EP3630595A1

EP3630595A1 - Inflatable boat with a d-shaped wall

Info

Publication number: EP3630595A1
Application number: EP18726483.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marc Cassanas; Guillaume LACOSTE
Original assignee: Zodiac Milpro International
Current assignee: Zodiac Milpro International
Priority date: 2017-05-29
Filing date: 2018-05-29
Publication date: 2020-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-29
Also published as: US11091228B2; WO2018219909A1; CA3065635A1; FR3066751B1; FR3066751A1; EP3630595B1; ES2959997T3; US20200148307A1; EP3630595C0

Abstract

The invention relates to a boat comprising a flexible bottom (10) bordered radially towards the outside by a wall (20) which comprises an inflatable and flexible front wall (21), an inflatable and flexible lateral wall (22), and a rear wall (23). At least one part of at least one of the lateral wall (22) and of the front wall (21) is constituted by a first inflatable element (30) configured as a panel having two parallel planar faces (31, 32), a second inflatable element (40) of which the cross section is in the form of a D with a planar portion (41), and a flexible assembly device, the second element (40) being situated radially towards the outside of the boat with respect to the first element (30), the assembly device maintaining the planar portion (41) of the second element (40) in contact with one of the planar faces of the first element (30).

Description

INFLATABLE BOAT WITH CONFORMED WALL IN D

The present invention relates to a boat comprising a flexible bottom and bordered radially outwardly by a wall which comprises an inflatable and foldable front wall, an inflatable and foldable side wall, and a rear wall.

Such boats have the advantage, compared to a boat of the same size with a rigid hull, to be significantly lighter, and to occupy a small volume when not in use. Indeed, the front and side walls are inflatable and collapsible, each forming a circular section bead filled with air, and the floor is deformable so that the entire boat can be deflated and folded, with the possible exception of the rear wall. Indeed, the rear wall is usually a panel made of a material (eg wood) more rigid than the material of the flanges of the front and side walls because the rear wall is designed to support the engine of the boat. Such a boat is called an "inflatable boat".

In the following description, the terms "internal" / "inner" and "outer" / "outer" are defined relative to the geometric center of the boat when inflated.

The terms "lower" / "upper" are defined relative to the vertical axis, which is perpendicular to the bottom of the boat which extends in a horizontal plane in normal use of the boat.

The bottom of the boat consists of a foldable canvas whose side edges are fixed to the underside of the rolls (and the rear wall) so that these rolls form the front and side walls of the boat.

Thus, the flanges of the front and side walls having a cylindrical shape of circular section, the radially inner half of the flanges is necessarily above the floor of the boat.

As a result, the interior space of the boat is reduced by half the volume of the tubes, all along the front and side walls of the boat. The useful and habitable surface of the boat is reduced accordingly, which is detrimental.

The present invention aims to remedy these disadvantages. The invention aims to propose an inflatable boat whose interior space is maximized, the functional and operational properties of the boat remaining the same as those of an inflatable boat according to the prior art.

This object is achieved by virtue of the fact that at least a part of at least one of the side wall and the front wall is formed by a first inflatable element shaped as a plate having two parallel flat faces, a second inflatable element whose section is D-shaped with a flat portion, and a flexible connecting device, the second member being located radially outward of the boat relative to the first member, the joining device holding the planar portion of the second member in contact. with one of the faces of the first element.

Thanks to these provisions, the available space for the passengers of the boat is optimized. The stability of the boat is not compromised, however, because the walls have a substantially circular outer shape, the boat retaining the same dimensions as a similar vessel of the prior art. The boat also retains its fully inflatable character (with the possible exception of the rear wall) and foldable.

Advantageously, the assembly device is chosen from a fastening system, a flexible sheath at least partially surrounding the first element and the second element, and a combination of the two.

Thus, the weight of the device for keeping in contact the first element and the second element is minimized.

For example, the first item is outside the second item.

Advantageously, the second element extends below the bottom of the boat.

Thus, the stability and governability of the boat is improved.

For example, the first item is in the second item. Advantageously, when only part of the side wall and the front wall comprise the first element and the second element, the wall further comprises a progressive transition which connects this part with the rest of the wall. This avoids a steep transition in the boat wall, which helps to improve its strength.

For example, the entire side wall includes the first member and the second member, and the transition connects the side wall and the front wall.

