Inflatable floating boat lift

• US 5,860,379 A
• Filed: 08/22/1997
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth D. Moody
• Original Assignee: Kenneth D. Moody
• Inventors: Moody, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotelo, Jesus D.
• Application Number:
  US08/916,653
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 114/44, 114/45, 114/48-50, 114/52-54, 114/263, 405/3, 405/11-14
• US Class Current: 114/54
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 1/06 Arrangements of pumping or filling equipment for raising or lowering docks
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 3/06 by vertical movement of vessel, i.e. by crane

Abstract

An inflatable floating boat lift device constructed of a flexible impermeable fabric comprising main air chambers and a network of hoses and valves connected to a blower controlling the inflation and deflation of each main chamber independently. This device provides vertical lifting and stability of the boat while floating at the surface of the water. There are smaller adjustable buoyancy devices inside the main air chambers that provide floatation of the device when the main chambers are deflated. These buoyancy devices also guide the boat onto the lifting device. On some embodiments, a level sensing device activates blowout plugs that rapidly return the boat to it'"'"'s original floating position.

Claims

1. An inflatable floating airbag assembly for the purpose of raising a boat above the water comprising:

at least one air chamber that when inflated, raises and supports the boat above the water;

whereas said chamber provides stability;

at least one buoyant device attachable to the at least one air chamber which provides floatation for the inflatable floating airbag assembly when the at least one air chamber is deflated;

an air supply system connectable to the at least one air chamber for providing air thereto;

wherein supplying air to the at least one air chamber acts to inflate the at least one air chamber thereby raising the boat above the water and removing air from the at least one air chamber acts to lower the boat back into the water.

2. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one buoyant device is internal to the at least one air chamber.

3. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one buoyant device is external to the at least one air chamber.

4. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one buoyant device includes an auxiliary inflatable air chamber having a means mounted to the at least one buoyant device for supplying and removing air therefrom, and;

wherein the size of the at least one buoyant device can be altered by adding or removing air.

5. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one buoyant device is a non-inflatable device internal to the at least one air chamber.

6. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the non-inflatable device is external to the at least one air chamber.

7. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one buoyant device is attachable to at least a portion of the perimeter.

8. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one buoyant device provides a means for guiding the boat onto the inflatable floating airbag assembly.

9. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one buoyant device provides a means for stopping the boat is forward motion when maneuvering the boat onto the inflatable floating airbag assembly.

10. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one buoyant device provides a means for adjusting the size of a space for receiving a hull of the boat.

11. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 including:

a plurality of air chambers connectable together in a linear array.

12. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 including:

at least one pair of air chambers;

wherein the air chambers of each pair are connectable together side by side.

13. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 12 including:

a plurality of pairs of chambers connectable together in a linear array.

14. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 including:

at least one pair of air chambers;

wherein air chambers in a pair are connectable together side by side and;

at least one single air chamber;

wherein said at least one pair of chambers and said at least one single air chamber are connectable together in a linear array.

15. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 including:

a plurality of air chambers connectable together in a linear array providing a means for adjusting the attitude of the boat.

16. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 including:

a pair of air chambers connectable together side by side providing a means for adjusting the list of the boat.

17. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 including:

at least three air chambers connectable together to provide a means for adjusting the attitude of the boat and a means for adjusting the list of the boat.

18. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 including:

a means connectable to the at least one air chamber for removing air therefrom.

19. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 1 for raising a boat having a fin on the bottom of its hull comprising:

a rigid trough device attachable on a top side of the inflatable floating airbag assembly for protecting the inflatable floating airbag assembly from the fin on the bottom the hull.

20. An inflatable floating boat lift for the purpose of raising a boat above the water comprising:

at least one air chamber that when inflated, raises and supports the boat above the water;

whereas said chamber provides stability;

at least one buoyant device attachable to the at least one air chamber which provides floatation for the inflatable floating airbag assembly when the at least one air chamber is deflated;

an air supply system connectable to the at least one air chamber for providing air thereto;

wherein supplying air to the at least one air chamber acts to inflate the at least one air chamber thereby raising the boat above the water and removing air from the at least one air chamber acts to lower the boat back into the water;

a level sensing means mountable inside the boat for detecting undesirable list of the boat;

a means connectable to the at least one air chamber for rapid deflation thereof;

means for coupling the level sensing means to the means to rapidly deflate the at least one air chamber so that upon undesirable list of the boat, the air chamber is rapidly deflated whereby the boat returns to it'"'"'s original floating position in the water.

21. The inflatable floating boat lift of claim 20 comprising:

a valve connectable to at least one inflatable pipe plug insertable into a rigid cylinder attachable to each at least one air chamber;

thereby opening the valve releasing air from the at least one pipe plug, allowing the at least one pipe plug to constrict in size, so that the pressure in the at least one air chamber expels the at least one pipe plug from the at least one cylinder, whereby air rapidly escapes from the at least one air chamber, thereby lowering the boat to its original floating position in the water.

22. An inflatable floating airbag assembly for the purpose of raising a sailboat above the water comprising:

at least one air chamber that when inflated, raises and supports the boat above the water;

whereas said chamber provides stability;

at least one buoyant device attachable to the at least one air chamber which provides floatation for the inflatable floating airbag assembly when the at least one air chamber is deflated;

an air supply system connectable to the at least one air chamber for providing air thereto;

wherein supplying air to the at least one air chamber acts to inflate the at least one air chamber thereby raising the boat above the water and removing air from the at least one air chamber acts to lower the boat back into the water;

a rigid frame device separating portions of the at least one air chamber and attachable to at least a portion of the at least one air chamber, thereby providing a space for a keel of the sailboat.

23. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 22 including:

at least one detachable structural support movable to a position coupled to said rigid frame for providing additional support to said frame.

24. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 23 wherein the rigid frame includes:

at least one pair of rigid pegs connectable to and protruding down from the rigid frame to receive said at least one detachable structural support.

25. The inflatable floating airbag assembly of claim 24 wherein the rigid frame includes:

at least one pair of rigid guides for ropes connectable to said rigid frame;

at least one pair of ropes for connection to said at least one detachable structural support, and threadable through said at least one pair of rigid guides;

whereby pulling on the ropes causes the at least one structural support to rise and engage with the at least one pair of pegs, whereby adding structural support to the said rigid frame.