Here is the question of the day:
What do poodle skirts, the cold war, space walks have in common?
Answer:
They all started in 1950’s.
Some History:
Believe it or not, the first inflatable structure was developed in 1959 by a gentleman named John Scurlock. John was designing inflatable covers for tennis courts when he saw his employees jumping on the structures. He also noticed they were having a grand time doing this and had the brilliant idea to market them for children. His original design simply consisted of an oversized air matress, but later the following decade, he added walls to the structures resulting in something similar to the bounce houses you see today.
Commercial inflatable units of today are constructed of a heavy gauge vinyl material sewn together with a strong polyester thread. A continuous inflatable fan or blower is used to inflate the unit. The units are designed to “leak” air through the seams. This leakage requires the continuous blower to keep the unit inflated but also allows for the unit to continue to stay inflated in the case of a seam rip or small tear.
Cheaper units that can be purchased at a warehouse or big box store are made with a lesser grade vinyl, are typically heat sealed together, and may or may not require the continuous blower. These units typically will not last as long, will fade quickly if left in the sun, and can not accomodate a large number of children like their commercial counterparts.
- Inflatable Examples
Inflatable manufacturing has evolved a long way from the days of John’s “Space Walk”. Modern units are designed with themes and bright colors and can be manufactured with multiple features resulting in combination or “combo” units. They can be built as boxing rings, jousting arenas, slides, obstacle course, laser tag arenas, mazes, tents, or even advertising signs! Almost anything you can imagine can be turned into an inflatable and probably has! These units bring out the kid in everybody and are great for a party, a picnic, or just to grab attention!