Advantageously, the entire side wall and the front wall comprises the first element and the second element.

Thus, the space available for the passengers in the boat is maximized.

Advantageously, the front wall, the second element, and optionally the transition, define a single volume, able to be inflated from a single point.

Thus, the boat can be unfolded and inflated in its position of use more quickly.

Advantageously, the bottom comprises a fabric on which is able to be placed a removable rigid floor.

The removable nature of the floor keeps the boat inflatable and foldable, while providing more rigid support for passengers.

The invention will be better understood and its advantages will appear better on reading the detailed description which follows, of an embodiment shown by way of non-limiting example. The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boat according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a boat according to the invention,

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the wall of the boat of FIG. 1 along the plane A-A,

FIG. 4 is a transverse section of the wall of a boat according to another embodiment of the invention,

- Figure 5 is a cross section of the wall of a boat according to yet another embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 6 is a perspective view of the bottom of a portion of a boat according to the invention; - Figure 7 is a cross section of the second part of the wall of a boat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a boat according to the invention. The boat comprises a flexible bottom 10 and a wall 20 which borders the bottom 10 radially outwards.

"Flexible" element means an element of which one of the three dimensions is sufficiently small in front of the other two, and whose rigidity of the material constituting it is sufficiently small, to be foldable with the hands.

By "inflatable" element is meant an element consisting of a flexible envelope defining a volume and having a closable orifice for inflating the element by injecting air into this volume.

The bottom 10 is for example made of a flexible web 11.

Advantageously, this bottom 10 is adapted to receive a removable floor 12, placed on this fabric 11, and which covers the entire surface of the bottom 10. The addition of the floor 12 stiffens the bottom 10.

The floor 12 is for example an inflatable plate (similar to the element 30 described below). The floor 12 is thus solely made of a flexible material, which allows its folding.

Alternatively, the floor 12 is a rigid plate, either in one piece, or made of boards hinged in them.

Optionally, the bottom 10 further comprises a keel 13, rigid or inflatable. The stability of the boat is thus improved.

For example, the keel 13 consists of a set of inflatable or rigid boards.

Alternatively, the keel 13 consists of an inflatable ring of circular section which is disposed between the fabric 11 and the floor 12, which allows to stretch the fabric 11 to give it the shape of a hull V.

Figure 6 shows in perspective a longitudinal portion of such a bottom 10 of the boat with a rigid floor 12 and a keel 13, and their positions relative to the side walls 22 (port wall 22b and starboard wall 22t) shown in dotted lines, and described below.

The wall 20 has an inflatable front wall 21 and an inflatable side wall 22. The front wall 21 consists of the part of the wall 20 which forms the bow of the boat. The side wall 22 is constituted of the part of the wall 20 which forms the lateral edges of the boat. Thus, the side wall 22 consists of a port wall 22b and a starboard wall 22t, which extend substantially parallel to each other from the front wall 21 to the rear of the boat Up to the back wall 23). These two side walls (port 22b and starboard 22t) being symmetrical with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the boat, the description below of the port wall 22b also applies to the starboard wall 22t.

The periphery of the bottom 10 of the boat, constituted by the edges of the bottom 10, is fixed to the front wall 21, to the side wall 22, and to the rear wall 23. This attachment is made at the bottom of these walls, as shown in the figures. The side wall 22 is also attached to the rear wall 23.

Firstly, a first embodiment is described, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.

The front wall 21 is formed of a circular cylindrical section bead.

The periphery of the bottom 10 is fixed to the lower end of the vertical diameter of this flange.

The port wall 22b comprises a first inflatable plate-shaped element 30 having two parallel plane faces, these parallel faces being an inner plane face 31 and an outer plane face 32.

The first element 30 is shaped into a plate by means of flexible links (threads or fibers or ribbons) which connect the inner face 31 and the outer face 32 so that the distance between these faces is substantially constant over the entire surface of the first element. 30. These links 33 are fixed (for example by gluing or sewing) to the inner face 31 and to the outer face 32. These links 33 are visible in FIG.

The port wall 22b further comprises a second inflatable element 40 whose section is D-shaped and which is located radially outwardly relative to the first element 30. The flat portion 41 of the second element 40 is the straight portion of the " D ", and is in contact (direct or indirect by the attachment system 70, see below) with the outer face 32 of the first element 30. The first element 30 is thus located outside the second element 40. This contact between the first element 30 and the second element 40 is made exclusively by a flexible assembly device, which allows to keep the wall 20 are flexible and pliable character (with the possible exception of the rear wall 23).

