US20020096101A1 - Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert - Google Patents
Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20020096101A1 US20020096101A1 US10/047,428 US4742802A US2002096101A1 US 20020096101 A1 US20020096101 A1 US 20020096101A1 US 4742802 A US4742802 A US 4742802A US 2002096101 A1 US2002096101 A1 US 2002096101A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- foam
- hull
- air
- watercraft
- water
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B7/00—Collapsible, foldable, inflatable or like vessels
- B63B7/06—Collapsible, foldable, inflatable or like vessels having parts of non-rigid material
- B63B7/08—Inflatable
- B63B7/082—Inflatable having parts of rigid material
Definitions
- the present invention relates to boats that are stabilized with buoyant stabilizing members. Specifically, the present invention relates to boats that have rigid hulls and inflatable collar with a foam insert stabilizing member attached to the sides of the hulls and extending substantially around the perimeter of the hull.
- Another prior art design is a boat stabilized through the use of outboard foam stabilizing members.
- such prior art designs use a rigid, planing hull having a transom and a pair of curved sides extending forwardly from the transom to form the bow of the watercraft. The sides and bottom of the hull are joined to form a chine.
- Foam stabilizers for stabilizing the watercraft are mounted on the sides of the hull above the chine and extend from the transom along the length of the hull to the bow. The stabilizers extend outwardly from the sides of the hull so that they contact and displace an increasing volume of water as the boat lists.
- a disadvantage of such foam stabilized boats is that the foam stabilizers are harder than the prior art inflatable boats with inflatable cylinders at the sides.
- the present invention provides a safe, stable, high performance boat while reducing the disadvantages of prior art designs.
- the present invention's use of a rigid, planing boat hull combined with exterior inflatable collar partially filled with foam results in these advantages without the disadvantages of typical inflatable boat designs.
- the inflatable collar is substantially out of contact with the surface of the water when the boat is at cruising speed. This decreases the wetted surface area of the boat when compared to inflatable boat designs, thus increasing performance.
- An auxiliary planing strake can also be provided for use as a running surface when a sharp turn is performed at high speed.
- the present invention allows the inflatable collar to be mounted to the sides of the boat hull in such a way that water pressure at high speeds does not force the inflatable collar away from the boat hull, thus preventing damage to the boat hull or inflatable collar. Furthermore, the inflatable collar is mounted to the hull without holes being formed in the sides of the boat, thus ensuring that mounting the inflatable collar on the hull does not create a possibility of leaks into the interior of the boat.
- An embodiment of an inflatable collar with foam inserts watercraft includes a rigid, planing hull having a transom and a pair of curved sides extending forwardly from the transom to form the bow of the watercraft. The sides and the bottom of the are hull joined to form a chine.
- a single continuous inflatable collar with foam inserts for stabilizing the watercraft is mounted on the sides of the hull above the chine and extends continuously from the transom along the length of the hull to the bow and back to the transom along the opposite side of the hull.
- the inflatable collar extends outwardly from the sides of the hull so that it contacts and displaces an increasing volume of water as the boat lists. This stabilizes the boat by increasing the righting moment of the hull.
- the watercraft may include a flange that extends outwardly from the sides of the hull. The flange is adapted to extend below the inflatable collar to ensure that water does not flow between the inflatable collar and the sides of the hull.
- FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a watercraft stabilized by an inflatable collar partially filled with foam inserts
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the inflatable collar with foam insert of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the inflatable collar with foam inserts.
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a third embodiment of the inflatable collar with foam inserts.
- FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the inflatable collar with foam inserts.
- the watercraft 1 stabilized by an inflatable collar 20 partially filled with foam inserts 21 is disclosed.
- the watercraft 1 includes a rigid hull 2 and single inflatable collar 20 located on both sides of the hull.
- the rigid hull 2 may be formed of aluminum, fiberglass, Kevlar®, or any other suitable material that can withstand the harsh and corrosive environment encountered by boat hulls.
- the hull 2 is designed to be a high performance boat hull.
- the hull 2 includes a transom 3 which defines the stem of the boat, two sides 6 extending forward from the stem and curving toward each other to define the bow 8 of the boat hull, and a bottom 9 .
- the sides 6 are joined to the bottom 7 of the boat and to the sides 4 of the transom 3 such that hard chines 10 are formed at the intersection between the sides 6 and the bottom 9 of the boat 1 .
- a hard chine is formed when two discrete surfaces meet at an angle as opposed to a soft chine where the chine is part of a gradually curving surface, such as the surface of a number of sailboat hulls.
- auxiliary planing strakes 11 extends outwardly and downwardly from the bottom 9 of the hull 2 near chines 10 . The outward most edges 12 of the auxiliary planing strakes 11 curves downwardly.
- Auxiliary planing strakes 11 downwardly deflects water or debris thrown off by the bottom 9 of the hull 2 as the boat 1 moves through the water, thereby protecting the inflatable collar 20 from damage.
- an inflatable collar 20 with foam inserts 21 is mounted to the sides 6 of the hull 2 above the chines 10 . Mounting the inflatable collar 20 above the chines 10 as opposed to at or below the chines creates a number of advantages as explained below.
- the inflatable collar 20 extends from a point rearward of the transom 3 forward along one of the sides 6 of the hull 2 to the bow 8 of the boat and then extends rearward along the opposite side of the hull, as is best shown in FIG. 1.
