GB2296474A

GB2296474A - Life-raft Container with stowing means

Info

Publication number: GB2296474A
Application number: GB9526345A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Horst Heinrichs; Helmut Knofe; Andreas Sedlmayr
Original assignee: Autoflug GmbH
Current assignee: Autoflug GmbH
Priority date: 1994-12-31
Filing date: 1995-12-22
Publication date: 1996-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 2015-12-22
Also published as: GB9526345D0; FR2728865B1; DE4447331C1; GB2296474B; FR2728865A1

Description

2296474 Life-raft container with holding means The invention relates to a

container arrangement with an inflatable life- raft packed therein and with sea rescue equipment optionally for additional accommodation in the container arrangement, wherein the container is provided for its opening along a nominal rupture line with a release mechanism effective in an emergency at sea and can be kept in a holding means accommodated on board a water-craft.

A container with the features mentioned above is described for example in DE 30 24 859 C2; a known container accommodates moreover both the liftraft and the sea rescue equipment and is stowed on board a water-craft by means of a holding means enclosing it as a rule. Conventional containers consist moreover as a rule of deep-drawn plastics half-shells, wherein the associated holding means comprise either belt units completely enclosing the container or pipe sections shaped according to the container form and frequently disposed in a pivotable manner.

There is associated with the known life-raft containers the disadvantage that the life-raft mostly packed in a vacuum pack on the one hand and the sea rescue equipment on the other have different servicing intervals; it should also be borne in mind that sea rescue equipment can in certain cases be completely dispensed with if the water-craft is used in inland waters, 2 which necessitates a varying provision of life-raft containers with and without sea rescue equipment including the observance of differing forms of servicing. Since the life-raft containers are also as a rule constructed as smooth plastics bodies without handles or similar, their handling is difficult, and finally the holding means accommodating the respective containers and also enclosing the container on theftprevention grounds are awkward to handle.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a container arrangement for life-rafts which permits proper servicing of the liferaft on the one hand and the sea rescue equipment on the other and is simple to handle and can also be reliably stowed.

The achievement of this object follows together with advantageous developments and refinements of the invention from the content of the claims, which are appended to this description.

The invention provides in its basic idea that the sea rescue equipment is packed in a separate second container and the first container equipped for accommodating only the liferaft comprises on its outer side specially shaped fittings for the abutment of the second container and that the holding means for the optional stowing of the first container or of the first and second containers combined with one another is adjustable per se.

There is associated with the invention the advantage that separate containers are provided for the life-raft on the one hand and the sea rescue equipment on the other, so that a stowing of the life-raft either with or else without sea rescue equipment is possible; the associated holding means is moreover so arranged that it can accommodate the container arrangement constructed on the unit assembly principle. The specially shaped fittings provided on the outside of the 3 respective containers can be used as handles, so that the handling of the individual containers of the overall container arrangement is improved, and at the same time the fittings serve as points of attachment or specially shaped fastenings for the container arrangement in the holding means, which then no longer requires the container arrangement to be enclosed with parts provided on the holding means.

According to an embodiment of the invention it is provided that the first container is of cuboid-shaped construction and comprises a specially shaped fitting on the opposite edge of each of its front ends; there is associated with this symmetrical arrangement of the container or of the associated attachment surfaces the advantage that a particular correlation is not prescribed, but instead the container can be handled and introduced into the holding means in any position.

If according to an embodiment of the invention the specially shaped fitting consists of a trough interrupting the related container edge and of a bar overlapping the trough as a continuation of the container edge, a configuration of this kind can be used in a simple manner as a handle, because the trough acts as a handle trough and the bar as a handle bar.

As known per se from the prior art, the cuboid-shaped first container consists of two half-shells connected to one another in the longitudinal direction of the container by a connecting means forming the nominal rupture line, wherein the half shells can be connected at a front end of the container by a hinge; the hinge can also be formed by the connecting means not rupturing in this area. It goes without saying that in this case the second container can be attached only at the front end of the first container that lies opposite the hinge.

According to an embodiment of the invention it is provided that the second container with its front ends has the same 4 dimension as the front ends of the first container and comprises at one front end interlock devices interacting with the front-end specially shaped fittings of the first container and on its other front end specially shaped fittings corresponding to the specially shaped fittings of the first container; there is associated with this the advantage that on the joining of the first and the second container a container which is regular in its outer dimensions is obtained; the different equipping of the front ends of the second container with the interlock on the one hand and specially shaped fittings on the other makes holding of the first and second containers against one another possible and by virtue of the specially shaped fitting then lying freely against the second container at the front end their insertion into the respective holding means; there is possible alternatively however the connection of a further second container by means of the interlock device suitably disposed on the latter.

