JPS63188591A - Module type liferaft - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application] The present invention relates to liferafts, and more particularly to liferafts for use on the open sea and for use while awaiting rescue on the open sea.
It relates to a life raft constructed for the temporary support of one or more persons. More particularly, the present invention is provided on a ship, so that in the event of an emergency where the ship faces or is threatened with sinking, the invention is arranged to deploy, typically automatically, to deploy. It concerns a life raft.

[Background technology of the invention]

Life rafts are known for rescuing people in the open ocean. While early liferafts took the form of platforms made of timber, logs, or other floating materials, modern liferafts are uniformly formed floating structures of fabric coated on one or both sides with a rubber-like compound. has been done. Typically, the floating structure includes one or more surrounding cylinders and a floor.

The cylinders are typically stacked vertically to form a cylinder wall characterized by a top and a bottom cylinder, and a floor is typically arranged between the floor and the bottom cylinder. It is permanently or vulcanizably glued to the lower end barrel to prevent water from entering the raft.

Although the basic liferaft is thereby limited and often resembles an inflatable children's swimming pool in appearance, this basic liferaft configuration is not applicable to widespread use in the open ocean.

In modern society, regulations, statutes, and practices in many countries of the world require that such basic (primitive) rafts be endowed with other features and functions.

Currently, such liferafts typically include isolation means to better isolate the raft occupants from the cold water surrounding the raft than a simple layer of rubberized fabric. Modern liferafts therefore typically have double-walled bottoms that are inflated to provide thermal insulation capabilities, or
Alternatively, a liferaft having a single layer bottom also typically includes a plurality of isolation floor sections including insulating pads of isolation material, such as porous material.

Currently, liferafts also include canopies formed to provide a covering roof over the raft, thereby at least partially protecting the raft's occupants from wind and waves.

These canopies were typically formed to allow the crew to hold the canopy over the rafters' heads without having to jointly lift their arms to physically hold the canopy over their heads. , can include a central support within the raft.

Currently, liferafts also include inflatable boarding ramps (b
oardiB ramp). Furthermore, liferafts now typically include at least one ballast means. This ballasting means is provided below the center of weight of the liferaft and thereby reduces the tendency of the liferaft to overturn and/or tumble under conditions of high winds and high waves.

As for liferafts, it is common practice to construct them as a unit. i.e. all or almost all of the necessary units I/Group of the raft are subject to deterioration and/or malfunction, such that repair of one or more parts of the raft and its attachments is completely impossible; They are generally permanently attached to each other.

Often irreparable damage to one attachment renders the entire liferaft unusable and requires replacement.

It is of great commercial practicality to be able to remove or replace some malfunctioning or damaged parts of the various components of a liferaft, while at the same time ensuring that necessary repairs are made to the components. .

The following margins [Summary of the Invention] The present invention provides a liferaft that is modular, that is, made of standardized units that can be easily assembled and rearranged.

The modular liferaft of the present invention consists of a hull and a floor constructed by vertically stacking a plurality of normally inflatable cylindrical members to define the circumference of the raft.
oor) and a floor attached to the lowermost inflatable tubular member to prevent water from entering the raft between the floor and the lowermost tubular member.

The floor may be double walled to provide isolation capacity or may be formed to accommodate floor sections arranged to define isolation capacity.

Floor components in the present invention are removable. A removable canopy is also provided, which is typically supported by a separate removable support column centrally located within the hull and floor assembly. The support strut is typically an inflatable structure and includes means for inflating the strut.

A boarding ramp (boardiB ramρ) is provided by a removable attachment on the outside of the hull and floor assembly, and typically this boarding ramp is an inflatable structure.

A ballast means is removably attached to the hull and floor assembly and typically includes a pair of chambers bounded by a partition within the ballast means.

The canopy and ballast means are typically arranged with peripheral attachments to the hull and floor assembly, and the ballast means also include non-peripheral attachments such as baffles that can be used for positioning and support within the ballast means relative to the floor. I can do it.

