GB2463099A

GB2463099A - Inflatable water recovery apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2463099A
Application number: GB0816135A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Hunter
Original assignee: MOOR FAST
Current assignee: MOOR FAST
Priority date: 2008-09-05
Filing date: 2008-09-05
Publication date: 2010-03-10
Also published as: GB0816135D0

Abstract

An inflatable rescue device 10 comprises an inflatable ramp (fig 3, 13) with inflatable side members 15 & 20 and pontoon 14 which assist in the recovery of a person from a body of water. The device is fixed to the side of a boat, shore or river bank 12 and is deployed using cord 22 by the person being recovered or someone on land. It is deployed in stages from being rolled up and deflated to 2ndstage where the ramp is inflated and inclined and a final stage where the pontoon 14 is inflated causing the ramp to be elevated horizontally to the structure 12. The apparatus may have a weighted end, cleat 30 for securing a safety line and the side members 15 & 20 are spanned by a web 21 that may be inflatable.

Description

RECOVERY APPARATUS

The present invention relates to a recovery apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a recovery apparatus for assisting the recovery of a person who has fallen into a body of water.

Various apparatus are known for the recovery of a person who has fallen into a body of water from a vessel or a shore. These apparatus vary from simple floatation devices such as a lifesaver ring, to inflatable rafts and apparatus which comprise tracking devices. The modes of operation of such apparatus differ quite significantly but generally concern getting a line or floatation device to the person, so that they can be brought alongside the vessel or a shore from which they have fallen.

Subsequently, the person is relocated to the vessel or shore. This final stage of recovery may be carried out by the person dragging or hauling themselves onto the vessel or shore. This is a physically exhausting experience and if the person does not have the physical strength, due to fatigue from swimming and treading water against the weight of their wet clothes, or if the person was injured during their fall or rendered unconscious, they will not be able to help themselves. Under such circumstances the exhausted or injured person will need to be recovered by others lifting the person from the body of water by their own strength alone or with the aid of some kind of mechanical means. The present invention is directed towards a recovery apparatus which is equally suitable for self-recovery or an assisted recovery of a person who has fallen into a body of water.

There are many apparatus available that can be used to lift a person from a body of water. These apparatus typically comprise a hoist for lifting, and a harness. Some hoists comprise a body harness, which supports the person under their arms and thighs, and acts to lift the person in a vertical orientation from a body of water. The use of this kind of hoist can often cause injuries to the person being winched, particularly to their upper body, either as a result of crushing from the harness itself, or through the person being dashed against the side of the boat or bank upon which the hoist is located. Other apparatus lift the person in a horizontal manner by trapping them within a sheet or net and rolling them up the side of the boat or bank. Yet further hoisting apparatus utilise a stretcher or cage within which a person is secured, prior to winching.

A common feature of the above-mentioned apparatus is that they either require a mechanical aid, such as a winch and rope to perform their function, or require the physical strength of one or more persons to pull the person from the body of water. A further complication is that these apparatus additionally require the cooperation of the person being rescued i.e. they must be conscious or be in a position to aid and assist their rescuers.

Often, when a person falls overboard they will be in the water for a period of time, during which their clothes will become wet and heavy. This will generally exacerbate the situation, causing the person to rapidly tire due to the increased weight of their sodden clothes. Hyperthermia is also a major problem. Additionally, the sides of the boat will be wet and slippery making it even more difficult for a person to climb out of the water, even when tethered to a safety line.

In the event that the person has been sailing alone, or is unable to attract the attention of their fellow crew, it will be virtually impossible for the person who has fallen overboard to climb back onto the boat without any assistance.

Furthermore, the person may have been injured as a direct result of the fall, or in the events leading up to their fall into the water. Worse still, the person may not be conscious. Under such circumstances, if the person is attached to a safety line it should be possible for their crew members to bring them alongside the vessel without too much trouble. However, it will then be difficult to pull the injured person from the water since they will essentially be a dead-weight and there will be little or nothing that they can do to assist in their recovery. Accordingly, the above-mentioned apparatus may not be suitable for the rescue of a person in such circumstances.

GB2284391A describes a recovery apparatus in the form a boat-mounted inflatable platform. The platform comprises a pair of tubular side members between which a ladder is located. In use, the platform is inflated to extend downwardly into the water from the rear of the boat. The platform allows a person who is in a body of water, and who has fallen overboard, to climb onto the lower end of the platform and then up the ladder into the boat.