- the inflatable collar 20 may include rear extensions 22 which extend rearwardly beyond the transom 3 in order to provide additional lift in head and following seas, thus increasing the stability of the boat 1 . Although it could be advantageous to extend the inflatable collar 20 beyond the transom 3 , it will be understood that it is not a required aspect of the present invention to do so.
- the inflatable collar 20 is substantially cylindrical in cross section. Other embodiments of the collar 20 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
- the inflatable collar 20 includes a unitary outer cover 23 , attachment mechanism 24 , and multiple air bladders 25 contained within the outer cover.
- the attachment mechanism 24 for the inflatable collar 20 includes upper 26 and lower 27 extruded attachment fittings attached to each side 6 of the hull 2 .
- the extruded attachment fittings 26 and 27 are made of aluminum, but may be formed of fiberglass, Kevlar®, or any other suitable material that can withstand the harsh and corrosive environment encountered by boat hulls.
- the extruded attachment fittings 26 and 27 are attached by welding. Suitable attachment techniques are known to those skilled in the art with respect to non-metal hulls or extruded attachment fittings.
- Each extruded attachment fitting 26 and 27 runs continuously from the transom 3 to a point several inches from the stem of the bow 8 .
- the upper extruded attachment fittings 26 on each side 6 of the hull 2 are mounted so that their upper surface 28 is flush with the tops 13 of the sides 6 of the boat, while the lower extruded attachment fittings 27 are mounted several inches above the chine 10 .
- the extruded attachment fittings 26 and 27 include lipped channels 29 as shown in FIG. 3. The ends of the lipped channels 29 at the transom 3 are permanently blocked off, while the ends of the lipped channels near the bow are blocked by any suitable removable fitting.
- the outer cover 23 is made of polyurethane or any other flexible material that can withstand the harsh and corrosive environment encountered by boat hulls.
- the outer cover 23 of the inflatable collar 20 includes flaps 30 of material disposed on the inward side of the inflatable collar.
- the flaps 30 are wrapped around ultra high molecular polyethylene rods 31 and the combination of rod and flap material are sized to slide in the end of the extruded attachment fittings 26 and 27 but are too large to pull through the open sides of the lipped channels 29 .
- the inflatable collar 20 may be placed on the hull 2 by removing the removable fitting blocking the forward end of the lipped channels 29 , sliding the rods 31 and attached flap 30 material down the length of the lipped channels, and closing the forward end of the channel by replacing the removable fitting.
- the inflatable collar 20 and flaps 30 can be sized and positioned so that when the collar is inflated, it protrudes above the gunwales 14 , providing a wide and comfortable sitting location.
- the inflatable collar 20 and flaps 30 can also be sized and positioned so that the collar is in contact with the water when the vessel is not underway, or positioned so that the collar is not in contact with the water when the vessel is not underway.
- the inflatable collar 20 is further fitted with one or more internal air bladders 25 .
- the internal air bladders 25 are made of any air and water tight flexible material that can withstand the harsh and corrosive environment encountered by boat hulls, such as polyurethane.
- Each internal air bladder 25 further includes a resealable air valve 32 which can be used for inflating or deflating the air bladder.
- Each internal air bladder 25 is further fitted with a foam insert 21 so that the inflatable collar 20 retains some capacity to displace water in the event that the internal air bladders 25 lose air and water-tight integrity.
- the foam insert 21 is held in position within the internal air bladder 25 by a panel 33 of the material used to form the air bladder.
- the outer cover 23 optionally includes zipper 34 , which can be opened to permit the easy removal and/or replacement of the air bladders 25 . Removal of the air bladders 25 reduces the width of the boat 1 , permitting easier over the road transport. As another alternative, air bladders 25 can be drained of air through resealable air valve 32 to also reduce the width of the boat 1 , whether or not the outer cover 23 is fitted with zipper 34 .
- the reserve buoyancy foam insert 21 can be formed of any suitable buoyant foam which can withstand the harsh environment encountered by a high speed watercraft, including normal docking and moorage bumping. It is also advantageous that the foam insert 21 be formed from a foam that does not absorb water, has some memory and is low in density. In the preferred embodiment shown, a closed cell polypropylene or polyethylene foam having a density of 1.7 pounds per cubic foot is used to form the foam insert 21 . In view of currently available foam, it is believed that an optimum range of densities is from approximately 1-3 pounds per cubic foot. Advances in technology, may result in lower density foam that can be employed in the invention.
- the foam insert 21 in the current embodiment is sized to displace one-half to two-thirds of the volume of water displaced by an intact internal air bladder 25 .
- the foam insert 21 can be sized to provide any fraction of displacement relative to an intact internal air bladder 25 , but should be sized so that the boat 1 retains a sufficient righting moment for its intended purpose even when the internal air bladders have lost their water and airtight integrity.
- the foam inserts 21 may also be sized to provide the boat 1 with sufficient buoyancy to ensure that the boat will float even if filled with water or capsized.
- the inflatable air collar 20 above the chine 10 of the hull 2 also creates performance advantages.
- the use of a rigid planing hull 2 in the present invention allows the inflatable collar 20 to be lifted substantially out of contact with the surface of the water during high speed operation. This greatly reduces the wetted surface area and therefore the drag of the boat 1 .
