Inflatable multi-wall multi-cell spheroidal shell life raft

Abstract

The invention is an air-inflatable multi-wall multi-cell spheroidal-shell life raft that forms a shelter for occupants and that includes removable window covers to allow cross ventilation when desired and that is constructed of one or more air-or-gas-inflatable cells and/or air-or-gas-inflatable panels and contains an internal water-inflatable ballast tank located below an air-or-gas-inflated multi-cell floor cushion centered in the lowest point of the spheroidal shell thus providing the tank with the lowest center of gravity available within the shell. Key features new to the art are the inflatable spheroidal shape of the shell that forms the shelter enclosure, the water-inflatable internal ballast tank and the relationship of the shell to the ballast tank that insures that the raft will not capsize when occupants and their belongings are equally distributed within the raft.

I claim as my invention;  
     
         1 . An air-or-gas-inflatable multi-wall multi-cell spheroidal-shell life raft consisting of air-or-gas-inflated cells and/or air-or-gas-inflated panels joined together to create a spheroidal exterior shell that encloses an interior space thereby providing shelter for one or more occupants and thereby protecting them from exposure to the elements such as hot or cold air, excessive sunshine and glare, high winds, rough waves and/or heavy precipitation. (Key word: ‘spheroidal’, meaning any of an unlimited number of geometric shapes that enclose a volume, such as a sphere shaped like a ping pong ball, a spheroid shaped like an egg or an elliptical spheroid such as a capsule.) (Key phrase: ‘air-or-gas-inflatable multi-wall multi-cell spheroidal shell’)  
     
     
         2 . A life raft as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the inflatable multi-wall multi-cell shell contains cells that have mechanical ties and separators and/or internal baffles that are secured to the opposing shell walls to separate and/or hold the cell walls and panel walls in place thereby providing air-or-gas-inflatable chambers.  
     
     
         3 . A life raft as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the inflatable multi-wall multi-cell shell is constructed from injection molded cells and/or panels.  
     
     
         4 . A life raft as claimed in claims  1 ,  2  or  3  wherein there is included a water-inflatable internal ballast tank located and centered in the lowest point within the spheroidal shell thus providing the tank with the lowest center of gravity available within the shell. (Key word: ‘internal’) (Key phrase: ‘water-inflatable internal ballast tank’)  
     
     
         5 . A life raft as claimed in claims  1  through  4  wherein the shell wall and the internal ballast act simultaneously in conjunction with each other to create a life raft with spheroidal buoyancy above and below the waterline and internal water-ballast below the waterline thereby rendering the raft incapable of excessive rolling, tipping and/or capsizing when the occupants and their belongings are equally distributed within the life raft. (Key word: ‘simultaneously’) (Key phrase: ‘act simultaneously in conjunction with each other’)  
     
     
         6 . A life raft as claimed in claims  1  through  5  wherein is included sequential inflation that is begun manually by triggering inflation of the upper shell, the floor cushion, the lower shell and the ballast tank in that order and whereby completion of each sequence triggers the next sequence by dislodging a pin in an inflation device common to the inflatable raft industry. Inflation of the lower shell produces a vacuum in the ballast tank and that vacuum draws water into the tank through a one-way bladder valve. (In this instance, the raft would be inflated on the water's surface.  
     
     
         7 . A life raft as claimed in claims  1  through  6  wherein is included a pump, manual or electric with battery or manual generator that will provide air inflation for buoyancy for inflatable cells and panels and/or a vacuum to draw in additional water into the ballast tank.  
     
     
         8 . A life raft as claimed in claims  1  through  7  wherein multiple looped straps located around the top-cap opening are connected to allow a crane to lift the raft from a vessel's deck or other platform and place it on the water's surface. (In this instance, the ballast would be filled only with air until the raft is placed upon the water where the ballast may be filled with water.)  
     
     
         9 . A life raft as claimed in claims  1  through  8  wherein seatbelts are installed for use in inclement weather.