Field of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to small scale shipbuilding and can be used in design
of a floorboard for an inflatable boat, and to an inflatable boat having such a floorboard.
Background and prior art
[0002] The term "floorboard" means demountable flooring to be arranged in an inflatable
boat on its bottom.
[0003] Floorboard (flooring) serves to add lengthwise and lateral rigidity to inflatable
boat hull as well as to provide stable footing for passengers. Most of floorboards
are made demountable, composed of sections positioned across the symmetry axis of
the boat. Floorboard sections are made of plywood, aluminium alloy or polymer material.
The floorboard is squeezed between the bottom of the boat and the inflated sides.
(ref.:
Korolev A.N., Zhokhov V.P. Inflatable boats. L.: Sudostroenie, 1989, pages.83-84).
[0004] Patent
RU 136,413 U1 MΠκ B63B7/08, published 10.01.2014, discloses a design of an inflatable boat which
includes a hull made of elastic material with inflatable sides that are interconnected
by elastic bottom, lengthwise stringers and a demountable floorboard comprising a
front section, a central section and a stern section, said sections are provided with
connecting profiles for releasable connection, disposed perpendicular to longitudinal
symmetry axis of the boat.
[0005] The boat disclosed in patent
RU136413U1 can be disassembled using the following method only, which is determined by said
floorboard design.
[0006] Boat sides are deflated. Wherein floorboard sections are released from the sides.
Then lengthwise stringers and the floorboard sections are taken out and the boat hull
is folded.
[0007] However, lengthwise stringers are not obligatory parts of inflatable boat design.
In particular, patent
RU 155,210 U1 MΠκ B63B7/08, published 27.09.2015 describes an inflatable boat design that includes
a hull made of elastic material with inflatable sides interconnected by elastic bottom,
and a demountable floorboard.
[0008] Technical problem which is typical for the known designs of inflatable boat floorboards
is an impossibility of removing the front section, the central section and the stern
section of the floorboard from an inflatable boat if boat sides are inflated.
[0009] Due to this problem the labor required for boat handling is increased, specifically
for washing of external and internal surfaces of the bottom after the boat was used
on the water.
[0010] Before setting the boat ashore for further transportation on the ground or storing,
sand, dirt, mud, algae and other rubbish should be washed off the external and internal
surfaces of the bottom as well as the sections of the floorboard. For this purpose,
the floorboard sections must be removed from the boat before washing.
[0011] If, according to operational manuals for the known boats, one deflates the sides
of the boat to remove the floorboard, the boat will have to be inflated again for
cleaning purposes, as it is rather inconvenient to wash the boat with deflated sides.
[0012] The above technical problem also determines a strict order of actions a user should
follow to assemble and disassemble an inflatable boat. A beginner, for example, can
forget inserting the floorboard sections before inflating the sides of the boat, thus
he/she will have to deflate the boat sides again to install the floorboard sections.
[0013] The design disclosed in patent
RU 169,992 U1 MΠκ B63B7/08 published 11.04.2017 was taken as the closest prior art for the floorboard
design of the present invention. Said floorboard comprises a front section, a central
section and a stern section, said sections are provided with connecting profiles for
releasable connection. Wherein, the central section comprises one or more tiers, each
tier being made of segments shaped, when seen from above, as a rectangular trapezoid,
whereby said segments are being interconnected at an acute angle to longitudinal symmetry
axis of the floorboard, and the bases of said rectangular trapezoids are perpendicular
to the symmetry axis of the floorboard when assembled.
[0014] A drawback of the closest prior art design is that the connecting profiles of the
central segment sections have a slit at locations of joint of the central section
tiers to each other as well as to the stern section and the front section, which is
clearly seen in the drawings enclosed to the patent
RU 169,992 U1. Therefore, the closest prior art is characterized by complexity of fastening the
tiers of the central section both together and to the stern section and the front
section, as the connection of the adjacent sections of the floorboard as such is performed
by interconnection of three connecting profiles, that is, user has to connect the
connecting profile of the front section, as well as the connecting profile of the
stern section, with the transverse connecting profile of each of the segments of one
tier of the central section. At the same time the connection of the two adjacent tiers
of the central section is performed by simultaneous connection of four transverse
connecting profiles, which apparently may result in more complexity and inconvenience
for the user.
[0015] Furthermore, in inflatable boats the floorboard undergoes considerable loads from
inflated sides, at that, the nature of inflatable boats and said typical floorboards
is such, that the lateral loads from inflated sides normally exceed the longitudinal
loads. In floorboard design known from prior art, the area of connection of two segments
of one tier of central section is a weak point in terms of rigidity of the floorboard,
as it is not able to withstand said lateral loads. This results in insufficient rigidity
and strength of the whole floorboard while the boat is moving along the waves or the
user is walking on the floorboard. Moreover, in the worst case such connections may
be broken, which also indicates insufficient strength and therefore reliability of
such floorboards in the context of inflatable boats.
Summary of the invention
[0016] The object of the present invention is simplification of design of fastening the
stern section and the front section to the segments of the central section of the
floorboard with simultaneous increase of its rigidity, strength and reliability.
[0017] According to the present invention, a demountable floorboard as defined by claim
1 is provided. The dependent claims show some examples thereof. An inflatable boat
according to the present invention is defined by claim 6.
[0018] Said object is achieved by a demountable floorboard for an inflatable boat comprising
a front section, a central section and a stern section, said sections are provided
with connecting profiles for releasable connection. At that, the central section has
one or more tiers, each is made of two segments shaped, when seen from above, as rectangular
trapezoids, wherein an acute angle at one of their corners is provided. The floorboard
segments of the central section tiers are made in such a way that the bases of said
rectangular trapezoids are parallel to the symmetry axis of the floorboard when assembled.
Thus, the slit of the connecting profiles is disposed outside the areas of contact
of the central section of the floorboard to the front section and the stern section
of the floorboard, and therefore the connecting profiles of the front section and
the stern section are easier to connect to the connecting profile of the central section.
Similar advantage is maintained during the process of disassembly of the floorboard
and its removal from an inflatable boat.
[0019] An acute angle is particularly an angle of less than 90 degrees.
[0020] With this, said segments shaped as trapezoids, for example as rectangular trapezoids,
may be provided with connecting profiles which enable their releasable interconnection.
[0021] Configuring the segments of the central section of the floorboard as trapezoids,
like rectangular trapezoids, for example, and/or with an acute angle at one of their
corners, with the parallel sides of these trapezoids (that may be pre-inserted into
stringers) adjoining the boat tubes (sides), allows easy installation and removal
of the floorboard sections into/from an inflatable boat with boat sides fully inflated,
and even when deflated. With this, there is no slit of lateral connecting profiles
in the areas of interconnection of the tiers of the central section, and their connection
to the front section and the stern section, and thereby the procedure of the floorboard
assembly and disassembly is simplified and at the same time rigidity, strength and
reliability of the floorboard is increased.
[0022] The segments are shaped as trapezoids, wherein the respective trapezoid may be free
of any 90-degree angle or may have exactly two 90-degree-angles. In particular, the
segments shaped as trapezoids or rectangular trapezoids, respectively, have a shape
different from a rectangle and/or square.
[0023] Preferably each of the connecting profiles interconnecting the sections is made as
a single piece continuously extending along the whole joint. Furthermore, the parallel
sides of the central section segments may be provided with side profiles.
[0024] Technical results that the present invention addresses are reduction of labor input,
simplification and facilitation of the procedure of inflatable boat floorboard assembly
and disassembly, as well as enhancement of rigidity, strength and reliability of the
floorboard.
[0025] Due to modifications in design, installation/removal of the floorboard into/from
the boat is simplified both when the sides are fully inflated and when the sides are
fully (partially) deflated.
Brief description of the drawings
[0026] The invention is illustrated by the following figures.
Fig.1 shows an inflatable boat with a floorboard installed
Fig. 2 shows floorboard sections separated
[0027] Fig. 1, 2 have the following reference numbers:
- 1 - front floorboard section
- 2 - central floorboard section
- 3 - stern floorboard section
- 4 - connecting profile
- 5 - lengthwise stringer
- 6 - side profile
- 7 - aperture for boat keelson air valve
- 8 - segment of central floorboard section of one tier
- 9 - segment of central floorboard section of the other tier
- 10 - inflatable side (tube) of the boat
Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention
[0028] The present invention can be successfully embodied in a design of a floorboard containing
a front section 1, a central section 2 and a stern section 3, said sections are provided
with connecting profiles 4.
[0029] To embody the invention, the following modifications in floorboard design are made.
[0030] Central section 2 of the floorboard is made composed of segments 8 shaped, when seen
from above (projection onto a horizontal plane), as rectangular trapezoids with an
acute angle at one of their corners, said segments can be releasably interconnected
by means of connecting profiles 4 at an angle (α) to longitudinal axis (S
1S
2) of symmetry of the floorboard. At that, the bases of said rectangular trapezoids
are parallel to axis (S
1S
2) of symmetry of the floorboard, which ensures reliable rigidity and strength of obtained
flooring even under significant lateral loads as well as enhancement of general reliability
of the structure. Additionally, each of the connecting profiles 4 which interconnect
the sections is made as a single piece continuously extending along the whole joint,
which means that each of the interconnected connecting profiles of adjacent floorboard
sections is made as a continuous single piece connecting profile 4. Further, said
segments 8 of the central section may be provided with side profiles 6 which are inserted
into lengthwise stringers 5 of the boat when assembling the floorboard.
[0031] Lengthwise stringers 5, connecting profiles 4 and side profiles 6 may be made of
e.g. aluminium alloy or polymer material.
[0032] Segments 8 may be made of e.g. waterproof multi-layer plywood, polymer material or
aluminium alloy.
[0033] An embodiment of "projection-slot" coupling of connecting profiles is disclosed in
patent
RU 136,413 U1, which does not exclude using other types of connecting profiles. Connecting and
side profiles are permanently attached to segment edges, e.g. by gluing or riveting.
[0034] If an inflatable boat is significantly long, then central floorboard section may
be composed of several tiers; at that, each tier is made of segments 8 or 9, preferably
two segments 8 or 9 which are shaped, when seen from above, as rectangular trapezoids
with an acute angle at one of their corners. Segments 8 and 9 of tiers of the central
section 2 are releasably interconnected as well as releasably connected to the stern
section 3 and the front section 1 by means of connecting profiles 4 at right angle
to longitudinal axis (S
1S
2) of symmetry of the floorboard.
[0035] The floorboard is placed onto the elastic bottom of the boat regardless of inflation
degree of the sides (fully inflated, underinflated or fully deflated) as follows.
[0036] Front section 1 is pushed forward into the fore part of the boat bottom. Then, the
lengthwise stringers 5, if any, are placed between the boat side tubes and the bottom
of the boat. After the lengthwise stringers 5 have been mounted, one of segments 8
of one tier of the central section 2 is mounted, wherein the parallel bases of the
rectangular trapezoid are contacting the longitudinal stringers 5. The next segment
8 of this tier of central section 2 is likewise pushed in along the line of connection,
which is set at an angle (α) to longitudinal axis of symmetry of the floorboard. With
segment 8 fully pushed in, the segments 8 of one tier of central section 2 become
wedged against the lengthwise stringers 5, which in turn abut against the sides of
the boat. After one tier of central section 2 has been mounted, segments 9 of the
other tier as well as of the following tier of the central section 2 are mounted in
a sequential order. The central section 2 of the floorboard can include one or more
tiers, number of which depends on the length of inflatable boat. Then the stern section
3 is mounted, thereby segments 8 and 9 of the central section 2 are wedged, and the
front section 1 is pressed.
[0037] Demounting of the floorboard is carried out in reverse order regardless of inflation
degree of the sides (fully inflated, underinflated or fully deflated).
[0038] It should be mentioned that in case of some floorboard designs the front section
of the floorboard is also designed as a composite section, which does not change the
essence of the claimed technical solution.
[0039] Patent search that was carried out has proved international novelty and inventive
step of the present invention.
[0040] Prototype testing of demountable floorboard for inflatable boat has proved industrial
applicability of the invention and its relevance to the claimed technical results.
1. A demountable floorboard for inflatable boat, comprising a front section (1), a central
section (2) and a stern section (3), said sections (1; 2; 3) are provided with connecting
profiles (4) for releasable connection, wherein the central section (2) comprises
one or more tiers, each of said tiers is made of two segments (8, 9) shaped, when
seen from above, as rectangular trapezoids with an acute angle at one of their corners,
characterized in that the segments (8, 9) of tiers of the central section (2) are made in such a way that
the bases of said rectangular trapezoids are parallel to the symmetry axis of the
floorboard when assembled.
2. The demountable floorboard according to claim 1, characterized in that said segments (8, 9) are provided with connecting profiles (4) which ensure their
releasable intercon nection.
3. The demountable floorboard according to any of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises lengthwise stringers (5), wherein the bases of said trapezoids are provided
with side profiles (6) which are inserted into said lengthwise stringers (5).
4. The demountable floorboard according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each of the profiles (4) interconnecting said sections (1, 2; 2, 3) is made as a
single piece continuously extending along the whole joint.
5. The demountable floorboard according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, each of said tiers is made of segments (8, 9) shaped, when seen from above, as rectangular
trapezoids.
6. An inflatable boat having a demountable floorboard according to any of the preceding
claims.
1. Demontierbare Bodenplatte für ein aufblasbares Boot, aufweisend einen Frontabschnitt
(1), einen zentralen Abschnitt (2) und einen Heckabschnitt (3), wobei besagte Abschnitte
(1, 2, 3) zur lösbaren Verbindung mit Verbindungsprofilen (4) versehen sind, wobei
der zentrale Abschnitt (2) eine oder mehrere Einheiten aufweist, wobei jede der besagten
Einheiten aus zwei Segmenten (8, 9) gebildet ist, welche, wenn von oben betrachtet,
als rechtwinklige Trapeze geformt sind mit einem spitzen Winkel an einer ihrer Ecken,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Segmente (8, 9) der Einheiten des zentralen Abschnitts (2) in einer solchen Weise
gebildet sind, dass die Grundseiten der besagten rechtwinkligen Trapeze parallel zur
Symmetrieachse der Bodenplatte sind, wenn diese zusammengebaut ist.
2. Demontierbare Bodenplatte gemäß Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass besagte Segmente (8, 9) mit Verbindungsprofilen (4) versehen sind, welche deren lösbare
Verbindung gewährleistet.
3. Demontierbare Bodenplatte gemäß einem der Ansprüche 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie Längsversteifungen (5) aufweist, wobei die Grundseiten der besagten Trapeze mit
Seitenprofilen (6) versehen sind, welche in besagte Längsversteifungen (5) eingesetzt
sind.
4. Demontierbare Bodenplatte gemäß einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass jedes der Profile (4), welche besagte Abschnitte (1, 2; 2, 3) miteinander verbinden,
als ein einziges Stück hergestellt ist, welches sich durchgehend entlang der gesamten
Verbindungsstelle erstreckt.
5. Demontierbare Bodenplatte gemäß einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass jede der besagten Einheiten aus Segmenten (8, 9) besteht, welche, wenn von oben betrachtet,
als rechtwinklige Trapeze geformt sind.
6. Aufblasbares Boot mit einer demontierbaren Bodenplatte gemäß einem der vorangegangenen
Ansprüche.
1. Planche de sol démontable pour bateau gonflable, comprenant une section avant (1),
une section centrale (2) et une section arrière (3), lesdites sections (1, 2, 3) étant
pourvues de profils de connexion (4) pour une connexion amovible, dans laquelle la
section centrale (2) comprend un ou plusieurs gradins, chacun desdits gradins est
constitué de deux segments (8, 9) en forme, lorsque vus de dessus, de trapèzes rectangulaires
avec un angle aigu à l'un de leurs coins,
caractérisé en ce que les segments (8, 9) de gradins de la section centrale (2) sont réalisés de telle
manière que les bases desdits trapèzes rectangulaires sont parallèles à l'axe de symétrie
de la planche de sol lorsqu'ils sont assemblés.
2. Planche de sol démontable selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que lesdits segments (8, 9) sont munis de profils de connexion (4) qui assurent leur
interconnexion amovible.
3. Planche de sol démontable selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 ou 2, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend des lisses longitudinales (5), les bases desdits trapèzes étant munies
de profils latéraux (6) qui sont insérés dans lesdites lisses longitudinales (5).
4. Planche de sol démontable selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 3, caractérisée en ce que chacun des profils (4) reliant lesdites sections (1, 2 ; 2, 3) est réalisé en une
seule pièce s'étendant de manière continue tout au long du joint.
5. Planche de sol démontable selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 4, caractérisée en ce que chacun desdits gradins est constitué de segments (8, 9) ayant la forme, lorsqu'ils
sont vus de dessus, de trapèzes rectangulaires.
6. Bateau gonflable présentant une planche de sol démontable selon l'une quelconque des
revendications précédentes.