Abstract:
A folding kayak that comprises a hull having a first rigid part with a top edge and a second rigid part with a top edge, an inflatable sponson disposed along the top edges of the first rigid part and the second rigid part, and a textile envelope having an outer edge and secured to the hull. The first rigid part and the second rigid part, which are adjacent to each other in a transverse central region of the kayak, are buoyancy tanks of given volume, each having an underwater hull shape on the outside and further include self-bailing holes.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    This application is a national stage application of PCT/FR2005/003023, filed on Dec. 2, 2005, which claims the benefit of priority from French Patent Application No. 0412867 filed on Dec. 3, 2004, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to a collapsible kayak. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,827 relates to how to produce a folding kayak comprising a rigid base made in several parts and able to be concertina-folded, inflatable lateral parts secured to the rigid base, and a textile envelope secured to the top of the inflatable lateral parts and having a central opening for the user. The assembly in U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,827 is given its rigidity by, on the one hand, a longitudinal beam that holds the base in position, and on the other, interior frames that maintain the relative position of the base of the inflatable lateral parts and the textile envelope. A kayak such as this is designed to be watertight. To fold the kayak, the interior frames and the beam have to be removed, then it has to be deflated, and finally, it has to be concertina-folded, for example, in four parts hinged in pairs, before stowing it in a bag. 
         [0004]    The disadvantages of this kayak are two-fold: first, the number of parts to be handled and to be assembled, which, in theory is 9, means that it takes ten minutes or so for a practiced user to assemble it; and second, it is difficult to maintain watertightness at the articulations in the base, for example, between the adjacent parts of the base and between the base and the inflatable lateral parts. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to address the problems of watertightness by providing a self-bailing kayak. 
         [0006]    It is another object of embodiments of the present invention to reduce the number of parts used to construct the kayak so that it can be assembled in a very short period of time. 
         [0007]    It is yet another object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a folding kayak in which the hull, after folding, constitutes a rigid outer envelope that protects the other parts of the kayak that are housed inside this envelope. 
         [0008]    One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a folding kayak comprising a hull, an inflatable sponson and a textile envelope, wherein the hull is rigid and made of two parts that are adjacent in the transverse central region of the kayak; the textile envelope is fixed to the hull; and the inflatable sponson is held along the edge and along the top of the two parts of the hull by the textile envelope. 
         [0009]    Advantages of this embodiment of the present invention are: 
         [0010]    each part of the hull is a buoyancy tank of given volume, having an underwater hull shape on the outside; 
         [0011]    each part of the hull has self-bailing holes; 
         [0012]    each part of the hull has a rubbing strake or outwardly protruding edge along its outer upper edge; 
         [0013]    the textile envelope has, on its outer edge, a line positioned under the rubbing strake when the kayak is unfolded or in the position of use, for securing the hull and the textile envelope together; 
         [0014]    the outer edge of the textile envelope has looped straps inserted in slots in the rubbing strake and accept a position-locking tongue for securing the hull and the textile envelope together; 
         [0015]    in order to maintain the relative position of the two parts of the hull when the kayak is unfolded or in the position of use, one of the parts has two fingers designed to enter two corresponding housings in the other part; 
         [0016]    in order to keep the hull unfolded for use, a textile strap passes through a self-bailing hole of each of the two parts of the hull, wherein the strap is tensioned using a lever; and 
         [0017]    the strap at one end has a stopper that jams in a self-bailing hole and at the other end has a spindle that catches on the hooks of the lever. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    Other features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the description that follows with reference to the attached drawing in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a kayak unfolded for use, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view of the kayak of  FIG. 1  while it is in the process of being folded; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of the kayak of  FIG. 1  after it has been folded; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the kayak of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view of one side of the kayak of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view with sectioning, showing of one way of fixing the textile envelope to the hull of the kayak, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a partial view of the kayak from underneath, showing a strap that keeps it unfolded or in the position of use, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a partial view of the hull from above, showing the strap tensioning lever, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    In the figures, the folding kayak according to embodiments of the present invention comprises a rigid hull, an inflatable sponson and a textile envelope. 
