Device for stabilizing an inflatable structure
AssigneeSurvitec SAS
InventorsMarc Lavorata, Pascal Michaud, Franck Palomba
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The device comprises at least one pair of flexible ballasts which extend laterally along the length of the inflatable structure and each comprise an orifice, acting as a vent, situated at the front, and a scoop system situated at the rear. Between the ballasts, at least one pipe connects the cavities of said ballasts to equalize their level of fill and the stagnation pressure of the water obtaining in said cavities when the inflatable structure is pulled along in the inflated state. This scoop system consists of a component moulded in a rigid or semirigid thermoplastic or is made of an assembly of cutouts from a flexible material of watertight fabric. This scoop system is bonded and/or welded to the ballast.
Claims13
1-12. (canceled)
A device for stabilizing an inflatable structure of a generally substantially cylindrical elongated shape capable of being pulled along in the inflated state, said device comprising at least one pair of flexible ballasts which extend laterally over at least a part of the length of said inflatable structure and which are arranged in order to sink into the water simultaneously, each ballast comprising an orifice acting as a vent, situated at the front of said ballast, and a scoop system situated at the rear of said ballast, with between the rear ends of said ballasts, at the rear of said scoop system, a pipe which connects cavities of said ballasts in such a way as to equalize the fill and the total pressure of the water in said cavities when the inflatable structure is pulled along.
A method for implementing a scoop system of a stabilizing device of an inflatable structure in which said scoop system is comprised of an assembly of cut-outs made in a flexible material of a watertight type of fabric, and including three cut-out templates which are assembled together by bonding or by welding, the templates are:
- a first cut-out template which allows three layers of fabric to be formed to produce a part corresponding to sides of a scoop proper, one of said layers being arranged head to tail between the other two;
- a second cut-out template which forms a fourth layer of fabric for said sides of said scoop and which caps partially the three preceding layers and,
- a third cut-out template which acts as reinforcement to cover a downstream part of said first cut-out template which is not covered by said second cut-out template;
- the method consisting in:
- placing three pieces of fabric which make up said first cut-out template one on top of the
- other, with one piece being placed head to tail between the other two pieces;
- overlaying said pieces with a piece of fabric which corresponds to the second cut-out template;
- bonding or welding the four pieces by separating the downstream parts which form part of said first cut-out template;
- volumizing said scoop proper;
- assembling by bonding or welding upstream sills of the pieces corresponding to said first cut-out template and second cut-out template;
- and
- assembling by bonding or welding the piece which corresponds to said third cut-out template, on a downstream part of the downstream sills of the pieces making up said first cut-out template .
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.