US4783045A — Inflatable bladder for control of fluid flow

Claim 1

Independent Claim 224 words

A fluid expansible portable bladder for insertion in a fluid flow passage for use as a damper in a fluid flow system comprising an assembly of a generally flat base layer of semi-flexible material having a shape memory, an overlayer of fluid conformable material sealed at its edges to said base layer and said assembly being sufficiently flexible to permit opposite edges of said assembly to be brought to each other to form a loop for flatly lining the interior surface of a fluid flow passage, the semi-flex property of said base layer being such that said loop can be manually collapsed for insertion in said fluid flow passage and having a shape memory such that upon release from a collapsed condition said assembly returns to said loop configuration to line said passage, connection means associated with said assembly for connecting a supply of inflating fluid to said bladder, said conformable overlayer being capable of accepting said fluid to expand the assembly, the semi-flex property of said base layer being such that said base layer is flexed by pull forces at its edges and thereby internally stressed as said assembly expands whereby upon release of inflation pressure from the assembly said base layer exerts stress forces on said overlayer acting to return the assembly to its generally flat shape and thereby deflate said assembly.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 224 words

A fluid expansible portable bladder for insertion in a fluid flow passage for use as a damper in a fluid flow system comprising an assembly of a generally flat base layer of semi-flexible material having a shape memory, an overlayer of fluid conformable material sealed at its edges to said base layer and said assembly being sufficiently flexible to permit opposite edges of said assembly to be brought to each other to form a loop for flatly lining the interior surface of a fluid flow passage, the semi-flex property of said base layer being such that said loop can be manually collapsed for insertion in said fluid flow passage and having a shape memory such that upon release from a collapsed condition said assembly returns to said loop configuration to line said passage, connection means associated with said assembly for connecting a supply of inflating fluid to said bladder, said conformable overlayer being capable of accepting said fluid to expand the assembly, the semi-flex property of said base layer being such that said base layer is flexed by pull forces at its edges and thereby internally stressed as said assembly expands whereby upon release of inflation pressure from the assembly said base layer exerts stress forces on said overlayer acting to return the assembly to its generally flat shape and thereby deflate said assembly.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

A fluid expansible bladder assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein means is provided in the space between said layers to maintain a space between said layers when the assembly is deflated whereby air passages are provided in zones where pinching flexure of the assembly may occur.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 24 words

A fluid expansible bladder as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means comprise embossments on the interior surface of one of said layers.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 20 words

A fluid expansible bladder as set forth in claim 2 in which said means comprises a strip of screening material.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 188 words

A fluid expansible portable bladder adaptable to insertion in a fluid flow passage for use as a damper in a fluid flow system comprising a longitudinal assembly of a generally flat base layer of semi-flexible material having a shape memory, an overlayer of fluid conformable material sealed at its edges to said base layer and connection means associated with said assembly for connecting a supply of inflating fluid to said bladder, said conformable overlayer being capable of accepting said fluid to expand the assembly, the semi-flex property of said base layer being such that said base layer is flexed by pull forces at its edges and thereby internally stressed as said assembly expands whereby upon release of inflation pressure from the assembly said base layer exerts stress forces on said overlayer acting to return the assembly to its deflated generally flat shape, the ends of said longitudinal assembly being joined together to form said bladder into a cylinder with the base sheet on the outside of the cylinder, said cylinder being of dimension corresponding to the interior dimensions of a duct into which it is to be installed.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 188 words

A fluid expansible portable bladder adaptable to insertion in a fluid flow passage for use as a damper in a fluid flow system comprising a longitudinal assembly of a generally flat base layer of semi-flexible material having a shape memory, an overlayer of fluid conformable material sealed at its edges to said base layer and connection means associated with said assembly for connecting a supply of inflating fluid to said bladder, said conformable overlayer being capable of accepting said fluid to expand the assembly, the semi-flex property of said base layer being such that said base layer is flexed by pull forces at its edges and thereby internally stressed as said assembly expands whereby upon release of inflation pressure from the assembly said base layer exerts stress forces on said overlayer acting to return the assembly to its deflated generally flat shape, the ends of said longitudinal assembly being joined together to form said bladder into a cylinder with the base sheet on the outside of the cylinder, said cylinder being of dimension corresponding to the interior dimensions of a duct into which it is to be installed.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 51 words

