US20020166494A1 - Ocean survival unit - Google Patents

Ocean survival unit Download PDF

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Publication number
US20020166494A1
US20020166494A1 US10/140,076 US14007602A US2002166494A1 US 20020166494 A1 US20020166494 A1 US 20020166494A1 US 14007602 A US14007602 A US 14007602A US 2002166494 A1 US2002166494 A1 US 2002166494A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
unit
ocean
survival unit
ocean survival
ballast chamber
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
Application number
US10/140,076
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English (en)
Inventor
Peter Inglis
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE LANARKSHIRE
Original Assignee
Peter Inglis
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Peter Inglis filed Critical Peter Inglis
Publication of US20020166494A1 publication Critical patent/US20020166494A1/en
Assigned to SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE LANARKSHIRE reassignment SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE LANARKSHIRE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: INGLIS, PETER
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
    • B63C9/06—Floatable closed containers with accommodation for one or more persons inside

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the area of life preservation at sea, and in particular the area of life rafts and ocean survival units.
  • This invention provides a life raft which, is suitable for use in calm to reasonably rough seas with a large swell, and also extreme seas with high winds and large breaking waves.
  • a particular object of the present invention is to provide a life raft, which is capable of self righting, even when loaded with passengers.
  • a yet further object of the present invention is to provide an ocean survival unit, which is adapted to always point into the wind once inflated.
  • An associated object is to provide alife raft, which is adapted such that the entrance is sheltered from the wind and breaking waves.
  • a still further object of the present invention is to provide an ocean survival unit, which reduces the level of sea sickness in passengers.
  • a further object is to provide an ocean survival unit which contains a seating arrangement which maximises comfort and morale.
  • a final object of the present invention is to provide an ocean survival unit which when punctured can be repaired without the need for patches.
  • an ocean survival unit capable of up righting when occupied by passengers, the ocean survival unit comprising an inflatable base, a canopy and a ballast chamber located below the inflatable base.
  • the ocean survival unit is inflatable.
  • the canopy is supported by a cage structure.
  • the cage structure may be inflatable.
  • the ballast chamber is hull shaped.
  • ballast chamber fills with water upon inflation of the life raft.
  • ballast chamber Preferably water is drawn, pumped, or sucked into the ballast chamber through one or more membrane valves.
  • the one or more membrane valves may be located at the rear of the ballast chamber.
  • the one or more membrane valves are one way valves. As such, the one or more membrane valves allow water to enter the ballast chamber, but do not allow water to exit the ballast chamber.
  • the ocean survival unit also comprises a plurality of tensile members.
  • the plurality of tensile members which prevent the raft collapsing under the weight of the volume of water in the ballast chamber.
  • the tensile members are rib like structures.
  • the tensile members act as stiffening batons for the ballast chamber.
  • the tensile members runs the length of the ocean survival unit.
  • the tensile members support the floor and seating in the event of the ocean survival unit capsizing.
  • the tensile members work as baffles when the raft is in its correct orientation, reducing the flow of water inside the ballast chamber and therefore reducing roll and the effects of free water.
  • the tensile members provide a rigid flooring system, wherein any one part or section of the floor cannot be compressed, as the membranes will not allow any other part of the floor to expand.
  • the ocean survival unit has a self draining floor which drains away any water which enters the unit.
  • the self draining floor may be cambered, wherein the lowest part of the unit is to the rear, wherein water can drain from the rear of the unit.
  • the floor of the ocean survival unit comprises a plurality of tubes of varying diameter wherein the tubes of greatest diameter may act as seats.
  • the inflatable base of the ocean survival unit may be inflated using one valve.
  • the inflatable base may be inflated using two or more valves.
  • the ocean survival unit can be compactly rolled when not in use.
  • the ocean survival unit may be provided and stored in a watertight container when not in use.