The canopy support is typically retained to the hull and floor assembly in a removable form similar to the floor section and entry ramp. The canopy is also typically removably retained on a canopy support.

The attachment of the canopy, canopy supports, floor parts, boarding ramps, and ballast means is within the scope of the invention snap,
Hooks, including locking rings that can be fastened with Velcro (registered trademark), strings, webbing, or similar materials, right-angle hooks, fasteners, and rotating shaft hooks formed to lock locking rings or D-rings. This can be achieved using reusable locking means such as:

the removable parts of the modular liferaft, i.e. the canopy;
Canopy supports, floor components if necessary, entry ramps, and ballast means are separable from the hull and floor assembly for replacement or repair, and the hull and floor assembly is It is possible to maintain the device in a usable condition by replacing the attachments as needed or making repairs. Furthermore, scrapping of the hull and floor assembly does not imply scrapping of the accessories, which can be reused in other raft assemblies.

The above and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when considered in conjunction with the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention using the drawings.

〔Example〕

A modular liferaft 10 is shown in an exploded view. The modular raft 10 has a hull (hu l I)
), i.e., the torso that provides buoyancy, and the floor.
It includes an assembly 12. The hull and floor assembly consists of two main elements, one of which is a plurality of air inflatable tubular members shown in FIG. 1 as upper inflatable tubular member 14 and lower inflatable tubular member 15. and cooperates with the floor element 16. The upper inflatable tubular member 14 and the lower inflatable tubular member 15 are typically arranged vertically, one with respect to the other, and water is applied to them, typically using known vulcanization or bonding techniques. They are attached to each other so that they do not pass between them.

Floor 16 and lower inflatable tubular member 15 are typically attached to each other by similar means to prevent water from passing between them and to prevent loads imposed on the floor by occupants of modular raft 10. A floor is secured to the tubular member 15 sufficient to support the cylindrical member 15.

The inflatable tubular members 14, 15 and the floor 16 thus define the hull and floor assembly 12 and act as a suitable floating container for containing human life and belongings.

It is important that the inflatable tubular members 14, 15 act around the perimeter of the floor to define a compartmentalized open tub or boat.

It is not essential that the inflatable tubular members 14, 15 be of equal or approximately equal sided construction, but may be of a geometry and size that provides suitable or conventional ocean-going capabilities.

One lid support column 18 is provided. A canopy 20 is also provided and configured to be supported by the lid support struts 18. A plurality of floor sections 22 are suitably contoured to be accommodated within the confines of the hull and floor assembly 12.

A boarding ramp 24 is provided and is formed as a tandem attachment to the exterior of the hull and floor assembly 12. Ballast means 26 is provided and formed as an attachment to the nohull and floor assembly 12. The ballast means 26 is typically supported below the water level and therefore below the floor 16 of the hull and floor assembly 12.

The hull and floor assembly includes a plurality of canopy support column attachments 30.

A plurality of attachments 38 are provided for removably retaining the entry ramp 24 to the hull and floor assembly 12. Attachments 38 are provided on the exterior surface of the hull and floor assembly 12, as shown in FIG. A plurality of attachments 36 of the floor component 24 are provided retained to the floor 16 of the hull and floor assembly 12.

A plurality of canopy attachments 32 are included in the hull and floor assembly 12. The attachment 32
are spaced about the periphery of the hull and floor assembly 12 defined by the upper tubular member 14.

A plurality of attachments 34 of ballast means are typically spaced along the periphery of the hull and floor assembly 12 and are mounted on the lower tubular member 15 or on the outside of the raft floor 16 or on its lower horizontal surface. It will be done. Auxiliary attachments 34' of the ballast means may be provided below the surface of the floor 16 or attached to the outer surface thereof. These attachments 34' are typically not regularly spaced around the circumference of the hull and floor assembly 12;
Preferably, it is disposed across the submerged surface of the floor 16 of the hull and floor assembly 12.

