Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B32/00—Water sports boards; Accessories therefor
  • B63B32/50—Boards characterised by their constructional features
  • B63B32/51—Inflatable boards, e.g. drop-stitch inflatable boards
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H8/00—Sail or rigging arrangements specially adapted for water sports boards, e.g. for windsurfing or kitesurfing
  • B63H8/20—Rigging arrangements involving masts, e.g. for windsurfing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H8/00—Sail or rigging arrangements specially adapted for water sports boards, e.g. for windsurfing or kitesurfing
  • B63H8/70—Arrangements for handling, stowing or transport thereof

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method of stiffening and closing inflatable structures through the use of removable or non-removable rollable stiffeners, locked between one or more independent inflated envelopes and resting on a semi-rigid conformation wall rollable in at least one sense, removable or not: the whole being included in an external envelope, and in particular an inflatable windsurfing structure.
• the previous inventions stiffen the structures either - by stiffeners, rigid - by a high number of small tubes - by internal grids attached to the walls - by large tubes inflated to high pressures.
• the first process is often cumbersome.
• the third method is difficult to implement ( Figure 2).
• the fourth requires the manufacture of bulky objects and a pressure iron that is constantly checked so as not to lose rigidity.
• the present invention avoids these difficulties and offers other advantages: simple process, low cost of setting up, small size when the object is stored rollable structure when the stiffeners are removed. (They are themselves light and rollable) DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION. Simple process then variants.
• the invention presented here consists of two independent inflatable envelopes 1, made of flexible material: rubber, PVC, canvas or not, linked together longitudinally O, so that a stiffener 2 can slide therein.
• These two envelopes 1 during inflation tend to bend a conformation wall 3 reinforced in the lateral direction by ribs or reinforcements 5 on which rests the edge of the stiffener 2.
• All of the envelopes, of the stiffener, of the conforming wall is included in a casing 4 made of fabric, rubberized or flexible canvas backed PVC.
• the object obtained during inflation becomes very rigid due to the action of the stiffener blocked by air, thus immobilizing the shaping wall.
• Figure 4A shows the structure of an elongated object stiffened by this process.
• the stiffener 2 as well as the shaping wall 3 are made from materials such as ABS, polypropylene, polyethylene, pclycarbonate, PVC or the like. remove the stiffener, deflate the structure, the object rolls up and stores in a bag.
• Inflatable envelopes they are made of fabric impermeable to air and liquids. Inflated by means of independent valves, they block the stiffener and prevent it from bending.
• the outer envelope it encloses the whole assembly and also serves to protect it from shocks and wear. To prevent the membranes from expanding, it is made from a strong, light fabric.
• Figure 3 is a sectional view of the process: O: assembly lines of the inflatable envelopes where slides 2. 1: inflatable envelopes. 2: stiffener. 3: conforming wall. 4: outer casing. 5: transverse reinforcements.
• Figure 4A is a perspective view of the process.
• Figure 4B is a perspective view of the process where the transverse reinforcement of the shaping wall is low in order to obtain the bending of the latter.
• Figure 5 shows a stiffener rolled and then unwound, as well as the shaping wall. The envelopes are not shown.
• Figure 6 shows an application: an inflatable ski.
• Figure 7 shows a surf float in cross section, perspective and longitudinal section.
• the section of the shaping wall is asymmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stiffener: Figure 8.
• the reinforcements perpendicular to the stiffener, located on the shaping wall have an uneven thickness, small on one side, thick on the other.
• the thin side bends more than the thick side: the profile becomes asymmetrical.
• Applications a solid and light wing, a profiled mast, a flying wing.
• Figure 8 perspective view of a wing thus obtained.
• Figure 9 shows the sectional structure.
• Figure 10 is a perspective view of the asymmetrically reinforced conformation wall.
• the structure includes several stiffeners and several membranes: the shaping wall is blocked by the presence of stiffeners and inflatable envelopes between which they are slid: Figure 11.
• Figure 12 shows different arrangements of stiffeners and casings. The same housing between two envelopes can be assigned zero, one, or more stiffeners.
• Figure 12A 2 stiffeners and 2 inflatable casings.
• Figure 12B structure with several envelopes, unevenly stiffened,
• APPLICATIONS modules of partitions, roofs, walls, for occasional constructions: fair stand, but also stretcher, inflatable tent, windsurfing board, wing.
• the reinforcements of the shaping wall are absent or very flexible: therefore, the wall bends in the lateral direction.
• the shaping wall thus the stiffener (s) are not necessarily rollable within a reduced radius but are not not very rigid either.
• the rigidity of the object is very important when inflating. Wind speed or surfboard reflector applications of very low thickness and weight, impeding envelopes of reduced viscosity and therefore more rigid elements of conformation.
• FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a board: a stiffener is in place. Beside: different profile. 6 °) 5tructure where the stiffener is blocked between the outer envelope and at least one confluent envelope: fiqure 12C.Le stiffener. upon inflation, bends more or less and takes the form of the outer envelope.
• Figure 15 a sectional and perspective view of an object obtained.
• the stiffener is here a sheet of fine polycarbonate, taking a rounded shape during inflation and extending over the entire upper surface here of the envelope.
• FIG. 17 boat manufactured according to this variant: canoe or skiff. We see the stiffener in place, then removed. Then rolled.
• FIG. 17 this variant makes it possible to manufacture an inflatable wheel, consisting of a disc locked between at least two envelopes. A housing provided on the outside of these envelopes receives a polycarbonate sheet (or other) which will rest on the circumference of the internal disc. The stiffener and the shaping wall, blocked by pressure, give rigidity to the wheel.
• the envelopes located on either side of the shaping disc-wall are "half-buoys" provided with a hole for sliding an axa
• the membranes can be concerned and light then ⁇ ue the outer envelope is heavier and reinforced:
• the membranes can also be different from each other.
• the same envelope can be made of fabrics of different qualities and one of the fabrics of a membrane can be a part of the outer envelope.
• Figure 20 shows the section of an object according to this variant.
• Inflatable envelopes are made from the outer envelope on which they are assembled.
• the outer sheet is very reinforced to resist external aggressions (shocks, tears) and the internal parts are more flexible and lighter to closely fit the stiffener and the conforming wall.
• the fluids used can have different densities.
• the float measures 2.80m in length, 66cm in width, 13cm in height.
• the wing mast measures 4 m60 in height, 60 cm in width, and 16 cm in maximum thickness. Figures 21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28.
• the float it consists of 4 independent inflatable envelopes between which slide 3 removable stiffeners, one of which carries the fin, of a semi-rigid conformation wall that can be rolled in the longitudinal direction. The whole is inserted in a very solid outer envelope: FIG. 22A.
• the upper part of the inflatable envelopes as well as the outermost part of the shaping wall can also constitute it: FIG. 22B.
• the shaping wall it is obtained for example, by pressing flexible PVC sheets between which rigid and light materials are blocked: hollow aluminum tubes with thin wall, rigid PVC tubes, wooden profiles.
• the support sheet below is rather rigid: thick canvas backed PVC.
• the sheet of sus is used to immobilize the transverse reinforcements.
• FIG. 22 shows the principle of assembling the envelopes. Simple in shape, they are interconnected l ⁇ ngitudinally at the location of the passage of the stiffeners. They are made from materials such as canvas rubber, flexible PVC / canvas solid, or other, resistant to various stresses. A non-slip part covers the float. (7: fig21)
• the mast-wing it is manufactured like the float, but with a wall of conformation transversely more flexible than him, so as to obtain an optimum aerodynamic profile.
• the choice of materials is identical, meeting the same constraints. here it has 4 inflatable envelopes and 3 removable stiffeners at the bottom of the mast.
• the wing mast is rollable and can be stored in a bag once the stiffeners are removed and themselves rolled up, and stored in a bag.
• the shaping wall it has the same characteristics as those of the shaping wall of the float but the stiffness of the reinforcements is less.
• the stiffeners they are made of 4 mm thick polycarbonate, for example.
• the central stiffener 2C in Figure 26 is a very elongated isosceles trapezoid, the two ends of which are modified: in the high end section with two curved lines; in the lower part by two different lines: on the side of the conformati ⁇ n wall, a slightly rounded line, on the envelope side, an accentuated curve.
• the lower end of this central stiffener is extended by a part which will be used for the mast-float connection.
• the stiffeners. lateral, shorter and thinner (2D figure 26) are also asymmetrical with respect to their longitudinal axis of symmetry.
• upper part of the inflatable covers is welded and not PVC) on the outer envelope: figure 27: sectional view of the mast.
• the manufacturing process is the same as that of the float, the constraints too.
• the outermost part of the shaping wall can be a part of the outer envelope.
• This outer envelope does not have a non-slip part.
• a simple device welded or glued on this envelope allows to attach a wishbone which will be used to adjust the sail.
• the sail: on figure 25 are drawn different sails of various surfaces and cuts. They are fixed to the mitaile by a zipper, or by "VELCRO". They can have a large gusset allowing the mast to slide there.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Tents Or Canopies (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26223362

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Families Citing this family (11)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1984
  • 1984-03-27 EP EP84901364A patent/EP0138932A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1984-03-27 WO PCT/FR1984/000081 patent/WO1984003868A1/fr unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events