Inflatable, personal life raft inflated through use of a windsock

Abstract

A windsock for inflating a personal life raft. The windsock gathers wind and with sufficient wind velocity such that it will blow through a flapper valve. If the wind is not strong enough to open the flapper valve, the windsock is used to scoop up air and the opening is closed by one hand while the other hand slides down the windsock transferring the air through the one-way flapper valve into the raft. As the pressure mounts in the first chamber a medium pressure valve opens into the adjacent raft tube in the bulkhead allowing air to fill both portions of the raft's perimeter tube.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A life raft assembly inflated through the use of a windsock, comprising: 
 an inflatable body member forming the shape of a personal life raft in an inflated state;    a windsock attached to said inflatable body member; and    a valve providing communication between said windsock and said inflatable body member.    
     
     
         2 . The life raft assembly of  claim 1  wherein said windsock is removably attached to said inflatable body member.  
     
     
         3 . The life raft assembly of  claim 1  wherein said windsock is attached said inflatable body member through a sealing gasket and locking nut assembly.  
     
     
         4 . The life raft assembly of  claim 1  wherein said inflatable body member having an opening; wherein said valve opens and closes said opening depending on air pressure received from said windsock.  
     
     
         5 . The life raft assembly of  claim 2  further including a locking cap attached to said inflatable body member, said locking cap preventing air from escaping out of said inflatable body member when said windsock is detached from said inflatable body member.  
     
     
         6 . The life raft assembly of  claim 1  wherein said valve is a one-way flapper valve.  
     
     
         7 . The life raft assembly of  claim 1  further including a first lanyard attached to said windsock.  
     
     
         8 . The life raft assembly of  claim 1  wherein said windsock defining an internal collection area and further including a fill tube in communication with said collection area.  
     
     
         9 . The life raft assembly of  claim 8  wherein said fill tube including a closure member disposed on said fill tube adjacent to an outer end of said fill tube.  
     
     
         10 . The life raft assembly of  claim 1  wherein said inflatable body member having a first inflatable chamber; a second inflatable chamber in communication with said inflatable chamber through a second valve, and an inflatable floor in communication with said first inflatable chamber through a third valve.  
     
     
         11 . The life raft assembly of  claim 1  wherein said windsock having a first opening at a first end of said windsock and a second opening at a second end of said windsock, wherein the first windsock opening is larger in size as compared to the second windsock opening.  
     
     
         12 . The life raft assembly of  claim 11  including a closure member disposed on said windsock adjacent to the first end of said windsock for closing the first windsock opening.  
     
     
         13 . The life raft assembly of  claim 11  including a closure member disposed on said windsock adjacent to the second end of said windsock for closing the second windsock opening.  
     
     
         14 . The life raft assembly of  claim 13  further including a windsock cover member for removable attached to said windsock adjacent the first windsock opening once said windsock is detached from said inflatable body member.  
     
     
         15 . The life raft assembly of  claim 14  wherein said cover member includes a clear portion and one or more rigid support for said clear portion; wherein at least a portion of an interior collection area of said windsock can be dark in appearance to attract sunlight and warm any water collected within the interior collection area causing condensation on the outer surface of said windsock for further collection and which effectively converts collected salt water into drinking non-salt water.