Inflatable toroidal polyhedron buoyancy tube for a life raft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11753124-B2
Application number	US-202117143329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2021
Priority date	Jan 20, 2020
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is a buoyancy tube for a life raft having: a first panel including: a first panel top edge and a first panel bottom edge, the first panel top edge defines a first repeating pattern, and the first panel bottom edge defines a second repeating pattern that is a rotated version of the first panel top edge; a second panel that has a same shape as the first panel, the first and second panels connected by a first elongated seam and a second elongated seam that are non-overlapping with one another, the first and second panels, when connected, define outer an inner boundaries of the life raft, the outer boundary defines an outer polygon having outer sides and the inner boundary defines an inner polygon having inner sides such that each of the plurality of outer sides is parallel with one of the plurality of inner sides.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A buoyancy tube for a life raft, comprising:
a first panel including:
a first panel top edge;
a first panel bottom edge spaced apart the first panel top edge such that a first panel transverse axis is defined between the first panel top edge and the first panel bottom edge,
wherein the first panel top edge is non-linear and defines a first repeating pattern, and the first panel bottom edge defines a second repeating pattern that is a rotated version of the first panel top edge about a first panel rotational axis;
a first panel tip edge; and
a first panel tail edge apart from first panel tip edge such that a first panel longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first panel transverse axis is defined between the first panel tip edge and the first panel tail edge;
a second panel that has a same shape as the first panel, whereby the second panel includes: a second panel top edge; a second panel bottom edge; a second panel tip edge; and a second panel tail edge,
wherein the first panel and the second panel are connected by a first elongated seam and a second elongated seam that are non-overlapping with one another, wherein the first elongated seam connects the first panel bottom edge and the second panel top edge, from the first panel tip edge to the first panel tail edge, and the second elongated seam connects the first panel top edge and the second panel bottom edge, from the first panel tip edge to the first panel tail edge, and
wherein the first panel and second panel, when connected, define outer and inner boundaries of the life raft, the outer boundary defines an outer polygon having a plurality of outer sides and the inner boundary defining an inner polygon having a plurality of inner sides such that each of the plurality of outer sides is parallel with one of the plurality of inner sides.

2. The buoyancy tube of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of outer sides includes a first outer side extending from a first end to a second end;
the plurality of inner sides includes a first inner side extending from a third end to a fourth end, wherein the first outer side and the first inner side are parallel to one another;
the plurality of inner sides includes a second inner side that extends from a fifth end to the third end, wherein the second inner side is circumferentially adjacent to the first inner side;
a first seam portion of a first elongated seam extends from the first end to the fifth end, between the outer polygon and the inner polygon;
a second seam portion of a second elongated seam extends from the second end to the third end, between the outer polygon and the inner polygon; and
the first elongated seam and the second elongated seam extend a plurality of times around the life raft.

3. The buoyancy tube of claim 2 , wherein:
a first leg of a quadrilateral is defined by the first outer side;
a second leg of the quadrilateral is defined by the first seam portion;
a third leg of the quadrilateral is defined by a second elongated seam portion; and
a fourth leg of the quadrilateral is defined by the second inner side.

4. The buoyancy tube of claim 3 , wherein:
the quadrilateral defines a first normal axis extending from the third end through a point on the first leg of the quadrilateral, wherein the first normal axis is normal to the first leg of the quadrilateral;
a normal axis segment extends along the first normal axis, between the third end and the point on the first leg of the quadrilateral;
a second normal axis is normal to the first normal axis and extends from the third end; and
an obtuse angle is defined between the second normal axis and the fourth leg of the quadrilateral.

5. The buoyancy tube of claim 4 , wherein:
the plurality of outer sides and the plurality of inner sides each comprise (n) sides;
a length of the normal axis segment is (Do−Di)×n/4, wherein
(Do) is a diameter formed by outer edges of the outer polygon, and
(Di) is a diameter formed by outer edges of the inner polygon;
the obtuse angle is (180−(360/n)), measured in degrees;
a length of the first leg of the quadrilateral is Do*sin(360/(2n)); and
a length of the fourth leg of the quadrilateral, defined by the second inner side of the plurality of inner sides, is Di*sin(360/(2n)).

6. The buoyancy tube of claim 5 , wherein:
the second leg and the third leg of the quadrilateral formed by the second seam portion are each formed along a curve defined by y=Ax{circumflex over ( )}2+0.8x.

7. The buoyancy tube of claim 6 , wherein:
the first panel includes a first plurality of segments, wherein each of the first plurality of segments has a same shape as one another; and
the first plurality of segments are connected to one another in series.

8. The buoyancy tube of claim 7 , wherein:
a first segment of the first plurality of segments includes a first segment tip edge, a first segment tail edge, a first segment top edge and a first segment bottom edge; the first segment is divided by a first segment linear joint extending between the first segment top edge and the first segment bottom edge, defining into a first segment tip portion and a first segment tail portion;
the first segment tip portion includes: the first segment tip edge; a first segment tip portion top edge; and a first segment tip portion bottom edge;
the first segment tail portion includes: the first segment tail edge; a first segment tail portion top edge; and a first segment tail portion bottom edge;
the first segment tip portion is a rotated version of the first segment tail portion about a first segment rotation axis; and
the first leg of the quadrilateral is formed along the first segment linear joint; the second leg of the quadrilateral is formed along the first segment tail portion bottom edge; the third leg of the quadrilateral is formed by the first segment tail portion top edge and the fourth leg of the quadrilateral is formed by the first panel tail edge.

9. A method of forming a buoyancy tube for a life raft, comprising:
forming a first panel wherein a first panel top edge is non-linear and defines a first repeating pattern, and wherein a second repeating pattern in a first panel bottom edge is defined by rotating the first panel top edge about a first panel rotational axis;
forming a second panel, wherein the first panel and the second panel have a same shape as one another; and
connecting the first panel and the second panel by two elongated seams, wherein one of the two elongated seams connects the first panel bottom edge and a second panel top edge from a first panel tip edge to a first panel tail edge, and another of the two elongated seams connects the first panel top edge and a second panel bottom edge from the first panel tip edge to the first panel tail edge.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Srikanta Prasad Guruprasad
• Venkatachala Adithya Nagara

Classifications

• B63C9/08 Primary

  Life-buoys, e.g. rings; Life-belts, jackets, suits, or the like ({non-sinkable swimsuits, drawers or trunks A41D7/001} ; equipment for swimming A63B, e.g. swimming aids {other than life-buoys or life-belts} A63B31/00, {teaching frames for swimming, swimming boards A63B69/14}) · CPC title

• B63C9/04 Primary

  Life-rafts · CPC title

• B63C9/082

  Annular or U-shaped life-buoys intended to be thrown to persons · CPC title

• B63C2009/042

  inflatable · CPC title

• B63B7/082

  having parts of rigid material · CPC title