US-12623758-B2 - Multi-chamber inflatable device

Abstract

A flotation device that can include a multi-chamber flotation element having a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber. The flotation device can have a first valve in fluid communication with the active inflation chamber but not the passive inflation chamber and an opening in fluid communication with the passive inflation chamber but not the active air chamber. The active inflation chamber can be configured to be inflated through the first valve. The active inflation chamber can be configured to expand the passive inflation chamber from a collapsed state to an expanded state as the active inflation chamber is expanded by, for example and without limitation, permitting ambient air to enter the passive inflation chamber when a pressure within the passive inflation chamber is less than an ambient air pressure.

Inventors

• Christopher Ian Roxburgh Hugh

Assignees

• CRUSOE SURVIVAL, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230110

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A flotation device, comprising: a floor portion; and a multi-chamber flotation element coupled with the floor portion, the multi-chamber flotation element comprising: at least a first layer of material; a first fluid chamber comprising a plurality of interconnected channels; and a second fluid chamber separate from and fluidically isolated from the first fluid chamber; and a plurality of spaces between the plurality of fluidically interconnected channels of the first fluid chamber; wherein: the first layer of material is gas impermeable; the multi-chamber flotation element surrounds the floor portion; the first fluid chamber is configured to expand from a collapsed state to an expanded state as the first fluid chamber is inflated; the first layer of material surrounds the second fluid chamber; and the first fluid chamber is positioned outside of the first layer of material and at least partially surrounds the second fluid chamber.
2. 2 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of spaces between the plurality of fluidically interconnected channels of the first fluid chamber have a hexagonal shape.
3. 3 . The flotation device of claim 1 , comprising a second layer of material, wherein: the second layer of material is positioned outside of the first layer of material so as to cover at least a portion of the first layer of material; the second layer of material is gas impermeable; and the second layer of material is coupled with the first layer of material to form the first fluid chamber.
4. 4 . The flotation device of claim 3 , wherein second layer of material is welded to the first layer of material to form the plurality of fluidically interconnected channels of the first fluid chamber.
5. 5 . The flotation device of claim 3 , comprising a monofilament material or threads of material welded between the first layer of material and the second layer of material.
6. 6 . The flotation device of claim 1 , comprising a valve configured to permit ambient air to enter the second fluid chamber when a pressure within the second fluid chamber is less than an ambient air pressure surrounding the flotation device so that the second fluid chamber can be automatically filled with air as the second fluid chamber expands.
7. 7 . The flotation device of claim 1 , comprising a first valve in fluid communication with the first fluid chamber and a second valve in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber but not the first fluid chamber, wherein the first fluid chamber is configured to be inflated through at least the first valve and the second fluid chamber is configured to be inflated through at least the second valve.
8. 8 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid chamber is configured to expand the second fluid chamber from a collapsed state to an expanded state as the first fluid chamber is expanded.
9. 9 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of interconnected channels form a honeycomb shaped pattern.
10. 10 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein the multi-chamber flotation element forms a ring around the floor portion when the multi-chamber flotation element is in an inflated state.
11. 11 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein the multi-chamber flotation element has a generally round cross-sectional shape when the multi-chamber flotation element is in an inflated state.
12. 12 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein the volume of the second fluid chamber is at least 75% of a total volume of multi-chamber flotation element when the multi-chamber flotation element is in a substantially expanded state.
13. 13 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein a volume of the first fluid chamber is less than or equal to 20% of the total volume of the multi-chamber flotation element when the multi-chamber flotation element is in a substantially expanded state.
14. 14 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein at least 20% of the surface area of the second fluid chamber is surrounded or covered by the first fluid chamber.
15. 15 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein less than or equal to 15% of the surface area of the second fluid chamber is surrounded by or covered by the first fluid chamber.
16. 16 . The flotation device of claim 1 , further comprising a source of positive pressure configured to expand the first fluid chamber from the collapsed state to at least a partially expanded state upon activation of the source of positive pressure.
17. 17 . The flotation device of claim 1 , further comprising an automatic inflation mechanism configured to expand the first fluid chamber upon activation of the automatic inflation mechanism.
