GB2035262A - Liferaft container - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable liferaft container comprises a pair of similar tray-like shell halves 10, 11 each having a relatively deep sidewall 12 providing an edge lip 19. For sealing the two halves 10, 11 together, these lips 19 engage frictionally into respective grooves in an H- sectioned resilient extruded sealing strip 21 of which upright portion 23 is relatively more deformable than the thicker upright portion 22 and is formed with a groove into which is inserted an insert strip 29 which contributes to pressing the strip portions 25a and 25b against the respective lips 19. The sidewalls 12 may, as shown, be stepped so that the lips 19 and sealing strip 21 are accommodated in a channel 20 around the container, and are protected against accidental damage. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Liferaft container This invention relates to liferaft containers, of the kind comprising two shell halves which are sealed together to form an enclosure for an inflatable liferaft, these halves being separable as a result of inflation of the liferaft, to permit use of the latter.

Hitherto, various containers of this type are already known, the shell halves fitting together by open mouths, and sealing together of the two halves generally being effected by means of a sealing strip adhered across the junction between the confronting edges of the two shell halves. The making of such a seal is generally a skilled job, involving the use of specialist equipment and materials.

Whilst the use of skilled labourfor inspecting, packing and sealing the containers may be reasonably acceptable in connection with relatively large liferafts for use, for instance, as part of the safety equipment on passenger ships, ocean-going ships, naval vessels and the like, there still exists a need for a liferaft container construction which can be opened and resealed by relatively unskilled persons, and which can, if desired, be constructed to comparatively small size so that it can readily be carried and can conveniently and economically be used on small vessels.

An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a container construction having a novel arrangement for sealing together the two shell halves which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and simple to use, this enabling the container to be produced in a relatively small readily-portable form for containing a correspondingly small liferaft, so that the use of such life rafts in connection with small water-borne vessels becomes a more practical proposition than has hitherto been the case.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a portable liferaft container comprising two similar container shell halves which are sealable relative to one another to form an enclosure for an inflatable liferaft by sealing means enabling the shell halves to separate as a result of internal forces arising from inflation of the liferafttherein, characterised in that the two shell halves are fromed with edge lips around their peripheries and the sealing means comrises an extruded resilient sealing strip shaped to provide aligned slots into which the confronting edge lips of the shell halves engage and are retained frictionally.

Preferably the sealing strip is generally H-shaped in cross-sectional configuration, being composed of a side-by-side uprights defining the slots and connected by a cross web which serves to separate the adjacent ends of the slots.

One of the said uprights may be thinner than the other, and may conveniently be formed with one or more grooves which extend longitudinally of the strip and serve each to receive a respective insert which serves resiliently to urge the extremities of said upright into gripping relationship with the edge lips of the shell halves.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the liferaft container of the invention; Figure2 is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating how the two shell halves of the container of Figure 1 are held together by their confronting edges fitting into an extruded sealing strip; Figure 3 is a view comparable with Figure 2 but showing the sealing strip separated from the container and in its relaxed condition; and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing a modification.

Throughout the various figures, similar reference numerals have been allocated to similar parts.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, a preferred embodiment of the liferaft container of the invention, which serves in use to contain an inflatable liferaft (not visible) and which is so constructed that it will open up and permit the liferaftto emerge upon the liferaft commencing to inflate, comprises two shell halves 10 and 11 which are substantially identical in form and configuration. Each such shell half 10, 11 is effectively in the form of a tray, generally of rectangular configuration, with its corners rounded and its walls 12 relatively deep.

The shell halves 10, 11 are made by moulding, for example of glass fibre reinforced plastics material, and each is shaped with a recess in one of the longer sidewalls thereof, each said recess being defined by inclined end wall portions 14 and a connecting recessed wall portion 15. A handle 16, in the form of a respective flexible strap, extends across each recess and is anchored by its ends extending through respective slots 17 in the inclined end wall portions 14 and being appropriately secured, within the container, against being drawn back through the slot 17, for instance by attachment thereto of a stop (not visible) which will not pass through the slot 17.

As will be evident from Figure 2, the walls 12 of each shell half 10, 11 are stepped, as at 18, so as to define, at the open mouth of each said shell half, a respective inset peripheral sealing lip 19. It will readily be understood that upon bringing the two halves together for closing the container, these two lips 19 come into alignment as shown in Figure 2 and the stepping 18 serves to provide a channel 20 around the container, which channel 20, as will later be described, serves to protect the means used for sealing the two shell halves together, against scuffing or other accidental damage.

Provided for sealing the two shell halves together is an extruded resilient sealing strip 21 whose configuration can best be appreciated from Figure 2, which shows the strip 21 in its operative disposition with the two shell halves 10, 11 fitted thereto and from Figure 3 which shows the same strip in its detached and relaxed condition. This strip 21 is preferably made of a material which does not deteriorate when contacted with sea water or ozone, for example neoprene rubber.

Considering the strip 21 firstly as shown in Figure 3, it will be seen that the cross-section of the strip is generally H-shaped, being composed of two up rights 22 and 23 which are spaced apart by a connecting web 24. The one upright 22 is alightly taller than and fatter than the other upright 23, so that it is slightly less deformable than the upright 23.

