Description

According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to a clamping system.

According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method of providing a support structure arranged for supporting a worker inside a container.

The clamping system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure extends in a longitudinal direction and is arranged for realising, in use, a clamping force.

The clamping system may comprise an inflatable organ provided with a wall element that bounds a receiving space and provided with an inflation opening arranged for receiving a fluid, preferably air, via said inflation opening, in said receiving space for inflating said inflatable organ, wherein said inflatable organ is further arranged for being in an inflated condition at a first pressure level of said fluid.

Providing the inflatable organ that is arranged for being in an inflated condition at the first pressure level, is beneficial for allowing a worker to position the inflatable organ in a relative practical manner before clamping the clamping system in a required position. The present disclosure relies at least partly on the insight that it is beneficial for a worker to move a relative stiff or shape-retaining structure that may be relatively light for realising a support structure in an interior of a container such as a silo.

Preferably, the clamping system according to the present disclosure comprises a length adjustment device arranged for increasing a length of said clamping system in said longitudinal direction at a second pressure level of said fluid, wherein said second pressure level of said fluid exceeds said first pressure level of said fluid for realising said clamping force or wherein said second pressure level is equal to said first pressure level. Providing the length adjustment device is beneficial for increasing a length of the clamping system, starting from the inflated condition, while said inflatable organ is maintained in the required position.

In a practical embodiment of the clamping system, the length adjustment device is arranged for increasing a length of said inflatable organ in said longitudinal direction at said second pressure level of said fluid, wherein said second pressure level of said fluid exceeds said first pressure level of said fluid for realising said clamping force. Providing the length adjustment device in this practical embodiment is beneficial for increasing a length of the inflatable organ, starting from the inflated condition at the first pressure level, while said inflatable organ is maintained in the required position. This is beneficial for realising a clamping system having a relative low complexity without the need for providing further inflatable organs.

Preferably, said length adjustment device is arranged for extending in said longitudinal direction, at said first pressure of said fluid, over a first length, wherein said length adjustment device comprises a biasing arrangement arranged for biasing said length adjustment device towards said first length. Providing the biasing arrangement is beneficial for allowing a relative reliable reduction of said length of said length adjustment device when said fluid at said second pressure level is removed for instance during deflation of the inflatable organ or when bringing the fluid inside the receiving space of the inflatable organ from the second pressure level to the first pressure level.

It is advantageous if an elastic modulus of said wall material in said longitudinal direction is larger than an elastic modulus of said length adjustment device in said longitudinal direction.

In this regard, it is beneficial if said biasing arrangement comprises a resilient element, preferably a spring.

It is beneficial, if said inflatable organ and said length adjustment device are arranged such that, in use, a direction of said clamping force corresponds substantially to said longitudinal direction. This is beneficial for realising a relative reliable clamping of the clamping system.

In this regard, it is beneficial if said biasing arrangement is arranged for maintaining an alignment of said inflatable organ and said length adjustment device such that, in use, said clamping force corresponds substantially to said longitudinal direction.

Preferably, said biasing arrangement comprises at least three springs that are distributed along a circumference of said wall element at equal mutual distances. This is beneficial for maintaining an alignment of said inflatable organ and said length adjustment device such that, in use, said clamping force corresponds substantially to said longitudinal direction and/or a length increase of said length adjustment device corresponds substantially to said longitudinal direction.

It is advantageous if said biasing arrangement is provided at a side of said wall element that is turned away from said receiving space. This is beneficial for realising a clamping system that is relatively practical as regards maintenance of the biasing arrangement.

In this regard, it is beneficial if said clamping system is provided with a cover arranged for covering said biasing arrangement. This is beneficial for shielding the biasing arrangement from the worker.

In an embodiment of the clamping system it is conceivable that the biasing system is provided at a side of said wall element that is facing said receiving space. This is beneficial for shielding the biasing arrangement from the worker without the need for a cover.

In a preferred embodiment of the clamping system according to the present disclosure, said inflatable organ extends, in said longitudinal direction, along said length adjustment device. This is beneficial for realising a clamping system having a relative low complexity without the need for further inflatable organs. Preferably, a length, in said longitudinal direction, of said inflatable organ at said second pressure level of said fluid is larger than at said first pressure level of said fluid. This is beneficial for realising a clamping system having a relative low complexity without the need for further inflatable organs.

It is beneficial if said clamping system comprises a control unit arranged for providing said fluid at least at said first pressure level and said second pressure level.

