WO1996022913A1 - Life raft - Google Patents
Life raft Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1996022913A1 WO1996022913A1 PCT/FI1996/000045 FI9600045W WO9622913A1 WO 1996022913 A1 WO1996022913 A1 WO 1996022913A1 FI 9600045 W FI9600045 W FI 9600045W WO 9622913 A1 WO9622913 A1 WO 9622913A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- raft
- life raft
- life
- foregoing
- sea
- Prior art date
Links
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
- B63C9/02—Lifeboats, life-rafts or the like, specially adapted for life-saving
- B63C9/04—Life-rafts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
- B63B27/14—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders ; Pilot lifts
- B63B27/143—Ramps
- B63B2027/145—Inflatable ramps
-
- 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
- B63C9/02—Lifeboats, life-rafts or the like, specially adapted for life-saving
- B63C9/04—Life-rafts
- B63C2009/042—Life-rafts inflatable
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a life raft according to the preamble of claim 1.
- Life rafts have already for decades formed a piece of standard outfit in the lifesaving equipment aboard ships. Since 1986, international SOLAS regulations have required passenger and freight vessels to be equipped with so- called davit-launch life rafts.
- Such equipment comprise gas-inflatable life rafts that can be launched into the sea from the ship by means of a hoist (davit).
- a life raft comprises two superimposedly adjoined, gas- inflatable, circular float chambers, a double bottom attached to the lower rim of the lower one of the circular float chambers and a support pillar or arch which is adapted to support the raft roof if any and to which the guys and similar elements are attached.
- the guys and similar elements are conventionally attached at their one ends to the outer rim of the circular float chamber of the raft and at their other ends to a shackle or similar fixing element on the support pillar or arch.
- the support pillar or arch are also formed by gas- inflatable chambers.
- the life rafts of the above-described type When the life rafts of the above-described type are being launched, they will be automatically inflated while still hanging on the davit's hook, the rafts are boarded by people and launched into the sea, whereby the hook is released and the raft is allowed to float away from the distressed ship.
- Conventional life rafts are designed with a construction that imparts them maximum stability under wind and at rough sea.
- the rafts are provided with, e.g., different ballast arrangements that prevent the raft from toppling.
- Such ballast can be formed by, e.g., water pockets adapted to the raft rims, whereby the number of the pockets may be from 6 to 8, for instance, with a volume of 100 1 typical for each pocket.
- the ballast water pockets become filled with seawater and thus tend to keep the raft steady in the sea.
- the adherence of the raft bottom and rims to the sea surface provides a downward suction effect stabilizing the movements of the raft
- the invention offers a number of significant benefits. Owing to the construction of the raft bottom, it can be easily hoisted from the sea, because the bottom of the raft is free from the downward suction effect. Thus, a viable solution is provided for need of safely hoisting people adrift in a raft away from the sea to the rescue vessel. By adapting the raft bottom at a distance from the lower rim of the lower float chamber, the people aboard the raft are kept dry and the downward suction by the sea surface is minimized. An advantageous construc ⁇ tion in terms of commercial production is attained by mounting the raft bottom in a bridging manner between the float chambers.
- the location of the raft is improved by making the raft brightly coloured, whereby people adrift can easier see the floating raft. Boarding the raft by people is aided by virtue of arranging ramps to the outer rim of the raft.
- Figure 1 is a schematic partially sectional side view of an embodiment of the life raft according to the inven ⁇ tion;
- Figure 2 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of the life raft according to the invention.
- Figure 3 is a schematic partially sectional side view of another embodiment of the life raft according to the invention.
- the life raft illustrated therein comprises at least one circular, inflatable float chamber 1, 2 suited for filling with a gas.
- the float cham ⁇ bers are arranged conventionally inflatable with gaseous medium released from, e.g., a container filled with com ⁇ pressed C0 2 gas.
- the number of the float chambers 1, 2 is at least two, whereby the raft still is kept afloat by virtue of one chamber in the case that the other chamber will be punctured.
