion slot 26 aligned towards said male end portion 20 and the bottom of said propping leg portion slot 26 closer towards said base leg portion 30;
- said propping leg portion slot 26 defining an outer stay layer prop flap 28 between the legs of said propping leg portion slot 26 and defining an initial propping leg window 65;
- said propping leg portion 22 underlaying in facing opposing relationship an intermediate propping leg stay layer 40 and secured by a joining means to said propping leg stay layer 40, said propping leg stay layer 40 having a prop flap portion 42 sized to overlay in facing opposing cooperating relationship said outer stay layer prop flap 28;
- said prop flap portion 42 having a propping leg registration window 44 centrally located;
- an intermediate stay layer 46 overlaying in facing opposing relationship and secured by said joining means to said sidewall leg portion 32, said base leg portion 30, and said propping leg portion 22;
- said intermediate stay layer 46 bridging across and blocking over the end of said initial propping leg window 65 away from said male end portion 20 defining a shorter final propping leg window 67;
- said intermediate stay layer 46 having a base leg registration window 48 centrally located over said base leg portion 30 and a sidewall leg registration window 50 centrally located over said sidewall leg portion 32;
- a propping leg reinforcing member 52 registered in said propping leg registration window 44;
- a base leg reinforcing member 54 registered in said base leg registration window 48;
- a sidewall leg reinforcing member 56 registered in said sidewall leg registration window 50;
- an inner stay layer 60 having an inner stay layer u-shaped slot 62 sized and located to overlay said propping leg portion slot 26 and defining an inner stay layer flap 64 between the legs of said inner stay layer u-shaped slot 62, said inner stay layer 60 overlaying in facing opposing relationship said intermediate propping leg stay layer 40 and said intermediate stay layer 46 and overlaying said reinforcing members and secured by said joining means to said intermediate propping leg stay layer 40 and said intermediate stay layer 46, and
- a closure means for securing said male end portion to said female end portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.