(12) United States Patent
`Cuisset et al.
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7.467,496 B1
`Dec. 23, 2008
`
`US007467496B1
`
`3,995,339 A * 12/1976 Kaufman ..................... 441/40
`4,156,330 A * 5/1979 Fraioli ........................ 52/2.25
`5,806,572 A
`9/1998 Voller
`5,871,180 A
`21999 Hublikar
`5,875,868 A
`3/1999 Smialowicz et al.
`sº * |: º et al.
`6,199,676 B1
`3/2001 Targiroff
`6,298,970 B1
`10/2001 Targiroff
`6,581,334 B2 * 6/2003 Oney et al. .................. 52/2, 18
`6,641,445 B1
`11/2003 Jurlina et al.
`6,644,596 B1 11/2003 Jurlina et al.
`-
`-
`* cited by examiner
`Primary Examiner—Richard E Chilcot, Jr.
`Assistant Examiner–Matthew J Smith
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Lawrence G. Fridman
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`
`(54) METHOD FOR JOINING COMPONENTS OF
`INFLATABLE STRUCTURES
`(75) Inventors: Bruno Cuisset, Neptune City, NJ (US);
`Frank J. Brown, Bayville, NJ (US);
`Alexandre Targiroff, Howell, NJ (US);
`Stanley J. Pawlowski, Jr., South River,
`NJ (US)
`-
`(73) Assignee: Air Cruisers Company, Wall, NJ (US)
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 819 days.
`-
`(21) Appl. No.: 10/862,244
`(22) Filed:
`Jun. 7, 2004
`
`(51) Int. Cl.
`
`E04B I/0?)
`(52) U.S. Cl
`
`(2006.01)
`52/2.18: 52/2.22: 52/2.23:
`
`-
`
`-
`
`-
`
`-
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`-
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`A flexible connection joint for inflatable structures such as
`life rafts, evacuation slides, and the like, includes a flexible
`
`•-a ºr 3
`
`--> -- *------
`- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
`"" 5.2224
`connection member to join walls of the inflatable structure
`e
`e
`e
`-
`together. The flexible connection member includes first and
`(58) Field ºº sº second strip portions that are bonded together at one end to
`• * ~ * ~ * * ~ * ~ * ~~ 3 - - - - 3 - - - - 5
`156227
`from three legs that can be joined to two or three walls of the
`S
`lication file f
`let
`h hist
`structure or to other connecting elements or strips. In this
`ee application IIIe Ior complete searcn n1story.
`manner, a tensile force acting on at least one of the walls of the
`References Cited
`structure causes generation of shear forces between the flex
`|U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`ible legs and walls to thereby resist their separation.
`
`(56)
`
`3,910,532 A 10/1975 Fischer
`
`5 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
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`
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`226 212
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`210
`110 1 12 ,”
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`Dec. 23, 2008
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`1
`METHOD FOR JOINING COMPONENTS OF
`INFLATABLE STRUCTURES
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`1. Field of the Invention
`This invention relates to connecting elements more par
`ticularly to a connector for securing components of inflatable
`structures or membranes together.
`2. Discussion of the Prior Art
`It is known in the prior art to construct inflatable members
`or components that are impervious to air and water. In order
`to form useful inflatable structures, such as life rafts and
`evacuation devices for commercial and military aircraft, two
`15
`or more inflatable members, as well as non-inflatable mem
`bers such as floors and support webs, are typically joined
`together.
`An example of a priorart arrangement for joining inflatable
`members together is illustrated in FIG. 1. An inflatable struc
`ture 10 of a prior art floatation device, such as a life raft, is
`schematically shown in cross section. The inflatable portion
`10 includes a lowerinflatable tubular member 12 and an upper
`inflatable tubular member 14 that is joined to the lower tubu
`lar member at a connection joint 16. Each tubular member 12,
`14 includes a wall 18 that is impervious to air and water. The
`connection joint 16 has an area of adhesive 20 between the
`tubular members and a crotch tape 22 located on opposite
`sides of the tubular members. The adhesive bonds the tubular
`members 12, 14 together and bonds the crotch tapes 22 to the
`walls 18 of the tubular members. Each crotch tape 22 can be
`constructed as a single piece of material which is bent to form
`a V-shape member. The crotch tapes 22 serve to enclose the
`adhesive area 20 and prevent separation of the tubular mem
`bers 12, 14.