However, the apparatus of GB228439 1A suffers from a number of disadvantages, in particular it either requires the use of a mechanical aid to assist in the recovery of the person from the body of water, that a person or persons of considerable strength be present on the boat to help lift the person from the water, or that the person who has fallen overboard haul themselves from the water. In addition, climbing out of the water using the ladders of the apparatus of GB2284391A will be difficult and tiring since when the person's feet are placed on a rung of the ladder and the person fries to step up, the person's feet will sink down in the water due to their weight.

The present invention seeks to overcome at least some of these disadvantages and provide an apparatus which can be used for the recovery of a person from a body of water, either in an assisted recovery, or a self-recovery rescue.

In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a recovery apparatus comprising an inflatable ramp and an inflatable pontoon, wherein, in use, inflation of the inflatable pontoon causes the inflatable ramp to orientate substantially horizontally relative to a mounting point.

Suitably, the inflatable ramp includes a pair of inflatable elongate side members which are spanned by a web. Preferably, the inflatable elongate side members are fluidly connected. Alternatively, the inflatable elongate side members are independently inflatable.

Optionally, the web is inflatable.

Suitably, the recovery apparatus comprises a first securing means for securing a first end of the recovery apparatus to a mounting point such as a vessel, shore or river bank. Preferably, the first securing means is a bracket.

Suitably, the recovery apparatus includes a second securing means for securing a safety line attachable to a person within a body of water, in use, adjacent to the recovery apparatus. Preferably, the second securing means comprises a cleat.

Suitably, the recovery apparatus includes a weighted second end. Preferably, the inflatable pontoon is mounted at the weighted second end.

Suitably, the web includes gripping means. Preferably, the gripping means comprises handles, webbing or a series of cords that traverse a longitudinal axis of the web.

Preferably, the recovery apparatus has an undeployed configuration in which the apparatus is furled. Preferably, the recovery apparatus includes a first deployment means in the form of a cord. Preferably, activation of the first deployment means causes the recovery apparatus to unfurl to a deployed-uninflated configuration.

Preferably, the recovery apparatus further includes a second deployment means that is activatable following activation of the first deployment means. Preferably, activation of the second deployment means causes the inflatable elongate side members of the inflatable ramp to inflate.

Preferably, the recovery apparatus ftirther includes a third deployment means that is activatable following activation of the second deployment means. Preferably, activation of the third deployment means causes the inflatable pontoon to inflate.

In an alternative embodiment, the recovery apparatus ftirther includes a fourth deployment means that is activatable following activation of the third deployment means. In this alternative embodiment, activation of the third deployment means causes the inflatable pontoon to inflate to a first inflation state in which the ramp is lifted from the body of water and is inclined towards the vessel to which it is affixed.

Preferably, activation of the fourth deployment means causes the inflatable pontoon to inflate to a second inflation state in which the ramp is substantially horizontal relative to the vessel to which it is affixed.

Suitably, the recovery apparatus includes a compressed gas source.

Suitably, the recovery apparatus includes a person securing clip. Preferably, the person securing clip is deployed upon activation of the first deployment means, and as the recovery apparatus is unfurled to a deployed-uninflated configuration.

Optionally, the recovery apparatus includes additional inflatable means to provide extra stability to a deployed recovery device.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be illustrated in ftirther detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1A & lB are, respectively, front and side views of embodiment of a recovery apparatus in an un-deployed configuration, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figures 2A & 2 B are, respectively, front and side views of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a first part-deployed configuration; Figures 3A & 3B are, respectively, front and side views of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a second part-deployed configuration; Figures 4A & 4B are, respectively, front and side views of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a ftilly-deployed configuration; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figures 4A & 4B.

Referring to the Figures there is shown a recovery apparatus 10 fitted at a first end 9 thereof to the gunwales 11 of a boat 12. As is best seen in Figure 3 to 5, the recovery apparatus 10 comprises an inflatable ramp 13 formed from a pair of elongate inflatable members 15,20 that are spanned by a web forming a hammock 21. In addition, the recovery apparatus 10 includes a cleat 30 for securing a person to the recovery apparatus, by means of a rope or safety-line (not shown).

In the embodiment shown, the inflatable members 15,20 are fluidly connected, as a single inflatable unit. In alternative embodiments, the inflatable members 15,20 are separate and distinct, and are independently inflatable. In further alternative embodiments, the inflatable member 15,20 and hammock form a single inflatable unit.

Figure 1 illustrates a recovery apparatus 10 in a furled configuration. In this arrangement the apparatus is rolled into a bundle and affixed to the gunwales 11 of the boat 12 by suitable means. As shown, the recovery apparatus 10 also includes a first deployment cord 22. The cord 22 is preferably weighted and, in use, its free end hangs at a predetermined height above the water, such that it is reachable by a person adjacently located within a body of water.

In use, the apparatus has three distinct stages of deployment which will be described in detail below.

The first stage of deployment can either be initiated by a person within the water or a person located on the boat 12, pulling the first deployment cord 22. This causes the recovery apparatus to unfurl. The unattached second end 23 of the apparatus 10 is preferably weighted (not shown) to aid the unfurling process. This causes the second end 23 to fall into and submerge in the water, as depicted by the hashed lines in Figure 2A. As this occurs, a second deployment cord 24 is revealed. In addition, particularly in preferred embodiments (not shown) the recovery apparatus also includes a person securing means in the form of one of more clips. The clip or clips are revealed separately with the second deployment cord, and permit the person who has fallen overboard to secure themselves to the recovery apparatus prior to the second and third stages of deployment in which the apparatus is inflated.

Alternatively, the clip or clips are formed with or attached to the first deployment cord, or the web.

The clip or clips are most useful in a self-recovery' in which a person who has fallen into a body of water has brought themselves alongside the recovery apparatus. The clip or clips can also be used as an additional securing means in an assisted recovery, in which the person has already been secured to the recovery apparatus by a rope.

As with the first stage, the second stage of deployment can either be initiated by a person within the water or a person located on the boat. This is effected once the person in the water has secured themselves to the apparatus, and occurs once the second deployment cord is pulled. Activation of the second deployment cord triggers the release of gas from a compressed gas source (not shown) and causes inflatable members 15,20 of inflatable ramp 13 to inflate, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

During this process a third deployment cord 25 is revealed.

Subsequently, and as with the previous stages, the third stage of deployment can be initiated by a person who is in the water, or a person on the boat, pulling third deployment cord 25. In doing so, this activates the compressed gas source, or a second compressed gas source (not shown) and causes the inflatable pontoon 14 to inflate, as shown in Figures 4A, 4B and 5. As a result, a person located on hammock 21 is lifted clear of the body water to a substantially horizontal level relative to the boat 12, in a safe and controlled manner. Inflation of the recovery apparatus in the separate and distinct processes of stages two and three is particularly important in the recovery of a person who has fallen into a body of water. For example, were stages two and three to be combined and the whole assembly inflated in a single step, there would be a significant risk of the recovered person being tipped out of the hammock.

The separate steps of deployment stages two and three result in a reduction in the chance of the person being tipped off the recovery apparatus and also provides an opportunity for the person to reposition themselves before the final lifting phase of stage three.

In alternative embodiments, the third stage of deployment is split into two distinct lifting steps. In this alternative third stage, upon activation the pontoon is inflated to raise the ramp completely out of the water, and to an inclined angle to the boat.

During this first step a fourth deployment cord is revealed.

In further alternative embodiments, the fourth deployment cord is revealed along with the third deployment cord after the second stage of deployment, and is located so it cannot be reached by a person within the water. That is to say, the person must haul themselves part-way up the ramp in order to reach and activate the fourth deployment cord. This arrangement is to prevent a person inadvertently pulling the wrong activation cord before they have pulled themselves onto the ramp. This would result in a fully inflated apparatus, which would be extremely difficult to climb onto for the person in the water.

Subsequently, once the third deployment cord has been activated and the pontoon has inflated according to the first step of the two-step pontoon inflation procedure, the fourth deployment cord can be activated. This leads to a further inflation process and causes the ramp to raise to a substantially horizontal orientation, relative to the boat and water body. During this step compressed air is pumped into the existing pontoon air chambers, or alternatively into a separate un-inflated chamber or chambers of the pontoon.

The two-step inflation sequence of the pontoon allows for greater control over the recovery process, and is particularly suited for recoveries involving high-sided vessels, where a large lift height is required.

