Flexible floating apparatus and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016355239-A1
Application number	US-201514731388-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flexible floating apparatus has a flexible bone structure and a floating cover. The flexible bone structure has at least a first joint part and a second joint part. The first joint part and the second joint part are connected with a first resistance force to keep a relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part. A floating cover is made of buoyant material wrapping the flexible bone structure. The shape of the floating cover is changed when the relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part is changed.

First claim

1 . A flexible floating apparatus, comprising:
a flexible bone structure having at least a first joint part and a second joint part, the first joint part and the second joint part being connected with a first resistance force to keep a relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part, and the relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part being changed when an external force larger than the first resistance force being applied on the first joint part and the second joint part; and a floating cover comprising buoyant material wrapping the flexible bone structure and a shape of the floating cover being changed when the relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part being changed.

2 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the floating cover has a second resistance force to keep the shape of the floating cover, and the second resistance force is smaller than the first resistance force.

3 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the buoyant material of the floating cover has a smaller density than the first joint part and the second joint part.

4 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a third joint part connected to the second joint part, and the third joint part having a second joint structure different from a first joint structure of the first joint part and the second joint part.

5 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the third joint part has an external connecting structure for connecting to another flexible floating apparatus.

6 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the connection to said another flexible floating apparatus is detachable.

7 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the third joint part has an internal connecting structure for connecting to a fourth joint part, and the fourth joint part has a third joint structure different from the first joint structure and the second joint structure.

8 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first joint part and the second joint part respectively have a tail portion and a head portion, and the tail portion of the first joint part is connected to the head portion of the second joint part with the first resistance force.

9 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a fifth joint part having the first joint structure, and the tail portion of the fifth joint part is connected to the head portion of the first joint part.

10 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the head portion has a ball portion and the tail portion has a socket portion, the socket portion defines an inner space for holding the ball portion, the ball portion is movable with respect to the socket portion in the inner space when the external force larger than the first resistance force is applied to the flexible bone structure.

11 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the ball portion of the second joint part has a closed round shape heading to the socket portion of the first joint part.

12 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the floating cover is made of a closed-cell foam material.

13 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the closed-cell foam material is selected from at least one from Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) and Polyethylene(PE).

14 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first joint part and the second joint part are made of hardened plastic material selected from at least one of Polypropylene (PP), Polyoxymethylene (POM), Polycarbonate (PC), and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS).

15 . A flexible floating apparatus for floating over water, comprising:
a flexible bone structure having at least a first joint part and a second joint part, the first joint part and the second joint part being connected with a first resistance force to keep a relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part, and the relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part being changed when an external force larger than the first resistance force being applied on the first joint part and the second joint part; a floating cover comprising buoyant material having an inner tunnel for containing the flexible bone structure and a shape of the floating cover being changed when the relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part being changed; and a decorative member connected to the floating cover.

16 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first joint part and the second joint part respectively have a tail portion and a head portion, and the tail portion of the first joint part is connected to the head portion of the second joint part with the first resistance force.

17 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the head portion has a ball portion and the tail portion has a socket portion, the socket portion defines an inner space for holding the ball portion, the ball portion is movable with respect to the socket portion in the inner space when the external force larger than the first resistance force is applied to the flexible bone structure.

18 . The flexible floating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the ball portion of the second joint part has a closed round shape heading to the socket portion of the first joint part.

19 . A method for manufacturing a flexible floating apparatus, comprising:
providing a flexible bone structure having at least a first joint part and a second joint part, the first joint part and the second joint part being connected with a first resistance force to keep a relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part, and the relative position between the first joint part and the second joint part being changed when an external force larger than the first resistance force being applied on the first joint part and the second joint part; providing a floating cover comprising buoyant material; and placing the flexible bone structure into an inner tunnel of the floating cover.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the floating cover is made of two parts and the two parts are affixed after the flexible bone structure is placed in inner channel of the floating cover.

Assignees

• Bestway Inflatables & Mat Corp

Inventors

• Liu Feng

Classifications

• B63B35/73 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• A63B31/00 Primary

  Swimming aids (teaching swimming A63B69/10 - A63B69/14; life-saving in water {, e.g. life-buoys, life-belts,} B63C9/00) · CPC title

• A63B2225/09

  Adjustable dimensions · CPC title

• A63B2225/605

  Floating · CPC title

• A63B69/12

  Arrangements in swimming pools for teaching swimming {or for training} · CPC title