WO2015172926A1

WO2015172926A1 - Protection screen automatically inflatable and rollable up if deflated

Info

Publication number: WO2015172926A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/056365
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean Pierre Pontarollo
Original assignee: Free Screen S.R.L.
Priority date: 2014-05-14
Filing date: 2015-03-25
Publication date: 2015-11-19
Also published as: EP3145799A1

Abstract

The protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) is partially inflatable to get its own configuration of use and is formed of a material that enables it to roll up onto itself whenever it is deflated. The non-inflatable part (24, 26; 26A; 26B) of the screen (10; 10A; 10B) is at least partially formed of a sheet (26; 26A; 26B) made of a plastic material of such a type that, the screen being rolled up, if heated up to a determined temperature which depends on the type of the plastic material and subsequently cooled down, keeps a memory of its own rolled up condition, so as to make the screen (10; 10A; 10B) automatically roll up onto itself whenever it is deflated and left free.

Description

PROTECTION SCREEN AUTOMATICALLY INFLATABLE AND ROLLABLE UP IF DEFLATED

The present invention concerns an inflatable protection screen that, if deflated, automatically rolls up onto itself so as to have, in its non-use condition, a definitely lower space occupied than in its use condition.

Environmental conditions possibly hinder the use of places or means which only the adoption of solutions that are invasive in terms of space occupied and weight makes it possible to benefit from. For instance:

- wind and/or excessive sun might represent a disturbance for those who wish to benefit from a terrace;

- rain or an excessive exposure to the sun might surprise one who started a trip by bicycle under milder weather conditions.

A purpose of the present invention is to provide a device that allows to overcome the above drawbacks or at least to mitigate them.

Before explaining how is such purpose achieved, let us mention that patent document DE 195 36 510 Al describes a roller blind for a window of a vehicle, which can be partially inflated to assume its own shape of use, and provided with spring elements, made of a plastic or metal material, which allow it to be rolled up again whenever it is deflated, the non inflatable part of the blind being at least partially formed of a sheet made of a plastic material definitely different from said spring elements. Said purpose is achieved and its respective technical problem is solved thanks to a protection screen according to the present invention, a screen that is partially inflatable to assume its own configuration of use and is made of a material that enables it to roll up onto itself whenever it is deflated, characterized in that the non inflatable part of the screen is at least partially formed of a sheet of a plastic material of a type that, the screen being rolled up, if heated up to a determined temperature which depends on the type of the plastic material and is subsequently cooled down, keeps a memory of its own rolled up condition, so as to make the screen automatically roll up onto itself whenever it is deflated and left free.

Plastic materials provided with memory suitable for this purpose are for instance PVC deprived of plasticizers, or PET, in the form of sheets. As a matter of fact, those skilled in the sector know that these materials, when heated up to their respective softening temperature (around 80°C), in a furnace or in a bain-marie bath, and subsequently cooled down, according to well known techniques (the so-called thermoforming) , keep a memory of the shape they had during the thermoforming and, if there are no impediments, they automatically reassume such as a shape (i.e. the shape whereby the screen is rolled up onto itself) .

The inflatable part of the screen can be embodied for instance by a fabric spread with polyurethanic resins to make it airtight, of the type used for life jackets or camping tents, or by using sheets or tapes made of PVC containing plasticizers . Such sheets of tapes and such fabric can be used to manufacture inflatable tubular elements to implement the inflatable part of the screen.

Conveniently is it at least the peripheral part of the screen, conveniently frame-shaped, that is inflatable, so as to cause its unrolling to assume the pattern of use.

The invention will be more easily understandable by the following description of some of its illustrative embodiments. In this description reference will be made to the attached drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a schematic front view of a screen according to the present invention, in its condition preceding thermoforming;

figure 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view thereof, a little bit enlarged with respect to figure 1 (enlarged are also those of the successive figures 3-5) , made along line 2-2 in figure 1;

figure 3 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 3-3 in figure 1;

figure 4 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view thereof along line 4-4 in figure 1;

figure 5 is an intermediate vertical cross-sectional view of the screen depicted in figure 1 inflated, in its condition of use, applied onto the handlebar of a bicycle by means of specifically designed fixing means;

figure 6 is an elevation view thereof according to arrow 6 in figure 5; figure 7 is an elevation view thereof according to arrow 7 in figure 5;

figure 8 is similar to figure 6, the screen being rolled up onto itself, under non-use condition;

figure 9 is similar to figure 7, the screen being rolled up onto itself, under non use condition;

figure 10 is a side view thereof according to arrow 10 in figure 9;

figure 11 is similar to figure 6 the difference being in that the screen represented therein is of a type simpler than that depicted in figure 1 and this is in its condition of use (inflated) ;

figure 12 is an intermediate cross-sectional view thereof .

