US 10,086,918 B2Granted

Inflatable watercraft structures and method of making the same

OwnerStephen Pepper, Jonathan Speakerinventors

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Abstract

An inflatable structure that includes continuous longitudinal and axial curves, constructed to form a hydrodynamically designed performance platform for use as a performance water sports board, rescue board, or rescue sled, such as a stand-up paddle board, paddleboard, surfboard, PWC rescue sled, bodyboard, or other floating or dynamic platform. Alternatively, it may be adapted for use with additional structure to provide an inflatable hull and floor for a watercraft, such as a boat, raft, life-raft, rescue craft, or other floating or dynamic platform. Longitudinal stringers welded to opposing panels defining the interior volume of the inflatable structure are joined by welding, gluing, or lashing, and the shape of the stringers and the welding/gluing/lashing schedule can be employed to give the inflatable structure a highly customized curved shape.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An inflatable watercraft, comprising:

a first flexible panel having an interior side and an exterior side;
a second flexible panel having an interior side and an exterior side, said second flexible panel joined to said first flexible panel to form a sealed interior volume;
an air valve;
a first plurality of stringer panels each having a top portion and a bottom portion, said top portion attached to said interior side of said first flexible so as to impart deck contour to said first flexible panel and the bottom portion spaced away from the interior side of the second flexible panel;
and
a second plurality of stringer panels having a bottom portion attached to said interior side of said second flexible material panel and positioned in relation to said first plurality of stringer panels so as to form pairs of opposing stringers panels and so as to impart bottom rocker to said second flexible panel, wherein each stringer panel of said second plurality of stringer panels in an overlapped manner to the to a bottom portion of an opposing stringer panel in said first plurality of stringer panels said top portion of the second plurality of stringer panels spaced away from the interior side of said first flexible panel, wherein said stringers are oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the first and second flexible panels, and, wherein the shape of said stringers and the connection between opposing stringers imparts contour to each of said first flexible panel and said second flexible panel when said inflatable watercraft is inflated.

3 more elements

A method of manufacturing and assembling an inflatable watercraft, comprising:

laying out first and second flexible material panels;
cutting the first and second flexible material panels to a shape suitable for the particular kind of inflatable structure under construction;
marking the first and second flexible material panels for bonding;
installing a valve reinforcement patch in an interior side of one of the first and second flexible material panels;
cutting a valve hole in the flexible material panel at the valve reinforcement patch;
installing a first set of stringer panels on the first flexible material panel;
installing an opposing second set of stringer panels on the second flexible material panel such that when the first and second material panels are approximated in assembly, the first set of stinger panels overlap and engage stringer panels in the opposing second set of stringer panels;
connecting the first set of stringers to their respective opposing stringers in the second set of stringer;
wherein the first set of stringers have an upper portion affixed to the interior side of the first flexible material panel and a lower portion spaced away from the interior side of the second flexible material panel, and wherein the second set of stringers have, a lower portion affixed to the interior side of the second flexible material panel, and a top portion connected to the lower portion of the first set of stringers in an overlapped manner, said top portion spaced away from the interior side of the first flexible material panel, wherein said stringers have a medial portion defining a plane generally normal to the interior sides of the first and second flexible material panels, the internal stringers oriented generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of the first and second flexible material panels, and further wherein the stringers have a profile as seen in side view in elevation that defines the shape of the first flexible material panel and the second flexible material panel when the inflatable watercraft is assembled;
folding over a portion of the perimeter of the first flexible material panel and welding the folded portion to a perimeter of the second flexible material panel, leaving an end of the inflatable watercraft open;
closing the open end by hand gluing or welding;
installing an air fill valve in the valve hole;
and
inflating the inflatable watercraft by introducing air into the watercraft through the air valve.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/405,144Filed 12 Jan 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 12 Jan 2016
Published: US 2017/0197691 A113 Jul 2017
Granted: 2 Oct 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B63B 32/51
Boards characterised by their constructional features: inflatable boards, e.g. drop-stitch inflatable boards
B63B 32/57
Water sports boards; Accessories therefor: boards characterised by the material, e.g. laminated materials
B63B 32/59
Water sports boards; Accessories therefor: boards characterised by their manufacturing process, e.g. moulding or three-dimensional [3D] printing
B63B 32/66
Board appendages, e.g. fins, hydrofoils or centre boards: arrangements for fixation to the board, e.g. fin boxes or foil boxes