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US 2025/0019054 A1Published application
Inflatable lift assembly
OwnerRony Mejiainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inflatable lift assembly for raising and supporting a boat over a body of water, without completely removing the boat from the body of water, includes a port-side inflatable floats connected to a starboard-side inflatable float by a plurality of cables. The inflatable floats each include an outer end opposite an inner end, a valve attached to the floats proximate the outer end and in fluid communication with an interior of each float, and an anchor tab where the plurality of cables couples the two floats together. The inflatable floats may be inflated by pumping compressed air into the interiors through the valves while the floats are placed under the boat, causing the floats to gently lift the boat slightly above the water. Embodiments may be sized according to the particular size of the boat being supported.
Claims20
An inflatable lift assembly for supporting a boat, said inflatable lift assembly comprising:
- a port-side inflatable float having a port-side outer end opposite a port-side inner end, a port-side valve being attached to said port-side inflatable float and in fluid communication with an interior of said port-side inflatable float, a port-side anchor tab being attached to and extending from said port-side outer end, said port-side anchor tab being configured to receive and connect with a port-side tie, said port-side tie being configured to removably attach said port-side anchor tab with said boat, and a port-side connecting tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said port-side inner end, wherein said port-side inflatable float has an elongated port-side body extending between said port-side outer end and said port-side inner end and being in fluid communication with said interior of said port-side inflatable float, said elongated port-side body being configured to expand a port-side width of said elongated port-side body when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is filled with air, said port-side width being minimized when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is emptied of compressed air and being maximized when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is filled with compressed air;
- a starboard-side inflatable float having a starboard-side outer end opposite a starboard-side inner end, a starboard-side valve being attached to said starboard-side inflatable float and in fluid communication with an interior of said starboard-side inflatable float, a starboard-side anchor tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said starboard-side outer end, said starboard-side anchor tab being configured to receive a starboard-side tie, said starboard-side tie being configured to removably attach said starboard-side anchor tab with said boat, and a starboard-side connecting tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said starboard-side inner end, wherein said starboard-side inflatable float has an elongated starboard-side body extending between said starboard-side outer end and said starboard side inner end and being in fluid communication with said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float, said elongated starboard-side body being configured to expand a starboard-side width of said elongated starboard-side body when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is filled with air, said starboard-side width being minimized when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is emptied of compressed air and being maximized when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is filled with compressed air;
- and
- a plurality of connecting cables coupling said port-side inflatable float to said starboard-side inflatable float, said plurality of connecting cables being affixed to and extending between said port-side connecting tab and said starboard-side connecting tab.
1 more element
An inflatable lift assembly for supporting a boat, said inflatable lift assembly comprising:
- a port-side inflatable float having a port-side outer end opposite a port-side inner end, a port-side valve being attached to said port-side inflatable float and in fluid communication with an interior of said port-side inflatable float, said port-side valve being proximate said port-side outer end and configured to receive a port-side compressed air line, a port-side valve cap tethered to said port-side valve and configured to form an air-tight seal over said port-side valve when said port-side valve cap is secured over said port-side valve, a port-side anchor tab being attached to and extending from said port-side outer end, said port-side anchor tab being configured to receive and connect with a port-side tie, said port-side tie being configured to removably attach said port-side anchor tab with said boat, and a port-side connecting tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said port-side inner end, wherein said port-side inflatable float has an elongated port-side body extending between said port-side outer end and said port-side inner end and being in fluid communication with said interior of said port-side inflatable float, said elongated port-side body being generally rectangular with a port-side length of between 4 feet and 12 feet and being formed from a durable and flexible waterproof port-side body material configured to expand a port-side width of said elongated port-side body when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is filled with air through said port-side compressed air line, said port-side width being minimized when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is emptied of compressed air and being maximized when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is filled with compressed air, said compressed air being pumped into and out of said interior of said port-side inflatable float via said port-side compressed air line when said port-side compressed air line is in fluid communication with said port-side valve while said port-side valve cap is removed from said port-side valve;