         [0028]    As depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the rigid hull  1  is made of two parts: a front part  2  and a rear part  3 . When the kayak is unfolded for use, these two parts,  2  and  3 , bear against one another in the transverse central region of the kayak, for example, along a vertical mid-plane  4 , which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the kayak. 
         [0029]    The two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  bear against one another via complementary surfaces. These bearing surfaces may be flat, vertical or inclined, or alternatively, may be dog-legged, for example, in order to provide a certain degree of transverse securement. 
         [0030]    Advantageously, the end face of one of the parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  has two fingers intended to enter two corresponding housings in the other of the parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1 , so as to maintain the relative positions of the two parts,  2  and  3 , in the transverse central region of the kayak when the kayak is unfolded for use. Each of the parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  is in the form of a buoyancy chamber of given volume, molded in such a way as to have the shape of an underwater hull on the outside, and to have, on the inside, a seat  5  ( FIG. 4 ) and footrests  6  ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ). 
         [0031]    As depicted in  FIG. 4 , each of the parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  has vertical holes  7  to make the kayak self-bailing as the kayak is not designed to be watertight but rather to allow water to pass through. Near its rear end, the rear part  3  preferably has a roller  8  to make the kayak easier to handle when folded. Along its outer upper edge, each of the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  has a rubbing strake  9 , or an outwardly projecting edge ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) that has slots  10  for securing the textile envelope  11 . 
         [0032]    The inflatable peripheral sponson  12 , shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , is positioned around the perimeter of the kayak, along the edge of the parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1 . It is inflated when the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  are in the position when the kayak is in use or unfolded, and is deflated before the kayak is folded. 
         [0033]    The textile envelope  11  covers the entire kayak, except for the opening  13  needed for the user to get in and sit down on the hull  1  ( FIG. 1 ). 
         [0034]    The textile envelope  11  is fixed to the hull  1  by two different means. In one embodiment of the present invention, the outer edge of the textile envelope  11  has a casing through which a line  14  runs ( FIG. 6 ). The outer edge of the textile casing  11  and the line  14  are positioned under the rubbing strake  9  or protruding edge of the hull  1 , when the kayak is unfolded for use. The length of the line  14  is adjusted so that the line runs tightly around the kayak and plays a part in keeping the kayak unfolded for use. 
         [0035]    In another embodiment of the present invention, at certain points, particularly near the transverse central region separating the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1 , the rubbing strake  9  has slots  10  ( FIG. 6 ). At the slots  10 , the outer edge of the textile envelope  11  has looped straps  15 . After the outer edge of the textile envelope  11  and the line  14  have been slipped under the rubbing strake  9 , each looped strap  15  is inserted into a slot  10 , running around the line  14 . The loop of the strap  15  reemerges inside the textile envelope  11  above the rubbing strake  9 . A tongue  16 , in the form of a dumbbell, is then inserted in the loop to lock it in position. 
         [0036]    The inflatable sponson  12  ( FIG. 5 ) rests along the top edge of each of the parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1 , and is held in place on the outside and on top by the textile envelope  11 . 
         [0037]    After the kayak is unfolded for use ( FIG. 1 ), the inflatable sponson  12  is inflated to tension the textile envelope  11 . 
         [0038]    To give the hull  1 , which is in two parts, rigidity, a means is provided for securing the two parts,  2  and  3 , together. In one embodiment of the present invention, this means consists of a beam positioned axially and secured to the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  by bows articulated to the hull, for example, or by large screws that can be screwed barehanded into self-bailing holes  7  positioned on each side of the central transverse region of the kayak. Advantageously, the axial beam is shorter than the length of a part  2  or  3  of the hull  1 . The beam can be removed from its central position and slid axially and stored in one of the parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  so as to allow the kayak to be folded. 
         [0039]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, the means of securing the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  together consists of two beams arranged laterally in the central region of the kayak, parallel to the axis of the kayak, with a fastening on each side of the transverse central region. 
