Inflatable watercraft with two hulls

Abstract

Fully inflatable high-pressure human-powered two-hulled watercraft made with drop-stitch technology, in which the hulls consist of two parallel boards placed edgewise (10) (20), above which are fixed horizontal connecting boards (40), also inflatable at high pressure, spaced apart in such a way as to allow both a firm foothold and easy entry and exit from the water Depending on the shape and arrangement of the connecting sections, it is possible to obtain various hybrid versions between kayak, SUP, rowing or pedal catamaran, and even a version that can be used as a rescue craft. 5 10

Description

[0001] INFLATABLE WATERCRAFT WITH TWO HULLS

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The technical field of the present invention relates to inflatable human- powered watercraft used for recreation and outdoor physical activity, as well as for specific uses such as rescue to bathers, particularly kayaks and SUP boards with which one paddles while standing, but also in other positions such as sitting in so-called hybrid versions, including rowing and pedal-powered watercraft.

[0005] BACKGROUND ART

[0006] In general, it can be observed how in recent years the typology of human- powered inflatable boats has become more widespread than, thanks to their portability, they can be transported and inflated everywhere and are increasingly used along the sea coasts and lakes of the whole world, not only by sportsmen, but by an increasingly wide audience of users. This is undoubtedly due to the increasing attention being paid to the physical and mental well-being that comes from outdoor motor activity, but also to the technological advances that have affected these types of watercraft and helped improve their performance. However, in the face of the unquestionable advantage of ease of transport and storage, the said inflatable watercraft have always shown weaknesses in terms of poor performance and directionality as well as limitations, which are also present in rigid boats, with regard to lateral stability and ease of rising from the water after a bath. As regards performance, the relationship between the length and width of the hull and the longitudinal rigidity of the hull plays a fundamental role, and from this it is already easy to understand how a rigid and thin hull is much more performing than an inflatable one than by its nature, especially if inflated at low pressure, it is not rigid longitudinally and often has a smaller length-to-width ratio. However, in recent years, the state of the art has evolved, the application of drop-stitch technology, in which hundreds of internal filaments ensure shape stability even at high pressure, has enabled inflatable boats with improved stiffness and performance, as well as enabled the spread of inflatable SUP boards. Several patents have contributed to applying drop-stitch technology to inflatable canoes and kayaks, so that today there are long and sufficiently longitudinally rigid models that have good performances that are close to those of rigid models. Also for SUP boards various solutions have helped to improve their longitudinal stiffness, however it still remains difficult to reconcile speed with stability, because long and narrow boards have good performance but are not very stable and unsuitable for beginners while shorter and wider boards are more stable and easy to use but with poor performance and directionality and still need additional fins to maintain direction. As for the so-called hybrid boards, which allow, through the use of additional seats with backrests, to paddle in a seated position, they are still compromise solutions that have the same limitations in performance and stability, and still lack the performance and comfort of the best inflatable kayaks.

[0007] In the varied panorama of inflatable human-powered boats that exist today, what is needed, in the writer's humble opinion, is to have a vessel that, apart from ease of transport when deflated, which is common to all inflatable craft, best and simultaneously meets a number of needs, which are: first and foremost speed, lateral stability, and ease of ascending from high water, but also ease of transportation by hand even by one person when inflated and ease access to the water, and finally versatility, in the sense of being able to use it by paddling while seated as in kayaks, but also by paddling while standing as in SUPs or by rowing or using a pedal- powered propulsion system.

[0008] Despite the advances that have been achieved, inherent especially in longitudinal rigidity and directionality, which nevertheless requires in the vast majority of models, fins added under the hull, for a kayak or other inflatable watercraft that optimally combines speed, lateral stability, directionality, ease of rising from the water after a bath, and that perhaps also allows for paddling in both a seated and standing position, as on a SUP board, or for rowing or even using the legs for propulsion, there is ample room for improvement in the current state of the art. As regards human- powered inflatable boats used for rescue of swimmers, inflatable SUP boards of larger dimensions equipped with numerous handles are often used to facilitate the rescue activity. These are boards that are carried by the rescuer on one side, once a certain depth of water is reached, the rescuer jumps on it and pushes it with the strength of his arms until it reaches the person or persons in danger for recovery. Given that the use of one rescue vehicle or another depends on the sea conditions and contingent circumstances, the limit of the SUP or surfboard used as a rescue vehicle lies in the speed that can be reached with this vehicle and in the ease of recovery from a platform that in itself is not very stable.