figure 13 is an elevation view of another embodiment of the screen according to the invention, in its condition of use;

figure 14 is a side view thereof in the direction of arrow 14 in figure 13;

figure 15 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 15-15 in figure 13;

figure 16 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 16-16 in figure 13, but in the non-use condition .

Figures 1-4 show an example of how could a screen be embodied according to the present invention, shown in its condition preceding the thermoforming process.

Specifically the screen 10 comprises a tubular frame 12 also comprising in this specific case a tubular cross member 14. The frame 12 is obtained by using two sheets 21 and 22 (figures 2-4) made of a PVC containing plasticizers, some tenths of millimeters thick, cut out, for instance, from a tape of the same material. The sheets 21 and 22 make it possible to form the front and rear faces respectively (which will also be identified by the reference numerals 21 and 22 respectively in this document) of the frame 12 after being hermetically welded, for instance high-frequency welded, to each other along their respective contours to obtain the inflatable frame composed of the tubular elements 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, in this specific case all communicating with each other. Figures 1-4 also show that a part 24 of the face 22 also occupies the upper field of the screen 10, specifically that comprised between the cross-member 14 and the frame sections 15, 17, and 18.

As an already mentioned alternative the faces 21 and 22 can also be obtained from a fabric spread with polyurethanic resins so as to make it airtight.

Conversely the lower field comprised between the cross member 14 and the frame sections 16, 19, and 20 is occupied, in this specific case, by a sheet 26 made of a PVC deprived of plasticizers, which is a material stiffener than a PVC with plasticizers, even though still rather flexible, its thickness being of few tenths of millimeters only, which is suitable for thermoforming, whereby it keeps a memory of the shape it has during such operation. As already mentioned before, PET can be alternatively used. The sheet 26 is incorporated between the flaps of the faces 21 and 22, also by means of a high-frequency welding. Figures 1 and 2 show that the sheet 26 extends upwards beyond the cross-member 14, thus by-passing such cross- member and invading the field 24 (as it can be noted by looking at the middle part of figure 2), so that the upper edge of the sheet 26 remains trapped between its respective flaps of the faces 21 and 22. In figures 2-4 the position of the linear weldings used to form the screen 10 are indicated by black rectangles.

The screen 10 is provided with a conventional inflation valve 28 and two conventional deflation valves 29. In this embodiment of the screen 10 provided with an inflatable cross member 14 and a non inflatable field 24, using two deflation valves considerably facilitates deflation, whereas in the embodiment depicted in figures 10 and 11 (which does not comprise any cross-member) it will be sufficient to equip the deflation valve 29 located in the section 16 only. A safety or overpressure valve 31 might also be provided as a protection from an excessive inflation .

As figure 1 shows it, the sheet 26 comprises a number of holes 30 whose function will be apparent later.

The inventor of the present invention had realized that rolling up the screen 10 onto itself in the direction of its length at least for that part which comprises the sheet 26 and raising the temperature of at least such part up to approximately 80°C and then letting it cool down, while leaving the screen rolled up (i.e. substantially submitting the rolled up sheet 26 to thermoforming) , such sheet subsequently retains the rolled up form all the time and, if unrolled and then left free, it comes back to its rolled up condition.

In our case, if via the inflation valve 28 the frame 12 is inflated by means of any suitable means (a tyre pump, an inflation bomb available on the market, or any compressed air or suitable controlled pressure gas source) up to a sufficient pressure value (in this case limited by the overpressure valve) , then a progressive unrolling of the screen 10 is obtained. In the specific case of the screen 10 depicted in figure 1, once this is rolled up onto itself at least in correspondence with the part containing the sheet 26 and then thermoformed, its inflation makes it unroll and assume the shape represented in figures 5-7. In these figures the screen 10 is shown fixed to the cross- member 32 of a bicycle handlebar via connection means 34 which, by using the holes 30 present in the sheet 26, make it possible to fix the screen 10 to the cross-member 32. In this specific case, the connection member 34 is provided with a receptacle 38 suitable for receiving most of the screen 10 whenever it automatically rolls up following its deflation (as shown in figure 10) .