  • an ocean survival unit comprising an inflatable base and a canopy, wherein the inflatable base is divided into a plurality of independent inflatable compartments or sections, wherein deflation of one of the compartments or sections does not affect the integrity of the remaining compartments.
  • the inflatable base may be divided into the plurality of compartments or sections by one or more tensile members.
  • the one or more tensile members may be rib like structures.
  • the compartments or sections of the inflatable base are separated by a series of blow out valves which, upon reaching a specified pressure, will blow out and stop the passage of air in any direction.
  • a deflated compartment or section of the inflatable base can be inflated with expanding foam.
  • the expanding foam is polyurethane foam.
  • the seating in the ocean survival unit is arranged whereupon the occupants are seated facing each other.
  • an ocean survival unit which is capable of self righting when occupied by passengers, comprising an inflatable base and a canopy, wherein the unit is accessed via an opening in the vessel, and wherein access into the interior of the life raft is not impeded by a barrier, door or wall at the opening.
  • a semi-rigid step may be positioned at the opening to allow easy access to the vessel.
  • the semi-rigid step is preferably provided with hand holds.
  • an ocean survival unit which is capable of self righting when occupied by passengers, comprising an inflatable base and a canopy, wherein the ocean survival unit has an integral drogue.
  • the drogue is positioned such that the raft will always point into the wind once inflated. Yet further the drogue acts to maintain the entry point into the ocean survival unit to the rearside. Advantageously this shelters the entry point to the unit from wind, rain and breaking waves.
  • the drogue is positioned such that the risk of entanglement in rigging is minimised.
  • an ocean survival unit which is capable of self righting when occupied by passengers, comprising an inflatable base and a canopy, wherein the canopy comprises both transparent sections and opaque sections.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ocean survival unit according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 shows the operation of the blow out valves according to this invention
  • An ocean survival unit 1 which is capable of self righting, even when carrying passengers is generally depicted at 1 in FIG. 1.
  • the ocean survival unit could also be described as a life raft or life boat.
  • the raft when not inflated, can be compactly packed away, and quickly inflated when required.
  • a key aspect of the present invention lies in the provision of a ballast chamber 5 , which is positioned substantially below inflatable base 3 .
  • the ballast chamber Upon inflation of the life raft 1 , the hull shaped ballast chamber 5 is flooded with water, which provides added stability to the vessel.
  • the ballast chamber also provides the life raft with its self-righting capabilities, even when the vessel is fully occupied.
  • ballast chamber 5 Water is sucked in through membrane valves, which in the preferred embodiment are located at the rear of the ballast chamber 5 . Once flooded the ballast chamber 5 provides sufficient mass to maintain a stable vessel, to prevent the raft from being flipped by the wind and to allow the raft to self-right if capsized.
  • the life raft is designed such that it is capable of floating on a surface of water and can be entered via an opening in one of the walls of the raft.
  • the interior of the life raft is not closed or partitioned from the sea by any barrier, door or wall.
  • no barrier is required between the interior of the raft and the sea—the raft will remain afloat and is capable of up righting because of its design, regardless of whether a door is included in the design.
  • This facilitates quick entry into the raft, as a person entering does not need to negotiate any barriers, or open a door to access the interior of the raft. The person can simply climb into the raft. However to aid entry a semi-rigid step with associated hand holds may be positioned at the opening.
  • the ballast chamber 5 also comprises tensile membranes, which run the length of the vessel, and support the floor and seating, in the event of the life raft capsizing. These tensile membranes stop the volume of water in the ballast chamber 5 from collapsing the raft, and also work as baffles when the raft is in its correct orientation, reducing the flow of water inside the ballast chamber and thus reducing roll and the effects of free water.
  • a particularly important aspect of the present invention lies in the integration of a raft stowage/protective casing to the inflated raft.
