Abstract: A floating inflatable device which is to be able to be inflated on the surface of liquid and which for this purpose comprises inflation means including an on-board source of pressurized gas, wherein said inflation means comprise a venturi supplied by said source of pressurized gas and capable of entraining ambient air which contributes to the inflating of the device, and wherein said venturi inflation means, being mounted on a wall of said device, are protected by protective means covering them in such a way as to allow ambient air to pass freely while at the same time preventing liquid from being able to gain entry to the device to any appreciable extent.

Abstract: Kayak comprising: a rigid base in several sections end to end joined to one another in a water-tight hinge-mounting so that they can be folded one on top of the other; a rigid keel in several sections spanning the hinge-mountings of the base sections and retained in brackets fixed to said base sections; two pneumatically inflatable sides joined at the base to the longitudinal edges of the rigid base; a covering canvas joined to the respective top longitudinal edges of the two inflatable sides and having at least one opening for a user; a seat located under this opening; and at least one rigid tensioning frame arranged to the rear of the opening and designed to brace the base, the inflatable sides and the covering canvas.

Abstract: A dump-valve device for a craft, characterized in that it comprises: a plug valve (13) movable approximately rectilinearly relative to a fixed seat (17) supported by a craft transom plate (3), drive means (9, 10) mobile in rotation along a rotary stroke of limited angular amplitude and able to be activated from inside the craft, and coupling means (11, 19) interposed between the valve (13) and the drive means (9, 10) to convert the rotary stroke of limited angular amplitude of the drive means into a rectilinear stroke of limited linear amplitude of the valve.

Abstract: A pneumatic boat comprising a generally U-shaped float open towards the rear and made up of at least one pneumatically inflatable tube, the rear ends of which are braced by a rear board, a rigid floor disposed at least transversely inside the float and a hull with a V-shaped cross section formed by a flexible canvas fixed to the float and to the rear board and held taut by a longitudinal inflatable keel inserted between said floor and said canvas; the inflatable keel is formed by an elongate enclosure delimited by two substantially flat and approximately parallel main walls extending longitudinally and approximately perpendicular to the floor, these walls being braced by a plurality of flexible links; and this enclosure is inflated to a relatively high pressure.

Abstract: A pneumatic boat comprising at least one inflatable fender (1) forming two approximately parallel branches (2) and a transom (4) extending between these two branches (2), each branch (2) being constituted by several tubular compartments (8, 9) placed side by side longitudinally and superposed having a poly-lobed cross section the major axis of which is tilted in relation to the horizontal; the lower compartment (9) of each branch (2) includes a flexible casing (11) integral with the compartment immediately above (8) and retaining a detachable float (12); the casing and the float are mutually shaped so that the float is applied by the casing against the compartment immediately above and that the external lateral part (10) of the casing is stretched approximately tangentially between these, forming with a horizontal plane an average angle of between 5 and 45° approximately.

Abstract: Support base for supporting accessories on the flexible wall of an inflatable body and an pneumatic boat fitted therewith. A mounting base (10) intended for the fixing of an accessory onto the flexible wall of an inflatable body, such as an inflatable buoyancy fender of an inflatable boat, characterized in that it includes a stack (11) of several layers of flexible material fixed one to the other and passed through by at least one fitting (16) appropriate to the fixing of the aforesaid accessory, the aforesaid mounting base being fixable to the inflatable body flexible wall, the number of layers of the stack being determined so that the thickness of the stack corresponds approximately to the height of an anchoring part of the fitting.

Abstract: An automatically operating dump valve device for a boat, particularly for a life raft, including a hole made in the bottom of the boat and a flexible chute located under the bottom of the boat being connected in a sealed way to the edge of said hole, the chute is equipped with flotation means placed away from its connection with the hole in the bottom of the boat, by means of which arrangement, when there is no water in the boat, the flotation means bring the chute back up under the bottom of the boat sealing it and the water cannot get into the boat through the chute, whereas, when water is present in the boat and is drawn back towards the aforementioned hole, its weight forces the chute end to drop from the bottom of the boat despite the presence of the flotation means and the water flows out through the chute.

