AIRTIGHT SEAL FOR PRESSURIZED HYPERBARIC CHAMBER
An inflatable chamber has a chamber wall, sealing panel, and seal flap. A chamber zipper is formed in the chamber wall, and a panel zipper is formed in the panel. The panel has a panel perimeter that is sealed to said chamber wall about the chamber zipper in an airtight manner to form a pocket between the chamber wall and the panel. The seal flap is positioned in the pocket to provide an airtight seal at the chamber zipper.
1 . An inflatable chamber comprising:
a chamber wall, and a chamber access opening formed in said chamber wall;
a chamber closure formed in said chamber wall at said chamber access opening, said chamber closure opening and closing to permit and deny entry through said chamber access opening;
a panel having a panel outer perimeter, said panel coupled with said chamber wall at the panel outer perimeter to form an airtight seal between said chamber wall and said panel at the panel outer perimeter, and forming a pocket between said chamber wall and said panel;
a panel access opening formed in said panel;
a panel closure formed in said panel at said panel access opening, said panel closure opening and closing to permit and deny entry through said panel access opening; and
a seal flap located in said pocket between said chamber wall and said panel, wherein said seal flap provides an airtight seal that seals said chamber closure.
2 . The chamber of claim 1 , wherein said chamber closure is sewn to said chamber wall to form a seam, and said seal flap provides an airtight seal that seals said seam.
3 . The chamber of claim 1 , further comprising a fastening feature at least partly coupling said seal flap to said chamber wall.
4 . The chamber of claim 1 , further comprising a fastening strip coupled to said chamber wall and having a strip surface that removably couples with said seal flap to retain said seal flap in position within said pocket.
5 . The chamber of claim 4 , wherein said strip surface comprises a hook feature, and said seal flap has a loop feature that removably engages with said hook feature.
6 . The chamber of claim 1 , said seal flap having one side coupled to said chamber wall and an opposite unattached side.
7 . The chamber of claim 1 , said chamber wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, said panel sealed with the inner surface of said chamber wall to provide the airtight seal.
8 . The chamber of claim 1 , wherein a user can pass through said chamber access and said panel access when said chamber closure and said panel closure are open, and wherein a user cannot pass through said chamber access and said panel access when said chamber closure and said panel closure are closed.
9 . The chamber of claim 1 , wherein when the chamber is pressurized, said seal flap is pressed toward said chamber wall to further seal said chamber closure.
10 . The chamber of claim 1 , wherein when the chamber is pressurized, said seal flap is pressed toward said chamber wall to further seal said panel closure.
11 . The chamber of claim 1 , wherein said chamber wall is flexible.
12 . The chamber of claim 1 , wherein said chamber wall is non-rigid.
13 . The chamber of claim 1 , wherein said chamber is a hyperbaric chamber.
14 . The chamber of claim 1 , wherein said pocket fully encloses said seal flap and fully surrounds the entirety of said chamber closure.
15 . An inflatable chamber comprising:
a chamber wall with a chamber zipper formed therein;
a panel having a panel zipper formed therein and a panel perimeter, said panel perimeter sealed to said chamber wall about said chamber zipper in an airtight manner to form a pocket between said chamber wall and said panel; and
a seal flap positioned in said pocket to provide an airtight seal at said chamber zipper.
16 . The chamber of claim 15 , wherein said chamber zipper is sewn to said chamber wall to form a seam, and said seal flap provides an airtight seal that seals said seam.