RU2779886C1 - Life raft container (variants) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: marine navigation.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of maritime navigation, namely to variants of life raft containers. According to the first variant, the container of the life raft contains a body and a lid with stiffeners, which have flanges protruding outward along the perimeter and a sealing gasket, held in assembly by bandages with a breaking link. The body has straight-walled sides with a flat bottom. Inside, along the straight-walled sides to the bottom, the body contains trapezoidal stiffeners, on which a concave liner, consisting of two symmetrical parts with their own stiffeners, rests. The distance between the outer parts of the liner stiffeners and the bottom of the body exceeds the vertical size of the hydrodynamic anchor. According to the second variant, the body of the life raft container consists of two symmetrical parts, assembled with a lid connected through a sealing gasket. The body assembly rests on a box with stiffeners. The end faces of the box have a cutout in the form of a cross-section of the body assembly. The box and lid are held in assembly by additional bandages with a breaking link. The distance between the outer parts of the body stiffeners and the bottom of the box exceeds the vertical size of the hydrodynamic anchor.

EFFECT: safety of the life raft is achieved in various conditions of its transportation and maintenance on the ship.

2 cl, 7 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of maritime navigation and can be used in life rafts.

Most marine life rafts have a means of reducing drift in the form of a floating anchor made of fabric and placed in a soft life raft packing case, which, in turn, is placed in a rigid container. However, with the advent of hydrodynamic anchors (see, for example, RF patent No. 2743456 dated 06/01/2020), which have a better drift reduction efficiency, but structurally contain a rigid hull that cannot be placed in a soft packing case of a life raft, the problem of placing a hydrodynamic anchor has arisen. Placing a hydrodynamic anchor outside the soft packing case should fully comply with the requirements for using the liferaft both from the surface position of the vessel in the controlled drop option, and from the sinking vessel in the automatic version. In this case, it becomes impossible to use a typical cylindrical rigid container and it becomes necessary to create a new type of container that takes into account all possible options for using the raft.

A device for automatically ejecting a life raft (useful model RU 32084 U1 dated 06/16/2003) is known, containing a container fixed on the vessel with a lid, in which an inflatable life raft is located, a mechanism for pushing the raft out of the container and a launch tether connecting the raft to the container with the possibility launching an autonomous gas filling system for the raft. The mechanism for ejecting the raft is made in the form of an inflatable shell having a cone-shaped section and equipped with a system for filling said shell with gas.

The disadvantage of this device for a surface vessel is that after being pushed out of the container, the raft in the deployed state will fall to the water, sometimes sliding along the side of the vessel, which is unsafe for its integrity.

Also known is a container for an inflatable life raft (useful model RU 168493 U1 dated 08/11/2016, author Sultanov R.I.), consisting of a body and a lid, along the perimeter of which flanges protruding outwards are made, between which a sealing gasket is installed. The container is provided with transverse and longitudinal stiffening ribs. To hold the body and cover together, two bandages in the form of a tape made of rubberized material are used. A breaking link made of soft brass wire is installed between the ends of the bandages.

The disadvantage of this container is the lack of space for a hydrodynamic anchor.

The claimed invention is aimed at forming an isolated space in a container for placing a hydrodynamic anchor separately from a life raft, but in readiness for operation, observing all the features of a hydrodynamic anchor and opening the raft in automatic mode, both during manual dropping from the vessel and when the container with the raft floats up with sinking ship.

The technical result of the claimed invention consists in the formation in the container of a space separated from the raft for a hydrodynamic anchor, the placement of the latter in which excludes the contact of the solid structural elements of the hydrodynamic anchor with the elements of the life raft cover placed in the container. The container assembly must have sufficient strength for technological operations of moving, dropping from the ship into the water, tightness for storage under the influence of atmospheric precipitation and sea water, positive buoyancy for surfacing from a sinking ship, ensuring the freedom of immersion of the hydrodynamic anchor to a given depth at the time of the raft opening . At the same time, the flooded elements of the container (hull, lid, bandage tapes, other parts) must completely free the cover with the raft and must not hang on the anchor cable or on structural elements of the hydrodynamic anchor.

