RU2770828C1 - System for collecting and storing fresh water for inflatable rescue rafts - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: life-saving.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to means of collective rescue of passengers and crew members of sea vessels and watercrafts. The system for collecting and storing fresh water for inflatable rescue rafts constitutes a structure of inflatable horizontal arcs with inflatable aprons placed outside of an awning on several sides of the raft and forming a rainwater collection surface jointly with the awning; sealed containers for storing fresh water, placed on the outside of the bottom of the raft; a system of detachable rubber tubes. The rubber tubes communicate the rainwater collection surface with the sealed containers for storing fresh water.

EFFECT: increase in the efficiency of collection of rainwater, ensured integrity, longevity and safety of storage thereof on an inflatable rescue raft.

11 cl, 5 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to means of collective rescue of passengers and crew members of ships and floating craft.

PRIOR ART

In accordance with paragraph 4.1.1.5 of the "International Life-Saving Appliances Code (KSS / LSA Code)", inflatable life-saving appliances must be equipped with rainwater collection devices. Modern collective inflatable life-saving appliances used for rescue at sea are quite diverse in their design and execution [1-5], while the water collection system (rain) in the applied and designed structures is of the same type. It consists of inclined troughs made of rubberized fabric converging in one place, located on two or four sides of the outer contour of the tent. At the point of convergence of the gutters, rubber tubes are passed inside the raft, with the help of which rainwater is collected for drinking. In accordance with the Instructions for Preserving Life on a Life Raft, when it rains, all vessels and containers on the raft, including mugs and empty cans, should be filled with water.

Also, the organization of the ship (vessel) when leaving provides for (if possible) the acquisition of rescue equipment with food and drinking water from the ship's (ship's) stocks.

Significant shortcomings both in the design of the presented system for the collection and storage of fresh water for rafts, and in the organization of rescue from a ship (vessel) in terms of completing water rescue equipment, are:

- relatively small surface area of the troughs and tent of the raft involved in the collection of rainwater;

- the inability, even with a slight pitching, to ensure the integrity of the storage of collected water in all available non-stationary containers, and even more so in any open vessels;

- the need to accommodate non-standard water storage tanks significantly reduces the already small internal space of the raft;

- storage of unsecured filled (or partially filled) containers with water in the inner space of the raft when the sea is 2 points or more is not safe for the survivors and can lead to injury.

The purpose of the invention is to develop a system that allows not only to increase the efficiency of collecting rainwater, but also capable of ensuring the integrity, duration and safety of storing its reserves on an inflatable life raft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, the goal is achieved by mounting on the outside of the raft tent inflatable horizontal arches with aprons, which provide:

- the ability to quickly bring the system into working position in the event of the actual collection of rainwater and to its original state - after the completion of replenishment;

- improving the efficiency of rainwater collection by increasing the surface area involved in the collection of rainwater;

- increasing the efficiency of rainwater collection by placing inflatable arches with aprons on each side of the raft awning (except for the sides with inlets into the raft);

- increasing the efficiency of rainwater collection due to the possibility of replenishing water reserves in several freshwater storage tanks at the same time.

In accordance with the invention, the goal is achieved by mounting on the outside of the bottom of the raft special sealed fresh water storage tanks, which provide:

- the integrity and safety of fresh water storage, due to the special hermetic design of containers made according to the principle of "vessel in a vessel";

- the duration of storage of fresh water reserves, due to the equipment with foil, of that part of the surface of the tanks that is in direct contact with fresh water reserves;

The essential features of the invention also include:

- multifunctionality of the system, i.e. the possibility, due to the special design of the pipelines of the system, to ensure the replenishment of fresh water reserves, both from rainfall and from ship (ship) fresh water reserves;

- increasing the organization of control and consumption of fresh water reserves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The fresh water collection and storage system is proposed for placement on rafts of various designs, but for the sake of clarity of the invention, as an example, a six-seat inflatable life raft with two inflatable chambers is chosen.

In FIG. Figure 1 shows a sketch of the raft in three projections (fig. 1a - main view, fig. 1b - left side view, fig. 1c - top view), with elements of the fresh water collection and storage system placed on it.

In FIG. 2 shows a sketch of the bottom of the raft (bottom view) with elements of the fresh water collection and storage system placed on it, explaining FIG. one.

In FIG. 3 shows a sketch of a longitudinal section of a raft with elements of a fresh water collection and storage system placed inside it, explaining FIG. one.

In FIG. 4 shows a sketch of the design of a fresh water storage tank (longitudinal section).