For example, this contact is made by hooking the flat portion

41 of the second element 40 on the outer face 32 of the first element 30, with the aid of a fastening system (for example consisting of an adhesive and / or a lacing, and / or a velcro) 70 which therefore constitutes the assembly device.

Alternatively, or in addition, this contact is made using a flexible sheath 60 in which the first element 30 and the second element 40 are housed. Advantageously, the sheath 60 contributes to conforming the first element 30 in its planar shape. and the second element 40 in its D-shape. For example, the sheath 60, which is attached to the second element 40 by the fastening system 70, forms a tubular cell in which the first element 30 can be inserted (slipped) from such that the sheath 60 completely surrounds the first member 30, except for its ends. This embodiment has the advantage that the first element 30 can be removed from the sheath 60 for repair and then introduced again into the sheath 60 to be assembled with the second element 40 via the sheath 60. As an option, the sheath 60 forms another tubular cavity shaped to receive the second element 40 without a latching system 70 of the sheath 60 on the second element 40 is necessary.

Other combinations than those described above are possible, and in the general case, the flexible sheath 60 and / or the attachment system 70 constitute the assembly device of the first element 30 with the second element 40.

As shown by way of example in FIG. 3, which is a cross section along the plane AA of FIG. 1 of the port wall 22b of the side wall 22, the sheath 60 consists of a lower portion 61 which covers the edges. lower part of the first element 30 and the second element 40, and an upper portion 62 which covers the upper edges of the first element 30 and the second element 40. The lower portion 61 is fixed by the attachment system 70 which is here a adhesive on both the lower part of the first element 30 and the lower part of the second element 40, and the upper portion 62 is adhered by the adhesive 70 on both the upper part of the first element 30 and the upper part of the second element 40 so that after inflation of the first element 30 and the second element 40 , the flat portion 41 of the second element 40 is in contact with the outer face 32 of the first element 30. The lower portion 61 and the upper portion 62 are disjoint. Alternatively they meet by covering the curved face of the D port wall 22b, that is to say the radially outer face of this wall.

Optionally, the flat portion 41 is bonded to the outer face 32 by the adhesive 70, which contributes to the strength of the port wall 22b and to maintain the flat portion 41 as flat as possible.

The periphery of the bottom 10 is fixed to the lower end of the port wall 22b, for example at the lower end of the first element 30, or the lower portion 61 of the sheath 60 in the case where this sheath 60 is present.

The wall 20 has a progressive transition (visible in FIG. 1) which connects the lateral wall 22 and the front wall 21, this transition being constituted by a port transition 25b which connects the port wall 22b and the front wall 21, and a starboard transition 25t which connects the starboard wall 22t and the front wall 21.

The port transition 25b (and symmetry the starboard transition 25t) consists of a cylinder with a cross-section (that is to say in a plane transverse to the direction of the flange of the wall 20) evolving from a circular section at the junction of the port transition 25b with the front wall 21, to a D-section at the junction of the port transition 25b with the second member 40. This evolution in the shape of the port wall 25b is done gradually, which avoids the stress concentrations in the wall 20, and contributes to the strength of the boat.

In general, when only a portion of the side wall 22 and the front wall 21 comprise the first member 30 and the second member 40, the wall 20 further comprises the transition 25.

The front wall 21, the transition 25, and the second element 40 delimit a single volume, able to be inflated from a single point. Thus, the inflation of the boat is more practical. Alternatively, the wall 20 of the boat is divided into several disjoint and separately inflatable sections, for example at the junctions between the front wall 21, the transition 25, and the second element 40. Thus, it prevents the whole boat from deflating. it is accidentally pierced in one place.

The first element 30 constitutes a volume distinct from the second element 40, which is inflated separately from the latter.

Alternatively, the volume of the first element 30 communicates with the volume of the second element 40 by means of a pressure relief valve.

In this case, the front wall 21, the side wall 22, and optionally the transition 25 define a single volume, able to be inflated from a single point.

The inflation pressure of the first element 30 is greater than the inflation pressure of the second element 40, for example 4 to 5 times greater. For example, the inflation pressure of the second element 40 is of the order of 200 to 250 mbar (millibars), and the inflation pressure of the first element 30 is of the order of 1000 mbar.

