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US 4,362,517 AGranted
Inflatable liferafts
AssigneeRFD Inflatables Limited
InventorMichael D. Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inflatable liferaft comprising a pressurized air or gas inflation unit, an elongate flexible support connected between a point of attachment on the liferaft and the inflation unit for supporting the inflation unit at a position remote from the point of attachment and carrying an air or gas flexible supply line or lines from the inflation unit to the liferaft, whereby during inflation of the liferaft the point of attachment has freedom to move relative to the inflation unit.
Claims12
A survival unit, comprising:
- a container;
- two inflatable liferafts coupled together on the respective peripheries thereof capable of being housed in said container in a deflated and folded condition, each of said liferafts being connected with a pressurized air or gas inflation unit;
- a flexible air or gas supply line or lines connecting said inflation unit to said liferaft;
- an elongate flexible support means for connecting a point of attachment at said liferaft with said inflation unit, said elongate flexible support means supporting the inflation unit at a position remote from the point of attachment, supporting the flexible air or gas supply line or lines, and absorbing any tensile load which might otherwise be imposed on said supply line or lines during use of said liferafts;
- and wherein upon inflation out of said container, the two liferafts take up fully inflated dispositions on the water, the length of said flexible support means and said air or gas supply line or lines and their respective points of attachment to the liferafts being such that the two liferafts take up fully inflated dispositions on the water without the need for withdrawal of the inflation units from the container.
2 more elements
A survival unit, comprising:
- a liferaft container;
- two inflatable liferafts coupled together on the respective peripheries thereof capable of being housed in said container in a deflated and folded condition, each of said liferafts being connected with a pressurized air or gas inflation unit containing one or more air or gas inflation cylinders stored in a holder;
- a flexible air or gas supply line or lines operably connecting said inflation unit with said liferaft;
- an elongate flexible support tube connected at one end thereof with said liferaft at a point of attachment and connected at the other end thereof with said inflation unit, said flexible air or gas supply line or lines being arranged to pass through said flexible support tube, the length of said tube in relation to said air or gas supply line or lines being such as to absorb any tensile loads which might otherwise be imposed on said line or lines during the use of said liferafts wherein upon inflation out of said container the two liferafts take up fully inflated dispositons on the water, the length of said flexible support tubes and said air or gas supply line or lines and their respective points of attachment to the liferaft being such that the two liferafts can take up fully inflated dispositions on the water without the need for withdrawal of the inflation units from the container.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.