Preferably, said control unit comprises a first predetermined setting corresponding to said first pressure level and a second predetermined setting corresponding to said second pressure level. This is beneficial for allowing a worker to set a pressure of said fluid in a very reliable and reproducible manner at said first pressure level and said second pressure level.

In this regard, it is advantageous if said control unit comprises a first input element related to said first predetermined setting and a second input element related to said second predetermined setting, wherein both said first input element and said second input element are arranged for being actuated by said worker.

Preferably, said inflatable organ is provided with lifting eyes that are arranged such that said longitudinal direction, at said first pressure level, upon lifting, via said lifting eyes, is maintained substantially horizontal. This beneficial for allowing a worker to move said the inflatable organ in a relative practical manner into a required position.

It is beneficial if end faces of said inflatable organ are arranged as a clamping interface for clamping said clamping system. Preferably, said end faces have a relative large friction coefficient. This is beneficial for maintaining, at said second pressure level, the clamping system in a required position while realising a relative low clamping force.

Preferably, said wall element, at least at a side facing away from said receiving space, has a surface resistivity of less than 10 ⁸ ohm. A surface resistivity in this range is beneficial for avoiding, or at least reducing, the risk of an electric discharge occurring.

Preferably, the wall material comprises polyvinylchloride and/or thermoplastic polyurethane.

According to the second aspect the present disclosure relates to a method of providing a support structure arranged for supporting a worker inside a container, preferably a silo, using a clamping system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, said method comprising the steps of: providing said inflatable organ inside said container; inflating said inflatable organ to said first pressure level of said fluid; and further providing said fluid at said second pressure level for increasing a length of said clamping system, preferably a length of said inflatable organ, by said length adjustment device, in said longitudinal direction and pressing said clamping system against an interior wall of said container for realising said clamping force.

Embodiments of the method correspond to embodiments of the system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The advantages of the method correspond to the advantages of the system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure presented previously.

Preferably, said method further comprises the step of: positioning said inflatable organ such that said longitudinal direction is substantially horizontal.

In this regard, it is beneficial if, during said step of further providing, said inflatable organ is further inflated to said second pressure level of said fluid for pressing said inflatable organ against said interior wall of said container for realising said clamping force. Preferably, said second pressure level of said fluid is in the range of 0.2 - 1 barg and/or wherein said first pressure level of said fluid is in the range of 0.05 - 0.15 barg.

Preferably, during said step of further providing, said realised clamping force is in a range of 2 - 10 KN.

The present disclosure will now be explained by means of a description of a preferred embodiment of a system and a method, in which reference is made to the following schematic figures, in which:

Fig. 1 : a system according to the present disclosure is shown;

Fig. 2: cross-section A-A of Fig. 1 is shown;

Fig. 3: a further system according to the present disclosure is shown;

Fig. 4: another system according to the present disclosure is shown;

Fig. 5: the system of Fig. 1 is shown;

Fig. 6: a method according to the present disclosure is shown.

Clamping system 1 extends in a longitudinal direction L and is arranged for realising, in use, a clamping force F. The clamping force F corresponds substantially to the longitudinal direction L upon clamping of the clamping device 1 between for instance interior walls 21 of a container 23 such as a silo. The clamping system 1 comprises an inflatable organ 3. The inflatable organ 3 is provided with a wall element 11 and typically extends in the longitudinal direction L over a distance of 2 to 5 m. The wall element 11 is a flexible material allowing the inflatable organ 3 to be folded when being in an deflated condition. Preferably, the sheet material has a surface resistivity of less than 10 ⁸ ohm. The wall element 11 bounds a receiving space 13 and is further provided with an inflation opening 5. The inflation opening 5 is arranged for receiving a fluid, preferably air or water, via the inflation opening 5, in the receiving space 13 for inflating the inflatable organ 3. At a first pressure level of the fluid, the inflatable organ 3 is in an inflated condition such that the inflatable organ 3 is relatively stiff. In the inflated condition, a dimension of the inflatable organ 3 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction may be in the range of 0.3 to 0.6 m. In the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction L, the inflatable organ 3 may have a round shape in the inflated condition. In other words, the inflatable organ 3 may have, at least partly along the length of the inflatable organ 3 in the longitudinal direction L, a cylindrical shape. The inflatable organ 3 is further provided with end faces 19. The end faces 19 are arranged as a clamping interface for clamping said clamping system 1 against the interior walls 21 of the container 23. The inflatable organ 3 is further provided with lifting eyes 17 that are arranged such that the longitudinal direction L, at the first pressure level, upon lifting of the inflatable organ 3, via a wire 33 coupled to the lifting eyes 17, is maintained substantially horizontal.

