A type of throwable self-supporting inflatable life raft

Abstract

This utility model relates to a throwable self-righting inflatable life raft, comprising a raft bottom, with an upper buoyancy tire and a lower buoyancy tire stacked on top of each other. An arc-shaped canopy spanning the life raft is mounted on the upper buoyancy tire. Each of the upper and lower buoyancy tires contains two independent air chambers, and the arc-shaped canopy is unidirectionally connected to each of the two air chambers of the upper buoyancy tire. Several air cylinders for inflating the air chambers are located on one side of the raft bottom. Its innovation lies in the four independent air chamber design. The upper and lower buoyancy tires are each divided into two independent air chambers (first to fourth air chambers) by rubber sheeting. Even if one air chamber is damaged, the remaining air chambers still maintain more than 75% buoyancy. It also features a redundant inflation system. A first one-way air inlet valve is located at each of the four corners of the arc-shaped canopy, connecting to the air chambers of the upper buoyancy tire. Combined with the air cylinders on one side of the raft bottom and a V-shaped air supply pipe, rapid inflation in 40 seconds is achieved. It also features a self-righting structure. This utility model significantly improves the life raft's anti-capsulation performance, safety redundancy, and survivability in harsh sea conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ship rescue equipment technology, and in particular to a throwable self-righting inflatable life raft. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional inflatable life rafts are prone to capsizing after being thrown and require manual righting, posing a significant safety hazard in rough sea conditions.

[0003] In existing technologies, such as Chinese Patent No. CN202807069U, a self-righting inflatable life raft is disclosed. Its purpose is to provide a self-righting inflatable life raft that is resistant to strong winds and waves, has stable buoyancy, will not capsize, and always remains upright during inflation, eliminating the need for rescuers to enter the water to right it. This self-righting inflatable life raft has upper and lower floating tires at its bottom, which are overlapped on top of the bottom. An arc-shaped canopy spans the life raft on the upper floating tire, and a weight is fixed to one edge of the bottom. This invention's self-righting inflatable life raft uses the upper and lower floating tires and the arc-shaped canopy to form the upper part of the life raft. The weight placed on one edge of the bottom creates a weight imbalance between the left and right sides of the life raft, resulting in a lighter upper part and a heavier lower part. The inflated life raft can naturally turn into a right-floating state according to the downward direction of the center of gravity at any angle.

[0004] The existing technical solutions described above have the following drawbacks: Although the patented technology achieves self-righting through bottom ballast, the life raft only has two independently inflatable air chambers—an upper chamber and a lower chamber—meaning that if one chamber is damaged, the buoyancy of the entire life raft will be greatly reduced. This can lead to insufficient ballast and the life raft capsizing and sinking in large waves. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a throwable self-righting inflatable life raft to improve upon these drawbacks and enhance the stability of the life raft. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a throwable self-righting inflatable life raft, which is a self-righting life raft with strong anti-overturning ability and high load capacity.

[0006] The above-mentioned utility model objective is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] A throwable self-righting inflatable life raft includes a raft bottom, on which an upper floating tire and a lower floating tire are stacked. An arc-shaped canopy column spanning the life raft is provided on the upper floating tire. Each of the upper and lower floating tires has two independent air chambers. The arc-shaped canopy column is unidirectionally connected to the two air chambers of the upper floating tire. A plurality of air cylinders for inflating the air chambers are provided on one side of the raft bottom.

[0008] As a further technical solution of this utility model: the interior of the floating tire is provided with two first rubber cloths, which divide the air chamber of the floating tire into a first air chamber and a second air chamber.

[0009] As a further technical solution of this utility model: the interior of the lower floating tire is provided with two second rubber cloths, which divide the air chamber of the lower floating tire into a third air chamber and a fourth air chamber.

[0010] As a further technical solution of this utility model: four first one-way air intake valves are provided on the arc-shaped canopy column and distributed on the four feet of the arc-shaped canopy column.

[0011] As a further technical solution of this utility model: the arc-shaped canopy column includes three parallel and evenly spaced arched canopy columns and a canopy column top pipe disposed on the top of the three arched canopy columns.

[0012] As a further technical solution of this utility model: the bottom of the arched column on one side of the top of the floating tire is connected to the first air chamber of the floating tire through a one-way pressure limiting valve, and the bottom of the arched column on the other side of the top of the floating tire is connected to the second air chamber of the floating tire through a one-way pressure limiting valve.