The fact whereby the screen 10, when inflated, assumes the angled configuration shown in figures 5-7 is a consequence of the cross member 14 being inflated (see the middle part in figure 2) whose transversal section, because of inflation, assumes a substantially circular shape which makes that part of the screen which is above the cross- member 14 bend leftwards (with respect to figure 2) . In order to prevent wind in particular from modifying said angled configuration, a hookable/unkookable tie rod 36

(figure 5) can be provided at each side of the screen, so as to reliably retain such configuration.

Should the screen 10 be used on a bicycle, the sheet 26 is conveniently made transparent (by specifically using a transparent PVC or PET) , whereas the frame and even the upper field 24 can be made of an opaque material, in particular in the case of a fabric spread with polyurethanic resins, as a protection from the sunlight.

A simplified screen 10A is shown in figures 10 and 11

(in which elements equal to those of the screen 10 are identified by the same reference numerals) . It is enough to say that in this case the sheet 26A (made of a material that keeps a memory of the rolled up shape assumed during the thermoforming) occupies the whole inside of the frame 12A (with no cross-member) . Therefore, whenever the sections 15, 16, 19, and 20 of the frame 12A are inflated, the screen 12A extends starting from its rolled up condition in the receptacle 38 and assumes the configuration depicted in figures 11 and 12 without making any angles .

Let us now briefly describe the individual operating steps through which the screen 10 or 10A can be embodied and for which known techniques are used: a. Cut out the front face 21 and the rear face 22 which make up the frame 12 or 12A from a tape of fabric spread with polyurethanic resins or from a tape of PVC containing plasticizers or of flexible polyurethane;

b. Insert the inflation and deflation valves 28 and 29 respectively and the overpressure valve 31, if any, in the position reserved therefor on either/both face(s) 21 and/or 22;

c. Weld to each other the faces 21 and 22 along their respective perimeters, a little bit internally thereto, to obtain the inflatable frame 12 or 12A thus leaving a flap of the edge, free;

d. Cut out to measure the sheet 26 or 26A made of PVC deprived of plasticizers, to be inserted in the frame 12 or 12A and featuring such a thickness as not to prevent it from being rolled up;

e. Insert the sheet 26 or 26A in its position in the frame 12 or 12A, so that its edges are arranged between their respective adjacent flaps of the two faces 21 and 22;

f. Make along the edges of the sheet 26 or 26A a welding between them and said flaps;

g. Punch the sheet 26 or 26A to form the holes 30 used to fix the screen to the support means 34 and other holes, if any, (which shall not concern the inflatable part indeed) as necessary (for instance, in order to connect the tie rods 36) ;

h. Insert that side of the screen 10 or 10A which the support means 34 are fixed to in an axial slot of a shaft; i. Roll up at least that part of the screen 12 or 12A which contains the sheet 26 or 26A around the shaft so as to obtain the rolled up condition thereof;

1. Heat up in a furnace at least the part rolled up on the shaft so that it reaches the softening temperature (approximately 80°C, if using PVC or PET);

m. Perform a preferably ventilated cooling down of the screen 12 or 12A and make it slip out of the shaft;

n. Mount the support means 34 onto the screen 12 or 12A.

In order to use the screen 12 or 12A it will be sufficient to inflate the frame 12 or 12A indeed. Having finished to use it, it will be sufficient to deflate it by acting onto the deflation valve (s) in order for the screen 10 or 10A to automatically roll up and specifically to roll up within the receptacle 38, thus minimizing the space occupied by it .

Figures 13-16 show a further screen according to the present invention, identified by the reference numeral 10B, wherein the inflatable frame, globally referred to by the numeral 12B, is downgraded to the two side sections 19 and 20. In this case too elements equal or similar to those of the screens 10 and 10A are identified by the same reference numerals .

A sheet 26B, also made of a material that keeps a memory of the rolled up shape assumed by it during the thermoforming process, is laterally delimited by the side sections 19 and 20 which, when inflated, assume a curvilinear profile which consequently is also assumed by the sheet 26B, which profile is suitable for imparting to the inflated screen 10B a more streamlined and protective- canopy-shaped configuration (figure 14).