`35
`Although this type of structure is currently in use, it has
`been found that the connection joint is prone to leakage,
`especially at the ends of the inflatable structures where over
`lapping joints are common. Thus, when the inflatable portion
`10 is part of a life raft, sea water can leak into the connection
`joint 16 and compromise the integrity of the structure.
`In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the prior art connection
`joint 16 is subject to a peeling mode of failure, which tends to
`separate or dismember the joint, and thus the inflatable ele
`ments and/or panels connected at the joint. The peeling mode
`occurs, for example, when a tensile force is applied to the leg
`24 generally in the direction of the arrow 28. When this force
`is applied, the leg 26 will tend to separate from the wall 18.
`The same peeling mode exists in structures where a panel,
`such as a floor panel of a raft, is directly bonded to an inflat
`able member or other panel. For a used fabric utilized in the
`filed of inflatable structures, it has been found that the panels
`or walls tend to peel apart with an applied force of approxi
`mately 7 pounds per square inch (psi).
`The above-described problems are further augmented by
`the long curing time of adhesives used to bind the panels
`together. The formation of each connection joint is labor
`intensive and requires the application of a suitable layer of
`adhesive between overlapping areas of the walls, tape and/or
`panels. Each joint must be formed separately and typically
`must be cured for at least four hours before forming a subse
`quent joint. Thus, much manufacturing time is lost due to the
`long curing process and human error can be a substantial
`factor since much of the bonding technique requires human
`intervention. Other prior art connecting joints are illustrated
`in FIGS. 12 and 15 and will be discussed in full detail later in
`the application.
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`US 7,467,496 B1
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`2
`BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`According to one aspect of the invention, a flexible con
`nection member for joining at least two flexible walls together
`includes a first flexible leg adapted for connection to a first
`flexible wall, a second flexible leg extending from the first
`flexible leg, with the second flexible leg being adapted for
`connection to one of the first and a second flexible wall, and
`a third flexible legextending from the first and second flexible
`legs to thereby form a generally Y-shaped or T-shaped con
`nection member. The third flexible leg is adapted for connec
`tion to the other of the first and second flexible walls or to a
`further flexible wall. With this arrangement, a tensile force
`acting on at least one of the legs causes a shear force between
`the remaining legs and the walls when connected together to
`thereby resist separation of the legs and walls.
`According to a further aspect of the invention, a flexible
`connection joint comprises a first flexible wall, a second
`flexible wall, and a flexible connection member extending
`between the first and second flexible walls to thereby join the
`walls together. The flexible connection member includes a
`first flexible leg connected to the first flexible wall, a second
`flexible leg extending from the first flexible leg with the
`second flexible leg being connected to one of the first and
`second flexible walls, and a third flexible leg extending from
`the first and second flexible legs. The third flexible leg is
`connected to the other of the first and second flexible walls or
`to a further flexible wall. In this manner, a tensile force acting
`on at least one of the walls causes a shear force between the
`flexible legs and walls to thereby resist separation of the legs
`and walls.
`According to yet a further aspect of the invention, an inflat
`able structure comprises a first flexible member having a first
`wall, a second flexible member having a second wall, with at
`least one of the first and second flexible members being
`inflatable, and a first flexible connection member extending
`between the first and second walls to thereby join the walls
`together. The first flexible connection member comprises a
`first flexible leg joined to the first wall, a second flexible leg
`extending from the first leg and being joined to the first wall,
`and a third flexible leg extending from the first and second
`flexible legs and being joined to the second wall. With this
`arrangement, a tensile force acting on at least one of the walls
`causes a shear force between the flexible legs and walls to
`thereby resist separation of the legs and walls.
`According to an even further aspect of the invention, a
`method of forming a flexible connection member for joining
`at least two flexible walls together comprises providing first
`and second flexible strip portions, positioning one strip por
`tion over the otherstrip portion, andjoining one end section of
`the first and second flexible strip portions together to thereby
`form a first flexible leg with second and third flexible legs
`extending from the first flexible leg.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed
`description of the preferred embodiments of the present
`invention will be best understood when considered in con
`junction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like des
`ignations denote like elements throughout the drawings, and
`wherein:
`FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a prior art inflatable
`structure;
`FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a prior art connec
`tion joint for an inflatable structure showing a peel mode of
`failure;
`
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`US 7,467,496 B1
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`3
`FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a connection joint in accor
`dance with the present invention;
`FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating
`forces applied to the connection joint;
`FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the connection
`joint of FIG. 4 showing a sheer mode of operation;
`FIG. 6 is a sectional exploded view of a connection mem
`ber that forms part of the connection joint of FIG. 3 and
`showing a first step for forming the connection member in
`accordance with the present invention;
`FIG. 7 is a sectional exploded view similar to FIG. 6
`showing a second step for forming the connection member;
`FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing a third step for
`forming the connection member;
`FIG. 9 is an assembled sectional view of the connection
`member showing a fourth forming step;
`FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the completed connection
`member of the invention;
`FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view of an inflatable struc
`ture utilizing the connection member in accordance with the
`invention;
`FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional view of a prior art inflat
`able structure;
`FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional view of an inflatable struc
`ture in accordance with further embodiment of the invention;
`FIG. 14 is a sectional view of an inflatable structure in
`accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention;
`and
`FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a prior art inflatable structure.