Thus, the technical result of the claimed invention ensures the safety of the life raft in various conditions of its transportation and maintenance on the ship and the performance of the most effective hydrodynamic anchor in reducing the drift of the raft in various conditions of use of the life raft.

According to the first option, the specified task of creating a life raft container equipped with a hydrodynamic anchor is achieved by the fact that the life raft container, made of a material denser than water, containing a body and a cover with transverse and longitudinal stiffeners, having flanges protruding outward along the perimeter and a sealing gasket, held assembled by bandage bands with a breaking link, is characterized in that the body has straight-walled sides with a flat bottom, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the inner edge of the flange and contains stiffeners on the outside, inside along the straight-walled sides to the bottom the body contains trapezoidal stiffening ribs, on which the concave a liner consisting of two symmetrical parts with their own stiffening ribs, moreover, the distance between the outer parts of the liner stiffening ribs and the housing bottom exceeds the vertical size of the hydrodynamic anchor.

According to the second variant, a life raft container made of a material denser than water, containing a body and a cover with transverse and longitudinal stiffeners, having flanges protruding outward along the perimeter and a sealing gasket held in assembly by bandage bands with a breaking link, characterized in that the body consists of two symmetrical parts, assembled with a lid connected through a sealing gasket, a round hole is made at the bottom in the center of both parts in the assembly, the bandage tapes are installed with a breaking link at the bottom, and the body assembly rests on a box with stiffeners, the side wedge-shaped part of which is located inside the box, the bottom part is outside the box, and the end faces of the box have a cutout in the form of a section of the assembled body, while the box and the cover are held together by additional bandage tapes with a breaking link, moreover, the distance between the outer parts of the body stiffeners and the bottom of the box exceeds the vertical size of the hydrodynamic anchor I.

The essential features of the claimed invention are related to the achieved technical result as follows.

The life raft container, made of a material denser than water, ensures that all its parts are flooded after the gas filling system of the raft is activated, and thereby prevents damage to the soft-shell elements of the inflatable life raft from contact with the solid parts of the container.

The body and lid with transverse and longitudinal stiffening ribs, with flanges and a sealing gasket, held together by bandage tapes with a breaking link, provide the container with sufficient strength, rigidity during transportation, storage on a ship, as well as sufficient rigidity, strength, tightness and buoyancy during automatic floating of a raft from a sinking ship.

The breaking link on each banding tape provides separation of the banding tape when the gas filling system of the raft is triggered and the possibility of dropping the lid and container body from the deploying raft.

According to the first version, the straight-walled sides of the hull with a flat bottom corresponding to the shape of the inner edge of the flange and containing stiffeners on the outside provide, firstly, a space for laying a hydrodynamic anchor without the possibility of contact with the raft cover, and secondly, sufficient stability of the container on the deck of the vessel and convenience of cargo operations with the container at all stages of its transportation.

Stiffening ribs located inside along the straight-walled sides to the bottom of the hull provide the hull with sufficient strength and rigidity and serve as a support for the concave insert. The trapezoidality of the stiffening ribs ensures the free exit of the hydrodynamic anchor from the container body in case of any distortion of its position during the opening of the raft, both from the floating and from the dropped state.

The concave liner, consisting of two symmetrical parts with their own stiffeners, with a distance between the outer parts of the liner stiffeners and the bottom of the hull exceeding the vertical size of the hydrodynamic anchor, provides, firstly, convenient and safe placement of the raft on the liner, and secondly, isolation in the space of the hull of an isolated space for the hydrodynamic anchor, which protects it from mechanical contact with the cover of the raft lying on the liner. Two parts of the liner ensure their free separation and unhindered release of the line of the hydrodynamic anchor, by which the anchor is connected to the raft. This ensures the operability of the hydrodynamic anchor immediately after filling the life raft with gas.

According to the second option, the hull, consisting of two symmetrical parts, after the operation of the gas filling system of the raft and the release of the bandage tapes, is divided into two independent parts, which opens up the space where the hydrodynamic anchor and anchor line are located.

The housing, consisting of two symmetrical parts, assembled with a lid connected through a sealing gasket, rests on the box. The lid and two parts of the hull assembly form a sealed container for the raft in the case, which makes it possible for the device to emerge from a sinking vessel and the possibility of a long-term stay of the container on the open deck under the influence of precipitation and sea water. The box is a receptacle for the hydrodynamic anchor, which is thus isolated from the receptacle of the raft, thereby protecting the raft from mechanical damage, chafing from contact with the hydrodynamic anchor.

A round hole at the bottom center of both parts in the assembly is designed to pass the hydrodynamic anchor line connecting the hydrodynamic anchor to the raft. This hole is hermetically sealed with a plug, which is an element of the hydrodynamic anchor line and is not claimed in the present invention.

Bandage bands are installed with a breaking link at the bottom, which provides complete freedom to separate the two symmetrical parts of the hull after the raft's gas filling system has been triggered.

The box contains stiffening ribs, the side wedge-shaped part of which is located inside the box, and the bottom part is outside the box, which provides the box with sufficient strength and rigidity, as well as the free exit of the hydrodynamic anchor from the box in case of any distortion of its position during the opening of the raft as from a pop-up, and from the reset state. Bottom stiffening ribs provide convenience of cargo operations with the container, as well as the convenience of placing the container on the deck of the vessel.

The end faces of the box have a cutout in the form of a section of the assembled body. Thus, the case, consisting of two symmetrical parts, is rather tightly, but not hermetically, planted in the cutout of the box. The hull and box are held together with the lid by additional bandage bands, and the breaking link ensures the free separation of the box from the hull and lid when the raft's gas filling system is triggered.

The distance between the outer parts of the hull stiffeners and the bottom exceeds the vertical size of the hydrodynamic anchor, which ensures free placement of the hydrodynamic anchor in the box without contact with the raft cover and, therefore, without the possibility of damaging it.

According to the first variant in Fig. 1 shows the main elements of the cross section of the container assembly; in fig. 2 - side view of the container; in fig. 3 - plan of the liner, consisting of two symmetrical parts; in fig. 4 - section of the insert.

According to the second variant in Fig. 5 shows a cross section of a container assembly; in fig. 6 is a side view of the container; in fig. 7 - plan of the body, consisting of two symmetrical parts.

According to the first version, the container containing the life raft 1 includes a body 2 and a lid 3, fig. 1, with 4 transverse and 5 longitudinal stiffeners, FIG. 2. The body 2 and the cover 3 have flanges 6 protruding outward along the perimeter, between which a sealing gasket (not shown) is installed. Housing 2 and cover 3 are held together by bandage bands with a breaking link (not shown). The body 2 has straight-walled sides 7 with a flat bottom 8, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the inner edge of the flange 6, and outside the bottom 8 contains stiffeners 9, Fig. 1 and 2.

Inside, along the straight-walled sides 7 to the bottom 8, the body 2 contains trapezoidal stiffeners 10, on which the concave insert 11 rests. The concave insert 11 consists of two symmetrical parts 12 and 13, Fig. 3. Each part 12, 13 of the insert 11 contains stiffeners 14, FIG. 3 and 4. The distance between the outer parts of the stiffeners 14 of the liner 11 and the bottom 8 of the housing 2 exceeds the vertical dimension of the hydrodynamic anchor 15.

According to the second variant, the life raft container 1 comprises a body 2 and a lid 3 with transverse 4 and longitudinal 5 stiffening ribs, FIG. 5 and 6. The housing 2 and the cover 3 have flanges 6 protruding outwards along the perimeter, between which a sealing gasket (not shown) is installed. Housing 2 and cover 3 are held together by bandage bands with a breaking link at the bottom (not shown). Housing 2 consists of two symmetrical parts 16 and 17, fig. 5, 7, assembled with a cover connected through a sealing gasket (not shown). A round hole 18 is made at the bottom center of both parts 16, 17 of the body 2 assembly, FIG. 5, 7.

The housing 2 as an assembly rests on the box 19, FIG. 5, 6, with stiffeners, the onboard wedge-shaped part 20 of which is located inside the box, and the bottom part 21 is on the bottom 22 outside the box. The end faces of the box 19 have a cut in the form of a section of the body 2 assembly, while the box 19 and cover 3 are held together by additional bandage tapes with a breaking link (not shown).

The distance between the outer parts of the stiffeners 4 of the body 2 and the bottom 22 of the box exceeds the vertical dimension of the hydrodynamic anchor 15, FIG. 5.

The life raft container functions as follows.

In the manual launch mode, the container is dropped from the deck of the vessel into the water and the launch line (not an element of the container and not shown) starts the gas filling system of the raft 1.

According to the first variant, the pressure of the inflating raft 1 breaks the breaking links of the bandage tapes, the cover 3 leans back from the body 2 and both of these parts sink under their own weight. The weight of the hydrodynamic anchor 15 contributes to the flooding of the hull 2 until the hydrodynamic anchor 15 sinks to the length of the anchor line. At this moment, the hull 2 continues to sink, and thanks to the trapezoidal shape of the inner part of the hull 2, created by the stiffeners 10, the hydrodynamic anchor 15 comes out of the hull 2 and is ready to go.

Nothing held parts 12 and 13 of the liner 11 are separated and sink independently, without affecting the anchor line.

After the completion of the gas filling of the raft, the hydrodynamic anchor is already at the working depth and, in the presence of wind-wave drift, already begins to resist it and significantly reduces the drift speed, thereby providing the escaping people with the opportunity to swim to the raft and use the raft.

According to the second variant, the pressure of the inflating raft 1 first breaks the breaking links of the casing bands of the body 2 and the cover 3. The raft 1 continues to fill with gas and breaks the breaking links of the additional banding bands of the cover 3 and the box 19. The cover 3 leans back from the box 19 and both of these parts sink under the action of own weight. The weight of the hydrodynamic anchor 15 contributes to the flooding of the box 19 until the hydrodynamic anchor 15 sinks to the length of the anchor line. At this moment, the box 19 continues to sink, and thanks to the wedge-shaped inner part of the box 19, created by the stiffeners 20, the hydrodynamic anchor 15 comes out of the box 19 and is ready to go.

The parts 16 and 17 of the hull 2 that are not held by anything are disconnected and sink on their own, without affecting the anchor line.

The further process is similar to the first option.

In the mode of surfacing from a sinking ship, according to the first version, a container with a body 2 having straight-walled sides 7, connected to the lid 3 through a sealing gasket with bandage tapes with a breaking link, has positive buoyancy and floats, actuating the launch line of the gas filling system of the raft (they are not elements container and not shown). Raft 1 begins to fill with gas.

The further process is similar to that described for manual start.

In the mode of surfacing from a sinking ship, according to the second version, the container with body 2 and lid 3, connected through a sealing gasket by bandage tapes with a breaking link, with an opening 18, closed by a plug (which is an element of the anchor line and not shown), has positive buoyancy and floats, leading the launch line of the gas filling system of the raft is put into operation (they are not elements of the container and are not shown). Raft 1 begins to fill with gas.

The further process is similar to that described for manual start.

Claims (2)

1. A life raft container made of a material denser than water, containing a hull and a lid with transverse and longitudinal stiffening ribs, having flanges protruding outward along the perimeter and a sealing gasket held in assembly by bandage tapes with a breaking link, characterized in that the hull has straight-walled sides with a flat bottom, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the inner edge of the flange and contains stiffening ribs on the outside, inside along straight-walled sides to the bottom the body contains trapezoidal stiffeners, on which a concave insert rests, consisting of two symmetrical parts with their own stiffening ribs, and the distance between the outer parts stiffening ribs of the liner and the bottom of the hull exceeds the vertical size of the hydrodynamic anchor. 2. A life raft container made of a material denser than water, containing a body and a cover with transverse and longitudinal stiffening ribs, having flanges protruding outward along the perimeter and a sealing gasket held in assembly by bandage tapes with a breaking link, characterized in that the body consists of two of symmetrical parts, assembled with a cover connected through a sealing gasket, a round hole is made at the bottom in the center of both parts in the assembly, bandage tapes are installed with a breaking link at the bottom, and the body assembly rests on a box with stiffeners, the side wedge-shaped part of which is located inside the box, the bottom part - outside the box, and the end faces of the box have a cutout in the form of a section of the assembled body, while the box and the cover are held assembled by additional bandage tapes with a breaking link, and the distance between the outer parts of the body stiffeners and the bottom of the box exceeds the vertical size of the hydrodynamic anchor.

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