US 5,960,734 A · Inflatable boat with strengthened attachment of its rear board and method for fitting the latter

Abstract

Inflatable boat (1) with two inflatable tubular chambers (2) secured along the two sides of a hull, a rear board (4) being secured in watertight fashion, laterally, to the two tubular chambers (2) and, at the bottom, to the rear edge of the hull, the means of securing the rear board (4) to each tubular chamber (2) comprising a sole (5) with U-shaped section made of a semi-rigid synthetic material secured by its bottom (6) to the tubular chamber (2) in such a way that the arms (7) of the U project radially from the tubular chamber and are secured to the lateral edge of the board (4) fitted between them, each lateral edge of the board (4) has two grooves (8) cut in it, one on each of its two faces, these grooves running parallel to this lateral edge and being filled with a synthetic material (9) secured to the walls at the groove. The two arms (7) of the sole (5) are secured respectively to the material (9) with which the grooves (8) are filled.

Claims9

Dependent claims

Inflatable boat (1) comprising at least two inflatable tubular chambers (2) bordering the two sides of a hull to which they are secured, a rear board (4) closing the rear end of the boat and being secured in watertight fashion, laterally, to the two inflatable tubular chambers (2) and, at the bottom, to the rear edge of the hull, in which boat the means of securing the rear board (4) to each inflatable tubular chamber (2) comprise a sole (5) with U-shaped section consisting of a semi-rigid synthetic material secured by its bottom (6) to the inflatable tubular chamber (2) in such a way that the arms (7) of the U project out approximately radially from the inflatable tubular chamber and are secured to the lateral edge of the rear board (4) fitted between them, characterized:

in that each lateral edge of the rear board (4) has at least two grooves (8) cut in it, one on each of its two main faces, these grooves running approximately parallel to this lateral edge of the said board and being filled with a synthetic material (9) secured to the walls at the groove,
and in that the two arms (7) of the sole (5) are secured respectively to the material (9) with which the said grooves (8) of the rear board (4) are filled.

Method for securing a rear board (4) of an inflatable boat (1) to an inflatable tubular chamber (2) laterally bordering a rigid hull to which it is secured, characterized in that this method comprises the following steps:

a sole (5) of semi-rigid synthetic material with U-shaped section, the arms (7) of which project out approximately radially from the tubular chamber (2) is secured to each said inflatable tubular chamber (2);
two grooves (8) substantially opposite each other and running approximately parallel to each lateral edge of the board (4) are made in the two main faces of the said rear board (4), the said grooves (8) having a trapezoidal dovetail-shaped section;
through-holes (10) are made through the rear board (4), these coming out into the respective bottoms of the two grooves (8) opposite each other;
a first strip (11) of semi-rigid synthetic material, with projecting pegs (12) which fit into the said holes (10) in register, is inserted into one of the grooves, the said first strip (11) having a width at most equal to the width of the opening of the groove (8) and its surface extending beyond the corresponding main face of the rear board (4), while the ends of the pegs (12) protrude beyond the opposite main face of the rear board;
a second strip (13) of semi-rigid synthetic material, with through-holes (14) in register with the aforementioned holes (10) and which fit over the pegs (12) of the first strip (11), is inserted into the other groove, the said second strip (13) having a width at most equal to the width of the opening of the groove (8) and its surface extending beyond the corresponding main face of the rear board;
the edge thus prepared of the rear board (4) is fitted into the corresponding sole (5);
and finally, the synthetic materials of which the sole (5) and the strips (11, 13) are made are heated in order to soften them and weld the pegs (12) of the first strip to the second strip and weld the sole (5) to the two strips (11, 13) while at the same time compressing (15) the two strips (11, 13) opposite each other in order to make the softened synthetic material flow to make it fill at least most of the dovetail-shaped grooves (8), by virtue of which the rear board (4) and the sole (5) are firmly assembled in a way that can properly withstand both longitudinal loadings and transverse loadings.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Inflatable boat with strengthened attachment of its rear board and method for fitting the latter

Life of this patent

Inflatable boat with strengthened attachment of its rear board and method for fitting the latter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9