- the raft bottom 3 is most advan ⁇ tageously spanned by adhesive bonding between the float chambers 1, 2, whereby a raft construction is attained that can be advantageously manufactured.
- To the bottom 3 are made a number of openings principally serving to prevent the downward suction caused by the adherence of the raft bottom to the surface of the sea when the raft is being hoisted to the rescue vessel. Furthermore, water possibly entering the floating raft can escape via the openings provided to the raft bottom.
- the bottom can be made from, e.g., a single piece with prefabricated openings of desired size. Alternatively, the bottom may be partly or entirely made from a meshed material. Now referring to Fig.
- the bottom shown therein is made from two different materials, of which the center part 9 is comprised of a mesh and the sitting bench area 10 closest to the float chamber 2 can be made, e.g., from a fabric of finer mesh.
- the meshed part 9 may be, e.g., a net made from interweaved strips or belts. Such a meshed part 9 is then attached to the inner rim of the sitting area 10 by means of, e.g., adhesive bonding and/or sewing.
- the width of the sitting area 10 may extend, e.g., 0.3-1 m radially from the inner rim of the float chamber 1 toward the center of the raft.
- the number, shape and size of openings made to the bottom of raft may be varied widely.
- the diameter of the openings is in the order of 20-100 mm.
- the center part 9 of the raft bottom 3 and the sitting area 10 may be provided with openings of different size and/or density.
- the sitting area 10 is provided with smaller openings than the center part 9.
- the life raft incorporates a support pillar 4 which also is gas-inflatable by means of gas introduced from, e.g., the float chamber 2 via a communicating fill hose 11.
- the top of the support pillar 4 is equipped with a lift member 7 such as a shackle or similar fixture. The raft is launched into the sea and hoisted up therefrom by attaching the hook of a davit or similar hoisting means to the lift member 7.
- the raft is equipped with a number of guy strips 5, 6 or equivalent elements that stiffen the raft structure particularly during launching and hoisting.
- the guy strips 5 are adapted along the outer rim of the raft properly outspaced from each other, whereby their one ends are attached to the shackle 7 on the support pillar and their other ends to the circular float chamber 1, 2 of the raft by means of reinforced attachments or similar means.
- the number of the guy strips may vary, e.g., from 2 to 20 depending on the size of the raft.
- the bottom 3 of the raft may be con ⁇ nected via guy strips or similar elements to the shackle 7 on the support pillar. Such elements particularly serve to support the bottom of the raft during the hoisting of the raft with the people aboard the raft.
- the boarding ramps 8 are advantageously gas-inflatable.
- the number of the ramps may be from 4 to 6 depending on the size of the raft. However, the ramps must be located so that the side of the raft intended to abut the side of the rescue vessel has no ramp.
- the colour of the float chambers 1, 2 is bright and easy to spot.
- a colour is, e.g., a fluo- rescent colour such as fluorescent red, green or yellow.
- the people adrift to be rescued can easier locate the raft and seek toward it.
- the hoistable raft according to the in ⁇ vention has no roof. This property facilitates unob ⁇ structed view from above, e.g., from the rescue vessels onto the persons to be rescued.
- the support pillar of the hoistable raft may also be designed to form an arch 12 (Fig. 3), whereby the ends of the arch are attached to the float chamber 2 at, e.g., opposite sides of the raft, whereby the lift member 7 such as a shackle is adapted to the top center of the support arch. Then, the raft can be hoisted from the shackle mounted at the top center of the support arch.
- the hoistable raft accord- ing to the invention may also be hoisted by a helicopter.
- the hoistable raft according to the invention can be equipped with accessories such as floating rings (life- savers) with a connecting lifeline per each ring.
- the number lifesavers should be at least 8 per raft.
- Two sufficiently long and strong lifelines should be provided for mooring the raft to the rescue vessel so that the raft can be moved.
- the raft according to the invention is most appropriately stored deflated in a conventional protective capsule similar to that used for prior-art gas-inflatable life rafts.
- a conventional protective capsule similar to that used for prior-art gas-inflatable life rafts.