A fluid expansible bladder as set forth in claim 5 in which reference clip members are provided in gripping relation with the exterior and interior surfaces of said cylinder at spaced regions about said cylinder whereby reference regions are gripped about the cylinder for prefixing the regions between adjacent expansion pockets.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 43 words

A fluid expansible bladder as set forth in claim 6 in which a blocking member is provided on the interior surface of said cylinder corresponding to the central space formed upon inflation of expansion pockets of said bladder as full inflation is approached.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 203 words

A longitudinal fluid expansible bladder assembly for use as a damper in air conditioning systems, said bladder comprising an assembly of two coextensive layers sealed at its edges against leakage of inflating fluid therefrom, one of said layers being adaptable to lining the interior perimeter of at least a portion of an air flow path of an air conditioning system, the other of said coextensive layers being conformable to inflating fluid supplied to said bladder, said assembly being sufficiently flexible to permit opposite edges of said assembly to be brought to each other to form a loop for flatly lining the interior of said air flow path, the semi-flex property of said assembly also being such as to permit manual collapse of said loop for insertion in said air flow path and upon release frm its collapsed condition result in its return to said loop configuration to line said flow path, means for supplying inflating fluid to said bladder, at least one of said layers being internally stressed when said bladder is inflated and means for release of inflating fluid from said bladder whereupon said bladder acts to deflate itself under the force of the internal stress of at least said one layer.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 203 words

A longitudinal fluid expansible bladder assembly for use as a damper in air conditioning systems, said bladder comprising an assembly of two coextensive layers sealed at its edges against leakage of inflating fluid therefrom, one of said layers being adaptable to lining the interior perimeter of at least a portion of an air flow path of an air conditioning system, the other of said coextensive layers being conformable to inflating fluid supplied to said bladder, said assembly being sufficiently flexible to permit opposite edges of said assembly to be brought to each other to form a loop for flatly lining the interior of said air flow path, the semi-flex property of said assembly also being such as to permit manual collapse of said loop for insertion in said air flow path and upon release frm its collapsed condition result in its return to said loop configuration to line said flow path, means for supplying inflating fluid to said bladder, at least one of said layers being internally stressed when said bladder is inflated and means for release of inflating fluid from said bladder whereupon said bladder acts to deflate itself under the force of the internal stress of at least said one layer.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 90 words

A fluid expansible bladder assembly as set forth in claim 8 in which the bladder is generally patterned with a longitudinal section and lateral extensions therefrom with slots between it which said bladder can be bent to conform to rectangular air passageways, said lateral extensions each having air communication with said longitudinal portion to permit inflation of each from said longitudinal portion, means interior of said longitudinal portion to maintain a separation between said layers to permit fluid supply between said layers for the full length of said longitudinal portion.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 163 words

A longitudinal fluid expansible bladder assembly for use as a damper in air conditioning systems, said bladder comprising an assembly of two coextensive layers sealed at its edges against leakage of inflating fluid therefrom, one of said layers being adaptable to lining the interior perimeter of at least a portion of an air flow path of an air conditioning system, the other of said coextensive layers being conformable to inflating fluid supplied to said bladder, means for supplying inflating fluid to said bladder, said one of said layers being internally stressed across its width when said bladder is inflated and means for release of inflating fluid from said bladder whereupon said bladder acts to deflate itself under the force of the internal stress of at least said one layer, said bladder being provided in a retaining housing, said housing being adaptable to insertion as a duct section for provision of a damper controlled air flow path therethrough in an air conditioning duct system.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 163 words

A longitudinal fluid expansible bladder assembly for use as a damper in air conditioning systems, said bladder comprising an assembly of two coextensive layers sealed at its edges against leakage of inflating fluid therefrom, one of said layers being adaptable to lining the interior perimeter of at least a portion of an air flow path of an air conditioning system, the other of said coextensive layers being conformable to inflating fluid supplied to said bladder, means for supplying inflating fluid to said bladder, said one of said layers being internally stressed across its width when said bladder is inflated and means for release of inflating fluid from said bladder whereupon said bladder acts to deflate itself under the force of the internal stress of at least said one layer, said bladder being provided in a retaining housing, said housing being adaptable to insertion as a duct section for provision of a damper controlled air flow path therethrough in an air conditioning duct system.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 16 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which said air flow path is circular.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 18 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which said air flow path is square or rectangular.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 148 words

