US Patent 11434013 Continuously tensioned truss strap

A support arrangement for an inflatable evacuation system may comprise an inflatable member configured to be elongated and stiffened in a longitudinal direction in response to being in an inflated condition, a protrusion extending orthogonal to a surface of the inflatable member, a tensile member attached at at least two locations to the inflatable member on opposing sides of the protrusion and being slidably engagable over the protrusion so as to maintain about equal tension in the tensile member on opposing sides of the protrusion, and a sleeve attached to the protrusion configured to maintain the tensile member laterally relative to the protrusion even as the tensile member is able to slide longitudinally.