The latter is thinner and shorter than the upright 22 and tapers rather more towards its outer edges.

Moreover, its relaxed state the upper and lower portions 25a and 25b of the said upright 23 converge towards the corresponding portions of the upright 22. As a result, aligned slots 26, 27, defined in the strip 21 and separated by the web 24, both taper slightly from the web 24 outwardly.

From Figure 2 it will readily be understood that for sealing the two shell halves 10, 11 together, the confronting lips 19thereof are introduced into the respective slots 26, 27 in the sealing strip 21 which, by reason of the tapering configurations of the slots 26,27, grip frictionally onto the lips 19.

The gripping effect on the lips 19 may be intensified by proyiding, in the said other upright 23, substantially in register with the web 24, a dovetailor like shaped longitudinal groove 28 and introducing into this groove 28 a complementary insert strip 29 whose width is just very slightly greater than the width of the groove 28 so that said strip 29 tends to deform the respective upper and lower portions 25a and 25b of the upright 23 to cause said portions to grip more tightly onto the respective lips 19. The insert strips 29 may, if desired be coloured differently from the sealing strip 21 and may be of a different material from the sealing strip 21 so that it additionally imparts a pleasant decorative appearance to the container.

Since the sealing strip 21 is accommodated within the channel 20, it will not be susceptible to damage during normal handling and transportation of the container and its contents, it being protected thereby against the possibility of accidental impact against sharp or hard objects or obstructions.

Upon inflation of an inflatable liferaftaccommo- dated within the container (which inflation will, of course, be initiated in a manner which is conventional with such equipment, e.g. by application of tension to a rope or cord, not shown, extending from within the container, to outside through an appropriate aperture, not shown, in the container) the internal pressure arising from inflation of the liferaft eventually becomes sufficient to overcome the friction retaining the shell halves in the slots 26,27 in the sealing strip 21. Thus, the shell halves separate and permit the liferaftto emerge for use.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 4, the lips 19 of the shell halves 10, 11 are each angled to provide respective inwardly-directed terminal portions 19a. The slots 26b, 27a in the strip 21 a, for receiving the lips 19 are correspondingly angled, and a respective groove 28a is provided in the upright part 23 in register with each said lip 19 and accommodates a respective insert 29a to ensure the respective lip 19 is firmly gripped.

Naturally, the invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. Thus, the overall shape of the container may differ from what has been illustrated, as also may the cross-section of the extruded resilient sealing strip 21. The grooves 28, 28a and insert strips 29, 29a are not essential, and can be omitted, provided the shape of the strip 21 and its slots 26, 27, or 26a, 27a, is sufficient to ensure adequate frictional retention of the lips 19 of the shell halves. Where such a groove and strip arrangement is provided, the intensity of the grip of the strip 21 on the lips 19 can be varied by use of a wider or narrower insert strip 29. Of course, more than two such grooves 28a and strip 29a may be provided, within practical limits.

Claims (3)

1. A portable liferaft container comprising two similar shell halves which are sealable relative to one another to form an enclosure for an inflatable liferaft by sealing means enabling the shell halves to separate as a result of internal forces arising from inflation of the liferafttherein, characterised in that the two shell halves are formed with edge lips extending around their peripheries and the sealing means comprises an extruded resilient sealing strip shaped to provide aligned slots into which the confronting edge lips of the shell halves engage and are retained frictionally.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1 in which the sealing strip is generally H-shaped in cross-sectional configuration, being composed of side-by-side uprights defining between them the slots and connected by a cross web which serves to separate the adjacent ends of the slots.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2 wherein, in the sealing strip, one of the uprights is thinner than the other and is formed with one or more of the grooves, said grooves extending longitudinally of the strip.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 2 wherein, in the sealing strip, one of the uprights is thinner than the other and is formed with one or more grooves which extend longitudinally of the strip and serve each to receive a respective insert which serves resiliently to urge the extremities of said upright into gripping relationship with the edge lips of the shell halves.

4. A c6ntainer as claimed in Claim 2 or 3 wherein the cross-section of the sealing strip is such that, in the relaxed condition thereof, the grooves taper away from the cross web.

5. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the shell halves are each provided with a deep sidewall, which sidewalls are stepped towards the edge lips thereof so as to define, in the assembled condition of the container, a channel in register with the joint between the two shell halves.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 wherein the lips have angled terminal portions directed inwardly of the container.

7. A container as claimed in Claim 5 or 6 wherein the shell halves are each formed with a respective recess in the sidewall, across which extends a respective handle strap by which the container may be carried.

8. A portable liferaft container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

New claims and amendments to claims filed on 18 May1979 Superseded claims 1 and 3 New or amended claims:

1. A portable liferaft container comprising two similar shell halves which are sealable relative to one another to form an enclosure for an inflatable liferaft by sealing means enabling the shell halves to separate as a result of internal forces arising from inflation of the liferafttherein, characterised in that the two shell halves are formed with edge lips extending around their peripheries and the sealing means comprises an extruded resilient sealing strip shaped to provide aligned slots into which the confronting edge lips of the shell halves engage, the sealing strip having one or more grooves for receiving an insert which serves resiliently to deform said sealing strip so that it grips the edge lips.