Pneumatic sealing wall

Abstract

A pneumatic active sealing wall can create a seal between a movable wall and another part of a structure, such as a recreational vehicle, mobile home or the like. The pneumatic active sealing wall design allows the wall to expand from two sides, and, by expanding the wall parts into the side walls, gaps will be eliminated. The sealing wall can be used, for example, to create a seamless wall for folding mechanisms. Since such folding mechanisms do not allow lamination connection, the stretchable design of the pneumatic active sealing wall can solve the problems associated with sealing such movable walls.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pneumatic sealing mechanism for sealing a movable wall to an adjacent structure, comprising:
 an interior panel of the movable wall;   an exterior panel of the movable wall superimposed with the interior panel and attached thereto;   a sliding pad disposed between the interior panel and the exterior panel, the sliding pad movable between a retracted state, where the sliding pad is disposed entirely within the interior panel and the exterior panel, and an extended state, where the sliding pad extends beyond an edge of the interior panel and exterior panel; and   an airbag disposed adjacent the sliding pad, the airbag operable to push the sliding pad to the extended state.   
     
     
         2 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the airbag includes a first set of airbags, having at least a first airbag and a second airbag, disposed along a pushed side of the sliding pad, the pushed side being opposite a side that extends outward from the edge of the interior panel and the exterior panel. 
     
     
         3 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the sliding pad includes a first and second sliding pad operable to extend from opposite sides of the movable wall in the extended state;   the airbag includes a second set of airbags, having at least a third airbag and a fourth airbag, disposed along a pushed side of the second sliding pad, the pushed side being opposite a side that extends outward from the edge of the interior panel and the exterior panel.   
     
     
         4 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 1 , further comprising a resilient member resiliently urging the sliding pad into the retracted state, wherein the airbag counteracts a resiliency of the resilient member to extend the sliding pad into the expanded state. 
     
     
         5 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 4 , wherein the resilient member includes a spring. 
     
     
         6 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 4 , wherein the resilient member is disposed at least adjacent a top side and a bottom side of the sliding pad. 
     
     
         7 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 1 , further comprising an air hose delivering pressurized air to the airbag. 
     
     
         8 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 7 , further comprising an air control device operable to control an amount of pressurized air delivered to the airbags. 
     
     
         9 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 first and second resilient members resiliently urging, respectively, the first and second sliding pads into the retracted state, wherein the first and second sets of airbags respectively counteracts a resiliency of the first and second resilient member to extend the first and second sliding pads into the expanded state.   
     
     
         10 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 9 , further comprising an air hose delivering pressurized air uniformly to the first and second sets of airbags, wherein the first and second sliding pads are uniformly extended into the expanded state. 
     
     
         11 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the adjacent structure includes a slot for receiving the sliding pad. 
     
     
         12 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the sliding pad uniformly extends, in the extended state, from the interior and exterior panels, from adjacent a top side of the interior and exterior panels to adjacent a bottom side of the interior and exterior panels. 
     
     
         13 . A pneumatic sealing mechanism for sealing a movable wall to adjacent structures, comprising:
 an interior panel of the movable wall;   an exterior panel of the movable wall superimposed with the interior panel and attached thereto;   first and second sliding pads disposed between the interior panel and the exterior panel, the first and second sliding pads movable between a retracted state, where the first and second sliding pads are disposed entirely within the interior panel and the exterior panel, and an extended state, where the first and second sliding pads extend beyond respective opposite edges of the interior panel and exterior panel;   a first airbag disposed adjacent the first sliding pad, the first airbag operable to push the first sliding pad to the extended state;   a second airbag disposed adjacent the second sliding pad, the second airbag operable to push the second sliding pad to the extended state; and   first and second resilient members resiliently urging respective first and second sliding pads into the retracted state, wherein the first and second airbags respectively counteract a resiliency of the first and second resilient members to extend respective first and second sliding pads into the expanded state.   
     
     
         14 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second resilient members each include first and second springs. 
     
     
         15 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second springs of each of the first and second resilient members are disposed at least adjacent a top side and a bottom side of each of the first and second sliding pads. 
     
     
         16 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 13 , further comprising an air hose delivering pressurized air uniformly to the first and second airbags, wherein the first and second sliding pads are uniformly extended into the expanded state. 
     
     
         17 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 16 , further comprising an air control device operable to control an amount of pressurized air delivered to the airbags. 
     
     
         18 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 13 , wherein the adjacent structures include slots for receiving the first and second sliding pads. 
     
     
         19 . The pneumatic sealing mechanism of  claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second sliding pads uniformly extend, in the extended state, from the interior and exterior panels, from adjacent a top side of the interior and exterior panels to adjacent a bottom side of the interior and exterior panels. 
     
     
         20 . A method for sealing a movable wall to an adjacent structure, the method comprising:
 moving a movable wall from a first position to a second position, the movable wall having:
 an interior panel; 
 an exterior panel superimposed with the interior panel and attached thereto; 
 a sliding pad disposed between the interior panel and the exterior panel, the sliding pad movable between a retracted state, where the sliding pad is disposed entirely within the interior panel and the exterior panel, and an extended state, where the sliding pad extends beyond an edge of the interior panel and exterior panel; and 
 an airbag disposed adjacent the sliding pad, the airbag operable to push the sliding pad to the extended state; and 
   extending the sliding pad from the edge to seal the movable wall with the adjacent structure.