In the embodiment described above, the transition 25 is between the front wall 21 and the side wall 22.

Alternatively, the transition 25 is at a given location along the front wall 21.

Alternatively, transition 25 is at a given location along sidewall 22.

Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of a boat according to the invention.

The entire sidewall 22 and the front wall 21 comprise the first member 30 and the second member 40. Thus, there is no transition in the wall 20, which is formed solely of the first member 30 and the second element 40.

This embodiment has the advantage that the dimensions of the cockpit of the boat are maximized.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the wall of a boat according to the invention, which applies indifferently to the embodiment of the boat of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The first element 30 is located in the second element 40. The flat portion 41 of the second element 40 is then in contact with the inner face 31 of the first element 30.

In this case, a sheath 60 is not necessary, the inner face 31 of the first element 30 being fixed by the fastening system 70 on the surface of the flat portion 41 of the second element 40 which is located in the volume of this second element 40. Thus, the strength of the port wall 22b and to maintain the flat portion 41 as flat as possible

The periphery of the bottom 10 is fixed to the lower end of the port wall 22b.

FIG. 5 illustrates yet another embodiment of the wall of a boat according to the invention, which is a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 3, and which applies equally to the embodiment of the boat of FIG. 1 and Figure 2. The difference between these two embodiments is that the first member 30 extends vertically down below the bottom 10 of the boat.

Thus, the periphery of the bottom 10 is fixed to the lower end of the second element 40 of the port wall 22b.

The invention has been described above in the case where the second element 40 to the port and starboard of the boat is a flange of cross section D. Alternatively, the second element 40 consists of a set of flanges 44, for example. example of circular cross section, and of different widths (or diameters) so that this set occupies a volume in the form of D. The flanges of this set are kept in contact at their contact lines directly by a fixing means (for example by gluing with an adhesive or by lacing, or sewing, or by velcro), and / or indirectly by a sheath 60.

For example, these rolls are all identical.

For example, these flanges 44 are of smaller width at the top and bottom of the D, and of greater width in the middle of the D. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, this assembly consists of a circular flange 441 of diameter upper surrounded by two flanges 442 of smaller diameter, one above and one below, this set of flanges being held in contact by a sheath 60 which surrounds all of these flanges over their entire length.

According to the invention, the first element 30 and the second element 40 form part of at least one of the side wall 22 and the wall before 21. Thus, the first element 30 and the second element 40 constitute either part (or all) of the side wall 22, or part (or all) of the front wall 21, or a part (or all ) of the side wall 22 and the front wall 21.

Claims

A boat comprising a bottom (10) flexible and radially outwardly bordered by a wall (20) which comprises an inflatable and foldable front wall (21), an inflatable and foldable side wall (22), and a wall (23). ), said boat being characterized in that at least a portion of at least one of said side wall (22) and said front wall

(21) is constituted by a first inflatable member (30) shaped as a plate having two parallel flat faces (31, 32), a second inflatable member (40) whose section is D-shaped with a flat portion (41), and a flexible connecting device, said second member (40) being located radially outwardly of said boat relative to said first member (30), said joining device holding said planar portion (41) of the second member (40) in contact with one of said planar faces of said first member (30).

2. Boat according to claim 1 characterized in that said connecting device is selected from a fastening system (70), a flexible sheath (60) at least partially surrounding said first element (30) and said second element (40). ), and a combination of both.

3. Boat according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said first element (30) is located outside said second element (40).

4. Boat according to claim 3 characterized in that said second element (40) extends below the bottom (10) of said boat.

5. Boat according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said first element (30) is located in said second element (40).

6. Boat according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that when only part of said side wall

(22) and said front wall (21) comprises said first member (30) and said second member (40), said wall (20) further comprises a progressive transition (25) which connects said portion with the remainder of said wall (20).

7. Boat according to claim 6 characterized in that the totality of said lateral wall (22) comprises said first element (30) and said second element (40), and in that said transition (25) connects said lateral wall (22). ) and said front wall (21).

8. Boat according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the entire of said side wall (22) and said front wall (21) comprises said first element (30) and said second element (40).

9. Boat according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that said front wall (21), said second element (40), and optionally said transition (25), define a single volume, able to be inflated from a single point.

10. Boat according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the bottom (10) comprises a fabric (11) on which is adapted to be placed a removable rigid floor (12).