18. 18 . The flotation device of claim 1 , further comprising a pressurized gas cartridge configured to expand the first fluid chamber upon activation of the pressurized gas cartridge.
19. 19 . The flotation device of claim 1 , wherein the flotation device is configured to support at least a 175 lb. person completely out of the water when first fluid chamber of the flotation device is expanded with 45 grams of CO 2 and ambient air is permitted to enter the second fluid chamber.
20. 20 . The flotation device of claim 1 , further comprising an opening in the floor portion that is selectively coverable with a flap, wherein: the flap is deflectable, rollable, or otherwise movable from a first position in which the opening is covered by the flap to a second position in which the flap does not cover all or a portion of the opening; the opening is sized and configured to permit a user to board the inflatable device through the opening when the flap is in the second position; and the flap has a selectively reversible securing mechanism on a portion of the flap so that the flap is selectively securable in the first position.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/086,090, filed on Oct. 30, 2020, titled MULTI-CHAMBER INFLATABLE DEVICE, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/930,511, filed on Nov. 4, 2019, titled MULTI-CHAMBER INFLATABLE DEVICE, the content of this priority application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if fully set forth herein. The benefit of priority is claimed under the appropriate legal basis including, without limitation, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e). Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and made a part of this specification. FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE Some embodiments of this disclosure relate to flotation equipment and more specifically to compact, inflatable flotation devices. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure Anytime a vehicle, whether it be a ship or an aircraft, travels over a large body of water, there exists a risk that due to an unfortunate occurrence, such as human error, adverse weather, or mechanical failure, passengers and/or crew may find themselves in the water attempting to survive without the vehicle. This may occur far from shore and last for extended periods of time. In such emergency situations, survival depends, in large part, on an individual's ability to stay at the surface of the water to facilitate breathing until assistance can arrive. Many times, assistance may take several hours or even days to arrive, which may exceed the length of time the individuals in need of rescue are capable of treading water or otherwise physically remaining at the surface under their own power. This is further compounded by the fact that, in many such situations, passengers and/or crew may have sustained injuries during the occurrence that separated them from their vehicle and water temperature may be hypothermic, which may significantly reduce their stamina and/or ability to exert physical effort to remain on the surface of the water. To address this unfortunate contingency, most vehicles that travel over large bodies of water carry personal flotation devices for each individual aboard the vehicle. The most common form of the personal flotation device is the life vest. A life vest is a positively buoyant device that fits an individual like a vest when properly worn and increases the individual's overall buoyancy such that, at a minimum, the individual's head remains above water without requiring physical effort. In many situations, a properly worn life vest can greatly increase the amount of time an individual can survive while waiting for assistance to arrive. However, there are some significant drawbacks to life vests. For example, many life vests are constructed from highly buoyant material. Because buoyancy is a function of density, such highly buoyant material is typically very voluminous, making wearing such life vests highly awkward and cumbersome, creating an impediment to the individual's performance or duties on board the vessel. This, in turn, causes many individuals to forgo wearing a life vest until an emergency situation arises or is immediately foreseeable. This behavior reduces the effectiveness of the life vest because it causes a risk that the individual in need will not be able to locate or properly don the device in time, if an emergency situation materializes rapidly. This shortcoming has been addressed, in part, by the inflatable life vest. While still inconvenient to wear regularly, inflatable life vests are considerably less awkward and cumbersome to wear, because their buoyancy is derived from an air impermeable bladder that is capable of being inflated when activated, either automatically or manually, but that otherwise remains in a deflated, low-profile position. It is important to note that, generally, when personal protective equipment is not awkward and/or cumbersome, use rates of such equipment tend to rise, and therefore, such equipment is typically more effective at saving lives in practice. There are additional survival challenges associated with water emergencies that life vests cannot effectively address. Perhaps the most significant challenge is that many of the bodies of water that vehicles regularly cross are of a temperature such that individuals in direct contact with the water would not survive for very long, even if they could manage to keep their heads above water indefinitely. When properly wearing a life vest in the water, an individual's body is almost entirely submerged and in direct contact with the water. Water is very efficient at transferring heat away from an individual's body at a fairly rapid rate. Therefore, prolonged submersion in even mildly cold water can be lethal within a deceptively short period of time. For