The clamping system 1 further comprises a length adjustment device 7. The length adjustment device 7 is arranged for increasing a length of said inflatable organ 3 in said longitudinal direction L at a second pressure level of said fluid. The second pressure level of the fluid exceeds the first pressure level of the fluid for realising the clamping force F. A first length L1 of the length adjustment device 7 at the first pressure level is smaller than a second length L2 of the length adjustment device 7 at the second pressure level. The length adjustment device 7 is provided with a biasing arrangement 9 comprising springs for biasing the length adjustment device 7 to the first length L1. The springs of the biasing arrangement 9 are provided at a side of the wall element 11 facing away from the receiving space 13 and are distributed along a circumference of the wall element 11 for maintaining an alignment the inflatable organ 3 and the length adjustment device 7 that corresponds substantially to said longitudinal direction L. The inflatable organ 3 extends in the longitudinal direction L between the end faces 19 such that an adjustment of the length of the length adjustment device 7 in the longitudinal direction L causes the inflatable organ 3 to extend by substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction L.

In an alternative embodiment of the clamping system 1 , it is conceivable that the inflatable organ comprises a plurality of receiving spaces, wherein an increase of a length of the length adjustment device causes a length of a subset of the plurality of receiving spaces to extend by substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction L. The clamping system 1 comprises a control unit 15 arranged for providing said fluid, via a conduit 29, at least at said first pressure and said second pressure into the receiving space 13. In a first condition of the control unit 15, the fluid is provided at the first pressure level in the range of 0.05 - 0.15 barg in the receiving space 13. In a second condition of the control unit 15, the fluid is provided at the second pressure level in the range of 0.2 - 1 barg. Preferably, the control unit 15 is an explosion safe unit.

Clamping system 101 differs mainly from clamping system 1 in that the inflatable organ 103 is shaped differently. The inflatable organ 103 is provided with two inflatable parts 31a, 31b that extend in the longitudinal direction L and two further inflatable parts 31c, 31d that extend in a further longitudinal direction M that is transversal to the longitudinal direction L. Elements of clamping system 101 that are similar to elements of clamping system 1 are provided with a reference number equal to the reference number of the element in clamping system 1 raised by 100.

Clamping system 201 differs mainly from clamping system 1 in that the inflatable organ 203 is shaped differently. The inflatable organ 203 is provided with a central part that has a dimension in a direction transversal to the longitudinal direction L that is large than a dimension of a neighbouring parts in the direction transversal to the longitudinal direction L. Elements of clamping system 201 that are similar to elements of clamping system 1 are provided with a reference number equal to the reference number of the element in clamping system 1 raised by 200.

Method 301 according to the present disclosure is directed to provide a support structure arranged for supporting a worker (not shown). The worker may for instance be suspended from a rope or cable (not shown) in a container 23 such as a silo via an entrance opening 25 thereof. The support structure provides the worker a support for moving inside the container 23 while being suspended. The support structure comprises the clamping system 1. The inflatable organ 3 of the clamping system 1 is provided inside an interior 27 of the container 23 during a step of providing 303. The worker may for instance move along the inflatable organ 3 for moving from one side of the container 23 to another side of the container 23. During the step of providing 303, the inflatable organ 3 is in a deflated condition and folded such that the inflatable organ 3 may be provided in said interior 27 of the container 23 via the entrance opening 25.

During a step of inflating 305, the inflatable organ 3 is inflated to a first pressure level, preferably in the range of 0.05 - 0.15 barg. After the step of inflating 305, the inflatable organ 3 is in a first inflated condition that allows the worker to move the inflatable organ inside the interior 27 of the container 23 during a step of positioning 307 and position the inflatable organ 3 in a required position, preferably wherein the longitudinal direction L corresponds substantially to a horizontal direction. For this purpose, the first inflated condition is in a condition wherein the inflatable organ 3 is relatively stiff or shape-retaining.

After the inflatable organ 3 is brought in a required position in the interior 27 of the container 23, during a step of further providing 309, the fluid is provided at the second pressure level, preferably in the range of 0.2 - 1 barg, for increasing a length of said clamping system 1, preferably a length of the inflatable organ in the longitudinal direction L, by extending a length of the length adjustment device 7, in the longitudinal direction L. By extending the length of the clamping system 1 in the longitudinal direction L, the clamping system 1 may be pressed against the inner wall 23 for realising the clamping force F.