Inflatable tent

Claim 2

An inflatable enclosure, generally in the shape of a hemisphere, comprising a plurality of sections, each being an air-tight compartment and each having an outer face and an inner face, wherein the number of compartments is sufficient in number such that the outer faces, when joined, form the outer hemispherical shape, wherein the outer face of each section has two generally vertical side edges, the edges being defined by the intersection of plane extending from the vertical central axis of the sphere with the spherical surface, a bottom sealing means to seal lower edges of the inner and outer faces together, a marginal sealing means to seal the vertical edges of the inner and outer faces of each section to each other and to seal these edges to the vertical edge of the next adjacent section to form the hemispherical shape, an opening in each section near the top of the section, close to the vertical central axis of the hemisphere, a manifold comprising an air input aperture, a chamber in air flow communication with the aperture and a plurality of passageway openings, one opening for each section, each opening directed radially from the central axis of the sphere, and sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each section.

Claim 3

The enclosure of claim 1 wherein at least one section comprises a transparent window portion in both the inner and outer faces of the compartment, wherein the periphery edges of the inner and outer faces of the window portion are sealably attached to form an inflatable window shape in the section.

Claim 4

The enclosure of claim 2 wherein the window aperture is covered with a clear plastic material.

Claim 5

The enclosure of claim 1 wherein the material of the inner and outer faces is fibrous reinforced plasticized polymer film.

Claim 6

The enclosure of claim 4 wherein the polymer film is plasticized polyvinyl chloride.

Claim 7

The enclosure of claim 1 wherein there are six to twenty sections.

Claim 8

The enclosure of claim 6 wherein there are ten to fourteen sections.

Claim 9

The enclosure of claim 1 wherein the bottom sealing means comprises a bottom wall sealed to the outer face and the inner face and at the exposed ends to the adjacent compartment edges.

Claim 10

The enclosure of claim 1 wherein the outer hemispherical shape comprises at least one-half of a sphere and is less than three-quarters the surface of a sphere.

Claim 11

The inflatable enclosure of claim 1 wherein a closure means is included in the manifold to allow air tight closure of each passageway independent of the chamber.

Claim 12

The inflatable enclosure of claim 1 wherein the sealing means is a tube sealably attached to the passageway, inserted into the opening of the section and sealably attached to the opening.

Claim 13

The inflatable enclosure of claim 1 wherein an annular floor is provided detachably attached to the inflatable enclosure comprising a ring of pie-sections, each section being a sealed compartment with a top face and a bottom face, an interface edge sealing means sealing edges of the top face to the bottom face as they meet to form the air-tight compartment, joining adjacent pie-sections to form the floor, and defining the thickness of the floor, an annular manifold located in the center cavity comprising an annular chamber, an air input aperture, a plurality of passageway openings radiating outwardly from the chamber, one for each pie-section, and a closure means for each passageway opening, capable of opening and closing air flow in and out of each passageway, an opening in each pie-section near the center of the section, and sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each pie-section.

Claim 14

The enclosure of claim 12 wherein each pie-section and the interface edge sealing means comprise an outside circle vertical wall, vertical side walls radiating from the center of the annular shape joining adjacent pie-sections, and an inner vertical wall defining the center cavity, wherein the interface edge sealing means comprises the material of the faces interleaved together, an adhesive seal between the interfaces and at least one sewn stitch along the length of the interface through all thicknesses being joined.

Claim 15

An inflatable enclosure, generally in the shape of a hemisphere, comprising a plurality of sections, each section being an air-tight compartment and each having an outer face and an inner face, wherein the number of compartments is sufficient in number such that the outer faces, when joined together, form the outer hemispherical shape, wherein the outer face of each section has two generally vertical side edges, the edges being defined by the intersection of a plane extending from the vertical central axis of the hemisphere with the hemispherical surface, interface edge sealing means sealing the edges of the faces meeting to form each air-tight compartment section, sealing opposed vertical side edges of adjacent sections to form the hemispherical shape, and defining the thickness of the compartment of the sections and the wall of the enclosure, an opening in each section near the top of the compartment close to the vertical central axis of the hemisphere, a manifold comprising an air input aperture, a chamber in air-flow communication with the aperture and a plurality of passageway openings, one opening for each section, and an air-tight closure means to open and close each passageway opening with each opening directed radially from the central axis of the hemisphere, and sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each section.

Claim 16

An inflatable enclosure, generally in the shape of a hemisphere, comprising a plurality of sections, each section being an air-tight compartment and each having an outer face and an inner face, wherein the number of compartments is sufficient in number such that the outer faces, when joined together, form the outer hemispherical shape, wherein the outer face of each section has two generally vertical side edges, the edges being defined by the intersection of a plane extending from the vertical central axis of the hemisphere with the hemispherical surface, interface edge sealing means sealing the edges of the faces meeting to form each air-tight compartment section, sealing opposed vertical side edges of adjacent sections to form the hemispherical shape, and defining the thickness of the compartment of the sections and the wall of the enclosure, an opening in each section near the top of the compartment close to the vertical central axis of the hemisphere, a manifold comprising an air input aperture, a chamber in air-flow communication with the aperture and a plurality of passageway openings, one opening for each section, and an air-tight closure means to open and close each passageway opening with each opening directed radially from the central axis of the hemisphere, and sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each section.

