Sponge ballast system for inflatable rafts

Abstract

Fatalities from hypothermia and exposure are increasing each year due to the vast popularity of paddle sports such as: kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, etc. A lightweight inflatable self-rescue raft stored aboard with the present invention attached to the underside, can greatly reduce such fatalities. The sponge-ballast system is a stabilization system that aids a person in the water to make a quick self-rescue boarding of any lightweight inflatable raft of any size or shape avoiding fatigue and hypothermia. The system comprised of highly compressed sponge contained in permeable enclosures, which enclosures in turn are secured to the underside of an inflatable raft, which the compressed sponge, upon contact with water, rapidly absorbs water through the openings and quickly expands providing prompt, sufficient weight and ballast for a wet person to climb aboard a raft as light as 5 pounds. The present invention used 20 compressed sponges to achieve such results.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/338,349 filed by Stanton Dennis Terrell and Cynthia Mary Shell-Terrell and awarded a filing date of Feb. 18, 2010. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Utility patent application No. 20110197801, filed Feb. 16, 2011 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application No. 20150344115, filed Dec. 3, 2015 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to flotation devices and more specifically, as to certain embodiments, to stabilized small lightweight self-rescue rafts.

Ocean-going survival life rafts using ballast water bags are well known since the 1940s. The ballast bags these rafts rely on are a depending, sometimes weighted, water-enclosure system. These water-enclosure (bags) systems are designed in one of three ways: (one) several depending enclosures along the underside of a raft; (two) one large, depending enclosure under the center of a raft; or (three) several peripheral depending enclosures. These enclosures are sometimes referred to as “water-retaining chambers.” The several depending enclosures are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,854 issued Jul. 11, 1963, to Manhart; the large depending enclosure is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,905 issued Jan. 11, 1977, to Givens; and the several peripheral enclosures are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,559 issued Aug. 12, 1980, to Switlik. These systems remain in use today and represent the state of the art in stabilized survival rafts.

Inflatable lightweight self-rescue rafts differ from heavier ocean-going life rafts (mentioned above) in that they can weigh less than 5-10 pounds dry, and provide fewer survival supplies for longer term rescue on open waters. An ocean-going life raft can weigh up to 60 pounds dry and provide long-term survival supplies.

An inflatable lightweight self-rescue raft is generally intended to prevent drowning or death from hypothermia while awaiting a quicker rescue.
An inflatable lightweight self-rescue raft can be stored aboard small boats that sail coastal or paddle the intercoastal waterways.
Inflatable lightweight self-rescue rafts use either no ballast bags for stability system or an ineffective, unweighted water-retaining chamber. Unweighted water-retaining chambers are known to float up to the bottom of the raft, gathering no water for weight for ballast.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention can be attached by a raft manufacturer to the underside of any lightweight inflatable self-rescue raft. Being attached to the underside of a lightweight raft can greatly enhance a person's ability to climb aboard for self-rescue.

The present invention uses highly compressed sponge within permeable enclosures. The permeable enclosures:
1) Allow for rapid entry of fluid.
2) Allow for the expansion of compressed sponge.
3) Provide continued containment of the saturated sponge.
The enclosures could be sturdy, with perforation; flexible; or any permeable enclosure capable of allowing sufficient fluid entry, capable of containing compressed and then expanded sponge, and capable of being secured to the underside of a raft (e.g., via heat seal at the time of manufacture).

Once the compressed sponge quickly expands from absorption, the ballast provides vastly increased water weight, creating a counterweight aiding one to easily mount the raft without the difficulty typically encountered when one attempts to mount a non-stabilized lightweight raft. In non-stabilized ballast systems the opposite side of the device rises or capsizes, hampering or preventing entry upon the raft. Unlike inflatable rafts fitted with slow filling water-retaining bags, the present invention provides ballast (weight) almost immediately upon deployment in water. This invention will significantly reduce the risk that a lightweight raft will overturn due to wind, wave, or both; and provides additional flotation.

Another unique feature of the present invention is that it enhances the ability for a lightweight rescue raft to be stored on vessels such as kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, small boats and small aircraft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a conventional two-person raft showing suitable placement, indicated with shading, of the sponge-ballast system.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a conventional two-person raft with a cut-away showing the placement of several sponge elements within permeable enclosures.

FIG. 3 is a front-side view of a conventional two-person raft suggesting the permeable enclosures with enclosed sponge elements indicated with shading.

FIG. 4 & FIG. 5 show suitable placement of the sponge elements on the bottom of a conventional round inflatable raft.

FIG. 6 & FIG. 7 illustrate an alternative two-section placement of permeable enclosures on the underside of a typical inflated raft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention includes any flotation device for which ballast can be provided by sponge, usually, but not necessarily, compressed synthetic sponge, contained in one or more permeable enclosures, which enclosures in turn are secured to the underside of the device.

