IP Library Granted Patent US 12,366,085
Granted Patent B2
US 12,366,085 · App. 17/751,384 · Granted Jul 22, 2025

Hovering air fort

Inventors: Luciana E. Hanley (Rancho Santa Fe, CA); Edward E. Hanley (Rancho Santa Fe, CA)
E04H15/22A63H33/008E04H15/006E04H2015/206
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,366,085
App. No.
17/751,384
Granted
Jul 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hovering air fort containing an inflatable housing having an open base defined by a periphery surrounding the opening, one or more apertures, wherein one of the apertures is for receiving air flow for inflation and wherein the other aperture is for connecting a second hovering air fort and a cord hemmed into the periphery of the open base forming a hemmed opening or at least one connecting panel is affixed to at least two side walls about the open base periphery of the inflatable air fort, wherein the air flow through the aperture provides structure and lift for the inflatable housing when the periphery of the open base is positioned against an external surface to create the hovering air fort.

Claims (34)

1. A hovering air fort comprising:

an inflatable housing, said inflatable housing having side walls and an open base defined by a periphery surrounding said open base and at least two apertures, wherein one of said at least two apertures is for receiving air flow for inflation and the other of said at least two apertures is a closable aperture for connecting to another hovering air fort;

a cord hemmed into said periphery of said open base forming a hemmed opening; and wherein said air flow through said aperture for receiving air flow provides structure and lift for said inflatable housing thereby creating said hovering air fort.

2. The hovering air fort according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a fan; and

a shroud engaged between said fan and said aperture to establish a channel for air flow for forcing air with said fan from outside said inflatable housing and through said aperture to over pressure air inside said inflatable housing said shroud having a first end adjacent to said inflatable housing and a second end opposite said first end.

3. The hovering air fort according to claim 1 , wherein said shroud is secured to said inflatable housing by stitching, snaps, a zipper, or Velcro™.

4. The hovering air fort according to claim 1 , wherein said second end of said shroud comprises snaps, a cinch cord, or Velcro™ to secure said fan to said inflatable housing.

5. The hovering air fort according to claim 1 , wherein said cord is secured at the bottom edge of said circular side panel by stitching or Velcro™.

6. The hovering air fort according to claim 1 , further comprising a shape wherein said shape of said inflatable housing is that of a building, a vehicle, an animal or an item of nature.

7. The hovering air fort according to claim 1 wherein said cord is a rope, a cable, a flexible tube or a chain.

8. The hovering air fort according to claim 7 wherein said rope, cable, or flexible tube is a hollow rope, cable, or flexible tube and wherein said hollow rope, cable, or flexible tube is empty or filled with sand, high-density polymer, glass, stone or metal beads, stone pebbles or other weighted material.

9. A hovering air fort comprising:

an inflatable housing, said inflatable housing having side walls and an open base defined by a periphery surrounding said open base and at least two apertures, wherein one of said at least two apertures for receiving air flow for inflation and one of said at least two apertures is a closable aperture for connecting to another hovering air fort;

at least one connecting panel affixed to said inflatable housing open base periphery wherein said at least one connecting panel is affixed to at least two of said inflatable housing side walls about said open base periphery and wherein said at least one connecting panel does not cover a majority of the open base; and

wherein said air flow through said aperture provides structure and lift for said inflatable housing thereby creating said hovering air fort.

10. The hovering air fort according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a cord hemmed into said periphery of said open base forming a hemmed opening; and wherein said air flow through said aperture provides structure and lift for said inflatable housing when said open base is positioned over an external surface thereby creating said hovering air fort;

a fan; and

a shroud engaged between said fan and said aperture to establish a channel for air flow for forcing air with said fan from outside said inflatable housing and through said aperture to over pressure air inside said inflatable housing said shroud having a first end adjacent to said inflatable housing and a second end opposite said first end.

11. The hovering air fort according to claim 9 , wherein said shroud is secured to said inflatable housing by stitching, snaps, a zipper, or Velcro™.

12. The hovering air fort according to claim 9 , wherein said second end of said shroud comprises snaps, a cinch cord, or Velcro″ to secure said fan to said inflatable housing.

13. The hovering air fort according to claim 9 , wherein said cord is secured at the bottom edge of said circular side panel by stitching or Velcro™.

14. The hovering air fort according to claim 9 , further comprising a shape wherein said shape of said inflatable housing is that of a building, a vehicle, an animal or an item of nature.

15. A hovering air fort comprising:

an inflatable housing, said inflatable housing having side walls and an open base defined by a periphery surrounding said open base and at least one aperture, wherein said at least one aperture for receiving air flow for inflation;

at least one connecting panel affixed to said inflatable housing open base periphery and wherein said at least one connecting panel does not cover a majority of the open base; and wherein said air flow through said aperture provides structure and lift for said inflatable housing thereby creating said hovering air fort.

16. The hovering air fort according to claim 15 , further comprising:

a fan; and

a shroud engaged between said fan and said aperture to establish a channel for air flow for forcing air with said fan from outside said inflatable housing and through said aperture to over pressure air inside said inflatable housing said shroud having a first end adjacent to said inflatable housing and a second end opposite said first end.

17. The hovering air fort according to claim 15 , further comprising: one or more weights hemmed into said periphery of said open base forming a hemmed opening, wherein said one or more weights allow said all or a portion of said periphery surrounding said open base to be lifted above a surface when air is forced into said hovering air fort through said at least one aperture.

18. The hovering air fort according to claim 15 , further comprising: a second aperture, wherein said second aperture is for connecting said hovering air fort to a second hovering air fort.

19. The hovering air fort according to claim 18 , wherein said one or more weights are one or more pieces of cord, one or more pieces of rope, one or more pieces of cable, one or more pieces of flexible tube or one or more pieces of chain.

20. The hovering air fort according to claim 19 , wherein said one or more pieces of rope, one or more pieces of cable, or one or more pieces of flexible tube is prepared from a hollow rope, a hollow cable, or a hollow flexible tube and wherein said hollow rope, cable, or flexible tube is empty or filled with sand, high-density polymer, glass, stone or metal beads, stone pebbles or other weighted material.

Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 16812331 · Mar 8, 2020
Continuation In Part 16794167 · Feb 18, 2020
Continuation In Part 15750225
Provisional Application 62201987 · Aug 6, 2015
Related Publication 20220282516A1 · Sep 8, 2022
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Cited By (1)
US 12,729,530