Inflatable structures

摘要

1,148,917. Inflatable engine air intake on aircraft. DUNLOP CO. Ltd. 27 July, 1966 [10 Aug., 1965], No. 34103/65. Addition to 1,090,962. Heading B7G. [Also in Division F1] An inflatable intake for an aircraft engine comprises an inflatable envelope or sac arranged to be mounted in a recess formed in a housing surrounding the engine, there being internal reinforcements to limit the expansion of the envelope or sac upon inflation thereof. The interior of the envelope is free from other obstructions which would tend to limit the extent to which the envelope or sac may be collapsed. The invention is shown applied to an aircraft vertical lift jet engine which comprises a housing surrounding the intake end of the engine, the housing being formed with an annular recess 1 in which the inflatable intake 2 is mounted. The intake comprises an annular inflatable sac 3 formed of fabric reinforced rubber sheet and is secured within the annular recess 1 by means of a retaining ring 5 disposed within the sac which is secured to the base of the recess by bolts and nut, not shown. An inflation connection 6 is provided. A series of reinforcing webs 8 is provided within the sac 3, the webs being formed of woven, inextensible filamentary material and the webs extend in radial planes containing the axis A-A of the air intake in the inflated condition. The reinforcing webs are provided at the positions indicated at 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. The inflatable sac is covered by an outer skin 15 of rubber, the skin being under tension when the sac 3 is inflated so that when the sac is deflated, the outer skin acts to retract the whole intake structure into the recess. The outer skin 15 is formed with orifices 16 at the inner surface thereof, the flow of air through the intake acting to bleed off any air trapped between the inner sac and the outer skin. In a second embodiment the outer skin is not formed as a closed member but the lower ends thereof are formed with beads which engage shoulders formed on the recess 1.