- a starboard-side inflatable float having a starboard-side outer end opposite a starboard-side inner end, a starboard-side valve being attached to said starboard-side inflatable float and in fluid communication with an interior of said starboard-side inflatable float, said starboard-side valve being proximate said starboard-side outer end and configured to receive a starboard-side compressed air line, a starboard-side valve cap tethered to said starboard-side valve and configured to form an air-tight seal over said starboard-side valve when said starboard-side valve cap is secured on said starboard-side valve, a starboard-side anchor tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said starboard-side outer end, said starboard-side anchor tab being configured to receive a starboard-side tie, said starboard-side tie being configured to removably attach said starboard-side anchor tab with said boat, and a starboard-side connecting tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said starboard-side inner end, wherein said starboard-side inflatable float has an elongated starboard-side body extending between said starboard-side outer end and said starboard side inner end and being in fluid communication with said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float, said elongated starboard-side body being generally rectangular with a starboard-side length approximately equivalent to said port-side length, said elongated starboard-side body being formed from a durable and flexible waterproof starboard-side body material configured to expand a starboard-side width of said elongated starboard-side body when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is filled with air through said starboard-side compressed air line, said starboard-side width being minimized when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is emptied of compressed air and being maximized when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is filled with compressed air, said compressed air being pumped into and out of said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float via said starboard-side compressed air line when said starboard-side compressed air line is in fluid communication with said starboard-side valve while said starboard-side valve cap is removed from said starboard-side valve;
- and
- a plurality of connecting cables coupling said port-side inflatable float to said starboard-side inflatable float, said plurality of connecting cables being affixed to and extending between said port-side connecting tab and said starboard-side connecting tab, said plurality of connecting cables being between 1 foot and 2 feet in length and formed of a waterproof cable material, said waterproof cable material being durable enough to withstand extended periods of submersion underwater without weakening or disintegrating.
1 more element
A method for lifting a boat with a port-side boat cleat and a starboard-side boat cleat above a body of water at a docking site and supporting said boat above said body of water at said docking site, said method comprising:
- placing an inflatable lift assembly into said body of water at said docking site, said inflatable lift assembly comprising,
- a port-side inflatable float having a port-side outer end opposite a port-side inner end, a port-side valve being attached to said port-side inflatable float and in fluid communication with an interior of said port-side inflatable float, a port-side anchor tab being attached to and extending from said port-side outer end, said port-side anchor tab being configured to receive and connect with a port-side tie, said port-side tie being configured to removably attach said port-side anchor tab with said boat, and a port-side connecting tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said port-side inner end, wherein said port-side inflatable float has an elongated port-side body extending between said port-side outer end and said port-side inner end and being in fluid communication with said interior of said port-side inflatable float, said elongated port-side body being configured to expand a port-side width of said elongated port-side body when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is filled with air, said port-side width being minimized when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is emptied of compressed air and being maximized when said interior of said port-side inflatable float is filled with compressed air;
- a starboard-side inflatable float having a starboard-side outer end opposite a starboard-side inner end, a starboard-side valve being attached to said starboard-side inflatable float and in fluid communication with an interior of said starboard-side inflatable float, a starboard-side anchor tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said starboard-side outer end, said starboard-side anchor tab being configured to receive a starboard-side tie, said starboard-side tie being configured to removably attach said starboard-side anchor tab with said boat, and a starboard-side connecting tab being attached to and extending outwardly from said starboard-side inner end, wherein said starboard-side inflatable float has an elongated starboard-side body extending between said starboard-side outer end and said starboard side inner end and being in fluid communication with said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float, said elongated starboard-side body being configured to expand a starboard-side width of said elongated starboard-side body when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is filled with air, said starboard-side width being minimized when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is emptied of compressed air and being maximized when said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float is filled with compressed air;
- and
- a plurality of connecting cables coupling said port-side inflatable float to said starboard-side inflatable float, said plurality of connecting cables being affixed to and extending between said port-side connecting tab and said starboard-side connecting tab;
- connecting an air pump to said port-side valve and to said starboard-side valve via a port-side compressed air line and a starboard-side compressed air line;
- placing said boat directly over said inflatable lift assembly, said port-side boat cleat being generally aligned with said port-side anchor tab and said starboard-side boat cleat being generally aligned with said starboard-side anchor tab;
- lifting said port-side outer end and said starboard-side outer end to raise and align said port-side anchor tab and said starboard-side anchor tab with said port-side boat cleat and said starboard-side boat cleat;
- securing said port-side anchor tab to said port-side boat cleat using said port-side tie;
- securing said starboard-side anchor tab to said starboard-side boat cleat using said starboard-side tie;
- and
- inflating said port-side inflatable float and said starboard-side inflatable float using said air pump to fill said interior of said port-side inflatable float with compressed air and to fill said interior of said starboard-side inflatable float with compressed air.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.