[0009] DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0010] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a human-powered inflatable watercraft for leisure and physical activity that is at the same time fast, laterally stable, directional even without the addition of fins under the hull, which allows to rise easily from the water after a swim, lightweight, easily transportable by a single person even when inflated, and can also be used by paddling standing up like on a SUP board or by rowing or pedaling.

[0011] Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a craft with similar characteristics to those mentioned above that constitutes a valid means of rescue as an alternative to or in addition to the most commonly used means of rescue for bathers on beaches such as inflatable boards also called rescue boards, or rescue boats.

[0012] The inflatable small vessel under discussion consists of two parallel floating hulls connected to each other, made up of two high-pressure, drop-stitch type inflatable boards with the special feature of not resting on the water horizontally, but rather being arranged shear, thus providing great longitudinal rigidity even on long hulls, and at the same time, offering low resistance to advancement as the hulls are long and thin. Thus structured, the boat will be fast, directional, and with the lateral stability of a small / tight catamaran, and will not flex under the weight of the person or persons on board. The structures that connect the hulls are also made of high-pressure inflatable drop-stitch boards, and these are not a single board, but rather several boards arranged horizontally and fixed above the hulls. Depending on the arrangement and width of these boards, different configurations can be obtained, such as single kayak for two or more people, kayak combined with a wider board for use as a base for stand-up paddling as in SUPs or even just for carrying a passenger lying down, kayak combined with a rowing station with a fixed or sliding seat, or kayak with the possibility of mounting accessories such as pedal-driven propeller thrusters. In all versions, however, there is a further peculiar feature, the possibility of easily getting in and out of the water through the hulls using the empty space between one section / connecting board and the other. In fact, the distance between the hulls of at least 30 centimeters allows it, and the maximum distance between one connecting section and the next is such that the person paddling sitting on top of one of the boards can use the edge of the next board in front of him as a stable footrest, while the minimum distance between the same sections is such as to allow the same person to get into the water and come back up easily by placing his hands on top of the two floats and extending his arms to lift himself out of the water and sit on one of the connecting boards. To ensure ergonomics and effectiveness of paddling, lightweight movable seats with backrests are provided, to be attached to the connecting sections on which the canoeist sits; since the position of the footrests is fixed, these seats, fixed with straps, hooks and / or rings, will have the possibility of adjusting their position and the inclination of the backrest according to the height and position of the canoeist. Another advantage of having provided these empty spaces delimited on the right and left by the floats and on the front and back by the connecting boards, is that one or more people can walk while standing within these spaces to easily transport the boat by supporting it with handles fixed to the upper side of the hulls in correspondence with these spaces to lead it to the water. By providing one of these spaces in a position close to the boat's center of gravity, a person can carry it by himself very easily by "walking inside it," particularly, in a version made as a rescue craft, with two wide connecting boards, an operator could run quickly carrying the boat that way across the beach, shoreline, and as far as the height of the water allows, and then simply sit down, grab the paddle, and paddle hard toward the bather or bathers in distress. The low resistance of the narrow hulls and the length of the hulls ensure good acceleration and speed of the craft; once the bathers in difficulty have been reached, the stability of the craft and a whole series of handles installed on it facilitate the rescue. All these features allow, in many cases, an extremely rapid and effective intervention, making this craft competitive with both rescue boards and the much heavier rescue rowing boats.

[0013] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention will be better understood with the help of the description of embodiments of realisation provided by way of example and not limitation, illustrated by the following figures, not necessarily to scale, of which:

[0015] - Fig. 1 shows a section of the watercraft seen from the front in which the internal filaments of the drop-stitch fabric are schematized.

[0016] - Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the vessel in the kayak version seen from above.

[0017] - Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the vessel in the kayak version seen from the side.

[0018] - Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the SUP and kayak hybrid version boat used as a kayak.

[0019] - Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the SUP and kayak hybrid version boat used as a SUP.

[0020] - Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the watercraft in a three-seater kayak version.

[0021] - Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the watercraft in an embodiment form that also allows rowing propulsion. - Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a portion of the vessel in an embodiment form that also allows rowing propulsion with a sliding seat.

[0022] - Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a portion of the vessel in an embodiment form that also allows pedal propulsion.

[0023] - Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of the watercraft in an embodiment form that also allows pedal propulsion.

[0024] - Fig. 11 shows a perspective view of the watercraft in an embodiment as a rescue means in which the rescuer, in a first step leads it running on the beach or in shallow water.

[0025] - Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of the watercraft in an embodiment as a rescue means in which the rescuer, in a second step leads it by paddling.

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The human-powered inflatable watercraft with two hulls, object of the present invention, as claimed, comprises, in each of its forms of embodiment, two parallel hulls each consisting of a high-pressure, dropstitch type inflatable board, cutting position. Such boards, which are widely used to make surfboards and SUP (Stand Up Paddle) boards, are characterized by being very rigid when inflated to high pressure (about 10- 15 psi), thanks to a myriad of internal filaments perpendicular to the walls of the board that guarantee the planarity of the walls, which are then sealed through one or more perimeter bands of rubberized or plasticized fabric that ensure air-tightness.

[0028] Figure 1 shows in cross-section the two boards 10, 20 placed edgewise where the horizontal filaments that ensure the flatness of the hull walls are schematized. The two hulls are connected to each other through connecting sections consisting of inflatable drop-stitch boards placed horizontally and attached above the upper edge of the hulls.

[0029] As can be seen in figure 1, section 40 has vertical inner filaments and is fixed above the upper edge of the boards placed shear, the sides in contact between the boards can be glued or welded together, and to prevent the pressure inside the hulls from tending to detach them from the top section, they can be reinforced with flexible angle brackets 30, of plasticized fabric, glued or welded along the entire length of the joint with the board placed on top, this naturally results in the latter sticking out a few centimeters on both the left and right sides, as seen in the figure.

[0030] Figures 2 and 3 show a configuration with two connecting sections 40 and, are placed at a distance from each other such as to ensure that the canoeist can rest his feet on the edge of the board in front, figure 2, and at the same time allows him to get into the water for a swim and to come back up from the water easily by placing his hands on the two hulls and stretching his arms to lift himself from the water and sit on one of the connecting boards, figure 3.

[0031] To allow a person to move between the hulls, the hulls must be properly spaced, an optimal distance, considering the thickness of the floats and also the use as a kayak and manoeuvrability, could be around 40-50 cm, however it is considered that it should be at least 30 cm.

[0032] Each board has its own inflation valve 45, as seen in Figure 2, and this is also a safety factor as there are several independent air chambers, but of course the position of the valves can vary.

[0033] To ensure ergonomic seating, a movable seat 60 is installed on each connecting section where the canoeist is expected to sit; this seat, provided with a backrest, will be adjustable in position, because since the foot rest point is fixed at the edge of the board placed in front, it will be the position of the seat that will be adapted to the canoeist's stature and legs position.

[0034] This can be easily achieved by providing attachments, maybe with D-rings and / or tear-off attachment at various positions on the surface of the horizontal board, and also with length-adjustable straps, particularly for backrest inclination.

[0035] The volumes of the hulls, designed according to the weight to be supported, are such that they are not completely immersed, so that the connecting sections remain raised a few cm above the surface of the water, and therefore as can be seen so far, the result is a vessel with thin and long hulls, little wetted surface, little resistance and therefore fast, and at the same time directional even without added fins, and finally also with good lateral stability typical of the catamaran structure.

[0036] Shown in Figures 4 and 5 is a hybrid kayak and SUP version in which at least one of the sections 50, is much wider, so much so that it is fixed longitudinally above the hulls, this section allows not only to accommodate a seat 60, but also to serve as a platform for paddling standing up and moving around on it similarly to what is done on a SUP board Figure 5, with the difference that balance is facilitated by the stability of the catamaran structure, as well as and even better than a very wide beginner SUP board, but with the advantage of still remaining fast thanks to the long and narrow hulls.

[0037] The seat arrangement can be done on both sections in the figure allowing great versatility, so the vessel can move forward in one direction or the other depending on where the canoeist sits, on the larger board or the smaller one perhaps carrying a passenger lying on the longer one.

[0038] Figure 6 shows a multi-seat kayak version in which there is a connecting section with a corresponding seat for each paddler, plus an additional, perhaps narrower section, to allow the person sitting in front to rest his feet as well.

[0039] As can be seen in several figures, from 4, to 12, there are pairs of parallel handles placed on the top of the hulls between the connecting sections, these handles are preferably made of non-rigid material that are glued or welded directly or by means of D-rings, on an upper portion of the perimeter bands surrounding the drop-stitch boards, in correspondence with the spaces between one connecting section and the other, these handles facilitate the transportation of the vessel when inflated.

[0040] In particular, another peculiar feature of the present invention is that the space between the thin hulls and in correspondence with the space between the connecting sections can be used not only to easily climb out of the water, but also to comfortably transport the boat on land when inflated, practically "walking in it," even by a single person, in particular if the handles 120 are installed close to the barycenter of the boat.

[0041] Figures 7 and 8 show the possibility of using the vessel described up to now, also with rowing propulsion, and in two versions, one with fixed seat fig. 7 and the other with sliding seat fig. 8.

[0042] In the aforementioned figures, the hybrid kayak and SUP version has been used as a basis, but in reality the possibility of using the vessel also with oars is possible in any configuration of the watercraft.

[0043] To enable oars use, at the space between two connecting sections, is installed transversely above the hulls, a movable inflatable horizontal board 70, drop-stitch type, to which are fixed, as the only rigid component, two supports 80, positioned one near the right edge and the other near the left edge, each supporting an oar rowlock.

[0044] As can be seen in figure 7, the elongated board 70 has a width of approximately half the space between the two sections, is positioned close to or adjacent to the section where the seat is placed, and protrudes laterally equally to both the right and left for an overall length slightly longer than where the scalms with associated 80 supports are to be positioned.

[0045] Said board 70 is sufficiently rigid to support the oars and to transmit the energy of the propulsion through the rowlocks and supports 80 to the rest of the vessel, and obviously to do this it must not only rest on the hulls, but be secured to them through attachment and release systems such as straps, D-rings and hooks.

[0046] While the rowlocks supports 80 will be made of rigid, seawater-resistant material such as aluminum alloy or other suitable material and attached to the inflatable fabric through strips of glued or welded fabric or in some other way as long as they are firmly attached in their position on the board 70.

[0047] In Figure 7, the rower, as in the other versions, will continue to rest his feet on the edge of the facing section, and will row from a seated position with the strength of his arms, having his legs stationary.

[0048] Figure 8, on the other hand, shows an embodiment in which, instead of the seat in a fixed position, there are two linear sliding guides 95, which rest partly on the aforementioned transverse board 70 holding the rowlocks supports and partly on the nearby or adjacent connecting section, on which a sliding seat 90 slides, to allow the canoist to row as in rowing sport, using leg thrust as well.

[0049] In this case, it is not enough to rest the feet on the edge of the connecting section, so retention brackets 100 made of soft material are attached to that edge to keep the feet attached to the edge of the section even at the stage when bending the legs.

[0050] The sliding system of the seat can be made in several ways, through very low-friction plastic materials or with wheeled systems, the linear sliding guides will have to be secured to the inflatable fabric with hooks or rings and straps, and on these guides will slide supports firmly fixed under the sliding seat 90, which can also be made of a small inflatable drop-stitch type board.

[0051] By way of example but not limitation, the supports may consist of aluminum or resin profile segments with a C-shaped cross-section to the inner walls of which are attached polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) laminates or other low-friction materials, so that said supports can easily slide on linear sliding guides composed of, for example, aluminum or resin profiles or other material either rigid or semi-rigid as long as it is seawater resistant, and low-friction coatings may also be present on the guides.

[0052] Figures 9 and 10 refer to the possibility of mounting, by means of one or more brackets, a pedal drive unit that rests on top of the hulls and on the section on which the canoeist rests his or her feet, so the latter can transmit motion to the boat by pedaling, then using leg power, perhaps even helping with a paddle.

[0053] As in the preceding case, pedal propulsion can also be applied to any of the previous versions, unless the board 70 for rowing has been mounted in the same space between one section and another. The pedal drive unit shown in Figures 9 and 10 is for illustration only; there are various types of propulsors, with mechanical or belt drive, and usually, as in the case depicted, pedaling energy is transmitted to a propeller at the bottom of the propulsor.

[0054] The fastening system, with brackets that will rest on top of the hulls and on the section opposite the one where the seat is placed, will include D-rings, straps, hooks or buckles, or otherwise other systems to allow quick attachment and release of the supports and brackets on the inflatable fabric.

[0055] Figures 11 and 12 represent a further version of the present invention which can be effective as a means of rescue, in particular on beaches, for use by the personnel in charge, as an alternative or in addition to other commonly used tools, such as rescue rowing catamarans and rescue boards.

[0056] When the operator leaves from his sighting station on the beach to carry out the rescue, he will choose the most suitable means available, also depending on sea conditions and distance, to run to the rescue of people in distress, probably at first he will have to just run on the beach or shallow water and then go swimming or help himself with his arms on a rescue board or he will row on a rescue boat for example.

[0057] Figures 11 and 12 show a model of an inflatable watercraft with the characteristics of portability, lightness, stability, directionality, and speed seen up to now, with the connection sections 130 that are both wide and attached longitudinally above the hulls placed edgewise, with the parallel handles 140 fixed on the top of the hulls in a position close to the center of gravity of the boat that allow the craft to be transported by "running inside it," as seen in Figure 11, with the paddle resting on quick-release supports and ready for use.

[0058] Once the water reaches such a height that it no longer allows running, the operator jumps on the seat, grabs the paddle and paddles Fig. 12 with maximum force, and the vehicle, thanks to the thin and long high-pressure hulls, is able to express good acceleration and speed, such as to allow the rescue site to be reached in a short time.

[0059] At this point, the numerous handles 150 fixed on the hulls and especially on the wide connecting sections will help the person or persons in danger to hold on and be hoisted on board by the operator to be brought back to shore.

[0060] The rescue means described could be faster than a rescue board and, especially in the initial phase, faster than even a much heavier rescue rowing catamaran, not to mention the advantage that at the end of the season it can be stored away taking up very little space.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An inflatable watercraft with two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections CHARACTERISED BY THE FACT OF INCLUDING: a left-hand float consisting of a drop-stitch type inflatable board placed edgewise (10), meaning that the thickness of the board constitutes the width of the float and the width of the board constitutes the height of the float, consisting of a left-hand side planar surface and a right-hand side planar surface held together by multiple horizontally arranged filaments and a perimeter closure band; a right-hand float consisting of a drop-stitch inflatable board placed edgewise (20), meaning that the thickness of the board constitutes the width of the float and the width of the board constitutes the height of the float, consisting of a left side planar surface and a right side planar surface held together by multiple horizontally arranged filaments and a perimeter closure band; at least two connecting sections each consisting of an inflatable drop-stitch type board arranged horizontally (40) and fixed above a portion of the upper side of the floats, such sections being of sufficient width to ensure a distance of at least 30 cm between the floats, and such sections being placed at a distance, one from the other to enable a kayaker sitting on one of the boards to use the edge of the other board as a footrest, and that distance also being such as to enable the kayaker to descend and ascend from the water, through the empty space between the two connecting sections, by placing his hands on the two floats and extending his arms to sit on one of the connecting boards.

2. An inflatable watercraft having two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT in a hybrid kayak and SUP version at least one of the two connection sections consists of a horizontal inflatable drop-stitch type board fixed longitudinally (50) above the two floats, said section being of sufficient width to ensure a distance of at least 30 cm between the floats and said section being of sufficient length to allow at least one person to paddle while standing on it, in a manner similar to a SUP board.

3. An inflatable watercraft having two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT of comprising a movable seat with a backrest (60), placed on top of one of the inflatable connecting sections and connected thereto by means of straps, clips, hook and loop attachments or hooks and D-rings, or lacing suitable to allow a seating position at a variable distance from the edge of the next connecting section which serves as a footrest, and such that it can be mounted on the first section allowing the canoeist to rest his feet on the edge of the second section, on the second section allowing the canoeist to rest his feet on the edge of the first section, or indifferently on the first or second section with predisposition for assembly on both boards, in the latter case allowing the boat, to depending on where the kayaker sits, to advance normally both in one direction and the other.

4. An inflatable watercraft with two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT that, in the kayak version, the connecting sections are at least equal in number to the number of seats provided for the kayak plus one, and aremade up of inflatable horizontal drop-stitch type boards of sufficient length to ensure a distance of at least 30 cm between the floats and fixed transversely above them.

5. An inflatable watercraft having two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT of comprising a movable seat with a backrest (60) for each connecting section which accommodates a paddler in a seated position above the inflatable board and connected thereto by means of straps, clips, hook and loop attachments or hooks and D-rings, or lacing suitable to allow a seating position at a variable distance from the edge of the next connecting section which serves as a footrest.

6. An inflatable watercraft with two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections according to any one of claims 1 to 5, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT O INCLUDING: at least one movable horizontal inflatable drop-stitch type board positioned transversally (70), over a portion of the upper side of the floats between two connecting sections and placed close to or adjacent to the connecting section that acts as a seating surface, so as to protrude laterally in equal measure to both right and left and comprising two rigid supports (80) fixed to the upper surface of the board, one close to the right edge and the other close to the left edge, each suitable for supporting an oar rowlock; in a sliding seat version, at least one sliding seat (90) on linear sliding guides (95) resting partly on top of the aforementioned cross-table (70)supporting the rowlock supports, and partly on the close to or adjacent connecting section; in the aforementioned sliding seat version, at least one pair of foot retention brackets (100), made of soft material, fixed to one or more of the connecting sections at the edge acting as a footrest for the rower sitting on the sliding seat.

7. An inflatable watercraft having two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections according to any one of claims 1 to 5, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT of including at least one movable pedal drive unit (110) positioned between two connecting sections and in close proximity to the one that serves as a footrest, allowing the kayaker who is seated on top of the other section, to be able to use legs and feet to propel the vessel.

8. An inflatable watercraft having two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections according to any one of claims 1 to 7, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT OF including, in correspondence with one or more of the spaces between the connecting sections, a pair of handles (120) arranged parallel and opposite each other on the floats, each handle being fixed to the upper side of each float, allowing said handles a person standing between two floats and between two connecting sections to easily lift and carry the vessel when inflated and to do so easily even by himself if said handles are fixed in a position sufficiently close to the center of gravity of the watercraft.

9. An inflatable watercraft with two parallel hulls held together by connecting sections according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT that in a version usable as a rescue craft: the connecting sections are two, both rectangular in shape, each consisting of an inflatable horizontal drop-stitch type board fixed longitudinally (130) above the two floats; a movable seat with backrest (60) is installed, placed on top of one of the inflatable connecting sections and connected thereto by means of straps, clips, hook and loop attachments or hooks and D-rings, or lacing suitable to allow a seating position at a variable distance from the edge of the next connecting section which serves as a footrest; in correspondence with the space between the connecting sections, and close to the centre of gravity of the vessel, there are a pair of handles (140) arranged parallel and opposite each other on the floats, each handle being fixed to the upper side of each float, allowing said handles the rescuer standing between the two floats and between the two connecting sections to easily lift and carry, even running, the vessel when inflated; several other handles (150) are installed on the boat itself to facilitate the attachment and recovery of bathers in danger.

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