Inflatable structure

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For air-inflated buildings, see Air-supported structure

Inflatable structures are structures made of a flexible outer membrane or fabric that is filled with gas, such as air or helium. The gas gives shape and strength to the structure.

Uses include roofs and covers, mock castles and games, sails, airships, furniture, aerospace structures, boats, escape slides, security mattresses, swimming pools, coverings, buildings and pavilions, and air bags.

Contents 1 Inflatable castles 2 History 3 Construction 3.1 Standards 4 Inflatable Obstacle Course 5 Games 6 Inflatable associations 6.1 United States 6.2 United Kingdom 6.3 Australia 7 Events 7.1 Edinburgh Festival Fringe 7.2 Rollerwars 8 Injury and death 9 Methods of decoration 10 In popular culture 11 Records 11.1 Size 11.2 Duration 12 References

[edit] Inflatable castles

The name given to such structures varies. In playground terms: in the United States, East Coasters refer to them as a "moonbounce" while West Coasters stick to the generic name of "inflatable playground". They have been marketed with such names as Moon Bounce, Astrojump, Moonwalk, Jolly jump, Bounce house, SpaceWalk, in the US. It should also be noted that the term 'Jolly Jumps' is often used to describe the inflatable playground structure (or moonbounce) in rural areas and notably some areas in the Western US. Bouncy castle or inflatable castle are terms used in Ireland, the UK and parts of Australia, and as jumping castles in Arizona, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. The term "moonwalk" has evolved as the generic term for enclosed inflatable trampolines in the US.

Inflatable structures are rented for functions, school and church festivals and village fetes. Although they are aimed at children, adult castles can be hired in the UK. Because of liability concerns, moonwalks are rarely rented to adults in the US.

The growth in popularity of moonwalks has led to an inflatable rental industry which includes inflatable slides, obstacle courses, games, and more. Inflatables are ideal for portable amusements because they are easy to transport and store.

[edit] History

The first inflatable structure was designed and invented in 1959 by John Scurlock in Shreveport, Louisiana who was experimenting with inflatable covers for tennis courts when he noticed his employees enjoyed jumping on the covers. John also previously worked for Nasa on the Saturn 5 program however that did not have anything directly related to the Invention of the first Inflatable. He was a Mechanical engineer and liked Physics. John was also a pioneer of Inflatable Domes, Inflatable Tents, Inflatable Signs and his greatest achievement was the Invention of the Safety Air Cushion that is used by Fire and Rescue departments to catch people jumping from buildings or high heights. ^[1] The first Space Walk manufacturing company was in New Orleans in a leased warehouse that also sewed horse pads. His wife Frances started the first Inflatable rental company in 1968 and in 1976 they built a custom facility for the production and rental of the various products. They market the Space Walks to various children's events such as birthday parties, school fairs and company picnics. Their son Frank Scurlock expanded their rental concept throughout the United States under the brand name Space Walk and Inflatable Zoo. They have more than 100 locations and can visited at www.herecomesfun.com Frank also founded the first all Inflatable Indoor Play Park called Fun Factory on Thanksgiving Day 1986 in Metairie, Louisiana. A second unit was opened in Memphis Tennessee called Fun Plex in 1987. Both locations closed after the value of the property become to great for the operations. The first Inflatable was an open top mattress with no sides and called a Space Pillow. In 1967 a pressurized Inflatable Top was added however it required 2 fans and it got very hot in the Summer like a green house. That version was called Space Walk and adopted as the company name. In 1974 to solve the heat problem, a new product line called Jupiter Jump was created that has Inflated Columns that supported netting walls which allowed the air to pass thur. Further enhancements of this style were developed such as a line of Castles and several Animals which are refereed to as the Inflatable Zoo. In the early 90's Frank created the first commercial Inflatable Water Slide called the Aqua Tunnel. Space Walk was the first company to bring a Inflatable to the IAAPA convention, Showmen's Club and the American Rental Association. Space Walk is the premier Inflatable company in the World and sells Worldwide with its headquarters located in Kenner, Louisiana. John Scurlock died in September 2008.

