Positive Inner Bladder Locator for Inflatables

A method of providing positive location and alignment between an outer cover and an inner bladder of an inflatable object, comprising the steps of:

• providing said inner bladder equipped with a cuff structure including an inflation gas valve;
• attaching a first positive location patch to an outer surface of said bladder proximate said cuff structure;
• providing an outer cover surrounding and containing said inner bladder and including a through passage for accessing said cuff structure;
• attaching a second positive location patch to an inner surface of said outer cover proximate said through passage and opposing said first patch when said respective through passage and said cuff structure are aligned;
• inflating said bladder to force contact between said outer surface and inner surface and contact between said first and second patches thereby attaching said first and second patches.

An inflatable object equipped with a positive location structure for maintaining the relative position of an outer cover and an inner bladder of the inflatable object, comprising:

• an inflatable inner bladder, having an inflation cuff including a gas valve;
• an outer cover enveloping and surrounding said inner bladder, having a through passage for aligning with and enabling access to said inflation cuff;
• a first patch of a fastener attached to an outer surface of the inner bladder proximate said cuff structure associated with the inner bladder;
• a second patch, comprising a complementary cooperating fastener to said first patch fastener, attached to an inner surface of said outer cover opposed to the position of the first patch when said inner bladder is positioned within said outer cover, wherein when the inflatable object is inflated, the first and second patches make contact owing to rising pressure within the inner bladder and establish a positive alignment between said first and second patches and when the object is thereafter deflated, the inner bladder and outer cover maintain attachment and alignment in the location of the first and second patches.