Abstract: A mixed hull inflatable craft convertible into a closed box for its storage or transport is disclosed. The hull has a rigid body (1) with a top edge (5), a plane to which is fixed an inflatable buoyancy tube (7), a rigid closing panel corresponding in contour to the edge and an inverted U-shaped profile (15) interlocking the tube to the hull. The profile overlaps the top edge (5) of the body and has a first groove (16) open upwards and inside the body, retaining a ring (18) carried by a flexible skirt (19) connected to the tube; a second groove (20) open upwards and outside the body, receiving the edge of the panel closing the body (1) in the closed box conformation and supporting the flexible skirt (19) of the inflated tube located outside the body in the craft conformation; and an elastomer bead (21) located on the outside under the second groove (20) forming a sealed bearing surface for the inflated tube (7) in the craft conformation.

Abstract: Pneumatic valve (1) for an inflatable object such as an inflatable boat, arranged so as to be partially embedded in an aperture (22) in the flexible wall (21) of the inflatable object carrying it and comprising a valve body (2) containing a valve mechanism (1) and two collars (18, 20) like truncated cones surrounding the valve body (2) and gripping between them in a leak-proof manner the portion of the flexible wall (21) peripherally bordering the aperture (22); the two collars (18, 20) belong to two respective rings (17, 19) removably attached to the valve body (2), and sealing means (16) are provided between the lower ring (17) and the valve body (2); thanks to which the valve body (2) can present a transverse dimension approximately identical to that of said aperture (22) of the flexible wall (21) and fitting the valve (2) to or removing it from the flexible wall (21) can be carried out entirely from the exterior of the flexible wall (21).

Abstract: An inflatable pneumatic enclosure 1 of constrained geometric shape, comprising two main walls 2, 3 held the one relative to the other, in the inflated state of the enclosure, in a pre-specified relative position by a multiplicity of flexible links 4 interposed between said walls 2, 3, an inflation valve 6 being fixed in one of said walls 2 for the inflation of the enclosure, characterised in that the valve 6 is of the embedded or semi-embedded type with a valve body 7 extending inside the enclosure 1 under said mounting wall 2 and in that a spacing body 8 extends between the valve body 7 and the opposite wall 3 of the enclosure and is fixed to these, said spacing body 8 being dimensioned so that the two aforementioned walls 2, 3 are held in a desired relative position in relation to that obtained by the surrounding flexible links.

Abstract: Inflatable boat (1) with two inflatable tubular chambers (2) secured along the two sides of a hull, a rear board (4) being secured in watertight fashion, laterally, to the two tubular chambers (2) and, at the bottom, to the rear edge of the hull, the means of securing the rear board (4) to each tubular chamber (2) comprising a sole (5) with U-shaped section made of a semi-rigid synthetic material secured by its bottom (6) to the tubular chamber (2) in such a way that the arms (7) of the U project radially from the tubular chamber and are secured to the lateral edge of the board (4) fitted between them, each lateral edge of the board (4) has two grooves (8) cut in it, one on each of its two faces, these grooves running parallel to this lateral edge and being filled with a synthetic material (9) secured to the walls at the groove. The two arms (7) of the sole (5) are secured respectively to the material (9) with which the grooves (8) are filled.

Abstract: Mixed-hull inflatable boat, comprising a rigid submerged hull (2) surrounded at least bilaterally by inflatable buoyancy tubes (3), a transom (4) extending between the rear extremities of the two tubes (3) and the rigid submerged hull (2), characterised in that the rigid submerged hull (2) is extended to the rear, beyond the transom (4), by a flap (6) forming an integral part of said submerged hull (2).

Abstract: High-capacity life raft (1, 10) comprising an inflatable peripheral edge (2) forming a tubular buoyancy chamber and a central bottom (3) secured thereto, characterized in that the said central bottom (3) comprises at least one region (4) forming a platform for receiving those embarking and at least one region (5) for mustering those who have embarked, the said muster region (5) occupying an area of the said bottom that is quite distinctly larger than the area occupied by the said reception platform region (4).

