Sponge ballast system for inflatable rafts

Abstract

Fatalities from hypothermia and exposure are increasing each year due to the vast popularity of paddle sports such as: kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, etc. A lightweight inflatable self-rescue raft stored aboard with the present invention attached to the underside, can greatly reduce such fatalities.The sponge-ballast system is a stabilization system that aids a person in the water to make a quick self-rescue boarding of any lightweight inflatable raft of any size or shape avoiding fatigue and hypothermia.The system comprised of highly compressed sponge contained in permeable enclosures, which enclosures in turn are secured to the underside of an inflatable raft, which the compressed sponge, upon contact with water, rapidly absorbs water through the openings and quickly expands providing prompt, sufficient weight and ballast for a wet person to climb aboard a raft as light as 5 pounds. The present invention used 20 compressed sponges to achieve such results.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 338,349 filed by Stanton Dennis Terrell and Cynthia Mary Shell-Terrell and awarded a filing date of Feb. 18, 2010. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Utility patent application No. 20110197801, filed Feb. 16, 2011 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application No. 20150344115, filed Dec. 3, 2015 and now abandoned.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to flotation devices and more specifically, as to certain embodiments, to stabilized small lightweight self-rescue rafts.[0003]Ocean-going survival life rafts using ballast water bags are well known since the 1940s. The ballast bags these rafts rely on are a depending, sometimes weighted, water-enclosure system. These water-enclosure (bags) systems are designed in one of three ways: (one) several depending enclosures along the underside of a raft; (two) one...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a device that can be attached to the bottom of a lightweight inflatable resuce raft to make it easier for people to climb aboard for self-rescue. It uses highly compressed sponge within permeable enclosures that allow for rapid entry of fluid and containment of the compressed sponge. The device also provides ballast almost instantly upon deployment in water, reducing the risk of the raft overturning due to wind or waves. Additionally, the invention enhances the ability to store the raft on vessels such as kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, small boats, and small aircraft.

Problems solved by technology

Inflatable lightweight self-rescue rafts use either no ballast bags for stability system or an ineffective, unweighted water-retaining chamber.

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