         [0040]    As depicted in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , in another embodiment of the present invention the means of securing the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  together consists of a textile strap  17  that can be tensioned using a lever  18  articulated to the hull  1 . Advantageously, the textile strap  17  is inserted into a self-bailing hole  19  of the rear part  3  of the hull  1  ( FIG. 7 ) then passes under the hull  1 , forwards, crossing the transverse central region of the kayak, and comes back up through a self-bailing hole  20  of the front part  2  of the hull  1  onto the top of the hull  1 . The rear end of the strap  17  carries a stopper which jams on the rear part  3  of the hull  1  in a self-bailing hole  19 . The front end of the strap  17  ends in a spindle  21  the ends of which can catch on hooks  22  borne by the lever  18 . The lever  18  has a pivot axis  23  that is offset in the forwards direction with respect to the self-bailing hole  20 . When the lever  18  is raised and pivoted rearwards, the spindle is easily fitted into the hooks  22  because the strap  17  is slack. Next, the lever  18  is pivoted forwards until it rests against the hull  1 . During this pivoting movement, the lever tensions the strap  17  which therefore holds the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  unfolded for use. 
         [0041]    The kayak is folded simply by deflating the inflatable sponson  12  and then detaching the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  from one another, either by removing the axial beam-, or the two lateral beams, or by pivoting the lever  18  and releasing the strap  17 , which can then be removed by pulling on its stopper, then by folding the front part  2  onto the rear part  3 . During this movement, the line  14  disengages itself from the rubbing strake  9  near the transverse central region but is still held by the straps  15 . In another embodiment of the present invention, hinges are positioned laterally on the top of the hull  1 , at the mid-plane  4 , to hold the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull in position at their parting line. 
         [0042]    The space between the rear part  3  of the hull  1  and the textile envelope  11  can be used to store the axial beam or the two lateral beams or the textile strap  17  used to secure the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  together in the position of use. When the kayak is folded, the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  constitute a self-supporting rigid external envelope that can be moved around easily by virtue of the roller  8 . 
         [0043]    To bring the kayak into the position of use, it has to be unfolded. During this movement, the line  14  reengages under the rubbing strake  9  at the mid-plane  4 . Next, the axial beam or the lateral beams are put in place and secured. In another embodiment of the present invention, the textile strap  17  is inserted in the self-bailing holes  19  then  20  its spindle  21  is positioned on the hooks  22  and the lever  18  is folded down to tension the strap  17 . Finally, the inflatable sponson  12  is inflated and the kayak is operational. 
         [0044]    One characteristic of the kayak according to the embodiments of the present invention is that it is not watertight but self-bailing. Specifically, each of the two parts,  2  and  3 , of the hull  1  has a determined volume which gives it buoyancy, which means that the top of the hull is above the water line. Any water taken on by the kayak drains out through the self-bailing holes and does not pool in the kayak. 
         [0045]    The fact that the kayak is made of two parts in the form of buoyancy chambers and of an inflatable sponson, makes it very safe against sinking. In addition, because the two parts of the rigid hull are the only structures in contact with the water, the kayak slides through the water easily. Furthermore, the fact that the inflatable sponson lies above the water line reduces the risk of puncturing. 
         [0046]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, the inflatable sponson is entirely surrounded by the textile envelope, which holds it in position along the edge of the hull when it is deflated. 
         [0047]    To achieve this, the textile envelope advantageously comprises two longitudinal bands, one under the inflatable sponson in  FIG. 5 , and the other more or less vertical, against the inflatable sponson in  FIG. 5 , these two bands being secured along their free edge by a rapid closure system extending longitudinally along the inflatable sponson, for example. 
         [0048]    The number of parts to be dismantled in order to be able to fold the kayak is one (axial beam or textile strap  17 ) or two (lateral beams) and the folded kayak constitutes a protective rigid envelope for the accessories housed within this envelope (the beam, straps, paddles). 
         [0049]    Embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are not restricted to the examples described herein but cover technical equivalents thereof.