`It is noted that the drawings are intended to depict only
`typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should
`not be considered as limiting the scope thereof. It is further
`noted that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The
`invention will now be described in greater detail with refer
`ence to the accompanying drawings.
`
`4
`The connection member 104 includes a first flexible strip
`portion 106 and a second flexible strip portion 108 that are
`joined together to form a generally Y-shaped or T-shaped
`member with a first flexible leg 110, a second flexible leg 112,
`and a third flexible leg 114. The third leg 114 extends from the
`first and second legs 110, 112. Preferably, the first, second and
`third flexible legs are of equal length. As shown, the first and
`second legs are connected to the wall 102 while the third leg
`is connected to the wall 105. It will be understood that each
`leg 110, 112 can be connected to separate walls to thereby join
`three walls together at the connection joint 100.
`In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first strip
`portion 106 includes a core 116, an outer layer 118 on one side
`of the core, and an inner layer 120 on an opposite side of the
`core. In a similar fashion, the second strip portion 108
`includes a core 122 and an inner layer 124 on a side of the core
`122 that faces the inner layer 120 of the first strip portion 106.
`Although not shown, in other embodiments of the invention,
`a layer of bonding, fusible or elastomeric material may also
`be applied to an opposite side of the core 122 of the second
`strip portion 108. Alternatively, the first strip portion 106 may
`have only an inner layer 120. Preferably, the core and layers
`are constructed of materials that are compatible with the walls
`of the structure to which the connection member 104 is to be
`attached. Thus, when the walls 102,105 are constructed of a
`woven material with an elastomeric coating, the strip portions
`106, 108 are preferably formed of the same material and
`coating. It will be understood that the width and length of the
`strip portions, as well as the weight of the fabric and thickness
`of each layer may greatly vary depending on the particular
`application of the connection member 104. Although the
`connection joint of the invention will be described composed
`of woven material with layers of elastomeric coating, it
`should be understood that any material compatible with the
`fabric of the core and having bonding qualities or capable of
`being fused, bonded or solidified after being melted can be
`utilized as inner and outer layers of the strip portions.
`In one embodiment of the invention, the first and second
`strip portions 106, 108 are preferably joined together through
`a thermobonding process to form the third leg 114, as will be
`described in greater detail below with respect to FIGS. 6-10.
`The walls 102, 104 are also preferably joined to the legs 110,
`112 and 114 through thermobonding to thereby form a uni
`tary structure.
`With additional reference to FIG. 4, when a tensile force is
`applied to the leg 114 generally in the direction of arrow 130,
`the legs 110, 112 of the connection member 104 will tend to
`deform the wall 102, which in turn creates a first shear force
`between the leg 110 and the wall 102, a second shear force
`between the leg 112 and the wall 102, and a third shear force
`between the leg 114 and the wall 105. An important feature of
`the invention is that the beneficial shear forces between the
`legs of the connection member and connected walls will be
`developed when a tensile force is applied to one or any com
`bination of the legs 110, 112 and 114 and/or their connected
`walls in virtually any direction.
`FIG. 5 is a representative enlarged view of one of the legs
`112 of the connection member and the wall 102 in the ben
`eficial shear condition. It is being understood that the other
`legs 110 and 114 and the walls to which they are joined will
`be under similar shear conditions. It should be noted however
`that although the actual shear forces may vary depending on
`the amount and direction of the applied tensile force. When a
`tensile force is applied to one of the legs and/or the walls
`attached to the legs, substantially equal but opposite by
`directed shear forces 132 will be present at the joint where the
`leg 112 and wall 102 are attached. With the shear forces 132
`
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
`
`Referring to the drawings, and to FIG. 3 in particular, a
`connection joint 100 in accordance with the present invention
`is illustrated. The connection joint 100 may form part of a
`larger structure, such as a floatation device, escape slide, or
`other inflatable and/or non-inflatable structure where it is
`desirable to join flexible walls, panels or membranes together.