- the foam insert 21 allows the boat 1 to retain a high degree of stability in the event the air bladders 25 lose water and airtight integrity.
- the illustrative embodiment is also ideally suited for use in locations where the boat 1 may come into contact with other objects. In those circumstances, the inflatable collar 20 will deform without damaging the object that has been struck or injuring any persons that have been struck.
- FIG. 5 another embodiment is shown wherein the hull 2 is a catamaran.
- the inflatable air collar 20 is mounted to the outward most side of each hull sponson 15 above the static waterline 16 .
- the collar can otherwise have any of the embodiments described above.
Abstract
A boat with an inflatable collar mounted on the sides of the hull. The inflatable collar extends outwardly from the sides of the hull so that it contacts and displaces an increasing volume of water as the boat lists. The inflatable collar is partially filled with foam, and the foam inserts are sized so that the boat retains a sufficient righting moment for its intended purpose even when the inflatable collar has lost its water and airtight integrity. The foam inserts may also be sized to provide the boat with sufficient buoyancy to ensure that the boat will float even if filled with water or capsized.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/261,350, filed Jan. 12, 2001.
- The present invention relates to boats that are stabilized with buoyant stabilizing members. Specifically, the present invention relates to boats that have rigid hulls and inflatable collar with a foam insert stabilizing member attached to the sides of the hulls and extending substantially around the perimeter of the hull.
- It is very important to design smaller boats with flotation devices in the hull to ensure that the boat remains floating in case substantial water gets into the boat or the boat capsizes. Additionally, flotation devices provide the boat with added buoyancy, thus increasing carrying capacity and safety. The installation of flotation devices is especially important in the case of small boats which are designed for operation on rough waters, such as in the case of rescue boats.
- Many prior art boat designs incorporate foam devices within the hull of the boat, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,865 (Woolworth). Typically, the foam flotation members are incorporated directly within the hull structure itself. These boat designs are generally safer than designs which do not incorporate flotation devices within the hull.
- Other prior art boat designs use inflatable cylinders to form the sides of the boat, as in the case of Zodiac® boats. The inflatable cylinders provide a high degree of stability to the boat but result in a loss of performance. Generally, prior art inflatable boat designs use inflatable cylinders as the sides of the boat and either a flexible floorboard or a rigid floorboard formed of wood or fiberglass. In operation, the cylinders serve as the running surface for the boat and remain in contact with the surface of the water; thus, a substantial wetted surface area and a significant amount of drag are created. This design also results in a very poor ride due to the fact that the boat tends to skip or bounce over the top of the waves. In addition, the inflatable cylinders are easily damaged and must constantly be inspected for tears, leaks, etc. Another disadvantage to inflatable boats is that typically the interior of the boat is very small, thus leaving little room for carrying equipment or passengers.
- Another prior art design is a boat stabilized through the use of outboard foam stabilizing members. Generally, such prior art designs use a rigid, planing hull having a transom and a pair of curved sides extending forwardly from the transom to form the bow of the watercraft. The sides and bottom of the hull are joined to form a chine. Foam stabilizers for stabilizing the watercraft are mounted on the sides of the hull above the chine and extend from the transom along the length of the hull to the bow. The stabilizers extend outwardly from the sides of the hull so that they contact and displace an increasing volume of water as the boat lists. A disadvantage of such foam stabilized boats is that the foam stabilizers are harder than the prior art inflatable boats with inflatable cylinders at the sides.
- The present invention provides a safe, stable, high performance boat while reducing the disadvantages of prior art designs. The present invention's use of a rigid, planing boat hull combined with exterior inflatable collar partially filled with foam results in these advantages without the disadvantages of typical inflatable boat designs. Furthermore, the inflatable collar is substantially out of contact with the surface of the water when the boat is at cruising speed. This decreases the wetted surface area of the boat when compared to inflatable boat designs, thus increasing performance. An auxiliary planing strake can also be provided for use as a running surface when a sharp turn is performed at high speed.
- The present invention allows the inflatable collar to be mounted to the sides of the boat hull in such a way that water pressure at high speeds does not force the inflatable collar away from the boat hull, thus preventing damage to the boat hull or inflatable collar. Furthermore, the inflatable collar is mounted to the hull without holes being formed in the sides of the boat, thus ensuring that mounting the inflatable collar on the hull does not create a possibility of leaks into the interior of the boat.
- An embodiment of an inflatable collar with foam inserts watercraft includes a rigid, planing hull having a transom and a pair of curved sides extending forwardly from the transom to form the bow of the watercraft. The sides and the bottom of the are hull joined to form a chine. A single continuous inflatable collar with foam inserts for stabilizing the watercraft is mounted on the sides of the hull above the chine and extends continuously from the transom along the length of the hull to the bow and back to the transom along the opposite side of the hull. The inflatable collar extends outwardly from the sides of the hull so that it contacts and displaces an increasing volume of water as the boat lists. This stabilizes the boat by increasing the righting moment of the hull. The watercraft may include a flange that extends outwardly from the sides of the hull. The flange is adapted to extend below the inflatable collar to ensure that water does not flow between the inflatable collar and the sides of the hull.
- The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and accommodation of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the particular device embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only, and not as a limitation of the invention. Principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
- The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
- FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a watercraft stabilized by an inflatable collar partially filled with foam inserts;
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the inflatable collar with foam insert of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the inflatable collar with foam inserts; and
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a third embodiment of the inflatable collar with foam inserts.
- FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the inflatable collar with foam inserts.
- Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a watercraft1 stabilized by an
inflatable collar 20 partially filled withfoam inserts 21 is disclosed. In the first embodiment disclosed, thewatercraft 1 includes arigid hull 2 and singleinflatable collar 20 located on both sides of the hull. Therigid hull 2 may be formed of aluminum, fiberglass, Kevlar®, or any other suitable material that can withstand the harsh and corrosive environment encountered by boat hulls. In the embodiment shown, thehull 2 is designed to be a high performance boat hull. Thehull 2 includes atransom 3 which defines the stem of the boat, twosides 6 extending forward from the stem and curving toward each other to define thebow 8 of the boat hull, and a bottom 9. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, thesides 6 are joined to the bottom 7 of the boat and to thesides 4 of thetransom 3 such thathard chines 10 are formed at the intersection between thesides 6 and the bottom 9 of theboat 1. A hard chine is formed when two discrete surfaces meet at an angle as opposed to a soft chine where the chine is part of a gradually curving surface, such as the surface of a number of sailboat hulls. In the embodiment shown,auxiliary planing strakes 11 extends outwardly and downwardly from the bottom 9 of thehull 2 nearchines 10. The outwardmost edges 12 of the auxiliary planing strakes 11 curves downwardly.Auxiliary planing strakes 11 downwardly deflects water or debris thrown off by the bottom 9 of thehull 2 as theboat 1 moves through the water, thereby protecting theinflatable collar 20 from damage. In order to increase safety, while gaining unique performance advantages, aninflatable collar 20 withfoam inserts 21 is mounted to thesides 6 of thehull 2 above thechines 10. Mounting theinflatable collar 20 above thechines 10 as opposed to at or below the chines creates a number of advantages as explained below. Theinflatable collar 20 extends from a point rearward of thetransom 3 forward along one of thesides 6 of thehull 2 to thebow 8 of the boat and then extends rearward along the opposite side of the hull, as is best shown in FIG. 1. Theinflatable collar 20 may includerear extensions 22 which extend rearwardly beyond thetransom 3 in order to provide additional lift in head and following seas, thus increasing the stability of theboat 1. Although it could be advantageous to extend theinflatable collar 20 beyond thetransom 3, it will be understood that it is not a required aspect of the present invention to do so. - In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the
inflatable collar 20 is substantially cylindrical in cross section. Other embodiments of thecollar 20 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Theinflatable collar 20 includes a unitaryouter cover 23,attachment mechanism 24, andmultiple air bladders 25 contained within the outer cover. Theattachment mechanism 24 for theinflatable collar 20 includes upper 26 and lower 27 extruded attachment fittings attached to eachside 6 of thehull 2. In an embodiment, the extrudedattachment fittings hull 2 and extrudedattachment fittings transom 3 to a point several inches from the stem of thebow 8. In the embodiment shown, the upperextruded attachment fittings 26 on eachside 6 of thehull 2 are mounted so that theirupper surface 28 is flush with the tops 13 of thesides 6 of the boat, while the lowerextruded attachment fittings 27 are mounted several inches above thechine 10. The extrudedattachment fittings lipped channels 29 as shown in FIG. 3. The ends of thelipped channels 29 at thetransom 3 are permanently blocked off, while the ends of the lipped channels near the bow are blocked by any suitable removable fitting. - The
outer cover 23 is made of polyurethane or any other flexible material that can withstand the harsh and corrosive environment encountered by boat hulls. Theouter cover 23 of theinflatable collar 20 includesflaps 30 of material disposed on the inward side of the inflatable collar. Theflaps 30 are wrapped around ultra highmolecular polyethylene rods 31 and the combination of rod and flap material are sized to slide in the end of the extrudedattachment fittings lipped channels 29. Theinflatable collar 20 may be placed on thehull 2 by removing the removable fitting blocking the forward end of thelipped channels 29, sliding therods 31 and attachedflap 30 material down the length of the lipped channels, and closing the forward end of the channel by replacing the removable fitting. - Referring to FIG. 4, the
inflatable collar 20 and flaps 30 can be sized and positioned so that when the collar is inflated, it protrudes above thegunwales 14, providing a wide and comfortable sitting location. Theinflatable collar 20 and flaps 30 can also be sized and positioned so that the collar is in contact with the water when the vessel is not underway, or positioned so that the collar is not in contact with the water when the vessel is not underway. - Referring to FIGS.2-3, the
inflatable collar 20 is further fitted with one or moreinternal air bladders 25. Theinternal air bladders 25 are made of any air and water tight flexible material that can withstand the harsh and corrosive environment encountered by boat hulls, such as polyurethane. Eachinternal air bladder 25 further includes aresealable air valve 32 which can be used for inflating or deflating the air bladder. Eachinternal air bladder 25 is further fitted with afoam insert 21 so that theinflatable collar 20 retains some capacity to displace water in the event that theinternal air bladders 25 lose air and water-tight integrity. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, thefoam insert 21 is held in position within theinternal air bladder 25 by apanel 33 of the material used to form the air bladder. Theouter cover 23 optionally includeszipper 34, which can be opened to permit the easy removal and/or replacement of theair bladders 25. Removal of theair bladders 25 reduces the width of theboat 1, permitting easier over the road transport. As another alternative,air bladders 25 can be drained of air throughresealable air valve 32 to also reduce the width of theboat 1, whether or not theouter cover 23 is fitted withzipper 34. - The reserve