Abstract: Inflatable boat (1) with two inflatable tubular chambers (2) secured along the two sides of a hull, a rear board (4) being secured in watertight fashion, laterally, to the two tubular chambers (2) and, at the bottom, to the rear edge of the hull, the means of securing the rear board (4) to each tubular chamber (2) comprising a sole (5) with U-shaped section made of a semi-rigid synthetic material secured by its bottom (6) to the tubular chamber (2) in such a way that the arms (7) of the U project radially from the tubular chamber and are secured to the lateral edge of the board (4) fitted between them, each lateral edge of the board (4) has two grooves (8) cut in it, one on each of its two faces, these grooves running parallel to this lateral edge and being filled with a synthetic material (9) secured to the walls at the groove. The two arms (7) of the sole (5) are secured respectively to the material (9) with which the grooves (8) are filled.

Abstract: An inflatable boat (1) comprising laterally two inflatable buoyancy fenders (2) connected by a bottom (13) rigid at least transversely and by an underlying hull (4) presenting an approximately V transverse section, characterised in that a flexible bottom (16), lining the rigid bottom (3) and underlying it, is fixed in a sealed way to the fenders (2) and in that the aforementioned hull (4) is rigid at least in a central longitudinal strip (6) in the shape of a V gutter and is constituted by several sections (11) assembled longitudinally end to end in a removable way and held with the help of removable fixing means (8).

Abstract: Self-righting inflatable life-raft (1) comprising a peripheral edge (2) consisting of at least one inflatable tubular chamber surrounding a bottom (3) secured in leaktight fashion to the said tubular chamber, at least one inflatable tubular hoop (4) extending above the raft between two opposite sides of the inflatable tubular chamber (2); at least two more or less parallel hoops (4) are provided; each hoop (4) is equipped with a reserve of gas (8) projecting from the outside of the hoop (4) and in a region thereof which is at an angle (.alpha.) of approximately 30 to 60.degree. above the horizontal, the assembly formed by the hoop (4) and the reserve (8) being asymmetric with respect to the vertical mid-plane (5) of the raft; and a heavy weight (6, 7) is secured to the raft along that one of its edges that is on the same side as the abovementioned reserves (8).

Abstract: Inflatable floor (5), in particular for inflatable boats, constituted by at least one closed airtight compartment of a generally very flat shape and inflatable to a relatively high pressure, said chamber comprising two main walls (6) opposite each other formed by at least two respective sheets (7) of at least one relatively flexible and airtight material connected together by a multiplicity of flexible links (8) of approximately equal length, characterised in that one of said main walls (6s) or upper wall has an external face (9) which is constituted so as to be anti-slip (11) at least over most of its surface.

Abstract: Assembly of elements forming a mixed-hull inflatable boat which can be converted into a closed box for its storage/transport, including: an elongated rigid shell (1) with a profiled extremity (2) and the other extremity closed off by a transversal bulkhead (6); an inflatable tube (7) solidly attached to the shell (1) at least along its lateral edges; and a rigid panel (9) the peripheral contour of which follows that of the peripheral edge of the shell (1) and can be fixed in a removable fashion to it; thanks to which the assembly of elements can be configured for transport/storage with the tube (7) deflated and folded away in the shell (1) and the rigid panel (9) mounted on and locked to the shell to close it and form a closed box; and a navigation configuration with the panel (9) separated from the shell (1) and the inflatable body (7) inflated under pressure forming, together with the shell (1) forming a rigid hull, a mixed-hull boat.

Abstract: Device for attaching an oar (3) to the peripheral inflatable cushion (1) of an inflatable dinghy, characterized in that it comprises: a base (5) secured to the inflatable cushion (1) and having a retaining head (7), and a fastener (4) comprising, on the one hand, a mounting root shaped to complement the retaining head (7) so that it can be clipped removably onto this head and, on the other hand, above the said root, a ring (11) that can be deformed elastically in the radial direction and is shaped to grip tightly and elastically around the shaft (12) of an oar (3).