`The connection joint 100 thus includes a first flexible wall 102
`and a second flexible wall 105 of a structure and a flexible
`connection member 104 joining the walls 102,105 together.
`It is understood that the term “wall” as used throughout the
`specification can refer to a panel, connection strip or tape,
`barrier, reinforcing member, support web, membrane or the
`like.
`In the filed of inflatable structures, the walls 102 and 105
`are preferably constructed of a fabric that is strong, flexible,
`light weight, puncture-resistant, abrasion-resistant, and
`impervious to air and water. By way of example, a suitable
`fabric can include a core 107 constructed of a woven nylon
`material or the like and a layer 109 of bonding polyurethane
`or other fusible elastomeric material applied to at least one
`side of the core 107. This type of fabric is especially advan
`tageous for inflatable members and non-inflatable support
`panels, such as floors of rafts, due to its enhanced airtightness
`when inflated, strength, and overall weight reduction of the
`final product. Although not shown, a layer of bonding, fusible
`or elastomeric material may also be applied to an opposite
`side of the core 107. It will be understood, of course, that other
`materials and/or coatings can be used for the walls 102,105.
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`acting in the same plane as the wall 102, the tensile strength of
`the material is advantageously utilized in the invention to
`greatly increase the strength of the connection joint 100.
`When the cores of the wall and tension member are con
`structed of a woven nylon material, the tensile strength of
`such material used in the invention is approximately 250 psi.
`Obviously, this is substantially greater than the 7 psi amount
`of the peeling apart barrier.
`One of the essential features of the invention is that the
`provision of a connection member 104 with a generally
`Y-shaped or T-shaped configuration redirects forces from the
`prior art peeling mode of failure (FIG. 2) to a more durable
`sheer mode of operation. Under test conditions, it has been
`found that the integrity of the connection joint 100 has been
`maintained when exposed to pressures of over 10 psi, which
`is much greater than the prior art connection joint 16
`described above.
`With reference now to FIGS. 6 to 10, a method of con
`structing the connection member 104 is illustrated. As shown
`in FIG. 6, the second strip portion 108 is positioned over the
`first strip portion 106. The first and second strip portions 106,
`108 are preferably of equal width, so that the edges 140 and
`142 of the first strip portion 106 are aligned with the edges
`144 and 146, respectively, of the second strip portion 108.
`Once aligned, the second strip portion 108 is folded in half to
`form a bend or crease 148, as shown in FIG. 7, such that an
`inner section 152 of the inner layer 124 of the second strip
`portion 108 faces a corresponding section of the inner layer
`120 of the first strip portion 106 and an outer section 150 of
`the second strip portion faces away form the inner layer 120.
`As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the inner section 152 of the
`second strip portion 108 and the corresponding section of the
`first strip portion 106 are joined together during a thermo
`bonding process. As shown in FIG. 9, the thermobonding
`process includes applying heat schematically illustrated by
`the wave lines 154 and pressure illustrated by the arrows 156
`to the first and second strip portions 106, 108 to join the strip
`portions together. Preferably, the heat and pressure are
`applied by feeding the first and second strip portions between
`an upper feed roller 158 and a lower feed roller 159. The
`rollers are preferably in direct contact with the first and sec
`ond strip portions to apply pressure thereto. However, inter
`mediate members (not shown), such as release substrates,
`films, walls, or other structure may be positioned between the
`rollers and the first and second strip portions. Preferably, a
`heat source (not shown) blows a heating fluid 154, such as
`heated air, onto the first and second strip portions. The com
`bined pressure and heat softens or melts the inner layers 120,
`124 and fuses them together upon such layers being solidi
`fied. In the instance when the inner layers are constructed of
`a urethane material, the applied temperature is approximately
`500 degrees Fahrenheit.
`More details of the thermoforming method can be found in
`U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,676 to Targiroff, the disclosure of which
`is hereby incorporated by reference. The first and second strip
`portions 106, 108 are preferably fed linearly through the
`rollers 158, 159 during the thermobonding process. When the
`second strip portion 108 includes both an inner and outer
`layer, a release film or other substrate (not shown) may be
`positioned in the space 158 (FIG. 8) to prevent the second
`strip member from fusing to itself.
`Once the thermobonding process has completed, the con
`nection member 104, as shown in FIG. 10, is formed includ
`ing: a) the first leg 110 comprising the remaining non-fused
`section of the first strip portion 106; b) the second leg 112
`comprising the section 150 of the second strip portion 108;
`and c) the third leg 114 comprising the section 152 of the
`
`6
`second strip portion 108 and the corresponding fused section
`of the first strip portion 106. The non-fused sections of layers
`118, 120, and 124 can now be fused or otherwise connected to
`walls or panels of inflatable and/or non-inflatable structures,
`as previously described with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, and as
`will be further described with respect to FIGS. 11, 13 and 14.
`Preferably, the walls or panels have at least one fusible layer
`that can be thermally bonded or otherwise permanently con
`nected to one or more fusible layers of the legs 110, 112 and
`114 to form the desired structure. Although it is convenient to
`form the connection member before connecting the walls or
`panels of a structure together, it is understood that the walls or
`panels can be also simultaneously connected or fused to the
`legs during formation of the connection member 104.
`Instead of a forced air heating arrangement, the strip and
`tapes may be heated to the desired thermobonding tempera
`ture by thermal feed rollers. Alternatively, the thermobonding
`method can include RF heat sealing or the like.
`Referring now to FIG. 11, an inflatable structure 160 in
`accordance with a further embodiment of the present inven
`tion is schematically shown in cross section. The inflatable
`structure 160 may form part of a life raft, swimming pool,
`evacuation slide, and so on, and includes an inflatable tubular
`member 162 and a panel 164 that is joined to the tubular
`member 162 at a connection joint 166 (shown in exploded
`view). The panel 164 may form part of a floor, wall, or the like
`of the inflatable structure. The tubular member 162 includes a
`wall 168 that is impervious to air and water. The panel 164
`may also be impervious to air and water, depending on the
`particular structure being formed.
`The connection joint 166 includes a connection member
`104 joined to the wall 168 and a connection strip 170 extend
`ing between the connection member 104 and the panel 164.
`The connection strip 170 is preferably formed of the same
`material as the first and second strip portions of the connec
`tion member 104. Preferably, the legs 110, 112 of the con
`nection member 104 are thermally fused to the wall 168 of the
`tubular member 162 while the leg 114 is thermally fused to
`the connection strip 170. The connection strip 170 is then
`bonded or thermally fused to the panel 164. Although the
`provision of a connection strip 170 between the connection
`member 104 and the panel 164 is preferred, it is understood
`that the connection strip may be eliminated and the panel 164
`be directly joined to the connection member 104.
`With this construction, any tensile forces acting on the
`panel 164 will be resisted by shear forces acting between the
`legs 110, 112 of the connection member 104 and the tubular
`member as previously described with respect to FIGS. 4 and
`5, as well as shear forces acting between the leg 114 and the
`connection strip 104, and shear forces acting between the
`connection strip 104 and the panel 164.
`The inflatable structure 160 constructed in the above-de
`scribed manner is advantageous over the peel mode of failure
`of a corresponding prior art inflatable structure 180 shown in
`the exploded view of FIG. 12. The prior artinflatable structure
`180 includes an inflatable tubular member 182 and a panel
`184 that is directly bonded to the tubular member by adhe
`sives or the like. A crotch tape 186 is also adhesively bonded
`to the tubular member 182 and the panel 184 to enclose the
`adhesive area and prevent separation of the tubular member
`and panel. As discussed hereinabove with respect to FIGS. 1
`and 2, any tensile forces acting on the panel 184 will tend to
`pull the panel from the tubular member under the peel mode
`of failure.
`Referring now to FIG. 13, an inflatable structure 190 in
`accordance with a further embodiment of the present inven
`tion is schematically shown in cross section. The inflatable
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`INTEX EXHIBIT 2020, Pg. 10
`Bestway v. Intex; PGR2017-00003
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`US 7,467,496 B1
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`structure 190 may form part of a life raft, swimming pool,
`evacuation slide, and so on, and includes a lower inflatable
`tubular member 192 and an upper inflatable tubular member
`194 that is joined to the lower tubular member at a connection
`joint 196 (shown in exploded view). Each of the tubular
`members 192, 194 has a wall 198 that is impervious to air and
`Water.
`The connection joint 196 includes a pair of connection
`members 104 that are joined to the walls 198 and a connection
`strip 200 extending between the connection members 104. As
`in the previous embodiment, the connection strip 200 is pref
`erably formed of the same material as the first and second
`strip portions of the connection members 104. Preferably, the
`legs 110, 112 of the connection members 104 are thermally
`fused or otherwise permanently connected to their respective
`walls 198, while the legs 114 are thermally or permanently
`fused to the connection strip 200. During construction of the
`inflatable structure 190, the connection members 104 can be
`preferably pre-attached to the connection strip 200 to form a
`membrane that is then attached to the walls of the tubular
`members during a secondary operation. Although the provi
`sion of a connection strip 200 between the connection mem
`bers 104 has been described, it is understood that the connec
`tion strip may be eliminated and the connection members be
`directly joined together. Although not shown, a second con
`nection joint 196 may be located on an opposite side of the
`inflatable tubular members 192, 194.
`With the above-described construction, any tensile forces
`acting on the inflatable structure 190 that would tend to sepa
`rate the tubular members will be resisted by shear forces
`acting between the legs 110, 112 of the connection members
`104 and the tubular members as previously described with
`respect to FIGS. 4 and 5, as well as shear forces acting
`between the legs 114 and the connection strip 200.
`The inflatable structure 190 constructed in the above-de
`scribed manner is advantageous over the peel mode of failure
`of a corresponding prior artinflatable structure 10 as shown in
`FIGS. 1 and 2, and as discussed hereinabove. In addition, the
`inflatable structure 190 can be beneficiary formed by a con
`tinuous and automatic manufacturing process to thereby
`reduce manufacturing costs and eliminate human error that is
`more prevalent in the prior art. With the provision of the
`connection members 104, the tubes can be continuously
`bonded together all around their perimeter to thereby elimi
`nate overlapping seams or joints. Accordingly, greater fluid
`holding integrity over the prior art is achieved, especially
`when constructed as a raft, since there are virtually no over
`lapping joints through which sea water can enter.
`With reference now to FIG. 14, an inflatable structure 210
`in accordance with a further embodiment of the present
`invention is schematically shown in cross section. The inflat
`able structure 210 is in the form of a bulkhead assembly and
`includes a tubular member 212 that is divided into a first
`compartment 214 and a second compartment 216 by a circu
`lar membrane or bulkhead panel 218 that is joined to the
`tubular member at a connection joint 220 (shown in the
`exploded view). The bulkhead panel 218 may have a central
`opening 222 and a reinforcing ring 224 surrounding the open
`ing. The tubular member 212 preferably includes a wall 226
`that is impervious to air and water.
`The connection joint 220 includes the connection member
`104 joined to the wall 226 and the bulkhead panel 218. Pref
`erably, the legs 110, 112 of the connection member 104 are
`thermally fused to the wall 226 while the leg 114 is thermally
`fused to the outer periphery of the bulkhead panel 218.
`During assembly of the inflatable structure 210, the con
`nection member 104 is preferably joined to the wall 226 of the
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`tubular member 212 while it is still flat and before it has been
`formed in a tubular shape. After transformation of the wall
`226 into the tubular member 212, the bulkhead panel 218 is
`joined to the connection member 104 in a continuous opera
`tion around its periphery.
`The inflatable structure 210 constructed in this manner
`requires less material, is easier to manufacture, and is more
`cost effective than the prior art solution as illustrated in FIG.
`15. In addition, the structure 210 provides air holding integ
`rity and places the connection joint 220 in a sheer mode of
`operation when the bulkhead panel 218 flexes in opposite
`directions due to fluctuations in air pressure within the tubular
`member 212.
`Referring now to FIG. 15, a prior art bulkhead assembly
`230 includes a tubular member 232 and a bulkhead panel 234
`that is adhesively secured to the tubular member. An outer
`periphery of the bulkhead panel is gusseted or slit at spaced
`circumferential locations and then cemented together to form
`a flange section 236 that faces the tubular member 232. An
`inside collar 238 is cemented on one side of the flange section
`while a crotch tape 240 is cemented on the opposite side. The
`assembly is then cemented to the tubular member 232. The
`crotch tape and inside collar function to maintain the air
`holding integrity of the structure and prevent separation of the
`bulkhead panel from the tubular member through the peeling
`mode of failure as discussed above with respect to FIGS. 1
`and 2. With this prior art arrangement, it can be seen that a
`number of laborintensive manual forming and bonding steps,
`as well as a greater number of parts, are required to construct
`the prior art bulkhead assembly 230. Such arrangement leads
`to great