Claim 17

An inflatable enclosure, generally in the shape of a hemisphere, comprising a plurality of sections, each being an air-tight compartment and each having an outer face and an inner face, wherein the number of compartments is sufficient in number such that the outer faces, when joined, form the outer hemispherical shape wherein the outer face of each section has two generally vertical side edges, the edges being defined by the intersection of plane extending from the vertical central axis of the sphere with the spherical surface, a bottom sealing means to seal lower edges of the inner and outer faces together, a marginal sealing means to seal the vertical edges of the inner and outer faces of each section to each other and to seal these edges to the vertical edge of the next adjacent section to form the hemispherical shape, an opening in each section near the top of the section, close to the vertical central axis of the hemisphere, a manifold comprising an air input aperture, a chamber in air flow communication with the aperture and a plurality of passageway openings, one opening for each section, each opening directed radially from the central axis of the sphere, sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each section. an annualr floor detachably attached to the inflatable enclosure comprising a ring of pie-sections, each section being a sealed compartment with a top face and a bottom face, an interface edge sealing means sealing the edges of the top face to the bottom face as they meet to form the air-tight compartment, joining adjacent pie-sections to form the floor and defining the thickness of the floor, an annular manifold located in the center cavity comprising an annular chamber, an air input aperture, a plurality of passageway openings radiating outwardly for each pie-section and a closure means for each passageway opening, capable of opening and closing air flow in and out of the manifold, an opening in each pie-section near the center of the section, and sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each pie-section.

Claim 18

An inflatable enclosure, generally in the shape of a hemisphere, comprising a plurality of sections, each being an air-tight compartment and each having an outer face and an inner face, wherein the number of compartments is sufficient in number such that the outer faces, when joined, form the outer hemispherical shape wherein the outer face of each section has two generally vertical side edges, the edges being defined by the intersection of plane extending from the vertical central axis of the sphere with the spherical surface, a bottom sealing means to seal lower edges of the inner and outer faces together, a marginal sealing means to seal the vertical edges of the inner and outer faces of each section to each other and to seal these edges to the vertical edge of the next adjacent section to form the hemispherical shape, an opening in each section near the top of the section, close to the vertical central axis of the hemisphere, a manifold comprising an air input aperture, a chamber in air flow communication with the aperture and a plurality of passageway openings, one opening for each section, each opening directed radially from the central axis of the sphere, sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each section. an annualr floor detachably attached to the inflatable enclosure comprising a ring of pie-sections, each section being a sealed compartment with a top face and a bottom face, an interface edge sealing means sealing the edges of the top face to the bottom face as they meet to form the air-tight compartment, joining adjacent pie-sections to form the floor and defining the thickness of the floor, an annular manifold located in the center cavity comprising an annular chamber, an air input aperture, a plurality of passageway openings radiating outwardly for each pie-section and a closure means for each passageway opening, capable of opening and closing air flow in and out of the manifold, an opening in each pie-section near the center of the section, and sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each pie-section.

Claim 19

An inflatable enclosure, generally in the shape of a hemisphere, comprising a plurality of sections, each section being an air-tight compartment and each having an outer face and an inner face, wherein the number of compartments is sufficient in number such that the outer faces, when joined together, form the outer hemispherical shape, wherein the outer face of each section has two generally vertical side edges, the edges being defined by the intersection of a plane extending from the vertical central axis of the hemisphere with the hemispherical surface, interface edge sealing means sealing the edges of the faces meeting to form each air-tight compartment section, sealing opposed vertical side edges of adjacent sections to form the hemispherical shape, and defining the thickness of the compartment of the sections and the wall of the enclosure, an opening in each section near the top of the compartment close to the vertical central axis of the hemisphere, a manifold comprising an air input aperture, a chamber in air-flow communication with the aperture and a plurality of passageway openings, one opening for each section, and an air-tight closure means to open and close each passageway independently, with each opening directed radially from the central axis of the hemisphere, sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each section, an annular floor detachably attached to the inflatable enclosure comprising a ring of pie-sections, each section being a sealed compartment with a top face and a bottom face, and interface edge sealing means sealing the edges of the top face to the bottom face as they meet to form the air-tight compartment, joining adjacent pie-sections to form the floor, and defining the thickness of the floor, an annular mainfold located in the center cavity comprising an annular chamber, an air input aperture, a plurality of passageway openings radiating outwardly from the chamber, one for each pie-section, and a closure means for each passageway opening, capable of opening and closing air flow in and out of each pie-section, an opening in each pie-section near the center of the section, and sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each pie-section.

Claim 20

An inflatable enclosure, generally in the shape of a hemisphere, comprising a plurality of sections, each section being an air-tight compartment and each having an outer face and an inner face, wherein the number of compartments is sufficient in number such that the outer faces, when joined together, form the outer hemispherical shape, wherein the outer face of each section has two generally vertical side edges, the edges being defined by the intersection of a plane extending from the vertical central axis of the hemisphere with the hemispherical surface, interface edge sealing means sealing the edges of the faces meeting to form each air-tight compartment section, sealing opposed vertical side edges of adjacent sections to form the hemispherical shape, and defining the thickness of the compartment of the sections and the wall of the enclosure, an opening in each section near the top of the compartment close to the vertical central axis of the hemisphere, a manifold comprising an air input aperture, a chamber in air-flow communication with the aperture and a plurality of passageway openings, one opening for each section, and an air-tight closure means to open and close each passageway independently, with each opening directed radially from the central axis of the hemisphere, sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each section, an annular floor detachably attached to the inflatable enclosure comprising a ring of pie-sections, each section being a sealed compartment with a top face and a bottom face, and interface edge sealing means sealing the edges of the top face to the bottom face as they meet to form the air-tight compartment, joining adjacent pie-sections to form the floor, and defining the thickness of the floor, an annular mainfold located in the center cavity comprising an annular chamber, an air input aperture, a plurality of passageway openings radiating outwardly from the chamber, one for each pie-section, and a closure means for each passageway opening, capable of opening and closing air flow in and out of each pie-section, an opening in each pie-section near the center of the section, and sealing means to sealably connect each passageway in air communication to the opening in each pie-section.