Self inflating marine fender

Abstract

A self inflating fender for marine use having a flexible, air tight cover that surrounds and closely conforms to the external shape of an uncompressed open cell foam core. An air valve allows the fender to retain either an uncompressed state to act as a fender or a compressed state for easy storage. The fender self inflates from the compressed state when the air valve is opened and the open cell foam core is allowed to expand back to its original shape. End flaps integral with the cover have grommetted holes for attaching the fender. An alternative is surrounding the open cell foam core with a bladder which contains an air valve. The bladder is then surrounded by a fending cover that closely conforms to the open cell foam core uncompressed shape. The fending cover has stitched ends incorporating loops for attachment and an access hole for the air valve.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A self inflating fender comprising: 
 a core of compressible material which can be easily compressed to a significantly smaller size but will assume its original shape when released;    a flexible, air tight cover completely surrounding and closely matching the uncompressed external shape of said core of compressible material;    a means of air control that controls air flow in and out of said air tight cover; and    a means of attachment for attaching said fender to a boat, dock or other appropriate structure.    
     
     
         2 . A self inflating fender as recited in  claim 1 , in which said core of compressible material is in the shape of an elongated right circular cylinder having two opposing ends and consists of open cell foam.  
     
     
         3 . A self inflating fender as recited in  claim 2 , in which said air tight cover is composed of a flexible vinyl tube with two opposing ends which extend beyond said opposing ends of said core of compressible material and are heat sealed to make said cover air tight and also to form a pair of flaps integral to said cover.  
     
     
         4 . A self inflating fender as recited in  claim 3 , in which said flaps have grommetted openings and provide said means of attachment.  
     
     
         5 . A self inflating fender as recited in  claim 4 , in which said means of air control is a manual air valve that when open will allow entrapped air to escape from inside said air tight cover when said fender is compressed to a smaller size or allow air to flow into said air tight cover when said fender is allowed to expand from said compressed smaller size to an uncompressed larger size because of the expansion of said core of compressible material and when closed will hold said fender in said compressed smaller size thus allowing easier storage or will hold said air tight cover in said uncompressed larger size thus allowing said air tight cover to act as a fending device.  
     
     
         6 . A self inflating fender comprising: 
 a core of compressible material which can be easily compressed to a significantly smaller size but will assume its original shape when released;    an air tight bladder completely surrounding said core of resilient material;    a means of air control that controls air flow in and out of said bladder;    a flexible fending cover closely matching the uncompressed external shape of said core of compressible material and completely surrounding said bladder with an access hole for said means of air control; and    a means of attachment for attaching said fender to a boat, dock or other appropriate structure.    
     
     
         7 . A self inflating fender as recited in  claim 6 , in which said core of compressible material is in the shape of an elongated right circular cylinder having two opposing ends and consists of open cell foam.  
     
     
         8 . A self inflating fender as recited in  claim 7 , in which said bladder is constructed of light weight vinyl film with said means of air control being a manual air valve that when open will allow entrapped air to escape from inside said bladder when said bladder is compressed to a smaller size or allow air to flow into said bladder when said bladder is allowed to expand from said compressed smaller size to an uncompressed larger size because of the expansion of said core of compressible material and when closed will hold said bladder in said compressed smaller size thus allowing easier storage of said self inflating fender or will hold said bladder in said uncompressed larger size thus allowing said bladder to hold said fending cover in an enlarged state so as to act as a fending device.  
     
     
         9 . A self inflating fender as recited in  claim 8 , in which said fending cover is a lay flat, flexible, abrasive resistant, reinforced vinyl tube with two opposing ends which extend beyond said opposing ends of said core of compressible material and are stitched closed so that said cover completely surrounds said bladder.  
     
     
         10 . A self inflating fender as recited in  claim 9 , in which loops formed from fabric webbing are incorporated into the stitching closed of said two opposing ends of said fending cover thereby providing said means of attachment.