Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKGR~UND OF THE INVEN~ION
The presen~ invention relates to an air-filled or air-containing
structure, and more particularly concerns an air-containing sheet which may be
used for example for insulation purposes.
~ :Lr-fllled or alr-cor-ta:ln~ng s~ruct(lres :Ln which sections or pockets
o:E ~:Lr n-re ma:Lntained bet~een air~ pervl~ous ].ayers, h~.rrnetically sealed along
~he:Lr edges, are well known. Examples o:E such known structures are described
and lllustrated ln Unlted States Patent No~ 1,976,7g3 of Man:Eold, issued
October 16, 1934; United States Patent No. 2,369,736 of Hurt, issued February 20,
1945; United States Patent No. 2,73i,652 of Bishop, issued ~anuary 24, 1956;
Canadian Patent No. 16,643 of Heath, i~ssued April 11, 1883; Canadian Patent
No. 791,902 of Arp, issued August 13, 19.68 and Carnadian Patent No. 289,886 of
Alphonin, is&ued ~ay 28, 1929.
It is common, in constructing air-containing sheets for insulation
or other purposes, to provIde two oppo$ed sheets, for example of plastic,
sealed along seams to provide communicating air-pockets or air-$acs of an
appropriate configuration. Such structures, however, may be inappropriate
for insulation in that they permit heat transfer or loss along the seam, the
structure being es&entially of very little thickness at that point and not
being surrounded there by a pocket of "dead air" a$ is the case with the plastic
sheet circu.~scribing the air-pockets ur air-sacs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a n~yel structure
for an air-containing sheet which-is readily and econ~omically~ manufactured. It
is a further object of the present inyentiQn to proyide such a plastic sheet
which affords improved insulation character~st~cs over known air-containing
sheets having single layers of air-pockets.
SUMMAR~ OF THE~INVENT~ON
In accordance w~th the inyent~on, an air.containing sheet i$ P~ovided
comprising a pair of $paced, air-~i~pery~i~ou~s. layer$, p~eferably P~ polyethylene
,30 or other flex~kle plastic sheet mateTial~ The sheets a2e ~èrmet~cally sealed ~ ;~
;` abQut t~e~r outer edges~ ~nlet~outlet ~eàn$ are provided for inflat~on or
deflation of the sheè~. A .s.ex~es Qf sp~ced, paralle~ parti~tions e~tend~ng be-
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tween and secured to opposite layers divides the space between sheets into
sections. Air-communication means associated with the partitions, permits
passage of air between adjacent sections.
One of ~he layers is a unitary sheet of flexible plastic material
and the other layer and partLtions are Eormed Erom a series of contiguo-ls
strLps o~ ELexlbLe plastLc sheets, one sLde of each strip beLng sealed to the
same sLde o~ the ~mltary sheet at a position spaced from adjacent strips, and
the other s~de of each strip being hermetica:lly sealed in uniform fashion along
a central portion of an ad~acent strip, the outside strips of the series of
such strips each having both sides sealed to the unitary sheet, the ends of all
such strips being hermetically sealed to the unitary sheet, a portion of each of
the contiguous strips constituting the layer opposite from the unitary sheet,
and another portion of each of the strips constituting a partition.
Because the spaced layers do not come together to form a seam, the
problem of heat loss along such seam is avoided according to the present in-
vention.
There is also provided a method of making an air-containing sheet
having a pair of spaced layers with inlet-outlet means therein for inflating or
deflating the sheet and a series of spaced, parallel partitions extending
between and secured to opposite layers and having therein means to permit
passage of air through the partitions comprising hermetically sealing by fusing ;
the sides of strips of flexible air-impervious plastic sheet material to central
portions of adjacent strips in uniform fashion, and hermetically sealing the ends
of these strips by fusion.
BRIEF DESCEIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the invention, and example construc-
tions thereof, will become apparent upon reading the following detailed des-
cription and upon referring to the drawings in which~
Figures 1 and 2 are schematic view~of two example embodiments of air-
containing sheets according to the present invention.
Similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference
numerals.
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While the invention will be described in connection with example
embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the in-
vention to thoseembodiments. On the contrary, it ls intended to cover all alter-
natives, modifications and equivalents as may be included w:Lthin the spirit and
scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DE'rAIT.ED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Turnlng fLrst to Figure 1 there is shown an air-containing sheet 2
according to the present invention comprising spaced, air-impervious layers 4
and 6 made, for example, from polyethylene or an appropriate flexible plastic
sheet material. Outer edges of the sheets are fused together along seam line 8
to form a hermetic seal about the edge of the structure. Any suitable inlet-
outlet means lO is provided for inflating or deflating the sheet. A series of
spaced partitions 12 extend parallel between and secured to opposite layers
4 and 6, dividing the space between sheets into sections 14. Holes 16 in parti-
tions 12 permit air to pass between ad~acent sections 14 within the structure.
If desired, although not illustrated, any appropriate number of inlet-
outlet means may be provided to service a particular number of sections`of the
air-containing sheet, the sections possibly being kept sealed from other sections
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in the structure by an appropriate par~ition 12 haying no hQL,es or other
co~munication means. The part~tipns preferably extend obli~uely between
layers 4 and 6, and are made of flexi~bL,e plastic material similar to that of~ ~'
the layers so that they can be readily sealed or fused to the layers or to
each other.
As .qhown -in Figure 1, layer 4 may be a unitary sheet 18, with a
serLe~ of contLguolls strips 20, appropriately secured to sheet 18, make up
layer 6 and partition 12, the sides of these strips being appropriately sealed
to central portions of adjacent strips~as i:Llustrated.
In the embodiment of ~igure 2, instead of hav,ing one L,ayer being a ,
unitary sheet 18, both layers 4 and 6, as~ well as parti~tions 12, are formed
from continguous strips 20 as shown. Except for strips making up the sides of
the device, each strip 20 has a side portion making up part of layer 4, the '
other side portion making up pair of'layers 6 and a central portion constitut-
ing a partition 12.
In this way, a construction of air-filled sheet is provided whi~h
combines effective internal support (from spaced partition 12) with effectiye
insulation qualities because layers 4 and 6 a,re at all ti~es across the sheet `~
' separated by a dead air space and seams, where layers 4 and 6 are ~oined to-
, 20 gether are avoided. Such structure may~ be readily constructed to appropriate ,'
` dimensions at a job-site, for exa,mple ~here a temporary insulating blanket is ~ ;
required about a construction area or to cover a swrmming pool. ~-
Thus it is-apparent that there has been provided in accordance with
the invention, an ai~-containing s,heet that fully satisfies the ob~ects, aims '~
and advantages set forth above. ~hile the invention has been described in ~ -
conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alter- '
natives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in
,
` the art in light of the forego~ng description. Accordingly ~it is intended to
`` e~brace all ,suçh alternati~yes~ Qd~i~,fi~ca,~ p"~n,s ,a,nd Ya~ ,a,t~iQns~s~ f,a,~l ~ithin
the spir~it and brQad ScQpe o,f the appen~ed $~a,~ims,~.
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