[edit] Construction

The surfaces are typically composed of thick, strong PVC or vinyl and nylon, and the castle is inflated using an electric or petrol-powered blower. The principle is one of constant leakage, meaning small punctures are not a problem - a medium-size "bouncy castle" requires a fan with a mechanical output of about two horsepower (consuming around 2 kW electrical power, allowing for the efficiency of the motor).

UK and Australian bouncy castles have specifications calling for fully inflated walls on three sides with an open front and foam "crash mats" to catch children who may jump or fall out of the structure.

Modern moonwalks in the US are typically supported by inflatable columns and enclosed with netting. The netting allows for supervision as adults can see in from all sides.

Cheaper inflatable structures are usually made of polyester rather than nylon PVC and do not use a blower, instead they are inflated with a pump similar to an airbed. They do not last as long and it is illegal in the UK and USA to hire these out.

Another type of home-use inflatable has evolved, with a blower pumping in air continuously. Pores in the seams and material allow air to escape as kids play, while the blower continues to inflate the unit. This category has emerged as a response to parents who wish to buy an inflatable for home use.

[edit] Standards

In 2005 the most severe standards in the construction of an inflatable amusement were adopted nationally in Australia, forming Federal Standard AS3533.4. This was a landmark safety standard bringing the toughest design/construction/operation standards to the inflatable industry of Australia. In 2006 the European Union (EU) followed and introduced similar Federal standards throughout Europe called EN14960:2006

In the US, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, require inflatables to pass engineering and safety standards before allowing the equipment to be rented out.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Inflatable Obstacle Course

There are also inflatable obstacle course that allow for participants to have races and compete against one another.

[edit] Games

Some inflatables are designed to allow games such as boxing rings, water football, penalty shootouts, basketball, tug of war, and gladiator duels. Quad tracks are also popular and provide the perimeter for Quad bike racing.

[edit] Inflatable associations

To maintain the quality of inflatables, voluntary organizations exist for manufacturers, resellers and renters.

[edit] United States

In the US, the Association of Inflatable Rental Company Operators (AIRCO)[1] is the largest trade group for companies who rent inflatable amusements. Established in 2005, it evolved from a commercial forum on the Hullaballoo Sales website. A trade group was needed to bring the industry together, promoting safety and monitoring standards.

The Safe Inflatables Operators Training Organization (SIOTO)[2] was developed to train operators of inflatable games. With other operators from the Moonwalk Forum [3], Matthew Mark created SIOTO in 2005.

Space Walk operates a chain of more than 100 locations dedicated to the Safe rental of Inflatable Products. They hold monthly training's and annual conferences at their headquarters in Kenner, LA. (SPACE WALK)[4]

[edit] United Kingdom

In the UK, the BIHA (British Inflatable Hirers Alliance) http://www.biha.org.uk is a hirers organisation. Members agree a code of conduct for hirers, and anyone wanting to hire out a castle can check on their website if a hirer is a member. Manufacturers can become Associate Members. (In late 2008 the BIHA started BouncyCastleOwner.com, which has a discussion forum for the inflatable industry. See: http://www.bouncycastleowner.com )

PIPA [5] is a voluntary manufacturer and reseller's organization, which has been endorsed by the government Health and Safety organisation. Despite government backing it is not compulsory for inflatables sold for hire purposes to be PIPA tested. Hirers buying inflatables can ask for them to be "PIPA Tagged". This means the inflatable structure has been made to PIPA safety guidelines and has passed a PIPA test. If it passes a tag is put onto the inflatable specifying PIPA compliance. Hirers can also have their existing inflatables PIPA tested. Once an inflatable has passed a test it can be verified on the PIPA website to prevent fraud. All bouncy castles must conform to BS EN 14960:2006 standards and should be tested every year.