buoyancy foam insert 21 can be formed of any suitable buoyant foam which can withstand the harsh environment encountered by a high speed watercraft, including normal docking and moorage bumping. It is also advantageous that thefoam insert 21 be formed from a foam that does not absorb water, has some memory and is low in density. In the preferred embodiment shown, a closed cell polypropylene or polyethylene foam having a density of 1.7 pounds per cubic foot is used to form thefoam insert 21. In view of currently available foam, it is believed that an optimum range of densities is from approximately 1-3 pounds per cubic foot. Advances in technology, may result in lower density foam that can be employed in the invention. Thefoam insert 21 in the current embodiment is sized to displace one-half to two-thirds of the volume of water displaced by an intactinternal air bladder 25. However, thefoam insert 21 can be sized to provide any fraction of displacement relative to an intactinternal air bladder 25, but should be sized so that theboat 1 retains a sufficient righting moment for its intended purpose even when the internal air bladders have lost their water and airtight integrity. The foam inserts 21 may also be sized to provide theboat 1 with sufficient buoyancy to ensure that the boat will float even if filled with water or capsized. - Placing the
inflatable air collar 20 above thechine 10 of thehull 2 also creates performance advantages. The use of arigid planing hull 2 in the present invention allows theinflatable collar 20 to be lifted substantially out of contact with the surface of the water during high speed operation. This greatly reduces the wetted surface area and therefore the drag of theboat 1. Furthermore, thefoam insert 21 allows theboat 1 to retain a high degree of stability in the event theair bladders 25 lose water and airtight integrity. The illustrative embodiment is also ideally suited for use in locations where theboat 1 may come into contact with other objects. In those circumstances, theinflatable collar 20 will deform without damaging the object that has been struck or injuring any persons that have been struck. - Referring to FIG. 5, another embodiment is shown wherein the
hull 2 is a catamaran. In the embodiment shown, theinflatable air collar 20 is mounted to the outward most side of eachhull sponson 15 above thestatic waterline 16. As with heinflatable air collar 20 mounted to the mono-hull, the collar can otherwise have any of the embodiments described above. - It is understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular construction herein disclosed and/or shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the disclosure.
Claims (22)
1. A foam and air stabilized watercraft for use on a body of water, the watercraft comprising:
(a) a rigid hull with a bow, stem, bottom and two sides;
(b) foam and air stabilizers mounted on the exterior of said hull and extending along at least some portion of each of said sides from said transom to said bow, said foam and air stabilizers extending outward from said sides, said foam and air stabilizers further comprising one or more water and air tight bladders partially filled with pliable closed cell foam.
2. The watercraft of claim 1 , further comprising a pliable protective material covering the exterior surface of the water and air tight bladders.
3. The watercraft of claim 2 , further comprising a zipper in the pliable protective material.
4. The watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the foam is a closed cell polypropylene or polyethylene foam.
5. The watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the water and air tight bladders further comprise one or more internal fabric panels holding the foam in place within said water and air tight bladders.
6. The watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the water and air tight bladders further include one or more air valves in the skin of said bladders, permitting the inflation and deflation of said bladders.
7. The watercraft of claim 2 , further comprising one or more lipped channels mounted to the sides of the hull, one ore more flaps of the pliable protective material extending from the pliable protective cover, said flaps wrapped around solid rods, said flaps and rods sized for insertion into and retention by said lipped channels.
8. The watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the hull is a mono-hull.
9. The watercraft of claim 8 , further comprising two or more lower flanges extending outwardly from the sides of the hull below the foam and air stabilizers.
10. The watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the foam and air stabilizers are mounted above the static waterline.
11. The watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the hull is a planing hull and the foam and air stabilizers are mounted so said stabilizers are in contact with the water when said hull is stationary, and out of the water when said hull is planing.
12. A foam and air stabilized watercraft for use on a body of water, the watercraft comprising:
(a) a multi-hull hull with a bow end, stern end, and two outwardmost sides;
(b) foam and air stabilizers mounted on said outwardmost sides and extending along at least some portion of each of said outwardmost sides from said stem end to said bow end, said foam and air stabilizers extending outward from said outwardmost sides, said foam and air stabilizers further comprising at one or more water and air tight bladders partially filled with pliable closed cell foam.
13. The watercraft of claim 13 , further comprising a pliable protective material covering the exterior surface of the water and air tight bladders.
14. The watercraft of claim 14 , further comprising a zipper in the pliable protective material.
15. The watercraft of claim 13 , wherein the foam is a closed cell polypropylene or polyethylene foam.
16. The watercraft of claim 13 , wherein the water and air tight bladders further comprise one or more internal fabric panels holding the foam in place within said water and air tight bladders.
17. The watercraft of claim 13 , wherein the water and air tight bladders further include one or more air valves in the skin of said bladders, permitting the inflation and deflation of said bladders.
18. The watercraft of claim 13 , further comprising one or more lipped channels mounted to the outwardmost sides of the hull, one or more flaps of the pliable protective material extending from the pliable protective cover, said flaps wrapped around solid rods, said flaps and rods sized for insertion into and retention by said lipped channels.
