Inflatable air support surface and support element

Abstract

An air inflatable support element includes: (a) two identical circular outer sections, one being an upper outer section and the other being a lower outer section; and (b) two or more circular middle sections, each middle section being affixed at its periphery to the adjacent middle section, each middle section being identical to the other middle sections, each middle section being affixed to an outer section; wherein the outer sections are parallel, but not affixed, to one another; the outer and middle sections each include an identically sized central aperture, the central aperture extending through the center of the support element; and the support element includes a flexible, nonmetallic material. Also included is an air support surface containing the support elements.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An air inflatable, flexible support element for supporting an air support surface, the support element comprising: 
 (a) two identical circular outer sections, one being an upper outer section and the other being a lower outer section; and    (b) two or more circular middle sections, each middle section being affixed at its periphery to the adjacent middle section, each middle section being identical to the other middle sections, each middle section being affixed to an outer section;    wherein the outer sections are parallel, but not affixed, to one another;    wherein the outer and middle sections each comprise an identically sized central aperture, the central aperture extending through the center of the support element;    wherein the support element is substantially comprised of a flexible, nonmetallic, inflatable material.    
     
     
         2 . An air support surface with even stress distribution, the surface comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of identical air support elements, each one comprising two identical circular outer sections, one being an upper outer section and the other being a lower outer section; and two identical circular middle sections, each middle section being affixed at its periphery to the adjacent middle section, each middle section being affixed to an outer section;    (b) a top sheet affixed to the upper outer section of each support element within the support surface;    (c) a bottom sheet affixed to the lower outer section of each support element within the support surface;    wherein the inflatable support elements are generally parallel to one another and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the support surface.    
     
     
         3 . A method of maintaining an air support surface with evenly distributed areas of high and low pressure, comprising the steps of: 
 a) automatically maintaining air pressure in the support surface between self-contained internal support elements;    b) ventilating the inside of the support elements to the ambient atmosphere.