According to an embodiment of the invention the interlock device of the respective second container is formed of claws projecting beyond the front ends of the second container for engagement with the trough and engagement behind the related bar of the attachment arrangement, wherein the one claw on the one side of the front end is fixed and the other claw on the other side of the front end forms part of a lever arranged so as to pivot on the second container, wherein the lever is with expediency secured in its closed position. A particularly simple interlocking of the parts is brought about in this way, and it is ensured by the engagement behind the bar from the inside of the trough that the interlock device does not prevent the first container being opened in an emergency, because the bar of the attachment arrangement of the first container, which lies in the claw, is disengageable outwards and can leave the interlock device unimpeded when the half shells are pulled apart.

According to an embodiment of the invention the holding means is constructed as a frame enclosing the first container or the first and second containers across a longitudinal side and adjustable telescopically, wherein the frame comprises connection pieces directed inwards at its front ends and engaging with the specially shaped fittings of the first or the second container, wherein the connection pieces are constructed as projections engaging with the trough of the specially shaped fittings of the containers and at the same time overlapping the bars. There is brought about with this configuration a particularly simple and effective holding of the container arrangement with the first container or with the first and second containers in the holding means, because the projections of the holding means overlap the bars of the attachment arrangements of the containers and reliably secure the latter. Anti-theft protection is provided according to an embodiment of the invention by the fact that the telescopically adjustable frame is lockable in its covering position for the first container or the first and second containers.

Alternatively the holding means can also be constructed as a plate connected to the body of the water-craft with an opening corresponding to the front end of the first container for the positioning of the first container and with an interlock device engaging with the specially shaped fitting of the first container; in this way it becomes possible in an advantageous manner to use the container arrangement as a stool or table, wherein for example a tabletop or bench can also be latched to the exposed attachment arrangement. The plate for receiving the first container must in so doing not be connected to the body of the water- craft, instead the plate hinged to the container arrangement can also be used as a loose table foot.

The symmetrical construction of the first container also permits the accommodation of a water-proof bag for stowing articles required to be kept dry, such as clothing in an 6 emergency at sea, by the fact that the troughs of the mutually opposite front ends of the first container are connected by means of a depression extending across the length of the first container, wherein the depression is arranged for receiving the water-proof bag.

Embodiments of the invention are reproduced in the drawing and described below.

Fig. 1 shows a container arrangement with a first container and associated holding means in an overall view, Fig. 2 a container arrangement with a first and a second container together with associated holding means in an overall view, Fig. 3 the subject-matter of Figure 2 in disengaged position, Figs 4a, b the specially shaped fitting of the first container with the associated interlock device of the second container, Fig. 5 two second containers provided for connection to one another and Fig. 6 the subject-matter of Figure 2 with another holding means.

Figure 1 shows a first container 10 with an upper half shell 11 and a lower half shell 12, which are connected to one another by a connecting tape 13 forming the nominal rupture line. On the opposite edges of the two front ends 14 of the container 10 are provided specially shaped fittings 15, which are described in detail later. The holding means 18 relating to the container 10 consists of first bars 19 running in 7 longitudinal direction of the container together with longitudinal bars 20 insertable telescopically therein, wherein the two bars 19, 20 are provided with a related perforation 21, so that the longitudinal bars 19, 20 are fixed in that position relative to one another by means of the fixing means engaging through the perforation 21 and are lockable at this point for the anti-theft protection. The holding means 18 comprises on its short front ends transverse bars 22 curved out of the plane of the longitudinal bars 19, 20, which transverse bars bear projections 23 on the inside that engage with the specially shaped fittings 15 of the first container. It is quite obvious that the container 10, when the longitudinal bars 19, 20 are separated, can be inserted into the holding means 18, wherein pushing together of the longitudinal bars 19, 20 enables the projections 23 borne by the transverse bars 22 to engage with the specially shaped fittings 15 and thereby secure the first container 10; there then takes place by means of the related perforation 21 the securing of the longitudinal bars 19, 20, if a reliable holding of the first container 10 in the holding means 18 is brought about.

It can be seen from Figure 2 that the first container 10 can be connected to a second container 24 by means of connection means described below, wherein the dimensions of the second container 24 are so adapted to the dimensions of the first container 10 that a regular container is obtained after the joining of the containers 10, 24; the container 24 likewise has on its outside specially shaped fittings 15 that correspond in their layout to the specially shaped fittings 15 of the first container 10, so that the container arrangement thus consisting of the first container 10 and the second container 24 can be secured in the holding means 18 in the manner described.

The function of the container arrangement is given in Figure 3; the liferaft 36 is packed in the container 10, while the 8 second container 24 accommodates the sea rescue equipment 37; the half shells 11, 12 of the first container 10 are connected to one another at their one front end 14 by means of a hinge (not shown further), wherein this hinge can also be formed by the connecting tape 13, while the second container 24 is to be secured in a manner still to be described on the opposite side of the first container 10; in an emergency at sea the opening of the container 10 takes place first of all by upward swivelling of the upper half shell 11 (arrow 27) and release of the life-raft 36 lying therein; the interlock device with the second container 24 is released by the upward swivelling of the upper half shell 11, so that the container 24 becomes free first of all in the direction of the arrow 24 and can then separate from the first container 10 in the direction of the arrow 29.

As can be seen from Figs 4a, b, the specially shaped fitting 15 of the first container 10 is formed as a trough 16 interrupting the related container edge and a rod 17 overlapping the trough 16 as a continuation of the container edge; there is brought about in this way first of all a kind of handle, by means of which the first container 10 can be handled in a simple manner. The interlock device provided on the second container 24 consists in the lower area of a fixed claw 33 projecting beyond the front end of the container 24, which engages with the trough 16 from the inside and behind the bar 17 positioned there; on the opposite side a correspondingly engaging claw 30 forms part of a lever 31 supported pivotable about a point of rotation 32 on the second container 24, wherein the open position of the lever 31 is shown by dot-dash lines in Figure 4a; the lever 31 can be secured in its closed position in a manner not shown further. It follows from this that on the raising of the upper half shell 11 of the first container 10 the bar 17 is released from the claw 30 of the lever 31, so that after cancellation of this interlock the container 24 pivots with its fixed claw 33 about the bar 17 of the related specially shaped fitting 15, 9 so that the container 24 can be released fully from the first container 10.

As seen from Figure 5, several second containers 24 can also be hinged to one another, so that the whole container arrangement can be assembled on the unit construction principle with a first container 10 and optionally one or more second containers 24 and used as required; an entire container arrangement expanded at will can also be accommodated in the holding means 18 with suitable configuration of the adjustment path of the holding means 18.

Finally, a further useful effect of the novel container arrangement is shown in Figure 6, by the fact that there is provided as holding means for the first container 10 or the associated second container 24 a plate 34 which has an opening corresponding to the front end 14 of the first container 10, so that the container 10 is insertable into the plate edgewise. The plate 34 moreover comprises an interlock device 35 interacting with a specially shaped fitting 15, which can be constructed in the same manner as the specially shaped interlock 25 of the second container 24. A tabletop 38 can also be positioned in a similar manner on the other front end of the first container 10 or of the second container 24 connected with the latter. Moreover the invention is not limited to the fact that the plate 34 is connected to the body of the water-craft, but instead a corresponding plate 34 can be hinged just like the tabletop 38 to the container arrangement consisting of first container 10 or second container 24, so that a manageable unit as a table or stool is obtained with inclusion of the life-raft container.

As not further shown, the troughs 16 of the mutually opposite front ends 14 of the first container 10 can be connected by means of a depression extending across the length of the first container, wherein the depression is arranged for accommodating a water-proof bag; a water-proof bag can be used for placing in it dry clothing prior to the alighting on water of the life-raft, so that in particular persons who have swum to the released raft in an emergency can put on dry and hence warming articles after boarding the raft; the survival chances of persons involved in an emergency are therefore improved considerably under the concept according to the invention.

The invention is also not limited to a slackenable connection of the first and second containers, but instead it can also be provided that the corresponding attachment arrangement is intended for permanent connection of the second container to the life-raft. To this end it can be provided that the first container and the second container are connected permanently by means of an attachment arrangement which produces a positive unavoidable connection. This attachment arrangement can consist of a pin connected to the life-raft by a connecting line and disposed on the container wall and of a shackle on the second container connected to the latter by means of a connecting line for locking with the pin, wherein pin and shackle are disposed in a trough accommodating the respective other related part. During assembly the shackle of the second container 24 is locked onto the pin visible in a bore in the container shell of the first container 10 at the front end, wherein the pin is connected firmly by means of a connecting line to the life-raft and the shackle by means of a connecting line to the second container, so that in an emergency the second container is coupled indissolubly to the life- raft. In order that the locking of the shackle into the pin cannot be forgotten during assembly, a suitable shaped trough is provided for the shackle in the related wall of the second container, in which trough the shackle only fits if it has locked into the pin; otherwise an accurately fitting connection of the second container 24 to the container 10 is not possible. A positive unavoidable connection of the first to the second container is created in this way, which is effective whenever the containers 10, 24 are connected to one another.

The features of the subject-matter of this document which are disclosed in the aforegoing description, the claims, the abstract and the drawing can be material both individually and in any combinations of one another for the realization of the invention in its various forms of execution.

12

Claims

Claims

1. Container arrangement with an inflatable life-raft packed therein and with sea rescue equipment optionally for additional accommodation in the container arrangement, wherein the container is provided for its opening along a nominal rupture line with a release mechanism effective in an emergency at sea and is to be kept in holding means accommodated on board a water-craft, characterised in that the sea rescue equipment is packed in a separate second container and the first container arranged for accommodating only the life-raft comprises on its outside specially shaped fittings for the abutment of the second container and that the holding means is adjustable per se for the optional stowing of the first container or of the first and second containers connected to one another.

2. Container arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the first container is constructed cuboid shaped and comprises a specially shaped fitting on each of two opposite edges of its front ends 3. Container arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the specially shaped fitting consists of a trough interrupting the related container edge and of a bar overlapping the trough as a continuation of the container edge.

13 Container arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the first container consists of two half shells connected to one another in longitudinal direction of the container by means of a connecting part forming the nominal rupture line.

Container arrangement according to claim 4, characterised in that the half shells of the cuboid-shaped first container are connected to one another at a front end specially shaped hinge 6.

of the container by means of a Container arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the second container with its front ends has the same dimension as the front ends of the first container and comprises at one front end interlock devices interacting with the front-end specially shaped fittings of the first container and on its other front end specially shaped fittings corresponding to the specially shaped fittings of the first container 7. Container arrangement according to claim 6, characterised in that the interlock devices of the second container consist of claws projecting beyond the front end of the second container for engagement with the trough bar of the first container and engagement behind the 8. Container arrangement according to claim 7, characterised in that the claw on the one side of the front end of the second container is fixed and on the opposite side forms part of a lever supported so as to pivot on the second container 9. Container arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the lever (31) is secured in its closed position.

14 10. Container arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the holding means is constructed as a telescopically adjustable frame enclosing the first container or the first and second containers across their longitudinal sides and that the frame comprises connection pieces directed inwards at its front ends and engaging with the specially shaped fittings of the first or the second container.

11. Container arrangement according to claim 10, characterised in that the connection pieces are constructed as projections engaging with the trough of the specially shaped fittings of the containers and at the same time overlapping the bars 12. Container arrangement according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the telescopically adjustable frame is lockable in its covering position for the first container or the first and the second containers.

13. Container arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the holding means consists of a plate connected to the body of the water-craft with an opening corresponding to the front end of the first container for the positioning of the first container and with an interlock device engaging with the specially shaped fitting of the first container 14. Container arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that a further second container can be connected to the second container and the holding means is arranged for the stowing of a first and several second containers.

15. Container arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that the troughs of the mutually opposite front ends of the first container are connected by means of a depression extending across the length of the first container., wherein the depression is arranged for receiving a water-proof bag.

16. Container arrangement according to claim 15, characterised in that the water-proof bag to be accommodated in the depression in the first container is connected by means of a line to the first and/or a second container.

17.

Container arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterised in that the first container and the second container are connected permanently by means of an attachment arrangement which produces a positive unavoidable connection.

18. Container arrangement according to claim 17, characterised in that a pin connected to the life-raft by a connecting line is disposed on the container wall of the first container and a shackle is provided on the second container which is connected to the latter by means of a connecting line for locking with the pin of the first container, wherein pin or shackle are disposed in a trough accommodating the respective other related part.

19. Container arrangement with an inflatable life-raft, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.