In FIG. 5 shows a sketch of the design of the tube (longitudinal section), which is part of the system for collecting and storing fresh water for an inflatable life raft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To achieve this goal, on the outer side of the raft on the awning 1, horizontal inflatable arcs 3 are made, to which the aprons 9 are attached. Each horizontal arc 3 with its apron 9 and the wall of the tent 1 forms an open container in the lower part of which, a tube 12 is passed inside the raft. the inner (inhabited) side of the raft, in the places where the horizontal arcs 3 are attached, inlet 13 and bleed valves 18 are made (one for each arc). The inlet valve 13 is necessary to bring the horizontal arc 3 into the working (inflated) position during the collection of rainwater, the outlet valve 18, respectively, allows you to bleed air from it after the completion of replenishment. Horizontal arcs 3 in the working (inflated) state, resting with their ends against the vertical supports 2 of the raft awning, are additional stiffening ribs that perceive the load from the action of possible masses of fresh water (during heavy precipitation) accumulating on the surface of the tent. To prevent the accumulation of a small amount of water (for example, when the sea is rough) in the cavities of the aprons 9, when the horizontal arcs 3 are in a non-working (deflated) state, petal nipples 8 are provided on the surface of the awning 1, which act as a one-way valve. The "petal" of the nipple 8 is always in a compressed state and seals the internal (inhabited) space of the raft from the external environment, while the tube 12 inserted into the nipple 8 allows you to drain the water that enters the apron 9 back into the outboard space. Placement of elements of the fresh water collection and storage system on the tent of the raft is possible only from those sides that are not occupied by inlets 10.

To collect and store fresh water, from the outer side of the perimeter of the inflatable bottom 15, sealed containers 5 are made in the form of hollow cylinders (Fig. 4). To improve the safety of fresh water storage, each container 5 is made according to the principle of "vessel in a vessel" of waterproof rubber fabric. An elastic element 19 in the form of a spring is laid between the vessels 20 and 21 of one container 5, which perceives the action of sea water pressure on the walls of the container 5 and does not allow it to be compressed in an empty state. The compressed state of the elastic element 19 reduces the volume of fresh water storage tanks 5 when laying the raft in a container. In the area of the bottom, both vessels 20 and 21 of the same container 5 are rigidly connected to the rubber heel 22, which, together with the elastic element 19, bring the empty container 5 into working condition (ready to receive water). To ensure long-term storage of water (absorbing the smell of rubber), the inner vessel 21 of the container 5 is additionally glued with foil on the inside.

The upper part of the container 5 is hermetically connected to the tube 16. The lower end of the tube 16 lies at the bottom of the vessel for storing water, the upper end is extended through the awning 1 into the habitable space of the raft. The tube 16 is made according to the "pipe in a pipe" principle, its design is shown in Fig. 5. The outer tube 25, along the entire length of the inside of the water storage tank 5, is perforated. Special holes 23 are also made in the upper part of the outer tube 25. Fresh water is received and discharged through the inner tube 24, and air passes in the annular space in one and the other direction. This design avoids the evacuation of the tank 5 when water is dispensed into the raft and the formation of an air bubble when replenishing water supplies. The lid 17 is designed in such a way that it ensures that not only the main hole of the inner tube 24 is closed by means of a threaded connection, but also special holes 23 in the upper part of the outer tube 25, which ensures the tightness of fresh water storage. The tube 16, along the entire length from the fresh water storage tank 5, to the point of entry into the canopy 1 of the raft, is protected by a sealed waterproof casing 4. The casing 4 is an additional protection for the tightness of the connection of the fresh water storage tank 5 with the tube 16. The casing 4 together with the tube 16 have an additional fastening 11 to the upper 14 and lower 7 inflatable chambers of the raft.

For the system to work, the size of the outer diameter of the tube 12 must be made smaller than the size of the inner diameter of the tube of the petal nipple 8 and tube 16.

The organization of the application of the system provides for the following procedure:

1) in the event of rainfall, the survivors bring horizontal inflatable arcs 3 into working condition with the help of valve 13 and manual fur included in the raft supplies. The lid 17 opens, the tube 12 is inserted into the tube 16. Water intake must be carried out simultaneously in several containers 5 located diagonally relative to each other (to increase the stability of the raft), using all sides on which inflatable horizontal arcs with aprons are mounted. After the replenishment is completed (in the event of the end of precipitation or when the containers are full, air will stop escaping through hole 23 and water will flow), insert tube 12 into petal nipple 8, bleed air from horizontal inflatable arches 3 through valve 18. Close cover 17;

2) in case of replenishment of the fresh water supply from portable containers (from ship (ship) fresh water reserves), it is necessary to open the cover 17 of the tube 16, insert the funnel included in the raft supply kit into it, pour the contents into the container 5, close the cover 17;

3) in case of water consumption by the rescuers, it is necessary to open the cover 17, insert into the tube 16 the fresh water intake tube from the raft supply kit (its outer diameter must be less than the inner diameter of the tube 16), with an attached water intake device (medical syringe or elastic bulb and etc.). Fill the measuring cup (also included in the raft supply kit), close the lid 17;

4) control of fresh water reserves in tanks 5 is carried out according to method 3, while additionally using one or more measuring packages included in the raft supply kit.

Replenishment and consumption of reserves in fresh water tanks must be carried out evenly so as not to disturb the stability of the raft. The use of the system also implies the completion of the raft with additional equipment listed in p.p. 2-4 describe the organization of the application of the present invention and making appropriate changes to the instructions of the raft.

In the sketches of Fig. 1-3, not all structural elements of the raft are displayed, because the focus was on the design of the fresh water collection and storage system. The dimensions of the components of the fresh water collection and storage system must be determined individually based on the size of the inflatable life raft and its capacity (by the number of people). When determining the volumes of fresh water storage tanks, it is necessary to take into account the requirements of paragraph 4.2.5 of the "International Life-Saving Appliances Code (KSS / LSA Code)" on the stability of the raft and take into account the volumes of water-filled pockets 6.

Thus, the application of the system is possible on reentry-type inflatable life rafts or on free-fall rafts. The use of the system on portable rafts is possible only if the weight of the liferaft, its container, and equipment does not exceed 185 kg (clause 4.1.2.2 of the International Life-Saving Appliance Code (KSS/LSA Code)). The use of this system is not possible in the latitudes of the world's oceans with seawater temperatures in the range of 0°C and below.

Literature:

1. Inflatable life raft PSN-6M, PSN-10M. Technical description and operating instructions. S6/PSN-6M, Sat/PSN-YUM TO. /https://deckofficer.ru/titul/study/item/psn-10m/;

2. RF patent 2642201 C1, V63C 9/04. Inflatable life raft. /Chernyavets V.V./. Appl. 08/17/2016; Published 01/24/2018;

3. RF patent 165837 U1, V63C 9/04. Inflatable life raft. /Sultanov R.I./. Appl. 03.10.2016; Published 11/10/2016;

4. RF patent 2634519 C1, V63C 9/04. Marine life raft. /Sultanov R.I., Basimov R.L. /. Appl. 08/07/2016; Published 10/31/2017;

5. RF patent 177289 U1, V63C 9/04. Marine life raft. /Sultanov R.I./. Appl. 06/14/2017; Published 02/15/2018.

Claims (14)

1. Fresh water collection and storage system for inflatable life rafts, which is a structure of: inflatable horizontal arches (3) with inflatable aprons (9) placed outside the awning (1) on several sides of the raft and forming together with the awning a surface for collecting rainwater; sealed containers for storing fresh water (5) located on the outside of the bottom of the raft (15); systems of detachable rubber tubes (12 and 16) connecting the rainwater collection surface with sealed freshwater storage tanks (5). 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer horizontal arcs (3) in the working (inflated) state, together with the apron (9) and the canopy (1) of the raft, increase the surface area involved in the collection of rainwater. 3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the horizontal arcs (3) in the working (inflated) state, resting with their ends against the vertical supports (2) of the tent of the raft, are additional stiffeners that perceive the load from the action of possible masses of fresh water ( during heavy precipitation) accumulating on the surface of the tent (1). 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that each horizontal inflatable arc (3) is equipped on the inhabited side of the raft with an inlet valve (13) to bring it into working condition and a bleed valve (18) to bring it to its original state. 5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the fresh water storage tanks (5) are located on the outside on the bottom (15) of the raft. 6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the container for storing fresh water (15) is made according to the principle of "vessel in a vessel" from a waterproof rubber fabric. 7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that each fresh water storage tank (5) is able to retain its shape in the form of a cylinder and prevent the effect of outboard pressure both in an empty and filled state due to the elastic element (19) and rubber heels (22). 8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that in each fresh water storage tank (5) the surface that is in direct contact with fresh water supplies is covered with foil, which ensures the storage of fresh water supplies for a long time. 9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the design of the tube (16) is made according to the "pipe in pipe" principle, which allows both receiving water into the fresh water storage tank (5) and discharging it into the interior of the raft. 10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the presence of petal nipples (8) on the tent (1) under each inflatable horizontal arc (3) with an apron (9), in their non-operating state, does not allow small masses of outboard water to accumulate during pitching time and ensures the tightness of the habitable space of the raft. 11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the presence of additional elements in the raft's supplies, for example, a measuring bag, a medical syringe or an elastic pear, allows you to increase the organization of control and consumption of fresh water supplies.

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