Rigid inflatable boat with easy lifesaving

Abstract

A rigid inflatable boat adapted for ease of lifesaving includes an arc-shaped front tube fixedly installed at a front side of a hull and a rear tube slidably installed at a rear side of the hull. A respective sliding rail having a guiding member disposed therein extends longitudinally on an upper surface of the hull at one or both sides thereof The rear tube is slidable forward and backward along the sliding rail due to the operation of the guiding member. A first holding means for detachably supporting a rear end of the arc-shaped tube and a front end of the rear tube is installed between the rear end of the arc-shaped tube and the front end of the rear tube. An open space between a rear end of the arc-shaped front tube and a front end of the rear tube provides ease of lifesaving.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects and other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rigid inflatable boat according to a prior art;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a main part in the rigid inflatable boat as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a rigid inflatable boat with easy lifesaving according to the first embodiment of a present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the rigid inflatable boat with easy lifesaving according to the first embodiment of a present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the rigid inflatable boat with easy lifesaving according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing the operation of the constitutional parts taken along the single-dotted circle line “A” as illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B as illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7, for showing the rigid inflatable boat with easy lifesaving according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the rigid inflatable boat with easy lifesaving according to the present invention, for showing the state that a holding device is mounted thereto;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the holding device being employed in the rigid inflatable boat with easy lifesaving according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the holding device being employed in the rigid inflatable boat with easy lifesaving according to the present invention;

FIG. 12A is a sectional view of a first fixing member of the holding device, and FIG. 12B is a front view of the first fixing member of the holding device;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a second fixing member of the holding device; and

FIGS. 14A to 14C show operational states of the holding device.

Claims

1. A rigid inflatable boat adapted for ease of lifesaving, comprising an arc-shaped front tube fixedly installed at an upper portion of a hull and a rear tube slidably installed at the upper portion of a hull,at least one sliding rail being formed on an upper surface of the hull at a one side or both sides thereof and extending in a longitudinal direction of the hull;a guiding member disposed in the sliding rail, in which the rear tube is slidable along the sliding rail in forward and backward directions due to the operation of the guiding member; anda first holding means for detachably supporting a rear end of the arc-shaped tube and a front end of the rear tube, the first holding means being provided between the rear end of the arc-shaped tube and the front end of the rear tube.

2. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first holding means comprises a holding device, the holding device comprising: a first fixing member attached and fixed to an end of the arc-shaped tube or the rear tube, the first fixing member having a shaft which protrudes from the center of the first fixing member, and a ring provided at a root portion of the shaft;a moving ring pivotally fitted onto the shaft and being supported by a cap that is arranged to be in threaded engagement with the shaft, the moving ring having a plurality of moving lugs protruding from an outer circumferential surface thereof and a lever extending from the outer circumferential surface thereof to the outside at a predetermined length;a second fixing member attached and fixed to the other end of the arc-shaped front tube or the rear tube such that it is opposite to the first fixing member, the second fixing member including a ring fixing protrusion which has a ring shape and protrudes from a one side of the second fixing member, the ring fixing protrusion defining a space for receiving the shaft and the moving ring; anda C-shaped fixing ring arranged to be in threaded engagement with the ring fixing protrusion and having a plurality of fixing lugs, the fixing lugs radially protruding from an inner circumferential surface and corresponding to the moving lugs of the moving ring;whereby when the first fixing member is combined with the second fixing member, the moving lugs of the moving ring are positioned between the fixing lugs of the fixing ring and the moving lugs and the fixing lugs are brought into engagement with each other by pivotal movement of the lever.

3. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 1, wherein a tube supporting frame for supporting an inner surface of the rear tube upwardly protrudes from the upper surface of the hull, and wherein an opening for saving a person from drowning is formed between a front end of the tube supporting frame and the rear end of the arc-shaped front tube.

4. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 2, wherein a tube supporting frame for supporting an inner surface of the rear tube upwardly protrudes from the upper surface of the hull, and wherein an opening for saving a person from drowning is formed between a front end of the tube supporting frame and the rear end of the arc-shaped front tube.

5. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 2, wherein a ring-shaped portion is formed at the outside of the ring fixing protrusion of the second fixing member, wherein a ring-shaped protrusion protrudes from an outer side surface of the first fixing member and has a cut-away portion for allowing the lever to pivotally move at its one side, and when the first fixing member is combined with the second fixing member, the ring-shaped protrusion is forcibly combined with the ring-shaped portion, and thereby the first fixing member is tightly engaged with the second fixing member.

6. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 2, wherein the moving lug has a first slanted surface formed at a one side inner surface thereof and the fixing lug has a second slanted surface formed at a one side inner surface thereof, and thereby the moving lug is smoothly contacted with the fixing lug.

7. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of grooves for obtaining a sufficient operational space of the lever are formed at the ring fixing protrusion of the second fixing member and an outer circumferential portion and the grooves correspond to an opening of the first fixing member and an opening of the fixing ring.

8. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 3, wherein a second holding means for detachably holding the rear tube at the tube supporting frame is provided at the tube supporting frame and the rear tube.

9. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein an inner sliding rail is longitudinally provided at the tube supporting frame, and an inner guiding member is provided at an inner side surface of the rear tube so that it is guided along the inner sliding rail.

10. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 9, wherein a rail groove is formed on the sliding rail and the inner sliding rail and the rail groove has a narrow entrance and a relatively broad inner portion, whereby the guiding member and the inner guiding member are inserted in and slidably guided along the rail groove of the sliding rail and the inner sliding rail, respectively.

11. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 9, wherein the guiding member is connected with the inner guiding member by means of a hard connecting piece, whereby the guiding member, the inner guiding member and the hard connecting piece are integrally detachably attached to the surface of the rear tube.

12. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the tube supporting frame and the rear tube each have a ring, and a rope extends between the rings.

13. The rigid inflatable boat as claimed in claim 1 or 8, wherein the first holding means and the second holding means each comprise a hooks and loops tape.