19. The watercraft of claim 13 , further comprising two or more lower flanges extending outwardly from the outwardmost sides of the hull below the foam and air stabilizers.
20. The watercraft of claim 13 , wherein the foam and air stabilizers are mounted above the static waterline.
21. The watercraft of claim 13 , wherein the hull is a planing hull and the foam and air stabilizers are mounted so said stabilizers are in contact with the water when said hull is stationary, and out of the water when said hull is planing.
22. A foam and air stabilized watercraft for use on a body of water, the watercraft comprising:
(a) a rigid hull with a bow, stem, bottom, two sides, and lipped channels mounted to said sides of said hull;
(b) foam and air stabilizers mounted on the exterior of said hull and extending along at least some portion of each of said sides from said transom to said bow, said foam and air stabilizers extending outward from said sides, said foam and air stabilizers further comprising one or more water and air tight bladders partially filled with closed cell polypropylene or polyethylene foam, one or more internal fabric panels holding said foam in place within said water and air tight bladders, a pliable protective material covering the exterior surface of said water and air tight bladders, a zipper in said pliable protective material, one or more air valves in the skin of said air and water tight bladders, one or more flaps of said pliable protective material extending from said pliable protective material covering the exterior surface of said water and air tight bladders, said flaps wrapped around solid rods, said flaps sized for insertion into and retention by said lipped channel; and
(c) two or more lower flanges extending outward from each of said two sides below said foam and air stabilizers.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/047,428 US20020096101A1 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2002-01-14 | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert |
US10/696,420 US6810827B2 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2003-10-29 | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US26135001P | 2001-01-12 | 2001-01-12 | |
US10/047,428 US20020096101A1 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2002-01-14 | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/696,420 Continuation US6810827B2 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2003-10-29 | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20020096101A1 true US20020096101A1 (en) | 2002-07-25 |
Family
ID=22992905
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/047,428 Abandoned US20020096101A1 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2002-01-14 | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert |
US10/696,420 Expired - Lifetime US6810827B2 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2003-10-29 | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/696,420 Expired - Lifetime US6810827B2 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2003-10-29 | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert |
Country Status (11)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US20020096101A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1349772B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE292039T1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2002237853B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2434398C (en) |
DE (1) | DE60203478T2 (en) |
DK (1) | DK1349772T3 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2240694T3 (en) |
NZ (1) | NZ527361A (en) |
PT (1) | PT1349772E (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002055374A2 (en) |
Cited By (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040069203A1 (en) * | 2002-10-11 | 2004-04-15 | Timothy Fleming | Foam and inflatable collar assemblies for watercraft |
US20040121670A1 (en) * | 2002-10-02 | 2004-06-24 | Millhollin Jon B. | Flotation collar for water park craft |
US20040144297A1 (en) * | 2001-05-17 | 2004-07-29 | Hong Kwang Sun | Prefabricated boat |
EP1635984A1 (en) * | 2003-06-13 | 2006-03-22 | Safe Boats International, L.L.C. | Method of manufacturing foam core boat collars |
SG145585A1 (en) * | 2007-02-22 | 2008-09-29 | Hu Yen Lu | Boat that is provided with floating tubes in a multi-layer design |
WO2011095683A1 (en) * | 2010-02-02 | 2011-08-11 | Oy Ht Engineering Ltd. | Boat-side shield for beaching and mooring situations and a boat equipped with a corresponding side shield |
ITMI20111772A1 (en) * | 2011-09-30 | 2013-03-31 | Fb Design Srl | BORDER GROUP PERFORMED FOR THE PROTECTION OF BOATS |
US20130093138A1 (en) * | 2011-10-17 | 2013-04-18 | Spencer Fraser | Apparatuses for use as targets and methods of making same |
JP2013530099A (en) * | 2010-07-13 | 2013-07-25 | ゾディアック ミルプロ アンテルナショナル | Improvements to boats with inflatable ship edges. |
US20140054858A1 (en) * | 2011-02-22 | 2014-02-27 | Decathlon | Floating game device |
US10207553B2 (en) * | 2014-10-22 | 2019-02-19 | Salamander A.V. Limited | Amphibious vehicle |
