Air cooling for inflatable amusements

Abstract

An embodiment is the use of an inflatable enclosure for amusement purposes and it comprises an air cooling system which is operated by a plurality of interconnecting vinyl tubes, panels and reservoirs which has air forced into it via the same blower that keeps the enclosure inflated that allows a strong stream of cool air to be forced out under pressure from gauze based vents placed in a number of predetermined positions mainly on the inside of the enclosure that cools the users, preferably children to allow the play within the enclosure to be at a lower air temperature thus facilitating better and prolonged use and if the air cooling system is not required it can be turned off using a series of closing valves and flaps concealed within he walls of the enclosure and accessed from the outer walls.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the Art of inflatable amusements, more particularly an inflatable cooling system for use in an inflatable amusement that allows the user to be cooled whilst playing.

2. Description of the Related Art

For many years, inflatable amusements have amused and entertained young and old persons alike. The typical inflatable amusement is a large, flexible air-filled structure taking on a variety of shapes such as a castle, a slide, an obstacle course, and the like. Most inflatable amusements have at least one air-filled horizontal mattress interconnected to a number of inflated walls upon which people, typically children, can jump, bounce and rebound. The air-filled jumping surface and jumping walls typically provides spring back making trampoline-type play possible, such that users can jump, bounce and rebound to higher heights than normal. The inflatable amusements are usually large enough for multiple persons to use at the same time. In some instances, the inflatable amusements can be six (6) metres (19.7 ft.) high and up to thirty (30) metres (98.4 ft.) wide. Furthermore, since the inflatable structures are filled with air and the surfaces are relatively soft, users can fall, bounce and play on the inflatable mattress with little fear of injury. Hence, the inflatable amusements provide a great deal of safe entertainment especially for young children.

In recent years, these inflatables have been used throughout all seasons and weather conditions. The operation of these inflatables in summer can pose an issue for users as the inside of an inflatable enclosure can become hot and/or humid. Even with the introduction of shade covers and the like to try and cool down the inflatable enclosure surface the air within the enclosure is still hot and/or humid, thus making the inflatable unusable.

In an effort to entertain users all year round, an embodiment of the invention uses the air from the blower that is forced inside the floor and walls of the enclosure that makes it trampoline-like to be pushed out of the inflatable, through purpose made vents typically on the inside to allow patrons to have a stream of cool air hitting them while playing. Concurrently this can decrease the temparature of around 10 degrees celcius (50 deg. F.) within the playing area of the inflatable enclosure.

An inflatable enclosure in its Prior Art has been about keeping the air within the inflatable enclosure, thus the inflatable is sealed to allow a bouncy trampoline-like effect. The invention goes about to unseal these walls and floors in predetermined and specific areas to allow the air to be released.

Within the Prior Art there exists several Inflatable Structures that incorporate the system of having air being moved into an enclosure in which users are inside. One such example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,185 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,369 or Soviet Patent Number 667,649 which are examples of structures that need the air inside with the users to hold up and keep inflated the structure around them. They are usually hemisphere or dome like in shape. Therefore the air is used for structural support. Another such example in the Prior Art is the Inflatable Shelter in US Publication Number 2004050411. It shows an inflatable shelter where the cooling system refers to the use of misting nozzles or water spraying onto the users that are under the shelter. This in itself is not an inflatable amusement.

The Prior Art does not show an inflatable amusement that is bound by at least one air-filled horizontal mattress interconnected to a number of inflated walls upon which people, typically children, can jump, bounce and rebound where cool air is being released into the playing area in the enclosure for the purpose of cooling the users and not for structural support.

Further and other objects of this invention will become apparent to a person skilled in the Art from the following summary of the invention and the more detailed description of the preferred embodiments illustrated herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention uses a system that moves air to and expels air from a variety of vents that are built into the walls, usually on the inside of an inflatable amusement enclosure, and sprays that air to act as a fan or cooling system for the users. An object of the invention is to have cool air dispersed onto the human users for cooling purposes, by way of forcing the air generated by the blower and circulating within the walls and then out of vents while under pressure. An inflatable enclosure is a complete inflatable that has a floor bound by walls and in turn is the field of play, commonly known as a jumping castle, bouncy castle, inflatable game or an inflatable amusement. A blower is usually an air blower (fan) usually connected on the outside, that connects to electricity that blows air inside the walls and floor of an inflatable enclosure. Air cooling allows cool air to be filtered through, to and out of the enclosure walls to cool the user. Users are typically kids that play inside and throughout the inflatable enclosure. Vents are an opening or an aperture in which the air is released out through the enclosure wall.

It is an embodiment of the invention that a number of air movement structures are used to move the cooled air from the blower and through the inside of the enclosure walls to the vents.

It is yet another embodiment of the invention that the blower be connected to the enclosure from the outside.

It is yet another embodiment of the invention that only one (1) blower system is connected to the enclosure and that operates both the inflated trampoline like effect of the floor and walls and also the cooling system running throughout the enclosure.

In yet another object of the invention that the air movement for the cooling is connected using a plurality of interconnected panels, vents, reservoirs and tubes.

It is an embodiment of the object that these reservoir like structures act as air holding tanks or dams on larger inflatables where the pressure is not as strong to allow the air to be held then forced into smaller tubes to facilitate a higher cool air pressure of spray to be vented onto the users.

In yet another embodiment of the object that the air movement structures be made up of a substantially vinyl-type material or the like that can be rolled away inside the enclosure when finished without being removed.

In another embodiment of the object that the gauze and vinyl based materials used preferably comprise ultra-violet inhibitors.

In yet another embodiment of the object that the material used preferably comprise a water retarding material and is fire retardant.

It is still another object of the invention to allow the vents to be closed when the air cooling is not required.

It is an embodiment of the object that the closing of the air cooling system is performed manually by closing a concealed intertwined vinyl based flap or valve/s inside the enclosure wall.

It is yet another embodiment of the object that the closing of the flaps and/or valves will allow normal atmospheric temperatures to return to the user within the field of play in the enclosure.

It is yet another embodiment of the object that when the flap or valves are closed it is sealed by the use of a hook and loop attaching system (commonly called VELCRO™) and with the pressure on the inside of the wall forces it closed and allows no air to be displaced into the enclosure.

It is yet another embodiment of the object that the access to the air cooling flaps or valves is by way of an intertwined self sealing doorway on the outside of the wall.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide the appropriate covering on the vents to make sure users cannot have any part of their body including fingers that may get trapped.

It is an embodiment of the object that the vent is covered with a vinyl based gauze with a maximum diameter hole of 3 mm (0.11811 in.).

It is a further embodiment of the object these vents to be concealed by graphics that give children the opinion that the said air is being forced out of an animal mouth or similar graphic.

It is still another object of the invention that the addition of such vents or air loss from these vents does not affect the support, shape, rigidity and structure of those walls.

It is an embodiment of the object that the addition of such vents does not decrease the air pressure when tested now and in the future below acceptable manufacturing and inspection levels.

It is a further embodiment of the object that the air coming out of the vents is controlled so that it does not effect the pressure within the inflatable structure when the maximum amount of users are in the enclosure.

It is yet another object of the invention to have the vents placed at different heights and in different places throughout the enclosure to enhance the utilization by various user heights.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective inside elevated view of a Prior Art enclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective inside elevated view of the air cooling system vents installed into the wall of the enclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective cross sectional view of an example of the plurality of interconnecting tubes that carries the air cooling before it is forced out of the vents.

FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an example of how the air flow is stopped by the moving of the opening and closing flap.

FIG. 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the other half of the wall shown in FIG. 4 and the doorway flap that allows the air cooling invention to be controlled within the wall from the outside wall.

FIG. 6 is a perspective outside elevated view of the flap as shown in FIG. 5 that allows the air cooling invention to be controlled within the wall from the outside wall.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1 it depicts a typical Prior Art inflatable enclosure 100 having at least one air-filled horizontal mattress interconnected to a number of inflated walls upon which people, typically children, can jump, bounce and rebound that can be in a multitude of sizes and shapes.

Now referring to FIG. 2 it shows a typical Prior Art inflatable enclosure 100 that now has the air cooling system installed into the internals of the wall 120. The vinyl based gauze vents 110 are continually expelling out cool air under pressure to cool users.

Now referring to FIG. 3. it shows the inside of a typical wall 120 with a regular blower 190 attached to the inflatable enclosure which then has a plurality of vinyl tubes and reservoirs 180 inside directing air through the internals of the walls to the vents 110. This is a sample and there are other methods used to ultimately move the cool air out of the walls.

Now referring to FIG. 4 this depicts the inside of a typical enclosure wall 120 where the intertwined vinyl flap 130 can be moved to cover and close off the air cooling 110 by attaching the hook and loop 140. However when the flap 130 is open and moved to the open position 150 it allows the air cooling to vent out.

Now referring to FIG. 5 it shows the external intertwined vinyl flap 160 can be opened from the outside of the inflatable wall 120 and allows a hand to go in and adjust the flap 130, shown in FIG. 4. Hook and Loop 170 also seals the inflatable when such changes have been made.

Now referring to FIG. 6 it shows the positioning of the external flap 160 in which you gain access to all the cooling flow adjustments on the wall 120.

While the forgoing provides a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this description is illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not limitative. Furthermore as many changes can be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all material contained herein be interpreted as illustrative of the invention and not limiting in the sense.

Claims

1. A cooling system for a user of an inflatable structure, comprising:

a blower for forcing air into the structure, the structure comprising a reservoir with an internal surface and an external surface; wherein the internal surface of the reservoir is configured to receive the air and provide support to the structure;

an opening in the structure configured to allow the air to escape from the internal surface of the reservoir; and

a first flow control device located in the reservoir, wherein the first flow control device is configured to control air flow through the opening and wherein the air flow through the opening is used to cool the user.

2. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flow control device is activated manually.

3. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flow control device utilizes a hook and loop attaching system.

4. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flow control device has a first position and a second position.

5. The cooling system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first position blocks a substantial portion of the opening.

6. The cooling system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the air within the reservoir assist in maintaining the first flow control device in the first position.

7. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flow control device is made from a flexible material.

8. The cooling system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first flow control device is made from a substantially vinyl-type material.

9. The cooling system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first flow control device is configured as a flap.

10. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flow control device is made from a material comprising ultra-violet inhibitors.

11. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flow control device is made from a fire retardant material.

12. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flow control device is made from a water retarding material.

13. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening further comprises a gauze vent.

14. The cooling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second flow control device, wherein the second flow control device is located on the external surface of the reservoir and permits access to the first control device.

15. The cooling system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second flow control device utilizes a hook and loop attaching system.

16. The cooling system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second flow control device is made from a flexible material.

17. The cooling system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second flow control device is made from a substantially vinyl-type material.

18. The cooling system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second flow control device is configured as a flap.

19. The cooling system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second flow control device is made from a material comprising ultra-violet inhibitors.

20. The cooling system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second flow control device is made from a fire retardant material.