Device for protecting a boat hull comprising an inflatable fender element

Abstract

A fender element which is inflatable and includes a flexible, waterproof shell which, in a deflated state, forms a bag which is housed inside a box and an external face of which delimits a chamber with the box. In the deflated state, the bag is suitable for being deployed outside the box by passing through a slot-shaped opening of the box and turning inside out by air being blown under pressure into said chamber and for being inflated outside the box to form an elongate permanent fender. In the inflated state, the shell is suitable for being deflated and retracted inside the box by forced extraction of the air contained in said chamber.

1 . A device for protecting a boat hull, the device comprising:
 a box that comprises a slot-shaped opening; and   a fender element that is inflatable from a deflated state to an inflated state and is attached to the box, wherein the fender element includes:
 a flexible, waterproof shell which, in the deflated state, forms a bag that is housed inside the box, the shell having an external face which delimits a chamber with the box, which is connected to or is suitable for being connected to an inflation/deflation device, wherein, in the deflated state, said bag is suitable for being deployed outside the box by passing through the slot-shaped opening and turning inside out, by air being blown under pressure into said chamber, and for being inflated outside the box to form an elongate tube which extends lengthwise parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slot-shaped opening, so that after deployment and inflation of said shell outside the box ( 10 ), said external face of the deflated bag forms an internal face of said inflated tube, and wherein, in the inflated state, said shell is suitable for being deflated and retracted inside the box, passing through the slot-shaped opening by forced extraction of the air contained in said chamber. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein a length of said tube in the inflated state is greater than a length of the slot-shaped opening. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein an interior volume of the box serves as a housing for the fender element in the deflated state and extends lengthwise, in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the slot-shaped opening, over a length less than a length of said tube. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the slot-shaped opening defines an opening plane, wherein an interior volume of the box serves as a housing for the fender element in the deflated state and has a height, which is measured parallel to the opening plane of the slot-shaped opening and in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the slot-shaped opening, and a width, which is measured perpendicular to the opening plane of the slot-shaped opening, and wherein said height is greater than a diameter of said inflated tube, and said width is less than the diameter of said inflated tube. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein when deflated and retracted inside the box, the fender element in the deflated state occupies almost an entire interior volume of the box. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein a part of the box that is located facing the slot-shaped opening has, on the inside of the box, a concave, curved internal face. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tube in the inflated state conceals the slot-shaped opening over an entire length of said slot-shaped opening. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible, waterproof shell of the fender element is attached to the box on a perimeter of the slot-shaped opening. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 , including a blocking element for blocking the slot-shaped opening of the box, which is movable between a blocked position, in which the opening is blocked, and an open position, in which the slot-shaped opening is completely unobstructed and allows passage of the fender element. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the blocking element includes a sliding hatch. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 , including an elastic return, which is drawn tight during inflation of the fender element and which exerts a pulling force on the fender element, which contributes to retracting the fender element inside the box during deflation of the fender element. 
     
     
         12 . A method for installing on a boat at least one protection device, which comprises:
 a box that comprises a slot-shaped opening; and   a fender element that is inflatable from a deflated state to an inflated state and is attached to the box, wherein the fender element includes:   a flexible, waterproof shell which, in the deflated state, forms a bag that is housed inside the box, the shell having an external face which delimits a chamber with the box, which is connected to or is suitable for being connected to an inflation/deflation device, wherein, in the deflated state, said bag is suitable for being deployed outside the box by passing through the slot-shaped opening and turning inside out, by air being blown under pressure into said chamber, and for being inflated outside the box to form an elongate tube which extends lengthwise parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slot-shaped opening, so that after deployment and inflation of said shell outside the box ( 10 ), said external face of the deflated bag forms an internal face of said inflated tube, and wherein, in the inflated state, said shell is suitable for being deflated and retracted inside the box, passing through the slot-shaped opening by forced extraction of the air contained in said chamber;   wherein the method comprises:   making, during which a slot-shaped through-opening in a wall of a hull of the boat; and   attaching the box of the protection device to an inside of the hull, so as to position the slot-shaped opening of said box facing said through-opening in the wall of the hull and to allow the shell of the fender element of the protection device to be deployed through the wall of the hull and outside the hull.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the slot-shaped through-opening is horizontal. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the slot-shaped through-opening is not horizontal. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one protection device comprises at least two protection devices and at least two through-openings are made in the wall of the hull of the boat, which are aligned and separated from each other, and for each of these openings, the box of a respective one of the at least two protection devices is attached to the inside of the hull, so as to position the slot-shaped opening of the box of the protection device facing said corresponding through-opening in the wall of the hull, and to allow the shell of each fender element to be deployed through the wall of the hull and outside the hull. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein a separation between two through-openings in the wall of the hull is provided such that the shells of the fender elements are capable of being inflated outside the hull, while being aligned end-to-end, with no space between the shells of the fender elements. 
     
     
         17 . A boat comprising:
 a wall of a hull, in which at least one slot-shaped through-opening is made; and   at least one protection device according to  claim 1 , the box of the at least one protection device being attached to an inside of the hull, so as to position the slot-shaped opening of the box of the protection device facing said through-opening in the wall of the hull, and to allow the shell of the fender element of the protection device to be deployed through the wall of the hull and outside the hull.   
     
     
         18 . The boat according to  claim 17 , wherein the slot-shaped through-opening is horizontal. 
     
     
         19 . The boat according to  claim 17 , wherein the slot-shaped through-opening is not horizontal. 
     
     
         20 . The boat according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least one protection device comprises at least two protection devices and the wall of the hull comprises at least two slot-shaped through-openings, which are aligned and separated from each other, the box of each protection device being attached to the inside of the shell, so as to position the slot-shaped opening of the box of the protection device facing a corresponding one of the at least two slot-shaped through-openings in the wall of the hull, and to allow the shell of each fender element to be deployed through the wall of the hull and outside the hull. 
     
     
         21 . The boat according to  claim 20 , wherein a separation between the at least two through-openings in the wall of the hull is provided such that the fender elements are capable of being inflated outside the hull, while being aligned end-to-end, with no space between the fender elements. 
     
     
         22 . The boat according to  claim 17 , wherein a length of the through-opening in the wall of the hull is greater than or equal to a length of the opening of the box. 
     
     
         23 . The boat according to  claim 17 , wherein a length of the through-opening in the wall of the hull is less than a length of the fender element of the protection device, in the inflated state. 
     
     
         24 . The boat according to  claim 17 , wherein a width of the through-opening in the wall of the hull is less than a width of the opening of the box of the protection device.