As shown in figures 13 and 14, the upper edge 39 of the curvilinear sheet 26B is curl-shaped, which allows to reinforce such edge and even to improve the stability of the complete assembly. For this purpose, the lower ends of the side sections 19 and 20, after being inflated, are received in their respective, symmetrically arranged semicylindrical seats 40, being part of the support means 34A, in the specific case here illustrated also connectable to a cross-member 32 of a handlebar. The sheet 26B is sandwiched between the two parts that make up the support 34A and is fixed to the latter by using the holes 30.

The screen 10B is also provided with an inflation circuit 41 formed of hosepipes leading to one valve 42, formed of hosepipes that facilitate the inflation of the two side sections 19 and 20. The valve 42 can be of a type equipped with a drilled cap provided with a pin that, upon screwing the cap in, presses the valve sealing device, thus causing a deflation.

We do not think it necessary to also describe for the screen 10B the individual steps through which it can be embodied, which should already be apparent to one who is skilled in the sector and read the previous description of those relevant to the screens 10 and 10A. Let us just mention that the coupling between the sheet 26B and the side sections 19 and 20 can alternatively be more easily made by sewing, given the curvilinear profile of the latter. Also, it is the edge 39 that will be inserted into the slot of the shaft in order for rolling up to take place, in order to hold it inside the screen whenever it is set to its rolled up condition (figure 16) .

Claims

1. A protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) partially inflatable to get its own configuration of use, formed of a material that enables it to roll up onto itself whenever it is deflated, characterized in that the non-inflatable part (24, 26; 26A; 26B) of the screen (10; 10A; 10B) is at least partially formed of a sheet (26; 26A; 26B) made of a plastic material of such a type that, the screen being rolled up, if heated up to a determined temperature which depends on the type of the plastic material and subsequently cooled down, keeps a memory of its own rolled up condition, so as to make the screen (10; 10A; 10B) automatically roll up onto itself whenever it is deflated and left free.

2. A protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material (26; 26A; 26B) provided with a memory is PVC deprived of plasticizers, or PET.

3. A protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable part (12) of the screen (10; 10A) is obtained from a fabric spread with polyurethanic resins to make it airtight.

4. A protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable part (12; 12A; 12B) of the screen (10; 10A; 10B) is obtained from sheets or tapes of PVC containing plasticizers.

5. A protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable part of the screen (10; 10A; 10B) is at least a portion of its peripheral part (12) .

6. A protection screen (10; 10A) according to claim 5, wherein the peripheral inflatable part (12; 12A) of the screen (10; 10A) has the shape of a frame.

7. A protection screen (10A) according to claim 6, wherein besides the frame-shaped part (12A) an intermediate cross-member (14) is also inflatable.

8. A protection screen (10B) according to claim 5, wherein the inflatable part (12B) is limited down to the two side sections (19, 20) .

9. A protection screen (10B) according to claim 8, wherein the two side sections (19 and 20), once inflated, feature a curvilinear profile which consequently is also assumed by the sheet (26B) .

10. A protection screen (10A; 10B) according to claim 5, wherein the non-inflatable part of the screen (10A; 10B) , internal to the frame (12A; 12B) is formed of one sheet (26A; 26B) made of a memory plastic material.

11. A protection screen (10) according to claim 7, wherein one (26) of the two fields (24, 26) into which the inflatable intermediate cross-member (14) splits the non- inflatable part of the screen (10) is formed of the sheet (26) made of a memory plastic material, the remaining field (24) being formed of a sheet (22) made of the same material as the inflatable part, the sheet (26) by-passing the cross-member (14), its respective edge of the sheet (26) being fixed to its corresponding edge of said sheet (22), so that, upon inflating the screen (10), this one assumes an angled configuration.

12. A protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable part (12; 12A; 12B) is obtained starting from two sheets of PVC containing plasticizers, few tenths of millimeter thick, properly cut out to form the front face (21) and the rear face (22) respectively of that part of the screen which is not made of a memory plastic material, once the two faces (21, 22) have been hermetically welded to each other along their respective contours .

13. A protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable part (12; 12A; 12B) is obtained starting from two sheets of fabric spread with polyurethanic resins to make it airtight, properly cut out to form the front face (21) and the rear face (22) respectively of that part of the screen which is not made of a memory plastic material, once the two faces (21, 22) have been hermetically welded to each other along their respective contours.

14. A protection screen (10; 10A; 10B) according to claim 1, wherein the memory plastic material (26; 26A; 26B) is of a transparent type.