- the hoistable raft is launched/inflated in the same fashion as a prior-art davit-launch life raft, no special training of the ship's personnel is required for the use of the life raft according to the invention.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP96900999A EP0800473A1 (en) | 1995-01-23 | 1996-01-22 | Life raft |
AU44887/96A AU700147B2 (en) | 1995-01-23 | 1996-01-22 | Life raft |
JP8522649A JPH10512828A (en) | 1995-01-23 | 1996-01-22 | Life raft |
NO973370A NO973370L (en) | 1995-01-23 | 1997-07-22 | Liferaft |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FI950270 | 1995-01-23 | ||
FI950270A FI950270A0 (en) | 1995-01-23 | 1995-01-23 | Flotte Foer lyfting av skeppsbrotua ur vattnet. lyftflotte |
FI953890 | 1995-08-17 | ||
FI953890A FI101616B1 (en) | 1995-01-23 | 1995-08-17 | life raft |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1996022913A1 true WO1996022913A1 (en) | 1996-08-01 |
Family
ID=26159885
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/FI1996/000045 WO1996022913A1 (en) | 1995-01-23 | 1996-01-22 | Life raft |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0800473A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPH10512828A (en) |
AU (1) | AU700147B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2210481A1 (en) |
FI (1) | FI101616B1 (en) |
NO (1) | NO973370L (en) |
WO (1) | WO1996022913A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10351219B1 (en) | 2018-03-02 | 2019-07-16 | Goodrich Corporation | Life raft system with multipurpose inflatable boarding deck |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU5561680A (en) * | 1979-02-19 | 1980-08-28 | Asmussen, Cornelius Kennedy | Rescue raft |
EP0140501A1 (en) * | 1983-09-07 | 1985-05-08 | The Garrett Corporation | Flotation platform |
US4533333A (en) * | 1980-08-08 | 1985-08-06 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy | Helicopter extractable cold weather/water liferaft |
CA1211994A (en) * | 1983-09-02 | 1986-09-30 | Empra Systems Corp. | Helicopter rescue device |
NO161169B (en) * | 1985-02-22 | 1989-04-03 | Rfd Ltd | INFLATABLE LIFE AREA. |
-
1995
- 1995-08-17 FI FI953890A patent/FI101616B1/en active
-
1996
- 1996-01-22 EP EP96900999A patent/EP0800473A1/en not_active Ceased
- 1996-01-22 WO PCT/FI1996/000045 patent/WO1996022913A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1996-01-22 AU AU44887/96A patent/AU700147B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1996-01-22 CA CA 2210481 patent/CA2210481A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1996-01-22 JP JP8522649A patent/JPH10512828A/en active Pending
-
1997
- 1997-07-22 NO NO973370A patent/NO973370L/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU5561680A (en) * | 1979-02-19 | 1980-08-28 | Asmussen, Cornelius Kennedy | Rescue raft |
US4533333A (en) * | 1980-08-08 | 1985-08-06 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy | Helicopter extractable cold weather/water liferaft |
CA1211994A (en) * | 1983-09-02 | 1986-09-30 | Empra Systems Corp. | Helicopter rescue device |
EP0140501A1 (en) * | 1983-09-07 | 1985-05-08 | The Garrett Corporation | Flotation platform |
NO161169B (en) * | 1985-02-22 | 1989-04-03 | Rfd Ltd | INFLATABLE LIFE AREA. |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10351219B1 (en) | 2018-03-02 | 2019-07-16 | Goodrich Corporation | Life raft system with multipurpose inflatable boarding deck |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
NO973370D0 (en) | 1997-07-22 |
FI953890A0 (en) | 1995-08-17 |
FI953890A (en) | 1996-07-24 |
AU700147B2 (en) | 1998-12-24 |
CA2210481A1 (en) | 1996-08-01 |
FI101616B (en) | 1998-07-31 |
EP0800473A1 (en) | 1997-10-15 |
NO973370L (en) | 1997-09-11 |
FI101616B1 (en) | 1998-07-31 |
JPH10512828A (en) | 1998-12-08 |
AU4488796A (en) | 1996-08-14 |
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