In the above procedural description, it is assumed that the person who has fallen overboard has managed to swim or drift alongside the boat, adjacent to the recovery apparatus, and has subsequently secured themselves to the recovery apparatus by a securing clip or clips. However, the person may require assistance from a person or persons located on the boat. This may be through their recovery by a rope or life-ring and rope attached to the person who is in the water. In such instances, the rope will be secured to a cleat 30 fitted to the first end of the recovery apparatus.

The recovery apparatus when stored for use will conveniently be attached to the boat at the gunwales. This may be achieved in a variety of ways such as tying or clamping it to the toe rail, or utilising purpose-made brackets to fix the apparatus to the toe rail or to the deck. Whichever method is used, a secure fixing is essential to ensure its structural integrity in use, particularly in strong wind and heavy seas.

As indicated above, it is intended that the various stages of deployment only permit the recovery apparatus to be activated in the correct sequence, so ensuring the correct sequence of events.

The dimensions of the inflatable ramp and pontoon will be determined by the size of vessel, particularly the height of its freeboard i.e. the distance from the gunwales to the water line. It is envisaged that a range of recovery apparatus will be developed, each being suitable for a particular sized vessel. This is essential to obtain the correct positioning of the hammock relative to the vessel to permit a person located on to be slid easily onto the boat.

In preferred embodiments, (not shown) the hammock has a series of webbing straps across its width which allow the person who has fallen overboard to grip and pull themselves on board. Alternatively, pockets are provided across the hammock. This alternative arrangement provides the same function whilst minimising the risk of the person snagging themselves, or an item of their clothing to prevent them from moving onto the vessel.

Although the recovery apparatus is described in relation to sailing vessels it is equally suitable for use on a river-bank, shore or dock, either as a permanent fixture or as a portable recovery apparatus which can be located to a more suitable site in the event of an emergency.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A recovery apparatus comprising an inflatable ramp and an inflatable pontoon, wherein, in use, inflation of the inflatable pontoon causes the inflatable ramp to orientate substantially horizontally relative to a mounting point.
2. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inflatable ramp comprises a pair of inflatable elongate side members which are spanned by a web.
3. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inflatable elongate side members are fluidly connected.
4. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inflatable elongate 0) side members are independently inflatable.
5. A recovery apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the webis inflatable. (0 (\J
6. A recovery apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recovery apparatus comprises a first securing means, preferably in the form of a bracket, for securing a first end of the recovery apparatus to a mounting point such as a vessel, shore or river bank.
7. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the recovery apparatus comprises a second securing means, preferably in the form of a cleat, for securing a safety line attachable to a person within a body of water, in use, to or adjacent to the recovery apparatus.
8. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the recovery apparatus comprises a weighted second end.
9. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the inflatable pontoon is mounted at the weighted second end.
10. A recovery apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the web comprises gripping means in the form of handles, webbing or a series of cords that traverse a longitudinal axis of the web.
11. A recovery apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recovery apparatus has an undeployed configuration in which the apparatus is furled.
12. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the recovery apparatus comprises a first deployment means in the form of a cord. a)
13. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein, in use, activation of the first deployment means causes the recovery apparatus to unfurl to a deployed-uninflated configuration. (0 (\J
14. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the recovery apparatus further comprises a second deployment means that is activatable following activation of the first deployment means.
15. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein, in use, activation of the second deployment means causes the inflatable elongate side members of the inflatable ramp to inflate.
16. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the recovery apparatus further comprises a third deployment means that is activatable following activation of the second deployment means.
17. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein, in use, activation of the third deployment means causes the inflatable pontoon to inflate.
18. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the recovery apparatus further comprises a fourth deployment means that is activatable following activation of the third deployment means.
19. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein, in use, activation of the third deployment means causes the inflatable pontoon to inflate to a first inflation state in which the ramp is lifted from the body of water and is inclined towards the vessel to which it is affixed, and wherein activation of the fourth deployment means causes the inflatable pontoon to inflate to a second inflation state in which the ramp is substantially horizontal relative to the vessel to which it is affixed. a)

0. . .
20. A recovery apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recovery apparatus further comprises a compressed gas source.

(0. . .
21. A recovery apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recovery apparatus further comprises a person securing clip.
22. A recovery apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein, in use, the person securing clip is deployed upon activation of the first deployment means, and as the recovery apparatus is unfurled to a deployed-uninflated configuration.
23. A recovery apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recovery apparatus further comprises an additional inflatable means to provide extra stability to a deployed recovery device, in use.