The canopy support struts 18 are typically air-inflatable structures of generally cylindrical form. In the embodiment of FIG.
has three mounting flanges with attachments 41. Attachments 41 are configured to mate with attachments 30 on the floor 16 of the hull and floor assembly 12, thereby retaining the canopy support struts 18 to the hull and floor assembly 12. The strut 18 is typically inflatable with air and is inflated using a transfer hose 52 that is conventional in nature or can be fed with any suitable hose. An inflatable member 14 is attached to the inflatable portion of the hull and floor assembly 12 . Typically, a brass coupler 53 or the like is used to couple the transfer hose 52 to the hull and floor assembly 12 and the blow-inflatable canopy support column 18. Other suitable or conventional hose fasteners may be used, and such devices are well known in the hose art.

The inflatable canopy support post 18 may include a canopy attachment 40 adjacent its upper end.

Canopy 20 is typically formed of a plurality of panels 44 that can be attached to one or the next. The panels 44 may be pie-shaped sections or other suitable geometries attached one to the next using known or suitable means, such as adhesive or vulcanization techniques, or optionally reinforced with web material. The top M20, formed into a pie-shaped section stitched together, has a plurality of attachments 45 positioned and arranged for coupling with attachments 32 provided on the hull and floor assembly 12. Although these attachments 45 are shown as strings in FIG.
These attachments include webbing, slide lip (sl)
1de-I ip) Engaging, snap or Velcro fasteners are likewise possible.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the canopy 20 and the hull and floor assembly 1 are assembled during operation of the modular liferaft.
the canopy 2 to prevent substantial movement of water between the canopy 2
0 and the hull and floor assembly 12 as shown in FIG.
p) 46, preferably including a snap or sliding lip engagement. Attachment of the Velcro strips, as shown in FIG. 1, can be accomplished using adhesives or vulcanizable adhesives by well known means.

Auxiliary attachment 45' is heaven! 20 and is configured and positioned to engage an attachment 40 located at the upper end of the inflatable canopy support column 18. The combination of this attachment (40.45') is a string and pawl ring, and the right angle hook is a fastener (quarte).
r-frn fastener) or other suitable or conventional releasable locking means.

Floor component 22 typically includes an outer skin (
Shell) 4 porous core materials (foam core) covered with 4
Formed by 8.

The skin is typically formed to seal the perimeter of the porous material to prevent fluids, such as seawater, from migrating into the porous material. Although the porous material may be any suitable or conventional material, porous material 48 in FIG. 1 is an open or closed cell polyurethane foam. The floor part 22 includes an attachment 47 arranged and configured to lock an attachment 36 provided on the floor 16 of the hull and floor assembly 12. Floor component 22 is thereby removably retained in hull and floor assembly 12.

If the floor 16 of the hull and floor assembly 12 is a double plank floor, the floor section 22 is not required to form the modular liferaft 10 of the present invention.

The boarding ramp 24 is typically formed as an inflatable structure including a plurality of inflatable tubes 56, as shown in FIG. A plurality of attachments 57 are arranged to engage attachments I.38 provided on the hull and floor assembly 12;
It is formed. These attachments 57, 38
This can be done by conventional means such as the laces and locking rings depicted in Figure 1, or by any other appropriate means, such as a swivel hook and D-ring, a fastener for a right-angle hook, or a sliding lip engagement. possible.

Ballast means 26 is typically formed of a plurality of geometric shapes, such as pie-shaped panels 60.

Conventionally, the ballast means 26 is a baffle (baf f I
e) Divided into multiple sections at 62. Baffles are typically attached to the seams between panels 60, but may also be attached using any suitable or conventional technique, such as, but not limited to, sewing, vulcanizing, or gluing to ballast means 26. It is possible as well.

In most cases, the seams and joints are reinforced by the use of webbing or the like. The ballast means 26 has a plurality of attachments 64, 64'. Attachments 64 are typically regularly disposed around the periphery of ballast means 26 and spaced for engagement with attachments 34 provided around the periphery of hull and floor assembly 12.

Attachments 64' are typically spaced apart to engage attachments 34' on floor 16 of hull and floor assembly 12.

The attachments 64, 64', 34, and 34' are shown as a locking ring and a string, or a locking ring and a strap in the embodiment shown in FIG. The ballast means 26 can be made removable with D-rings or other suitable or conventional fasteners.

In fact, all the attachments depicted in Figure 1 are 30°32.
34.34', 36, 38, 40, 41, 45.45'
, 46.47°64, 64' are the various components 18, 20, 22, 24 of the modular liferaft.
, 26 to the hull and floor assembly 12, and is not limited to any suitable or conventional locking device. This kind of fastener is
Locking rings and laces, or locking rings and straps, right angle hooks can be made of fasteners, snaps, Velcro(TM) hook-and-loop fasteners, D-rings and pivot hooks, slip-lip locks, and the like. Each should, of course, be selected for the particular task it is to serve and be able to withstand any loads on the raft due to the movement of the modular liferaft in an ocean-going environment. Must be.

Ballast means 26, boarding ramp 24, pillar 18, top M2
0, and hull and floor assemblies 12 are typically made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber called nitrile rubber, chlorinated polyethylene, chlorosulfone-polyethylene-styrene-butadiene, polychloroprene, chlorinated It is made of a material such as nylon that is waterproofed on one or both sides with a rubber-like compound such as vinyl polymers and the like.

As used herein, "waterproof fabric" is intended to mean any fabric coated with rubber elastomer that is useful in constructing the modular liferaft 10 of the present invention and is useful for marine operations. be.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the inflatable canopy support column 18
, the hull and floor assembly 12, and the inflatable entry ramp 24 are typically made of polychloroprene coated nylon fabric, as well as the ballast means 26 and canopy 20.
It is made of nylon cloth that is not waterproofed.

Floor section 22 typically includes four fabric skins coated with a rubber-like compound.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the fabric is polyester and the coating compound is polyvinyl chloride. Similarly, the four floor component skins can be formed from other fabrics coated with rubber-like compounds. That is, other waterproof fabrics.

In view of the foregoing considerations, the modular liferaft of this invention 1
0 as a result, regarding defects and individual components 12
, 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 can be inspected for defects within the modular liferaft, and each component can be removed and replaced with the same component from the modular liferaft with necessary repairs and replacements. It is clear that this is guaranteed. On the other hand, if the hull and floor assembly 12 is damaged beyond repair, the other components 18,
20, 22, 24, 26, etc. can be used with other hull and floor assemblies.

Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be obvious that various modifications thereto may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a modular liferaft constructed in accordance with the present invention. 12...hull and floor assembly, 14...
Upper inflatable cylindrical member, 15... Lower inflatable cylindrical member, 16... Floor, 18... Canopy support strut, 20... Canopy, 22... Floor component,
24... Boarding ramp, 26... Ballast means, 4
8...Porous core material.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. At least two peripheral inflatable cylindrical members defining the outer circumference of the liferaft, one vertically disposed above the other, and attached to the lower end cylindrical member; A hull and floor assembly consisting of a floor formed between the floor and the lower tubular member to prevent water from entering the liferaft, provided that the liferaft has a canopy support strut attachment point and a floor cushion attachment point. , a boarding ramp attachment point, a canopy attachment point, and a ballast means attachment point, the ballast means attachment points being arranged around the liferaft adjacent to the outer periphery of the liferaft; selectively including at least one ballast means attachment point not provided with ballast means, the liferaft being formed of fabric waterproofed with a rubber-like compound;
and a hull and floor assembly in which the attachment points are selected from conventional locking means such as locking rings, laces, snaps, D-rings, pivot clips, right-angle fasteners, webbing, and slip-lip fasteners; a fastener formed and arranged for attachment to the support strut attachment point, and further comprising an upper canopy attachment point and an air transfer device arranged to transfer gaseous fluid from the raft tubular member to the canopy support strut. Support struts including; a plurality of floor pads having a thermally insulating core covered with a waterproof fabric skin and provided with fastener means configured and arranged for locking to attachment points on the liferaft; liferaft canopy attachments; a canopy having fastener means formed and arranged to engage with a point, provided that the canopy is formed of rubberized fabric and has an attachment point arranged to engage with an upper attachment point of a canopy support column; an inflatable boarding ramp formed of rubberized fabric and having a plurality of fasteners formed and arranged to engage boarding ramp attachment points provided on the liferaft; and A compartmentalized ballast means consisting of panels of water-repellent fabric and having longitudinal baffles forming a pair of partitions, provided that the ballast means is provided along its outer periphery and along the baffles for locking at corresponding attachment points on the liferaft. A modular liferaft consisting of each of the above components. 2. The waterproof fabric outer skin of the floor component is a vinyl-coated polyester fabric, the transfer hose is a rubber hose with an air transfer attachment, and the canopy is formed from a nylon fabric coated with chlorosulfonated polyethylene. is,
A modular liferaft according to claim 1, wherein the other members of the liferaft are made of polychloroprene coated nylon material. 3. at least two peripheral tubular members, one perpendicular to the other, and a lower end inflatable tubular member configured to prevent liquid from entering between the lower end inflatable tubular member and the floor; a hull and floor assembly comprising a floor attached to the liferaft, provided that the hull and floor assembly serves to define the bottom and sides of the liferaft, and the hull and floor assembly serves to define the bottom and sides of the liferaft, and Parts, boarding lamp,
and a number of attachment points arranged for receiving the ballast means, the canopy attachment points being adjacent to the upper tubular member and arranged along the outer circumference of the hull and floor assembly, the canopy attachment points being arranged to receive the ballast means. Attachment points are formed and disposed on the raft perimeter of the hull and floor assembly adjacent the lower end inflatable tubular member, but at least one ballast means attachment point is formed and disposed along a line transverse to the floor. a hull and floor assembly having a fastener formed and arranged to releasably lock to a canopy attachment point provided on the hull and floor assembly; an inflatable canopy support column having means for transferring a gaseous fluid to the inflatable support column and further having a canopy attachment point adjacent the upper end; a canopy attachment point provided on the hull and floor assembly; at least one central attachment point having a plurality of fasteners arranged for engagement with the inflatable canopy support column and arranged to releasably engage an attachment point located above the inflatable canopy support column; a canopy having a plurality of floors comprising an insulating core and a waterproof fabric skin and having fasteners formed and arranged to releasably engage floor layer attachment points provided on the hull and floor assembly; pad; a buoyant boarding ramp of waterproof fabric with anchoring points formed and arranged to releasably lock to a boarding ramp mounting point located on the exterior surface of the hull and floor assembly; and consisting of a plurality of geometric sections of waterproof fabric, at least some of which are formed on the periphery of the ballast means for releasably locking with the ballast means attachment points provided on the hull and floor assembly. ballast means having a fastener disposed thereon and further having a baffle dividing the ballast means into at least one pair of chambers, provided that the baffle is provided on the hull and floor assembly, but not on the outer periphery of the hull and floor assembly; a modular liferaft comprising at least one fastener point configured and arranged to releasably engage a ballast means attachment point not adjacent to the ballast means; 4. The canopy is made of nylon cloth waterproofed with chlorosulfonated polyethylene; the floor component is made of open-cell urethane foam with a polyester cloth skin waterproofed with polyvinyl chloride, and the skin is made of open-cell urethane foam with a polyester cloth skin waterproofed with polyvinyl chloride. The inflatable canopy support struts are arranged to prevent the entry of water and are made of neoprene-polychloroprene waterproof nylon fabric; the transfer hose is made of rubber hose material with air transfer fittings. The hull and floor assembly is made of nylon fabric waterproofed with polychloroprene; the inflatable boarding ramp is made of nylon fabric waterproofed with polychloroprene; and the ballast means is made of nylon fabric; Claims Modular liferafts within the scope of paragraph 3. 5. Attachment points are locking rings, snaps, right angle fasteners,
The modular liferaft of claim 4 selected from D-rings and pivot hooks, sliding lip engagements, fabric fasteners, webbing, strings, and combinations thereof.