US 2026/0307439 A1Published application

Deployable Buoyancy System for a Vehicle

OwnerRyan Robinson, Shawn Jacobsinventors

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Abstract

A deployable buoyancy system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes a foldable panel with a releasable fastening mechanism along its perimeter. In a stowed configuration, the panel is closed along the releasable fastening mechanism. An inflation cell is positioned on the panel's interior side and is connected to a pressurized cartridge. One or more cinch straps with fasteners secure the panel to the vehicle. Upon activation, the cartridge inflates the cell, causing the panel to unfold and break the releasable fastening mechanism, exposing the interior side. In some embodiments, a water-detection sensor automatically triggers inflation upon contact with water. The system can be mounted to the front and/or rear of the vehicle to provide flotation and stability in water environments.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A deployable buoyancy system for an all-terrain vehicle, comprising:

a panel having an interior side opposite an exterior side;
a releasable fastening mechanism disposed along a perimeter of the interior side of the panel, the releasable fastening mechanism configured to pack and form a stowed configuration;
an inflation cell positioned on a first portion of the interior side of the panel, the first portion being adjacent to a second portion;
one or more of cinch straps each having a fastener, the fastener configured to retain the panel to a vehicle;
a pressurized cartridge fluidly connected to the inflation cell, the pressurized cartridge configured to release pressurized gas into the inflation cell upon activation;
wherein, upon inflation of the inflation cell, the inflation cell expands causing the panel to unpack and breaking the releasable fastening mechanism, thereby transitioning the panel from the stowed configuration to a deployed configuration in which the panel opens and exposes the interior side of the panel.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.