Patent Publication Number: US-6668744-B2

Title: Vessel floatation aid

Description:
This applciation claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/304,436 filed Jul. 12, 2001. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to devices used for stabilizing water craft and more specifically to floatation aids for water craft. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Those familiar with small watercraft and in particular canoes, will appreciate that these type of watercraft tend to be inherently unstable. In addition, many small watercraft have little free board to begin and when loaded down with persons and gear the amount of free board available in small water crafts becomes even less, increasing the likelihood of the craft to take on water, particularly in rough seas. Therefore, there is a need for some type of stabilizing means and or buoyancy means to be provided for small watercraft and canoes. 
     Many devices have been patented and/or manufactured to act as stabilizing or buoyancy means for water crafts, boats and canoes. Such devices normally include a pair of float elements and a means for connecting same to the boat or the canoe. In some cases, the floats are formed from floatation members that require bracket elements to mount the floats to a boat or canoe. In addition, the method of fastening the floatation members, often makes it difficult to mount and dismount the floatation members to such an extent that most users just leave the floatation members installed. 
     Floats are normally made of materials requiring the floats to be of a size which is somewhat encumbering. The frame for securing the various floats to the canoes or boats are generally formed from articulated arms or various other adjustable connections for positioning the floats relative to the water line of the canoe or boat. The above devices are disadvantageous in that they are difficult to attach and remove, create too much drag in the water, and their bulkiness makes it more difficult to portage the canoe or boat. Multiple types of articulate and/or adjusting mounting frames are expensive to manufacture and heavy in weight and usually are so mounted on the boat or canoe as to add undue stress to the point of attachment. 
     THE PRIOR ART 
     Some examples of the prior art patented in regard to similar inventions is found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,369,670, 3,537,417, 4,807,551, 4,977,844, 4,512,277, 4,875,426 and 4,864,960. 
     Particularly interesting may be U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,813 issued Oct. 9, 1973 to Holtz which shows a unique outrigger concept using an inflatable canoe as well as inflatable outrigger members, each of which is provided with a permanent mounting arrangement for receiving a pair of supporting poles frictionally engaged between the canoe and the outrigger. The problem with this particular arrangement is that it is extremely specific and incapable for use on other types of small boats, other than that shown in the patent. 
     Further of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,960 to San Souce, titled Knock Down Semi-Rigid Inflatable Canoe which depicts a canoe which is partially rigid and partially inflatable. The problem with this particular arrangement is that it is extremely specific to a type of canoe and not capable of being applied to other types of small water craft or canoes. Secondly, it is a permanent arrangement and not detachable as is the case with the present invention. 
     There is a need for a device which is extremely light in weight, does not add undue stress to parts of a water craft, boat, or canoe and provides the maximum buoyancy and stability to the water craft when under way and fully loaded. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention a vessel floatation aid for vessels of the type including a water line and laterally spaced gunwales, said floatation aid comprises: 
     (a) a means for temporarily providing increased buoyancy; 
     (b) means for releasably and temporarily attaching said buoyancy means below and adjacent a gunwale of a vessel, and just above a waterline. 
     Preferably wherein said buoyancy means includes an inflatable bladder. 
     Preferably wherein said inflatable bladder being tubular in shape oriented along a longitudinal direction. 
     Preferably wherein said bladder including an outer membrane attached to a backer strap and the space there between defining said inflatable portion, such that said backer strap and outer membrane together oriented along said longitudinal direction. 
     Preferably wherein said attachment means including means for securing cords to said buoyancy means and for temporarily lashing said buoyancy means to a vessel. 
     Preferably wherein said attachment means including means for securing cords to said backer strap and for temporarily lashing said buoyancy means to a vessel. 
     Preferably wherein said securing means including upper tabs and lower tabs connected to said backer strap, said tabs adapted for receiving cords for temporarily lashing said floatation aid to a vessel. 
     Preferably wherein said tabs further including eyelets for receiving said cords there through. 
     Preferably wherein said securing means including attachment points defined proximate the front and rear of said backer strap for receiving cords for lashing said buoyancy means to a vessel. 
     Preferably wherein said cords attaching to said upper tabs are secured to the gunwale or upper side of the vessel, whereas the cords secured to said lower tabs being lashed around the outside bottom of a hull of a vessel. 
     Preferably wherein said cords attaching to said lower tabs are secured at one end to lower tabs of a port side floatation aid, around the bottom of a hull where at the other end they attach to lower tabs of a starboard side floatation aid thereby securing both starboard and port floatation aids. 
     In an alternate embodiment the present invention includes in combination a vessel of the type including a water line and laterally spaced gunwales and at least one floatation aid lashed to a starboard side and at least one floatation lashed to a port side of a vessel. 
     In an alternate embodiment the present invention includes a method for improving the buoyancy of a vessel of the type including a water line and laterally spaced gunwales, said method including the steps: 
     a) temporarily lashing at least two floatation aids, one on a port side and the other on a starboard side of a vessel, said floatation aids located below and adjacent a gunwale and just above a waterline; 
     b) inflating said bladder of said floatation aids; and 
     c) removing said floatation aids when no longer needed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described by way of example only, with references to the following drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic top elevational side view of the present invention, a floatation aid. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom side elevational view of the present invention, a floatation aid. 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the floatation aid deployed onto a canoe. 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the floatation aid deployed onto a canoe. 
     FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the floatation aid lashed and deployed onto a canoe. 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view lashed and deployed onto a canoe. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-section view of the floatation aid showing a deflated bladder. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the floatation aid showing an inflated bladder. 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the floatation aid deployed on each side of a canoe. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention a vessel floatation aid shown generally as  30  in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes the following major components, namely backer strap  32 , oriented along a longitudinal direction  34 , having attached thereon an outer membrane  36  together forming an inflatable bladder  38 . Additionally, lower tabs  40  and upper tabs  42  are securely attached to backer strap  32  as shown in the diagrams and as well backer strap  32  preferably will also have a number of attachment points  44  located both at the front  46  and rear  48  of backer strap  42 . 
     Upper and lower tabs have eyelets  39  defined therein which normally are made of brass grommets. 
     Installation of Floatation Aid 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, floatation aid  30  is shown deployed onto a canoe  50  in schematic fashion. Canoe  50  includes bow  52 , stem  54 , gun wales  56 , keel  58 , stem  60 , front seat  62 , centre thwart  64  and rear seat  66  as is typical for most canoes. 
     It would be apparent to those skilled in the art that floatation aid  30  can be installed and deployed onto any number of vessels, however by way of example only, we have chosen to show it deployed onto a canoe which is the preferred type of vessel since canoes tend to be less stable than larger boats and vessels having deeper keels or having larger displacements. 
     Floatation aid  30  is deployed onto canoe  50  using hull cords  70  which are lashed around the bottom of hull  68  of canoe  50 . Note that hull cords  70  are attached at one end to lower tabs  40  of a port side flotation aid  30  and are attached at the other end to lower tabs  40  of a starboard side floatation aid  30 . Similarly bow cords  80  and stem cords  82  are lashed around the stem  60  and stem  54  of canoe  50  also extending from a port side flotation aid to starboard side floatation aid. 
     Upper cords  72  are attached to upper tabs  42  of floatation aid  30  and can be lashed to any appropriate spot on the upper side of canoe  50 . Schematically depicted in FIG. 5, upper cord  72  is lashed to front seat  62 , centre thwart  64  and rear seat  66 , in such a manner to ensure that floatation aid  30  is securely attached to canoe  50 . It will be understood by those skilled in the art that upper cord  72 , may be one or more cords which are threaded through the eyelets in upper tabs  42  and lashed onto appropriate parts of the upper side of canoe  50  in order to maintain floatation aid  30  securely in its place on canoe  50 . 
     It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that hull cords  70  are dimensioned to be as thin as possible in order to minimize drag across the bottom of hull  68  when canoe  50  is travelling through water. Therefore the thickness of hull cord  70  is selected to be as thin as possible, yet maintaining sufficient strength to maintain floatation aid  30  in place and providing enough tensile strength in order that hull cord  70  can withstand the loads applied. 
     In Use 
     Using floatation aid  30  for example with a canoe  50  as depicted in FIG. 5, floatation aids  30  are lashed onto canoe  50  as shown in FIGS. 3-6 and as well  9 . With floatation aid  30  lashed onto canoe  50 , bladder  38  is inflated manually or with a mechanized pump from deflated position  92  as shown in FIG. 7 to an inflated position  94  shown in FIG.  8 . Bladder  38  preferably includes an air valve  88  of the type known in the art which can be used to inflate and deflate bladder  38 . 
     With bladder  38  in the inflated position  94 , the bottom sides  90  of bladder  38  preferably are located proximate the water line of the vessel to which it is attached. Therefore, upon loading of the vessel with gear and persons, the bladders  38  aid in the floatation and buoyancy of canoe  50 . The additional floatation provided by bladders  38  will increase the loaded free board of the vessel or canoe  50  and in addition will increase the stability by minimizing the heeling action of the canoe. 
     It will also be apparent to a person skilled in the art that floatation aid  30  can easily and quickly be attached or removed from canoe  50  as it is required. For example, should trekkers come upon inclement weather and high waves and/or should the vessel be loaded down with additional ballast, for example with animal carcasses during hunting trips, the operator could lash floatation aids  30  onto his canoe  50  and temporarily increase the load carrying capability and the stability of the vessel. 
     In regard to the construction of the floatation aid  30 , outer membrane  36  is preferably constructed of a Kevlar® reinforced plastic or vinyl material and the outer membrane preferably is RF (radio frequency) welded to the backer strap which is also made of the Kevlar® reinforced vinyl and/or plastic. There is no reason why other techniques for constructing the bladder  38  could not be used, however at the present time RF welding of Kevlar® reinforced vinyl appears to be the best option. It is critical that outer membrane  36  together with backer strap  32  create a bladder  38  which is air tight in order to hold air in bladder  38  over extended periods of time. The materials are selected to achieve adequate abrasion and puncture resistance in keeping with the intended application. 
     It should be apparent to persons skilled in the arts that various modifications and adaptation of this structure described above are possible without departure from the spirit of the invention the scope of which defined in the appended claim.