Other organizations are the Performance Textiles Association, AIMODS (Association of Inflatables Manufacturers, Operators, Designers and Suppliers) and the Federation of Major Inflatable Manufacturers.

[edit] Australia

In Australia, the Australian Amusement Association (AAA) [6]was formed in 1997 to bring a cohesion to the small amusement ride operators, with the majority of members being backyard inflatable hirers.

[edit] Events

[edit] Edinburgh Festival Fringe

A theatrical group named "The Strolling Theatricals" has started performing Shakespearian tragedies on bouncy castles at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Hamlet in 2006, Macbeth in 2007). The group went on to compete in the popular television show Britain's Got Talent.

[edit] Rollerwars

A giant inflatable set was made for a pending TV rollerskating show Rollerwars. This was used for the international world championships at the Birmingham NIA, England. The inflatable set is approximately 200 ft (61 m) by 120 ft long.

[edit] Injury and death

Although very rare, some children have been injured or died as a result of inflatable structures.^[2]

• In South Yorkshire a boy died in 2003 while using one.^[3]
• There have been numerous reports of the malicious deflation of bouncy castles whilst in use, notably the Horsington House Hotel incident which injured several people at a 21st birthday celebration.^[4]
• In another case 2 people were killed and 13 were injured when an inflatable structure took off at Riverside Park, Chester-le-Street, County Durham during powerful winds in 2006. ^[5]
• An 8 year old girl was killed and 15 people injured when a bouncy castle was caught in a strong wind and was lifted and thrown over 50 meters. ^[6]
• A boy's parents sued the hirers of a jumping castle in 2005 when one boy somersaulted onto another at a birthday party causing brain damage. ^[7] An appeal was lodged, and the verdict was overturned. ^[8]

The CPSC has released a bulletin concerning Inflatable Amusement Rides outlining the dangers and recommended safety precautions of operating an inflatable structure.

[edit] Methods of decoration

The artwork on most inflatable structures is hand-painted. It is cheaper for an artist to paint inflatables than to buy a printing machine or pay for a professional printer to print the artwork for a small quantity of inflatables.^{[citation needed]}

For those wishing to have inflatables professionally printed, rather than painted, two technologies exist. One is to use screenprinting and the other uses digital printing machines which can print onto nylon. Usually, if the printing method is used then white PVC must be used and a pattern or artwork printed onto this.

Digital printing allows photographic quality pictures, something which is either difficult or impossible with hand-painting. Hand-painting is more durable as the paints tend to last longer in water, rain, and handling than printouts. It is also better for "cartoon" style images, which is the norm on children's inflatables.

[edit] In popular culture

This section requires expansion.

A moonbounce saves Homer's life in the episode Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind.

In a recorded crank call, Crank Yankers character Niles Standish calls a Moon Bounce rental shop making enquiries of a sexual nature.

The Mighty Boosh features a crimp about bouncy castles.

[edit] Records

[edit] Size

The biggest bouncy castle ever made was in Canada by two inventors.^{[citation needed]} They started in 1994 and finished it in 1996. Although it has never been blown up it is believed to have 61 floors in a height of 157 ft (48 m) and 400 ft (120 m) wide. Some people^[who?] have valued it at $200,000 but health and safety officials have deemed it too unsafe to be used. There are 20 obstacle courses and one giant slide which is believed to be over 100 ft (30 m) high with two drops in the middle of it causing even more speculation it will be demolished. Other features include zip wires, ball pits, a main stairwell and balconys.

[edit] Duration

The record for "Longest marathon on a bouncy castle (team)" is 25 hr 25 min and was set by Will Scogin, Patrick Taylor, Miller Wright, David Wilson, Forrest Haynes and Jimbo Wilhite (all from USA) at Northridge High School, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, on 10-11 October 2008.

[edit] References