  • casing is used purely to protect the raft during stowage, to prevent puncture or damage due to day to day knocks and scrapes.
  • the solid casing is discarded and left to float away.
  • the casing is a vital component in operation.
  • the casing is segmented into a plurality of ribs which upon inflation concertina out to provide stiffening batons for the ballast chamber walls.
  • seven ribs are included. In a capsize situation, these ribs also suspend the floor section using the series of tensile members, stopping the floor collapsing and crushing the occupants inside.
  • the tensile membranes in the ballast chamber 5 provide a rigid flooring system for the occupants of the raft.
  • the presence of the tensile membranes in the ballast chamber 5 means that any one part or section of the floor cannot be compressed, as the membranes will not allow the other parts of the floor to correspondingly expand.
  • a drogue 6 which is essentially a water parachute, via a painter line of approximately 70 plus feet in length.
  • the waves generate surface currents, which run towards each other at the crest of a wave, and these currents can cause the raft and drogue to move towards each other.
  • This movement of the raft and drogue 6 towards each other creates slack in the painter line, and increases the chances of the raft capsizing due to wind or breaking waves.
  • a drogue 6 is an integral part of the raft 1 itself, which means that the chance of capsizing in high seas or high winds is reduced.
  • the raft 1 is adapted to point always into the wind once inflated. Accordingly the entrance opening is positioned such that it is always at the rearward facing side of the vessel, and therefore is sheltered from wind, rain and breaking waves. This improves access for persons boarding the raft.
  • the drogue 6 is designed such that entanglement in any rigging, etc., is minimised. In addition the drogue 6 allows forward movements, and when not propelled will provide suitable resistance in order to point the vessel 1 into the wind, and hence reduce wind drift. Also, when not propelled, the raft 1 will always point into the wind, sheltering rear entry.
  • the canopy 4 of the ocean survival unit is provided with both transparent and opaque sections.
  • the transparent sections in the canopy 4 reduce the onset of sea sickness by allowing visual contact with sea's movement, while the opaque sections block visual contact with the oncoming seas, thus reducing trauma, panic or stress.
  • the ocean survival unit 1 is also provided with an intuitive seating arrangement, which was designed through a series of user trials.
  • the resulting seating arrangement has individuals seated in a comfortable manner facing each other, and not encroaching into each other's personal space.
  • the inflatable base section 3 of the ocean survival unit works in such a way that it can be inflated from only one inlet valve, or two if required.
  • the inflatable base section 3 is compartmentalised. Therefore if the ocean survival unit sustains a puncture deflation, any deflation is isolated to that particular area or compartment of the raft.
  • the compartments are separated by a series of blow out valves 7 , which upon reaching a specified pressure, will blow out and stop the passage of air in either direction. Therefore all of the compartments can be inflated with air from a single inlet valve, but will become separate from each other when the internal blow out valves 7 are blown to stop the passage of air.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the operation of the blow out valves 7 wherein 2 ( a ) shows the valve 7 during raft 1 inflation when the valve is held together by a snap fit feature.
  • FIGS. 3 to 8 illustrate the inflation process, which the raft undergoes.
  • case 8 floats on its end, with hinges along the bottom edge. This is achieved by packing a CO 2 cylinder along the hinged side of the container to off-set the center of gravity.
  • the rollover struts 9 will push the casing open upon deployment, and the floor and main U section of the rollover cage will then snap ribs apart and start extending the raft length ways as shown in FIG. 5.
  • the floor inflates seen in FIG. 6, the structure starts to take shape, water floods through the ballast chamber by the vacuum created by the underside of the floor moving away from the ballast chamber walls.
  • FIG. 7 near completed inflation the ballast chamber will reach full capacity.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Other Liquid Machine Or Engine Such As Wave Power Use (AREA)
  • Revetment (AREA)
US10/140,076 2001-05-08 2002-05-08 Ocean survival unit Abandoned US20020166494A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB0111148.3A GB0111148D0 (en) 2001-05-08 2001-05-08 Improved ocean survival unit
GB0111148.3 2001-05-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20020166494A1 true US20020166494A1 (en) 2002-11-14