US20190160800A1 (en) * | 2017-11-24 | 2019-05-30 | Nautibuoy Marine Limited | Method of manufacture of an inflatable product with an attachable foam finish |
US10336414B1 (en) | 2018-07-27 | 2019-07-02 | Armor Industries, Llc | Open/non-closed, buoyant hull collar assemblies |
CN111372761A (en) * | 2017-11-24 | 2020-07-03 | 纳蒂堡海洋有限公司 | Method of making an inflatable product with an attachable sponge facing |
Families Citing this family (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7240634B1 (en) * | 2006-05-01 | 2007-07-10 | Harrison Hoge Industries, Inc. | Foldable rigid frame attachment system for portable inflatable pontoon boats |
US7775172B2 (en) * | 2006-06-06 | 2010-08-17 | Safe Boats International L.L.C. | Foam stabilized watercraft with finned collar |
US20110265705A1 (en) | 2010-04-30 | 2011-11-03 | Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. | Watercraft hull |
US20130118395A1 (en) * | 2011-11-16 | 2013-05-16 | John F. Cross | Conversion kit for personal watercraft to rigid inflatable |
US9180945B1 (en) * | 2012-02-24 | 2015-11-10 | Tony Mears | Salvage rail flotation device and method |
DE102014005970B4 (en) * | 2014-04-23 | 2017-04-06 | Ernstfried Prade | Fastening and connection system for inflatable bodies of flexible plastic |
US9555865B2 (en) | 2014-06-27 | 2017-01-31 | William M. Hansen | Boat collar attachment system and method |
US9114853B1 (en) * | 2014-06-27 | 2015-08-25 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy | Watercraft with interchangeable hull structure |
CA2974665A1 (en) * | 2015-01-22 | 2016-07-28 | William M. Hansen | Watercraft stabilizing member with foam core and non-compressive bladder |
US20170174291A1 (en) * | 2015-11-06 | 2017-06-22 | Billy Miller | Sponson attachment for airboat |
US9738357B2 (en) * | 2015-11-18 | 2017-08-22 | William M. Hansen | Air and foam collar for watercraft |
CN106081007A (en) * | 2016-06-30 | 2016-11-09 | 章金钟 | A kind of Ship Structure never sunk by foam-filled technology |
WO2020181327A1 (en) * | 2019-03-14 | 2020-09-17 | Fraser Yule | Rigid-hulled inflatable boat |
Family Cites Families (21)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2959146A (en) * | 1958-12-03 | 1960-11-08 | Nat Lock Co | Bumper assembly for boats |
GB946811A (en) | 1960-08-22 | 1964-01-15 | Baldwin Montrose Chemical Comp | Impact deflecting bumper |
US3169756A (en) * | 1962-07-20 | 1965-02-16 | Barberton Plastics Products In | Pneumatic cushion |
DE1947663A1 (en) * | 1968-09-19 | 1970-04-02 | Dunlop Co Ltd | Unit construction boat with rigid and flexible elements |
US4060864A (en) * | 1976-05-03 | 1977-12-06 | Woodstream Corporation | Boat construction incorporating flotation means |
JPS5640235Y2 (en) * | 1976-08-17 | 1981-09-19 | ||
US4287624A (en) * | 1979-02-14 | 1981-09-08 | Lowther Lou Y | Auxiliary flotation gear for fishing boats |
GB2113156B (en) | 1982-01-05 | 1985-12-18 | William Fred Walters | Flotation collar boat hull |
US4520746A (en) * | 1982-01-05 | 1985-06-04 | Walters William F | Flotation collar |
JPS61207287A (en) | 1985-03-12 | 1986-09-13 | Osaka Sosenjo:Kk | Spherical bow unit for vessel |
GB8601401D0 (en) * | 1986-01-21 | 1986-02-26 | Task Force Boats Ltd | Rigid inflatable boat |
GB2196717B (en) * | 1986-09-03 | 1990-08-08 | Maritime Rescue International | Fender |
US4928619A (en) * | 1988-11-29 | 1990-05-29 | Cochran William H | Modular rigid inflatable aquatic vessel structure |
US4996936A (en) * | 1989-05-11 | 1991-03-05 | 824328 Ontario Limited | Emergency floatation device for watercraft |
US4964821A (en) * | 1989-05-30 | 1990-10-23 | Autoboat Corporation | Jet powered rigid inflatable boat with dead-man switch |
NL8902583A (en) | 1989-11-18 | 1991-05-16 | Engelaer Scheepsbouw Bv | BOAT FITTED WITH A FENDER. |
US5282436A (en) * | 1992-01-15 | 1994-02-01 | Hansen William M | Foam stabilized watercraft |
US5651328A (en) * | 1996-02-13 | 1997-07-29 | Elkington; John Richard | Open boat hull structures |
DE60016013D1 (en) * | 1999-10-11 | 2004-12-23 | Naiad Inflatables New Zealand | INFLATABLE FENDER FOR WATER VEHICLES |
US6371040B1 (en) * | 2000-03-02 | 2002-04-16 | Zodiac Hurricane Technologies, Inc. | Combined foam and inflatable collar assemblies for watercraft |
US6460477B1 (en) * | 2000-09-28 | 2002-10-08 | Wing Inflatables | Sponson and rigid inflatable boat incorporating the same |
-
2002
- 2002-01-14 US US10/047,428 patent/US20020096101A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-01-14 PT PT02704153T patent/PT1349772E/en unknown
- 2002-01-14 AT AT02704153T patent/ATE292039T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2002-01-14 NZ NZ527361A patent/NZ527361A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2002-01-14 DK DK02704153T patent/DK1349772T3/en active
- 2002-01-14 EP EP02704153A patent/EP1349772B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-01-14 WO PCT/US2002/001273 patent/WO2002055374A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2002-01-14 DE DE60203478T patent/DE60203478T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-01-14 AU AU2002237853A patent/AU2002237853B2/en not_active Expired
- 2002-01-14 ES ES02704153T patent/ES2240694T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-01-14 CA CA002434398A patent/CA2434398C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2003
- 2003-10-29 US US10/696,420 patent/US6810827B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (19)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040144297A1 (en) * | 2001-05-17 | 2004-07-29 | Hong Kwang Sun | Prefabricated boat |
US6877455B2 (en) * | 2001-05-17 | 2005-04-12 | Kwang Sun Hong | Prefabricated boat |
US20040121670A1 (en) * | 2002-10-02 | 2004-06-24 | Millhollin Jon B. | Flotation collar for water park craft |
US20040069203A1 (en) * | 2002-10-11 | 2004-04-15 | Timothy Fleming | Foam and inflatable collar assemblies for watercraft |
EP1635984A1 (en) * | 2003-06-13 | 2006-03-22 | Safe Boats International, L.L.C. | Method of manufacturing foam core boat collars |
EP1635984A4 (en) * | 2003-06-13 | 2010-05-19 | Safe Boats International L L C | Method of manufacturing foam core boat collars |
SG145585A1 (en) * | 2007-02-22 | 2008-09-29 | Hu Yen Lu | Boat that is provided with floating tubes in a multi-layer design |
WO2011095683A1 (en) * | 2010-02-02 | 2011-08-11 | Oy Ht Engineering Ltd. | Boat-side shield for beaching and mooring situations and a boat equipped with a corresponding side shield |
JP2013530099A (en) * | 2010-07-13 | 2013-07-25 | ゾディアック ミルプロ アンテルナショナル | Improvements to boats with inflatable ship edges. |
US20140054858A1 (en) * | 2011-02-22 | 2014-02-27 | Decathlon | Floating game device |
US9421443B2 (en) * | 2011-02-22 | 2016-08-23 | Decathlon | Floating game device |
WO2013046142A1 (en) * | 2011-09-30 | 2013-04-04 | Fb Design S.R.L. | Fendering system assembly for the protection of watercrafts |
ITMI20111772A1 (en) * | 2011-09-30 | 2013-03-31 | Fb Design Srl | BORDER GROUP PERFORMED FOR THE PROTECTION OF BOATS |
US20130093138A1 (en) * | 2011-10-17 | 2013-04-18 | Spencer Fraser | Apparatuses for use as targets and methods of making same |
US10207553B2 (en) * | 2014-10-22 | 2019-02-19 | Salamander A.V. Limited | Amphibious vehicle |
US20190160800A1 (en) * | 2017-11-24 | 2019-05-30 | Nautibuoy Marine Limited | Method of manufacture of an inflatable product with an attachable foam finish |
CN111372761A (en) * | 2017-11-24 | 2020-07-03 | 纳蒂堡海洋有限公司 | Method of making an inflatable product with an attachable sponge facing |
US11628662B2 (en) * | 2017-11-24 | 2023-04-18 | Nautibuoy Marine Limited | Method of manufacture of an inflatable product with an attachable foam finish |
US10336414B1 (en) | 2018-07-27 | 2019-07-02 | Armor Industries, Llc | Open/non-closed, buoyant hull collar assemblies |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1349772B1 (en) | 2005-03-30 |
AU2002237853B2 (en) | 2006-06-01 |
NZ527361A (en) | 2004-10-29 |
AU2002237853C1 (en) | 2002-07-24 |
CA2434398A1 (en) | 2002-07-18 |
WO2002055374A2 (en) | 2002-07-18 |
EP1349772A2 (en) | 2003-10-08 |
CA2434398C (en) | 2008-04-08 |
DE60203478D1 (en) | 2005-05-04 |
US6810827B2 (en) | 2004-11-02 |
DK1349772T3 (en) | 2005-06-27 |
WO2002055374A3 (en) | 2002-12-12 |
ATE292039T1 (en) | 2005-04-15 |
PT1349772E (en) | 2005-07-29 |
ES2240694T3 (en) | 2005-10-16 |
DE60203478T2 (en) | 2006-02-16 |
US20040083941A1 (en) | 2004-05-06 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP1349772B1 (en) | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert | |
AU2002237853A1 (en) | Rigid hull inflatable boat with foam insert | |
US5647297A (en) | Foam stabilized watercraft | |
US4393802A (en) | Boat hull with underside channel | |
CA2651339C (en) | Foam stabilized watercraft with finned collar | |
US7305926B2 (en) | Ported tri-hull boat | |
US7316193B1 (en) | Vessel for water travel | |
US5540170A (en) | Multi-hull marine vessel with retractable outer hulls | |
US5636585A (en) | Sailboat with hydrofoil members | |
US7305931B1 (en) | Rigid chambered boat hull with inflatable perimeter | |
US4836120A (en) | Self-righting waterborne craft | |
US5660137A (en) | Detachable protective dinghy cover | |
US6736080B2 (en) | Seagoing vessels | |
EP1403179A1 (en) | Catamaran | |
GB2037237A (en) | Improvements in or relating to rescue apparatus for boats or the like | |
US11679841B2 (en) | Marine vessel with aft extension | |
US10822061B2 (en) | Systems and methods for righting a capsized watercraft | |
US20220185430A1 (en) | Snag-free inserts for inflatable boats | |
US20220111939A1 (en) | Flat-bottomed fluvial transport boat comprising inflatable buoyancy tanks | |
JPH0123359B2 (en) | ||
GB2363762A (en) | Boat with a rigid hull and a shaped buoyant collar | |
GB2248048A (en) | Variable stern buoyancy in boat hulls | |
CN1145318A (en) | Rigid air sealing device for air cushion |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SAFE BOATS INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C., WASHINGTON Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HANSEN, WILLIAM M.;REEL/FRAME:012772/0344 Effective date: 20020314 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |