Container for emergency articles for watercraft

Abstract

 There is described a container for emergency articles for watercraft. The container consists of a box body (1) having flattened configuration, provided on the bottom wall (2) thereof with a means whereby the body (1) can be removably attached to a flat area (3) of the watercraft. The box body (1) is further provided on the top wall thereof with an orifice for access to the interior of the box body (1), fitted with a closure cover (11).

Description

[0001] This patent relates to a device for incorporation in a light watercraft, so as to ensure that at all times the user thereof may have available items allowing him to face up to emergency situations.

[0002] As is known, light watercraft, such as sailing vessels, surfboards and other small craft, are occasionally ex­posed to being driven off their regular route by unexpec­ted currents of air or sea currents, which may cause them to be driven out into the open sea, with easily under­standable risks. On such occasions, the users of light craft are exposed to the effects of the sun's rays, rain and cold.

[0003] The container of this Patent is directed to placing at the disposal of the user of a light craft, in an emerg­ency such as one of the above mentioned type, those items allowing him to face up to such contingencies and obtain the greatest possible protection thereagainst. The con­tainer may contain signalling materials, elements of shel­ter, medicines, foodstuffs and other articles for sur­vival.

[0004] The coupling of the new container to a craft is not fixed, but it may be separated from the craft whenever of interest. To such effect, it comprises means for tempor­ary attachment to a flat surface belonging to the body of the craft and which may be removed when desirable, for example when the craft is taken out of the water.

[0005] The container comprises a hermetic sealing cover, removal of which allows access to the interior and to dispose of the materials housed therein.

[0006] The shape of the container in plan view may vary in form and size, according to the articles which it is wished to place therein.

[0007] To facilitate an explanation, there accompany the descrip­tion drawings in which there has been represented, as an illustrative and non limitative example, one embodiment of a container for emergency articles, for watercraft, ac­cording to the principales of the claims.

[0008] In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the new object container de­vice, for attachment to watercraft, and Figures 2 and 3 are longitudinal and cross sections, respectively, of the device along the lines II-II and III-III.

Figure 4 is a detail of the coupling of the cover belong­ing to the container and Figure 5 is a detail of the coup­ling of the latter to the body of a watercraft.

Figure 6 is a partial plan view of the rear portion of a surfboard, carrying an emergency container of the type described, and Figures 7 and 8 are longitudinal and cross sections, respectively, of the said rear portion on the lines VII-VII and VIII-VIII.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross section, on a larger scale, showing the possible shape of the container descri­bed and Figure 10 is a cross section in detail, of the closure, along the line X-X of Figure 11.

Figure 11 is a part view of the closure, of the container.

[0009] The items designated with numbers in the drawings corre­spond to the parts indicated hereafter.

[0010] The container described comprises a hollow body -1- hav­ing an appropriate shape in plan view, such as circular, rectangular or trapezial, of regular height or, other­wise, irregular height at least in one direction, as indicated in Figure 2. The body -1- has the shape of a flattened box and the base is a flat surface -2- which engages a further flat surface -3- belonging to the body of the craft, preferably a non-functional area as far as the operation thereof is concerned.

[0011] The attachment of the body -1- to the surface -3- may be obtained by any known system, for example using a layer of an adhesive product -4- and/or the engagement of an attachment mechanism formed, for example, by a component -5- of inverted soup plate form, made from a flexible ma­terial and comprising in the interior thereof a reinforc­ing disc -6-, upon which there acts a coil spring -7- urg­ing it axially by a shaft -8- upon which there is mounted a cam -9- provided with an operating means -10-.

[0012] The attachment device described allows a vacuum to be formed between the plate -5- and the flat surface -3-, attaching it thereto.

[0013] The compartment -1- is closed by a plate like cover -11-, the periphery -12- of which is superimposed on the edges of a threaded orifice in the upper edges of the con­tainer, coupling being effected by an annular extension -13- of the cover, with interposition of a resilient seal -14- in form of a crown. The radially extending ribs -15- on the upper surface of the cover arranged in a circle will serve to facilitate the fitting and removal of the cover.

[0014] In the embodiment of Figures 6 to 11, a surfboard -16- is provided near one of the ends thereof, advantageously the prow end, with an inner compartment -17-, formed as a cavity in the material forming the body, which cavity will logically have a flattened configuration and will have a desirable shape in plan view, such as, for example, circular, rectangular or trapezial.

[0015] The said compartment is hermetically closed by a cover -18-, advantageously held by a thread -19- of the cylin­drical part -20- thereof in the mouth of a circular ori­fice formed in the upper surface of the surfboard, as shown in the drawings, there being the round seal -21- ensuring sealing. The ribs -22- preferably disposed in crown form on the periphery of the cover -18- will fa­cilitate the engagement and removal thereof.

[0016] The capacity of the compartment -17- will be proportional to the dimensions of the surfboard, appropriately housing the components for the emergency situations deemed to be most desirable.

[0017] All that does not affect, alter, change or amend the es­sence of the container described will be variable for the purposes of this Patent.

Claims

1.- Container for emergency articles for watercraft, characterised essentially in that it comprises a box body having a flattened configuration, provided on the bottom wall thereof with means for being removably attached to a flat area belonging to the hall of a craft and being provided on the top wall thereof with an orifice for access to the interior of the box, fitted with a closure cover.

2.- Container for emergency articles for watercraft, ac­cording to the previous claim, characterised in that the attachment means to the body of the craft consist of a pneumatic mechanical device attached to the bottom wall of the box body in the centre thereof, provided with an operating means which may adopt two end positions, corre­sponding respectively to holding the box and release thereof.

3.- Container for emergency articles for watercraft, characterised essentially in that it comprises an emerg­ency container compartment advantageously having a reg­ular configuration formed in the body of a surfboard preferably in the proximity of the prow end thereof, the interior of the compartment being accessible through a corresponding opening in the upper surface of the board, provided with a closure cover.

4.- Container for emergency articles for watercraft, ac­cording to claim 4, characterised in that between the closure cover and the mouth of the compartment there is disposed a sealing joint in the form of a crown and in that the outer cover bears means in relief for facilitat­ing removal and installation thereof.

Drawing