FR2523917A1 - INFLATABLE CRAFT WITH A TENT - Google Patents

Abstract

A BOAT, FOR EXAMPLE A LIFE RAFT, HAS A BODY 11, 12, 13, WHICH CAN BE INFLATED WITH COMPRESSED GAS CONTAINED IN A BOTTLE 16. A PRESSURE VALVE 17 PREVENTS EXCESSIVE INFLATION. THE BODY IS SURMOUNTED BY A TENT 15 WITH A DOUBLE WALL 20, 21, SUPPORTED BY AN INFLATABLE ARROW 14. ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION, THE OUTLET OF THE PRESSURE VALVE 17 COMMUNICATES WITH THE SPACE 19 BETWEEN THE TWO WALLS 20, 21 OF THE TENT 15 SO THAT THE GAS IN EXCESS DURING INFLATION CONTRIBUTES TO INFLATE THE DOUBLE WALL OF THE LATTER IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE THERMAL INSULATION PROPERTIES.

Description

The present invention relates to an erected tent

  on a raft, canoe or other inflatable boat.

  rescue. Inflatable boats are usually stored in the folded state and, when put in the water, are inflated with compressed gas from

  a bottle To avoid any risk of insufficient inflation

  fisant, it is common to use bottles which, even

  after a leak, contain more gas than is necessary to inflate the boat, the excess gas escaping through a pressure relief valve It is also common to provide a tent which, when the boat

  is inflated, forms a shelter for the occupants thereof.

  To increase the thermal insulation properties of

  it is known to make this double wall tent.

  The invention results from the observation that it is possible to considerably increase the efficiency

  a double wall tent with an additional cost

  nime and without much complicating the construction.

  To this end, the boat according to the invention, which

  has an inflatable body, a double wall tent

  te of an air-impermeable material, a gas reserve

  tablet for inflating the body and a relief valve

  pressure to evacuate excess gas from the body during this inflation, is characterized in that the outside of the pressure relief valve communicates with the space between the two walls of the tent so that the gas in

  excess that escapes through the valve serves to inflate the dou-

  ble tent wall to improve its properties

heat insulating.

  Preferably, the tent is provided with a valve

  entry and means allowing the occupants of the boat

  tion to give the tent an additional or additional inflation, either with the mouth or with a pump Ces

  means may include an inlet valve and a mor-

  tubing and also allow the tent to be deflated when

  as desired The tent can also be fitted with a

  pressure relief valve to avoid excessive inflation.

  When the boat needs to be packed, it is

  essential that the double wall of the tent is complete

  Deflated To achieve this, you can use the additional inflation valve and it is preferable

  to provide means to provide a passage to the

  gas from the points distant from the tent to the valve These means can be a cord or other similar element arranged inside the double wall of the tent so as to define a channel for the

  gas when the tent is deflated.

  Anyway, the invention will be well understood at I '

  using the following description, with reference to the drawing

  schematic annexed, representing, by way of nonlimiting examples, two embodiments of this boat: Fig 1 is a perspective view of a form of

  preferred version of the inflatable boat according to the

  vention; Fig 2 is a sectional view along II-II of Fig. 1; Fig 3 is a partial sectional view along III-III of Fig 2; Fig 4 is a partial sectional view of another

  embodiment of the boat according to the invention.

  The preferred craft according to the invention, designated by the general reference 10, is a life raft which comprises a body formed by a pair of hollow "strings" superimposed and joined to each other 11, 12, which surround a

  floor 13 An inflatable semi-circular arch 14 sup-

  carries a tent 15 The tubes 11, 12 and the pole 14

  fit together so that a gas can flow from one to the other and they can swell with gas which is allowed to escape from a bottle 16 The excess gas in the tubes 11, 12 can escape through a pressure relief valve 17 and flow into a tube 18 to then enter the space 19 between the two walls 20, 21 of the tent 15, which has the effect of inflating this

  last and to improve its thermal insulation properties.

  We can give the double wall of tent 15 a sup-

  supplement or additional inflation using a valve 22, which can also be actuated to more or less deflate the double wall.

  Another overpressure valve may be provided.

  sion 23, to prevent excessive inflation of the double

  wall of the tent 15 The latter is provided with a

  entrance 24, closed by a door 25, the panels of which are

  shown folded and tied on the edge of the entrance.

  When boat 10 is folded and packed to be stored, for example as a life raft on a

  boat, the double wall of tent 1 must be total-

  deflated, to reduce its volume to a minimum Valve 22 is used for this purpose and, to allow gas to reach it from points far from

  the tent, 26 ropes or similar items may

  wind be arranged inside the double wall 20, 21 of the tent 5 to define passages 27 which allow the flow of gas when the tent is folded and put in

flat (fig 3).

  As is obvious and as is clear from what

  precedes, the invention is not limited to the form of execution

  tion which has just been described by way of example only-

  is lying; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments. For example, instead of the tube 18, there can be direct communication between the interior of the upper flange II and that of the double wall of the

  tent 15 (fig 4 'The body should not be necessary-

  circular, seen in plan; it can also be polygonal,

  for example hexagonal, if desired Many va-

laughing are possible.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS -   1. Boat, comprising an inflatable body, a double wall tent made of an air-impermeable material, a reserve of compressed air for inflating the body and a pressure relief valve to evacuate excess gas from the body during of this inflation, characterized by   that the outlet of the pressure relief valve (17) comprises   fitted with the interior (191 of the double wall (20,211   tent (151 so that excess gas that escapes)   eg by this valve (17) can inflate the double wall   of the tent to improve its thermo-properties lantes.   2. Boat according to claim 1, charac-   terized in that the tent (15) is provided with a valve   input (22) -and means to give the dou-   ble wall of the tent a supplement or a complement of   inflation, either with the mouth # or with a pump.   3. Boat according to claim 2, charac-   characterized in that the means include an inlet valve (22) and a piece of tubing which also allow   deflate the double wall of the tent.   4. Boat according to any one of the res-   dications 1 to 3, characterized in that the tent (15) is provided with a pressure relief valve (23) to avoid a excessive inflation.   5. A boat according to claim 2, which must be completely deflated before being folded and packed, characterized in that the inlet valve (22) is used for this deflation and in that means are provided to provide one or more several passages for the flow of gas from points distant from the tent up to this valve (22).   6. A boat according to claim 5, charac-   characterized in that the means consist of a cor-   of (26) or other similar element, which extends to the   inside the double wall of the tent so as to define   a gas channel (27) when the tent is laid flat.   7. Boat according to any one of the claims   previous cations, characterized in that it is a ra- rescue water.