A portable fluid inflatable generally flat longitudinal bladder assembly having its ends brought together to form the bladder into a loop configuration matched in dimension to the interior of a fluid flow passageway into which it is inserted and for control of fluid flow in said passageway, said bladder comprising a pair of coextensive flexible layers of fluid impermeable material, said layers being joined together in sealed relation at the edges of said bladder, an inlet for introduction of fluid into said bladder, at least one of said layers being conformable to fluid introduced into said bladder to expand said bladder and flexible semi-rigid shape-imparting means incorporated in said bladder assembly which is subject to being stressed sufficiently when said bladder is formed into a loop to exert outward force on the assembly to cause it to perimetrically line the fluid flow passageway into which it is inserted.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 148 words

A portable fluid inflatable generally flat longitudinal bladder assembly having its ends brought together to form the bladder into a loop configuration matched in dimension to the interior of a fluid flow passageway into which it is inserted and for control of fluid flow in said passageway, said bladder comprising a pair of coextensive flexible layers of fluid impermeable material, said layers being joined together in sealed relation at the edges of said bladder, an inlet for introduction of fluid into said bladder, at least one of said layers being conformable to fluid introduced into said bladder to expand said bladder and flexible semi-rigid shape-imparting means incorporated in said bladder assembly which is subject to being stressed sufficiently when said bladder is formed into a loop to exert outward force on the assembly to cause it to perimetrically line the fluid flow passageway into which it is inserted.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 25 words

An inflatable bladder assembly as set forth in claim 13 in which said flexible semi-rigid shape imparting means comprises at least one of said layers.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 30 words

An inflatable bladder assembly as set forht in claim 13 including separating means maintaining a flow path between said layers for inflating fluid when said assembly is in deflated condition.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 30 words

An inflatable bladder assembly as set forth in claim 15 in which said separating means and said shape imparting means comprise a member extending through the length of said assembly.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 17 words

An inflatable bladder assembly as set forth in claim 16 in which said separator member is porous.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 21 words

An inflatable bladder assembly as set forth in claim 15 in which said separator means is a layer of screen material.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 28 words

An inflatable bladder assembly as set forth in claim 15 in which said separating means is integral with the interior surface of at least one of said layers.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 183 words

A portable fluid inflatable generally flat longitudinal bladder assembly adaptable to having its ends brought together to form the bladder into a loop configuration matched in dimension to the interior of a fluid flow passageway into which it is inserted and for control of fluid flow in said passageway, said bladder comprising a pair of coextensive flexible layers of fluid impermeable material, said layers being joined together in sealed relation at the edges of said bladder, an inlet for introduction of fluid into said bladder, at least one of said layers being conformable to fluid introduced into said bladder to expand said bladder, flexible semi-rigid shape-imparting means for said bladder assembly which is subject to being stressed sufficiently when said bladder is formed into a loop to exert outward force on the assembly to cause it to perimetrically line the fluid flow passageway into which it is inserted, said bladder as a loop being combined with said fluid passageway by being positioned therein lining the interior perimeter of a section of said passageway with said conformable layer facing the interior of said passageway.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 183 words

A portable fluid inflatable generally flat longitudinal bladder assembly adaptable to having its ends brought together to form the bladder into a loop configuration matched in dimension to the interior of a fluid flow passageway into which it is inserted and for control of fluid flow in said passageway, said bladder comprising a pair of coextensive flexible layers of fluid impermeable material, said layers being joined together in sealed relation at the edges of said bladder, an inlet for introduction of fluid into said bladder, at least one of said layers being conformable to fluid introduced into said bladder to expand said bladder, flexible semi-rigid shape-imparting means for said bladder assembly which is subject to being stressed sufficiently when said bladder is formed into a loop to exert outward force on the assembly to cause it to perimetrically line the fluid flow passageway into which it is inserted, said bladder as a loop being combined with said fluid passageway by being positioned therein lining the interior perimeter of a section of said passageway with said conformable layer facing the interior of said passageway.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 20 words

An inflatable bladder assembly as set forth in claim 20 in which said passageway in cross-section has a multisided shape.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1991-11-08	1992-05-09	1992-11-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1995-11-08	1996-05-09	1996-11-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1999-11-08	2000-05-09	2000-11-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Inflatable bladder for control of fluid flow

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