As used in this application, “flotation device” or “flotation element” refers to any item capable of providing buoyancy, such as inflated synthetic rubber.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a suitable placement of permeable enclosures on the underside of a typical inflated raft (4) said enclosures being secured to the raft indicated with shading (1). The dots indicate openings to allow water into the enclosures (2). FIG. 2 shows a cut-away illustrating the placement of sponge within the permeable enclosures, said sponge indicated as rectangular shape. Alternatively, the permeable enclosures might be segmented so that each said sponge element (3) is separately contained within a separate permeable enclosure. FIG. 3 front-side view, suggests permeable enclosures with enclosed sponge, as might appear on a typical inflated two-person raft (4a). FIG. 3 also indicates generally how the permeable enclosures might be segmented so that each sponge element is contained within a separate permeable enclosure (la). The dots indicate openings to allow water into the enclosures (2a). FIG. 4 suggests permeable enclosures with enclosed sponge, indicated with shading (1b), as might appear on the underside of a typical circularly configured flotation device (4b). The dots indicate openings to allow water into the enclosures (2b).

FIG. 5 suggests permeable-enclosed sponge, indicated with shading (1c) as might appear from a side view of a typical circularly configured flotation device (4c).

The sponge-ballast system need not be configured as indicated and may be configured in any fashion along the underside (see claim 2) of a flotation device.

The sponge-ballast system can be configured to provide ballast of any desired significance by using larger sponge for additional weight and correspondingly larger permeable enclosures, adding permeable enclosures, stacking permeable enclosures, or any other configurations providing a greater volume of sponge.

The invention may be configured in the shape of a traditional or circular life preserver with a floor rather than a middle opening, and configured with the sponge-ballast system, as depicted in FIG. 4 & FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 & FIG. 7 illustrate an alternative two-section placement of permeable enclosures on the underside of a typical inflated raft.

The invention need not be configured for human occupancy and could be configured, for instance, for use as a transport device over any water, such as might occur, for instance, if one sought to transport items while wading across a river.

A contemplated embodiment of the invention employs compressed cellulose sponge contained in perforated Neoprene synthetic rubber, heat-sealed along the underside of a traditional raft with inflatable floor as depicted in FIG. 3. The permeable enclosures with the compressed sponge are configured in segments which allow easy folding and packing. A raft with a sponge-ballast system attached can be packaged compactly for storage on or in kayaks, canoes, small boats, or small-engine aircraft cockpit.

In certain embodiments, the permeable enclosures could be accessible, allowing removal of saturated sponge, with a replacement of another compressed dry sponge.

No attempt is made to illustrate the means of manufacturing and securing such ballast system, particularly the permeable enclosures, as this is thought sufficiently obvious as not to require special illustration.

Finally, it will be understood that various embodiments have been disclosed by way of example, and that other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of providing supplemental ballast to a lightweight inflatable raft suitable for storage on or in a craft selected from, but not limited to, the group consisting of a kayak, a canoe, a small boat and a small-engine aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:

a. placing at least one compressed sponge in each of a plurality of water-permeable enclosures; and

b. attaching said enclosures to the underside of a inflatable raft so that, when exposed to water, the sponges increase in weight and become saturated to provide supplemental ballast to the flotation device and stabilize the flotation device due to the increased weight of the saturated sponges to allow a person in the water to self-rescue by mounting the flotation device without the opposite side of the device rising to hamper or prevent entry upon the device; wherein the enclosures allow entry of water to contact the sponges and allow expansion and saturation of the sponges.

2. The method of claim 1b. wherein the water-permeable enclosures are attached to the underside of a forward portion of the inflatable raft or circularly configured for a round raft.

3. The method of claim 1b. wherein the inflated raft is selected to have a forward portion with a bow at the front of the forward portion, a stern at the back of a rear portion, and a length that is greater than a width of the raft, or circularly configured for a round raft.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the flotation device is inflatable and the water-permeable enclosures are attached to the underside of a forward portion of the flotation device or circularly configured for a round inflatable raft.

5. The method of claim 1b. wherein the flotation device is inflatable, and has a floor.

6. A method of providing supplemental ballast to a water-surface inflatable rescue device capable of carrying one or two human occupants and suitable for storage on or in at least one of a small craft for use on water and a small-engine aircraft, said method comprising:

a. placing at least one compressed sponge in each of a plurality of water-permeable enclosures; and

b. attaching said enclosures to the underside of the inflatable device so that, when exposed to water, the sponges increase in weight and become saturated to provide supplemental ballast to the flotation device and stabilize the flotation device due to the increased weight of the sponges to allow a user in the water to quickly mount the flotation device without the opposite side of the device rising.