Family

ID=9914169

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US10/140,076 Abandoned US20020166494A1 (en) 2001-05-08 2002-05-08 Ocean survival unit

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20020166494A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP1256516A3 (fr)
GB (1) GB0111148D0 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9701374B2 (en) * 2015-07-27 2017-07-11 Winslow Marine Products Corporation Self-righting device for life raft
US10435124B1 (en) 2018-04-25 2019-10-08 Goodrich Corporation Compartment ballast system
US20200039616A1 (en) * 2016-10-14 2020-02-06 Clay Livingston Builder Inflatable water sports board rack
US11155325B2 (en) 2019-02-06 2021-10-26 Boost Ideas, Llc Water safety garment, related apparatus and methods

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1886522A (en) * 1931-04-01 1932-11-08 Buck Ronald Diving raft
US4001905A (en) * 1972-12-12 1977-01-11 Givens James A Improved stabilized survival raft
US5468167A (en) * 1994-07-29 1995-11-21 Givens; James A. Life raft utility tether
US6164232A (en) * 1997-12-29 2000-12-26 Zodiac International Automatically operating dump valve device for a boat, particularly a life raft

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2710978A (en) * 1952-06-28 1955-06-21 Knapp Monarch Co Apparatus for inflating life rafts
US2824570A (en) * 1953-04-07 1958-02-25 Bernard R Silverman Flush type topping-off valve
US2945506A (en) * 1955-06-23 1960-07-19 Gasaccumulator Svenska Ab Control valve, particularly for air jackets
US2914779A (en) * 1955-12-09 1959-12-01 Garrett Corp Boarding ramp
GB1405279A (en) * 1972-01-11 1975-09-10 Res Q Raft Inc Raft
EP0087734A3 (fr) * 1982-02-25 1984-11-07 The B.F. GOODRICH Company Radeau de sauvetage comportant un lest à profil bas auto-remplissant avec assistance pneumatique
DD233801A1 (de) * 1985-01-07 1986-03-12 Tech Textilien K M Stadt Veb K Kenterschutz fuer aufblasbare rettungsfloesse
DE3819024A1 (de) * 1988-06-03 1989-12-14 Em Technik Gmbh Armaturenbau Kupplung fuer rohre und schlaeuche fuer aggressive fluessigkeiten
US5800225A (en) * 1995-09-28 1998-09-01 Shoaff, Iii; Frederick B. Aviation auto-inflatable life raft
GB2335393A (en) * 1998-03-17 1999-09-22 Terence Hayward Water borne vessels, particularly life rafts

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1886522A (en) * 1931-04-01 1932-11-08 Buck Ronald Diving raft
US4001905A (en) * 1972-12-12 1977-01-11 Givens James A Improved stabilized survival raft
US5468167A (en) * 1994-07-29 1995-11-21 Givens; James A. Life raft utility tether
US6164232A (en) * 1997-12-29 2000-12-26 Zodiac International Automatically operating dump valve device for a boat, particularly a life raft

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9701374B2 (en) * 2015-07-27 2017-07-11 Winslow Marine Products Corporation Self-righting device for life raft
US20200039616A1 (en) * 2016-10-14 2020-02-06 Clay Livingston Builder Inflatable water sports board rack
US11046399B2 (en) * 2016-10-14 2021-06-29 Nautibuoy Marine Limited Inflatable water sports board rack
US10435124B1 (en) 2018-04-25 2019-10-08 Goodrich Corporation Compartment ballast system
US11155325B2 (en) 2019-02-06 2021-10-26 Boost Ideas, Llc Water safety garment, related apparatus and methods

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1256516A2 (fr) 2002-11-13
GB0111148D0 (en) 2001-06-27
EP1256516A3 (fr) 2003-11-12

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE LANARKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:INGLIS, PETER;REEL/FRAME:014488/0277

Effective date: 20030828

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION