Abstract:
A dual-sided, or reversible, inflatable rescue and safety raft consists of an inflated grille provided with mesh netting spanning open regions to accommodate personnel, manually releasable locking devices that close access openings in the netting to permit personnel to board from underneath the floating grille, both surfaces of the grille being provided with fasteners for safety handles and belts; one or more containers with compactly folded modular floor and shelter units that can be fastened to the surface of the grille (or removed from the raft for use as tents on land) are repositionably secured to the grille in the event that the containers are submerged when the raft is initially disposed in the water.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to inflatable rescue and safety apparatus for receiving personnel in aquatic environments and, in particular, to such apparatus and devices as are carried aboard airplanes and ships whose passengers are at peril from exposure to the elements in the event that the craft goes down at the sea. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention is an improvement on my inflatable rescue and safety apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,804 B1, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   According to the prior art publication of PCT/CH99/00619 the object, of the device disclosed is to provide raft having a greater surface area for personnel, at the sea, wherein an ordinary boat operates and permits someone stuck beneath the device, when it inflates, to move onto the device and to stay there by means of releasable spreadable and re-lockable openings that permit shipwrecked persons to grasp the netting in order to rejoin one of the openings. It also allows survivors, if required, to hold on by hands and feet using handles and safety belts. However, survivors are neither protected from the weather and exposure in a cold sea, waves that can pass through the netting, and exposure to the sun, should the raft be disposed upside-down, shipwrecked persons will not have access to the handles and safety belts. 
   According to the prior art patent document DE 3210 590 A1, a device is disclosed for use in open water, which is a multiple-person buoy without netting, the tarpaulins of which cover a certain number of openings, and do not form a floor on all the surface. Shelters are provided, but they are located on certain units, they are fixed and they do not communicate with each other but form multiple spaces. 
   Children can slide into the openings, survivors can encounter waves, water can stagnate in the tarpaulins and form pockets there, and when survivors are in the shelter, an imbalance will be created and the multiple buoy will be returned. This situation can get worse when units are coupled in a rough sea, because nothing assures that shelters are arranged head-to-tail in order to balance loads. On the contrary, in the panic condition, unfortunately, it is impossible to perform such operation, and many persons will likely be exposed to water and the weather conditions. 
   Rescue boats and rafts that are currently available in the market provide only a small surface area, with capacity for a limited number of persons on board. Moreover, aircraft slides and toboggans require skillful folding with a link system in the form of snap fasteners so that they are opened in the correct orientations. 
   It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an inflatable rescue and safety flotation device that is able to overcome these drawbacks. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The above objects and other advantages are achieved by the inflatable rescue raft of the invention that is made totally reversible by the use of handles and mating fasteners that are distributed on both sides of the raft and safety belts that can be accessed for use, regardless of the original orientation of the raft. The raft is also equipped with modular units containing a floor and personnel shelter that mates with the fasteners on the surfaces of the raft. The shelters can be joined to form interconnecting multiple spaces or erected at a single selected location on the surface of the raft without regard to the orientation of the initial opening of the raft. 
   The invention will be fully understood by reading the description which follows of the several embodiments provided as non-restrictive examples and with regards to the underlying figures. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a dual-sided or reversible rescue and safety device in the form of an inflatable raft composed of a grille  1 , having the openings formed by the inflated peripheral and internal members  58  defining a plurality of open web or net meshes  6 . Each mesh  6  can be provided with an open-mesh netting section  2 , that has resealable access openings  3 , personnel safety handles  4  and safety belts  5 . Along one side of a mesh netting  2 , an elongated open bag  11  is releasably secured to inflated member  58 . The bag  11  provides a rugged cover for containing a web compactly folded, which when unfolded, forms a shelter portion  8  and an unfolded web or membrane used as a floor  7 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the floor  7  covers one or more mesh netting sections  2 . The floor  7  is provided with slits or openings  25  to expose handles  4 . The floor  7  is fastened to the grille  1  by means of snap fasteners  9  indicated by points in the drawing. The shelter  8  is provided with personnel inlet and outlet opening  38  and is mounted and fastened to the grille  1  by snap fasteners  9 , and a section of floor  7 , fixed by snap fasteners  9 , covers the netting. On parts of floors  7 , safety belts  5  are open to permit the floor  7  to be stretched into position. Thereafter, they can be closed so that they will be ready for use, if needed. 
       FIG. 2   a  shows an apertured fabric strip  27  provided with accordion pleated section  41  in the form of a bellows with a stabilizing weight  30 , which can be lead, and positioned in the center of the strip  27 . Also shown in  FIG. 2   a  is a snap-hook  39  and rings  40  at its ends which attach the strip  27  to the weight-supporting tube  52 . 
       FIG. 2   b  shows a weight-containing member  53 , the apertured fabric strip  27  with weight  30  in its center, the strip being attached, by means of a plurality of snap-hooks  39 , that engage rings  40  attached to the weight-containing member  53 . Two series of rings distributed in two opposing lines on the weight-supporting member  52  permit the placement of the weight element  30  below the raft regardless of how the raft is initially disposed in the water. 
       FIG. 3   a  shows a modular shelter  12  fitted with rectilinear shelter structural  12 H in the form of an H, unfolded covered by two adjacent rectangular fabric panels along with four integral triangular panels  13 . The marginal edges of the panels forming this shelter portion are provided with fasteners, e.g., zippers or hood and loop fasteners. 
       FIG. 3   b  shows the structure  12  in the form of an H, in a semi-folded position.  FIG. 4  shows shelters  8 , whose two structures  12  in the form of an H are in place, the second structure and two triangular panels  13 , one of each side being folded back towards the left, the second parallelepiped of the second structure forming an inner wall, (not shown). The base of the shelter  8  is fixed to the grille  1  by means of a plurality of snaps indicated by element  9 . Also shown are handles  4  and bag  11  and an access opening  38  provided with zippers indicated by the dash lines  16 , as it occurs for the inner wall, with a fastener  31  allowing for disengaging two panels from the wall on sides, the base of the shelter is joined, in this example, to the grille by means of snaps  9 , which can be plastic or a corrosion resistant metal. 
       FIG. 5  shows a shelter  8  comprising four structures  12  each in the form described in  FIGS. 3   a ,  3   b , the fourth structure and two triangles  13 , one of each side, are folded back towards the left, forming three inner walls that can be opened and disengaged by zippers  16 , (not shown). Those structures are joined together to form a tunnel and the base on its periphery is fixed, in this example, to the grille by closing means, such as hook and loop fasteners  10  (e.g. VELCRO), the location of which are indicated along lines  10 . At the end of the tunnel, an access opening  38  is provided, which is closed with zippers  16  indicated by dash lines, to permit opening the inner walls of the shelter or disengaging the entry upward by the means of an adjustable fastener  42 , four structures that occupy four sections of mesh netting  2  are provided with safety belts  5 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a shelter  8  comprising six structures  12  in the form described, two structures at the end of the shelter, as well as its two triangles on the sides  13  are folded back from inside towards the left forming three inner walls that can be opened and disengaged by zippers. The structures are positioned in a rectangular orientation, roofs are joined by fixing triangles one under the other at roof level, the base of the shelters are fixed by means of zippers  16 . Handles  4  and safety belts  5  are provided on the device. The inlet/outlet access opening  38  is provided with zippers  16  for opening inner walls or disengaging the entry, windows  56 , the six structures covering six mesh netting openings. 
       FIG. 7  shows a structure  37  with three side walls, the fourth being removed from the structure at its top to create an opening with a zipper  16 . On the two lateral sides  18 , there are shown two bellows  17  provided with fasteners  31  permitting the structure to expand as described above in order to connect to the adjacent structure and form a shelter chain, the two vertical lateral panels  18  provided with zippers  16  permitting, when they are opened, panels  18  to be lifted onto these sides and fixed on the shelter from all sides for forming shelters connected to each other and extending along the surface as desired. Also shown are handles  4  and resealable, openings  3 . As illustrated, safety belts  5  inside the shelter are open and they were placed on the floor  7  which was stretched and fixed by means of zippers  16 , while the other safety belts  5  on the grille are locked. The base of the shelter is fixed to the grille by cords  14  and projecting studs or fasteners  15  and upright posts  22  are held by the hook-and-loop (e.g., VELCRO) strips  10 . The opened bag  11  and the other closed bag are shown as an example of the apparatus in use. 
       FIG. 8  shows a structure in the form of an inflatable spider-like supporting framework  19  that is inflated by means of a manually-powered pump  20 . The pump  20  includes an intake pipe  21  which is extended into the water, and the pump  20  is fixed on an upright post by nosepiece  24 . The two upright posts  22  are fixed to the grille by strips  10  of hook and loop fasteners  10 , such as VELCRO® that are indicated by small dots in the drawing. On lateral panels  18  there are pleats or bellows, in the form of accordion folds  17  provided with fasteners  31  to permit expansion of the shelter in order to fix two upright posts  22  to an adjacent shelter. One of the sides includes a personnel inlet/outlet or access opening  38  with a zipper  16 . The lateral panels  18  are also provided with a zipper  16 , as is the base periphery of the shelter, which is joined to the grille by the same means. These zippers are indicated by dotted lines. Safety belts  5  are shown opened inside the shelters, ready to be used; they are shown locked on the rest of the grille  1 . An open bag  11  is shown in the shelter. The floor  7  is stretched and fixed by a zipper  16  to the grille. Cords  14  are also provided on the rear side of bag  11 , on the edge of upright posts, shelters and floor portions. A second bag  11  is shown secured to an adjacent inflatable grille member  58 , ready to be disposed over the adjacent mesh netting section. 
       FIG. 9   a  shows a sewn fabric strip  23  extended by a seal bead  26 . 
       FIG. 9   b  shows a sewn fabric strip  23  with a fixed seal bead or seam  26  in its surroundings. 
       FIG. 9   c  shows the bag  11  with a tube having a slit  32  and a seal bead  26 , threaded to the slit  32  of the tube. 
       FIG. 10   a  shows a bag  11 , on the edge of which fixed tubular loop sections  28  are provided, and at the end of which two flexible fasteners  31 , e.g. lengths of cord, are provided. 
       FIG. 10   b  is a tie rod  29  near the bag  11 , provided at one end with a handle  29 H and at the other end an eye  29 I. 
       FIG. 10   c  shows an inflatable grille member  58  provided with the mesh netting  2 . The mesh netting  2  includes a resealable personnel access opening  3 , handles  4 , tubular loop sections  28 , which can be flexible or rigid, secured to the grille for receiving tubular loop sections  28  that are affixed to the bag  11  ( FIG. 10   a ), and adapted to be aligned with those affixed to the inflatable member  58 . They are joined in mating alignment by the rod  29  and the hole  29 I will be attached by two fasteners  31  joined to an end of the bag  11 . 
       FIG. 11   a  shows a male part attachment means for securing bags, handles, and the like in the form of a tab portion  33  provided with a push-button  34 . 
       FIG. 11   b  shows a female receiving piece in the form of semi-cylindrical receiving member secured to a support panel  35  and provided with an orifice  36  adapted to receive the extended push-button  34  of the male part. 
       FIG. 11   c  shows the tab  33  engaged in the receiving channel  35 , the push-button  34  extending from the orifice  36 . 
       FIG. 12   a  shows another male fixing mode for bags, handles, and the like, where a tab  43  is folded on itself with a section to be pressed from above, the tab being provided with two projecting lugs  44 . 
       FIG. 12   b  shows the female partially conically shaped receiving part  45  provided with two orifices  36  into which lugs  44  are engaged for securing the mated portions together. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates an example of a fast locking/opening manually operated device comprising a male part formed with two flexible levers or handles  46  on axis  57 , with a protruding element  51  adapted to positively engage mating openings,  47  formed in the female part  48  when the pressure is released. The male part  54  is joined to the female part  48  by a flexible strap or safety  55 , which prevents the male part from falling into the water. The female part  48  is joined to the mesh netting  2  by a strap  49 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In a non-restrictive example of an embodiment, the present devices are comprised of an inflatable grille  1 ,  FIG. 1 , which is expanded by means conventionally employed in the inflatable field, whose meshes  6  are fitted with netting  2  which is provided with unlockable, spreadable and lockable opening  3 , handles  4  and safety belts  5 , which are distributed on the grille  1 . 
   In the first step, during a shipwreck and inundation, persons caught beneath the device, which is expanded, unlock openings  3  and move onto the device, lock these opening,  FIG. 1 . 
   In the second step, personnel stabilize the raft by adjusting, if necessary the weight  30  element to the desired suspended position, as shown in  FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b . If the raft is upside down, safety belts  5  that were attached when the raft is expanded, can be viewed through the netting Personnel disengage handles  4  and safety belts  5  simultaneously and move firstly onto the device, through openings in netting  2  if they are wide enough, or by openings  3  which will be opened, or along the fastening of the netting. The personnel fix handles  4  at the new location on the device, disengage one end of the bag, then the other, to pivot it about itself to expose it on the same path, fix it at a desired location on the surface of the raft by means of the fastening receiving part  35  or  45 , as shown in  FIGS. 11   b ,  12   b , extend the web of floor  7 , to a position shown in  FIG. 1 , and fix the floor panel  7  by fastening means provided for this purpose, such as VELCRO® strips  10 , in order to provide a much drier surface. 
   In the third step, personnel organize the mounting of one or more shelters  8 . A shipwrecked person unfolds the web which is used for the floor  7 , unfolds the structure in the form of spider  19  as illustratively shown in  FIG. 8 , connects manual pump  20  at valve  24  to the structure, immerses the intake pipe  21  in the water, as by sliding it between the floor and the side of the mesh of the grille. Pumping continue until the structure becomes rigid, and two of the upright supports  22  are fixed to the edge of the mesh by the fastener (e.g. VELCRO®)  10  on the grille. The next structure is erected and pleated bellows  17  that is held by fasteners  31  is disengaged to release the two removable upright supports  22  of the first structure to join them with the VELCRO® fastener  10  provided on the top part of the second structure; bellows  17  are opened to create the necessary length. Another individual can mount the next shelter, if they decide to have more space, wherein the lateral panels  18  are raised and fixed one above the other under the roof of the adjacent shelter by the VELCRO®, fastener  10 . The base of the shelter is secured with zippers  16  provided on the device. Once completed, the shelters provide weatherproof covering and individuals can hold handles  4  and reach safety belts  5 . If water enters, it can be discharged by lifting up a corner of the floor  7 . 
   In the circumstance where the raft and those aboard make landfall, and desire to camp on the land, one or more bags  11  can be removed from the raft to establish a campsite on land by means of conventional tent pegs, fasteners, cords and the like  14  stowed inside the bag  11  and that can be attached to the periphery of shelter  8  and the floor  7 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
   This type of tent which fits in an elongated bag is suitable for use with or without rescue boat, and it is not necessary to provide the ends of the bag with male fasteners. Rather, cords are used for fixing tent pegs anchored to the ground and the floors. Shelters can also be joined together on land using similar attachment procedures. 
   With regard to fastening of panels and floors to rods, fasteners, cords or button holes, pressure straps, straps with knobs, hook and loop fasteners, snap hooks, sealed zippers, eyes with fasteners can be used, and those are not to be limited. 
   Webs forming the floor and shelter portions can be joined to the bag  11  in any available manner known to the art. They can be adhesively bonded, heat-sealed, sewn, and then rolled, folded on themselves, held by elastic straps, straps with fasteners, VELCRO® fasteners, snap-hooks, zippers, cords and knobs, and the like. 
   The exterior of bags  11  are preferably provided with handles, straps, VELCRO® attachments, or other means to facilitate grasping them. 
   Two webs are interconnected in a bag, they are fixed one after the other, where the web forming the floor is in the front and the web forming the shelter is in the rear. Bags are removably fixed on the grille by means of male receiving fasteners  33  and  43  which are distributed on both sides of the device. Female fasteners  35  and  45  are fixed on the ends of bags  11  and adapted to receive male fasteners. The male fasteners are positioned along the greater part of, or the whole grille for retaining a predetermined number of bags  11  on the grille. Each bag contains two webs forming the floor  7  and the shelter  8 , which make the device lighter because bags are not positioned all over and there is the choice to set up shelter(s) at location(s) where desired, as determined by the circumstances. Similarly, handles  4 , are made to be removable using the same kind of male/female fasteners. 
   The removable fasteners for bags  11  containing modular floor and shelter units, are female receiving pieces in the form of a half-cone  35  ( FIG. 11   b ) for example, with an orifice  36  and are fixed on rods or tubes. A male pull tab or spring tab system with a push-button  34  ( FIG. 11   a ) is received in the female portion for example. This button engages the orifice and holds the bag  11  to the grille, as shown, e.g., in  FIGS. 11   a ,  11   b , and  11   c . In another embodiment illustratively shown in  FIGS. 12   a  and  12   b , a tab is folded on itself forming spring  43 , with a space for locating the bag. This tab is provided with two lugs  44  that engage two mating orifices  36  provided for this purpose on female a receiving piece fixed on the inflated tube. Male fasteners are mounted on the edges of the bag or, for example, to ends of a flexible strip fixed under the bag. The strip can be adjustable in length to accommodate a dimension of the bag, and can be inserted into a hem or seam with open ends. Numerous other embodiments and variations will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. 
   A similar receiving piece can be adapted for removably fastening handles  4 , e.g., two receiving fasteners being bonded, heat-sealed on a plate or mould, the plate with fasteners then being heat-sealed to the rod or tube. By withdrawing the handle and pressing the button  34  or tab  43 , the handle  4  is disengaged from one end then from the other. It can then be moved from the submerged to the upper side of the rat. 
   In an alternative embodiment, the handles  4  are permanently mounted and secured to both sides of the raft, and are not removable. 
   These types of fasteners can be adapted for fixing stops and upright posts  22  to the grille. It is also possible to use clips of safety belts and zippers. These examples are not limited. 
   All the fasteners for the bags, handles, stops, upright, posts of shelters, fasteners of floors will be disposed on two sides of the grille. 
   In another embodiment, bags are made to be removable by a fastener composed of a tube provided with a slit  32  fixed along the edge of the bag as a receiving piece and of a female seal bead  26  fixed on a fabric or other thin piece of material  23  joined to the grille. The seal bead  26  is slid by means of a slit inside the tube. The seal bead can be in an extension of the fabric or at right angles and fixed within the surrounding fabric, as in  FIGS. 9   a ,  9   b  and  9   c.    
   In yet another embodiment, bags are made to be removable by a utilizing fastener on the bag  11  with flexible, rigid or elastic tubular sections  28  (see  FIG. 10   a ), in series along the mesh netting  2  ( FIG. 10   c ). The alternative tubular sections of bag  11  and those attached to the mesh are joined by threading rod  29  provided with an eye  29 I, which is tied with fastener cords  31  to secure the assembly. 
   Safety belts can be made removable by snap hooks fixed to each of its ends to allow them to be placed end-to-end and create chains. 
   To facilitate reversing the position of bags and handles on the raft, the reverse side of the raft is provided with indicia marking their locations in order to save time in finding and disengaging the bags. 
   The weight element  30  is formed by apertured thin strips  27  forming sections, within surroundings of each strip, a lead weight  30 , for stabilizing the weight element, and at each end of each strip provided with pleated part in the form of an accordion  41  and means such as rings  40  and snap-hooks  39  allowing the bottom of the strip to hang up/remove on the rod for forming the weight element and releasing it by fixing it to rings on rods  52  by means of snap-hooks. Rings  40  on the rod  52 , are distributed on two lines above and under the raft to ensure that the weight element is always located under the raft or at the necessary position, as shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b.    
   Fluid-tight membranes or webs, which are doubled to form pockets can be used for the floor  7  and shelter  8 , can be fitted with one-way valves and inflated automatically or by an air-gas generator or manually with a hand-pump, in order to create an insulation from the elements. 
   Tubular structures can be semi-flexible and/or joined since they are folded to size, they can be formed by folds of membranes, be included in folds or connected to the structure. In folds and hems, it is possible to thread pipes, flexible rods, which can be telescopic, articulatable, bendable, that are provided with pivot devices to cause them to pivot or interlock, and in other ways-known in the art. Pipes and rods that are flexible can be mounted at the time of manufacture. 
   If structures are inflated by water, an anti-freeze composition, which is to be injected, should be provided as a emergency material. 
   According to the choice of the user, some rafts are provided with a bag containing a telescopic bar mounted on a pivot, with a sail; oars and oar locks mounted on rods or tubes can be provided; and a plate for fixing a motor can also be provided. 
   The maximum loading and the number of persons should be indicated clearly on the grille. 
   The length of membranes, floors and/or shelters can be provided to optionally cover one or several of the mesh net openings. The surface of the device or a raft can be made only of two openings, with a shelter covering one opening and the floor covering two openings. The assembly technique allows the multiplication of sheltered spaces by coupling with adjacent spaces, or if preferred, shelters can be formed individually, and distributed on the surface as desired. 
   Where a large mesh netting opening is designed to support a predetermined personnel loading, several persons can hold side-by-side in two rows face-to-face in the same mesh, the two last persons at each end grasping handles. Persons who are face-to-face, with safety belts in addition, are supported feet against feet, when the sea is rough. 
   The shelter structure  12  using the support in the form of an H applies to parallelepipes. The structure on three sides  37 , in the form of a square (or rectangular) shown in  FIG. 7  also rests on a parallelepiped, its side  18  panels are raised and include bellows, in the form of an accordion  17  allow panels  18  to be extended in order to have enough length to be fixed on top of the next shelter. 
   The structure in the form of a spider having radial supports as illustrated in  FIG. 8  is also composed of panels  18 , whose membrane is raised and a bellows or accordion-folded section  17  permits attachment of its upright posts  22  to the next shelter: 
   It is not obligatory to fix handles on the side on which bags are fixed. Between two shelters in the case of clearances, the sealing will be ensured by fixing strips between upright posts and roofs, for example, using hook and loop fasteners. On some panels or roofs, transparent panels forming windows  56  can be provided. 
   Depending upon the diameter of the inflated members  58 , floors can be flush with handles or to the rear of handles. In that case, openings or slits  25  are provided to provide access to handles  4 . The inflatable members and sections can be protected from friction by flexible reinforcing strips, as commonly used in the field of inflatable articles. 
   Resealable openings  3  are made to be unlockable and lockable from either side for example by strips of VELCRO®, with a handle on each strip. Nippers of the pincer type, with a spring and long, wide ergonomic arms that can be grasped, one of the arms of pincer being provided with a link connected to the netting to avoid the pincer from failing into water, jaws of the pincer surrounding the opposing edges of the access opening. By means of a pincer, it is possible to be grasped, of which arms forming flexible levers  46  are mounted in one block to the axis  57 , each provided with a protruding part  51 . These protruding parts  51  of levers engage a female receiving piece  48  which is provided with two orifices  47  to meet two protruding parts  51 . This type of pincer can be laid flat, as shown by  FIG. 13 . 
   According to standards and the effective technique for rescue boats, the grille will be constructed with air-tight compartments and/or with an inner wall forming an air chamber, these compartments being composed of one or a plurality of one-way valves, as well as with pressure relief valves. 
   Any known inflation systems can be used. Where the manufacturer selects a system with straps or pull cords for releasing compressed air or other gas from one or more pressurized containers, the straps are guided by wheels, pulleys, conduits or other known means that permit the small cords to slide. These elements are fixed to rods, and straps, and small cords are connected to a single handle, such as a loop accessible from outside of the container. Compressed air bottles or other gas generators can be placed in a protective pouch or fixed by straps, or by other customary means known to the art. The grille expands from a protective cover or a bag which is opened, for example by yielding to the inflation pressure. 
   According to the certification standards imposed by various national safety authorities, the device must be equipped with all means required to ensure the reliable inflation of the raft and all customary emergency supplies such as cords on rods, ladders, anchor, complete outfitting with emergency and rescue kits, accessories, reflecting bands, oar locks, and the like. 
   As will also be apparent from the above detailed description, a bag affixed fixed to the inflated grille, containing and covered by an opaque web floor, with or without a shelter, is suitable for placement in a swimming pool for safety purposes and also to provide sunlight protection to reduce heating of the pool water and also to reduce heat loss when the pool is not in use at night or on cool days.