[0013] A first exhaust valve is provided on the first air chamber of the floating tire, and a second exhaust valve is provided on the second air chamber of the floating tire.

[0014] As a further technical solution of this utility model: two second one-way air intake valves are provided on the lower floating tire, one second one-way air intake valve is provided on the third air chamber, and the other second one-way air intake valve is provided on the fourth air chamber. A buoyancy tube communicating with the interior of the lower floating tire is provided at the bottom of the lower floating tire.

[0015] As a further technical solution of this utility model: an exhaust and air replenishment valve is provided on the arc-shaped canopy column, and a safety valve is provided on both the upper floating tire and the lower floating tire.

[0016] As a further technical solution of this utility model: a floating tire horizontal pipe is provided on the bottom of the raft, and a V-shaped air supply pipe is provided between the floating tire horizontal pipe and the arc-shaped canopy column.

[0017] As a further technical solution of this utility model: a self-draining device is provided at the bottom of the buoyancy tube, and a boarding step is provided on one side of the lower float.

[0018] In summary, this utility model has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0019] This utility model discloses a throwable self-righting inflatable life raft. Its innovation lies in its four independent air chamber design. The upper and lower buoyancy tires are each divided into two independent air chambers (the first to fourth chambers) by rubber sheeting. Even if one air chamber ruptures, the remaining chambers still maintain more than 75% buoyancy. It also features a redundant inflation system, with a first one-way air inlet valve at each of the four corners of the arc-shaped awning column, connecting to the upper buoyancy tire chamber. Combined with a single-sided inflation cylinder on the bottom of the raft and a V-shaped air supply pipe, it achieves rapid inflation in 40 seconds. Furthermore, it has a self-righting structure. A buoyancy tube and a self-draining device are added to the bottom of the lower buoyancy tire. Bottom counterweights ensure that it automatically flips to a right-floating state after being thrown, and the boarding platform automatically deploys upon contact with water, improving rescue efficiency. This utility model significantly improves the life raft's anti-capsulation properties, safety redundancy, and survivability in harsh sea conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is the front view of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a side view of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a bottom view of the present invention.

[0024] Reference numerals: 1. Raft bottom; 2. Upper floating tire; 21. First rubber sheet; 22. First air chamber; 221. First exhaust valve; 23. Second air chamber; 231. Second exhaust valve; 3. Lower floating tire; 31. Second rubber sheet; 32. Third air chamber; 33. Fourth air chamber; 34. Second one-way air inlet valve; 35. Buoyancy pipe; 36. Self-draining device; 37. Boarding board; 4. Arched canopy column; 41. First one-way air inlet valve; 42. Arched canopy column; 43. Canopy column top pipe; 44. Exhaust and replenishment valve; 5. Gas cylinder; 6. One-way pressure relief valve; 7. Safety valve; 8. Floating tire horizontal pipe; 9. V-shaped air supply pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "top / bottom," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "sleeved / connected," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances. Example

[0028] Reference Figures 1-4 This utility model discloses a throwable self-righting inflatable life raft, including a raft bottom 1, an upper floating tire 2 and a lower floating tire 3 stacked on the raft bottom 1, an arc-shaped canopy column 4 spanning the life raft on the upper floating tire 2, two independent air chambers in the upper floating tire 2 and the lower floating tire 3 respectively, and the arc-shaped canopy column 4 is unidirectionally connected to the two air chambers of the upper floating tire 2 respectively, and several air cylinders 5 for inflating the air chambers are provided on one side of the raft bottom 1.

[0029] Each of the upper floating tire 2 and the lower floating tire 3 has two independent air chambers. The inflation cylinder 5 inflates all air chambers simultaneously through pipelines. The arc-shaped canopy column 4 is unidirectionally connected to the air chambers of the upper floating tire 2, ensuring that gas flows into the canopy column only in one direction. This redundant four-chamber design ensures that even if one air chamber ruptures, the remaining three air chambers still maintain more than 75% buoyancy, significantly reducing the risk of capsizing. For self-righting protection, the inflation cylinder 5 on one side of the raft bottom 1 forms a counterweight, which, combined with the gravity of the lower floating tire 3, ensures that the life raft automatically flips to a right-floating state after being thrown.

[0030] The floating tire 2 has two first rubber sheets 21 inside, which separate the air chambers of the floating tire 2 into a first air chamber 22 and a second air chamber 23. The two first rubber sheets 21 laterally separate the floating tire 2, forming independently sealed first air chamber 22 and second air chamber 23. This provides it with a rupture-resistant isolation effect; the rubber sheets physically isolate the air chambers, and gas will not flow into adjacent air chambers when one air chamber leaks. It also has a lightweight design, with the rubber sheets replacing metal partitions, reducing the overall weight by more than 30%.

[0031] The lower buoyancy tire 3 has two second rubber sheets 31 inside, which divide the air chamber of the lower buoyancy tire 3 into a third air chamber 32 and a fourth air chamber 33. The two second rubber sheets 31 divide the lower buoyancy tire 3 into the third air chamber 32 and the fourth air chamber 33, making its bottom buoyancy redundant. The dual air chamber design of the lower buoyancy tire 3 enhances bottom stability. After a single air chamber is damaged, the draft of the life raft will only increase by 15%. It also prevents chain failure. The isolation structure avoids the failure of the entire lower buoyancy tire 3 due to a single point of failure.

[0032] Four first one-way air intake valves 41 are installed on the arc-shaped canopy column 4, distributed on its four legs. Each of the four legs of the arc-shaped canopy column 4 has a first one-way air intake valve 41, which independently connects to the two air chambers of the upper floating tire 2. This arrangement provides redundancy in the air supply path, so that if one valve fails, the remaining valves will still keep the canopy column inflated; it also has the effect of preventing gas backflow, as the one-way valves prevent gas from flowing back from the canopy column to the floating tire, thus maintaining stable air chamber pressure.

[0033] The arc-shaped canopy column 4 includes three parallel and evenly spaced arched canopy columns 42 and a canopy column top pipe 43 located on top of the three arched canopy columns 42. The bottom of the arched canopy column 42 on one side of the top of the floating tire 2 is connected to the first air chamber 22 of the floating tire 2 through a one-way pressure relief valve 6, and the bottom of the arched canopy column 42 on the other side of the top of the floating tire 2 is connected to the second air chamber 23 of the floating tire 2 through a one-way pressure relief valve 6; a first exhaust valve 221 is provided on the first air chamber 22 of the floating tire 2, and a second exhaust valve 231 is provided on the second air chamber 23 of the floating tire 2.

[0034] The arched canopy column 42 is connected to the air chamber of the upper floating tire 2 via a one-way pressure relief valve 6. The first exhaust valve 221 and the second exhaust valve 231 independently regulate the air pressure of their respective air chambers. This configuration allows for graded control of the air pressure. The pressure relief valve ensures that the canopy column is inflated only after the floating tire has been fully inflated, preventing structural deformation. It also has an emergency pressure relief function, as the exhaust valves can actively reduce the air pressure in the air chambers during wind and waves to enhance wave resistance.

[0035] The lower floating tire 3 is equipped with two second one-way air intake valves 34. One second one-way air intake valve 34 is located on the third air chamber 32, and the other second one-way air intake valve 34 is located on the fourth air chamber 33. A buoyancy tube 35, connected to the bottom of the lower floating tire 3, is installed. The air chambers of the lower floating tire 3 are inflated via the second one-way air intake valves 34. The buoyancy tube 35 connects to the lower floating tire 3, and its bottom self-draining device 36 drains water using a gravity valve. This achieves dynamic counterweight; after the buoyancy tube 35 is inflated, the bottom mass increases, the center of gravity shifts downward, and the anti-overturning capacity is improved by 50%. It also achieves automatic drainage; the self-draining device drains any accumulated water within 365 seconds, preventing increased load.

[0036] An exhaust and replenishment valve 44 is installed on the arc-shaped canopy column 4, and safety valves 7 are installed on both the upper floating tire 2 and the lower floating tire 3. The exhaust and replenishment valve 44 manually adjusts the air pressure of the canopy column, and the safety valve 7 automatically releases air when the air chamber is overpressurized. This achieves dual pressure protection: the safety valve 7 prevents the air chamber from rupturing due to over-expansion, and the replenishment valve addresses slow air leakage; it also extends the service life: stable air pressure increases the continuous use time of the life raft to 60 days.

[0037] A floating horizontal pipe 8 is installed on the bottom of the raft 1, and a V-shaped gas supply pipe 9 is installed between the floating horizontal pipe 8 and the arc-shaped canopy column 4. The gas from the gas cylinder 5 is diverted through the floating horizontal pipe 8 and then supplied to each gas chamber through the V-shaped gas supply pipe 9. This achieves efficient diversion: the V-shaped pipe reduces airflow resistance, shortening the inflation time to 40 seconds (compared to 60 seconds in the traditional solution); it also optimizes the pipeline: avoiding pipeline crossing and entanglement, reducing the probability of breakage.

[0038] A self-draining device 36 is installed at the bottom of the buoyancy tube 35, and a boarding platform 37 is installed on one side of the lower floating tire 3. The boarding platform 37 is folded and fixed to the side of the lower floating tire 3 and automatically unfolds when it comes into contact with water. This enables rapid boarding, allowing a person who falls into the water to climb into the raft within 3 seconds, which is 50% faster than traditional designs; it also features an operation-free design, with water-triggered unfolding that requires no manual operation.

[0039] The implementation principle of this utility model is as follows: This utility model discloses a throwable self-righting inflatable life raft. Its innovation lies in its four independent air chamber design. The upper floating tire 2 and the lower floating tire 3 are each divided into two independent air chambers (first to fourth air chambers 33) by rubber sheeting. Even if one air chamber is damaged, the remaining air chambers still maintain more than 75% buoyancy. It also features a redundant inflation system. The four corners of the arc-shaped canopy column 4 are equipped with first one-way air inlet valves 41, which are connected to the air chambers of the upper floating tire 2. Combined with the single-sided inflation cylinder 5 on the bottom 1 and the V-shaped air supply pipe 9, it achieves rapid inflation in 40 seconds. It also features a self-righting structure. A buoyancy pipe 35 and a self-draining device 36 are added to the bottom of the lower floating tire 3. Bottom counterweights ensure that it automatically flips to a right-floating state after being thrown. The boarding platform 37 automatically unfolds upon contact with water, improving rescue efficiency. This utility model significantly improves the life raft's anti-capsulation performance, safety redundancy, and survivability in harsh sea conditions.

[0040] The embodiments described herein are preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape, and principle of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A throwable self-righting inflatable life raft, comprising a raft bottom (1), wherein an upper floating tire (2) and a lower floating tire (3) are stacked on the raft bottom (1), and an arc-shaped canopy column (4) spanning the life raft is provided on the upper floating tire (2), characterized in that, The upper floating tire (2) and the lower floating tire (3) are respectively provided with two independent air chambers. The arc-shaped canopy column (4) is unidirectionally connected to the two air chambers of the upper floating tire (2). A number of air cylinders (5) for inflating the air chambers are provided on one side of the raft bottom (1).

2. The throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper floating tire (2) is provided with two first rubber cloths (21) inside, which divide the air chamber of the upper floating tire (2) into a first air chamber (22) and a second air chamber (23).

3. The throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower floating tire (3) is provided with two second rubber cloths (31) inside, which divide the air chamber of the lower floating tire (3) into a third air chamber (32) and a fourth air chamber (33).

4. The throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The arc-shaped canopy column (4) is provided with four first one-way air intake valves (41) and distributed on the four feet of the arc-shaped canopy column (4).

5. A throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 2, characterized in that, The arc-shaped canopy column (4) includes three parallel and evenly spaced arched canopy columns (42) and a canopy column top pipe (43) set on the top of the three arched canopy columns (42).

6. A throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bottom of the arched column (42) on one side of the top of the floating tire (2) is connected to the first air chamber (22) of the floating tire (2) through a one-way pressure limiting valve (6), and the bottom of the arched column (42) on the other side of the top of the floating tire (2) is connected to the second air chamber (23) of the floating tire (2) through a one-way pressure limiting valve (6). A first exhaust valve (221) is provided on the first air chamber (22) of the upper floating tire (2), and a second exhaust valve (231) is provided on the second air chamber (23) of the upper floating tire (2).

7. A throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lower floating tire (3) is provided with two second one-way air intake valves (34), one of which is located on the third air chamber (32) and the other is located on the fourth air chamber (33). The bottom of the lower floating tire (3) is provided with a buoyancy tube (35) communicating with its interior.

8. A throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 1, characterized in that, An exhaust and air replenishment valve (44) is provided on the arc-shaped canopy column (4), and a safety valve (7) is provided on both the upper floating tire (2) and the lower floating tire (3).

9. A throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 1, characterized in that, A floating tire horizontal pipe (8) is provided on the bottom of the raft (1), and a V-shaped air supply pipe (9) is provided between the floating tire horizontal pipe (8) and the arc-shaped canopy column (4).

10. A throwable self-righting inflatable life raft according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bottom of the buoyancy tube (35) is provided with a self-drainage device (36), and a boarding step (37) is provided on one side of the lower float (3).

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