Inflatable hull structure and method of forming an inflatable boat hull

Abstract

An inflatable boat includes a bottom structure made up of two or more inflated bottom tubes. Each bottom tube extends along the longitudinal axis of the boat from the stern end of the boat to the bow end of the boat. The bottom tubes are arranged side-by-side along at least a portion of their length, and when in an inflated condition, may directly provide a portion of the hull surface for the boat or at least support further components which provide portions of the hull surface. A front end of preferably each bottom tube is raised vertically relative to a back end of the respective bottom tube at the stern of the boat, and the relative size and/or position of the bottom tubes may be selected to define a desirable hull profile for the boat such as a V-shaped hull profile.

1 . An inflatable boat including:
 (a) a peripheral tube structure including a right side tube and a left side tube which, in an inflated condition, define right and left sides of the boat, respectively, and each extend along a longitudinal axis of the boat from a stern end of the boat to a bow end of the boat, and meet at the bow end of the boat; and   (b) two or more bottom tubes which, in an inflated condition, define a bottom support structure of the boat extending laterally across the space between the right side tube and left side tube, each bottom tube extending along the direction of the longitudinal axis of the boat with a front end of each bottom tube raised vertically relative to a back end of the respective tube at the stern end of the boat, the bottom tubes residing side-by-side along at least a portion of their length to form the bottom support structure.   
     
     
         2 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  wherein the peripheral tube structure is offset vertically in the bow end of the boat relative to the portion of the peripheral tube structure at the stern end of the boat. 
     
     
         3 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  including three or more bottom tubes. 
     
     
         4 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the bottom tubes intersects the peripheral tube structure at the bow end of the boat. 
     
     
         5 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  wherein the bottom tubes are connected together by flexible connecting material to form the bottom tube structure. 
     
     
         6 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  further including a floor member to which each bottom tube is connected to retain each bottom tube in a desired configuration relative to each other bottom tube. 
     
     
         7 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  further including a bottom forming material positioned to receive one or more of the bottom tubes and provide a bottom surface for the inflatable boat. 
     
     
         8 . The inflatable boat of  claim 7  further including a top forming material positioned to receive one or more of the bottom tubes and provide a floor surface within the inflatable boat. 
     
     
         9 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  further including a floor structure mounted above the bottom tubes. 
     
     
         10 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the bottom tubes is tapered in the bow end of the boat to a smaller cross sectional dimension in the direction from the stern end of the boat to the bow end of the boat. 
     
     
         11 . The inflatable boat of  claim 10  wherein each tapered bottom tube has a tapered portion that curves upwardly toward the bow end of the boat. 
     
     
         12 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  wherein each pair of adjacent bottom tubes define a respective upright I-beam segment of bottom tube material there between. 
     
     
         13 . The inflatable boat of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the bottom tubes comprises a bilge tube providing a lowermost bottom surface of the boat along a portion of its respective length and a bottom tube adjacent to one of the bilge tubes provides a lower surface which is raised vertically with respect to a lower surface of that bilge tube at least along a portion of the length of that bilge tube. 
     
     
         14 . A method of forming an inflatable boat hull for a boat including a peripheral tube structure having a right side tube and a left side tube which, in an inflated condition, define right and left sides of the boat respectively and each extend along a longitudinal axis of the boat from a stern end of the boat to a bow end of the boat, and meet at the bow end of the boat, the method including:
 (a) arranging two or more bottom tubes side-by-side to form a bottom tube assembly extending laterally in the area between the right side tube and the left side tube;   (b) connecting a front end of each bottom tube to the peripheral tube structure at the bow end of the boat with each bottom tube also extending rearwardly along the longitudinal axis of the boat to the stern end of the boat;   (c) connecting the bottom tube assembly at a right side thereof to the right side tube and connecting the bottom tube assembly at a left side thereof to the left side tube; and   (d) inflating each bottom tube to an inflated condition in which at least two or more of the bottom tubes include a front portion which is raised vertically with respect to a back portion of the respective bottom tube at the stern end of the boat.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the bottom tube assembly includes one or more inflatable bladders contained in at least one of the bottom tubes and inflating each such bottom tube includes inflating the one or more inflatable bladders. 
     
     
         16 . A boat including:
 (a) two or more adjacent bottom tubes which, in an inflated condition, form a bottom structure making up at least a portion of a lowermost part of a hull of the boat, the lowermost part of the hull comprising a part located below a waterline for the boat when the boat is resting in an operating position on a body of water; and   (b) each bottom tube extending in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the boat and having a respective front end that is raised vertically with respect to at least a portion of that bottom tube.   
     
     
         17 . The boat of  claim 16  wherein the two or more adjacent bottom tubes include:
 (a) one or more center bottom tubes having a first transverse dimension; and 
 (b) one or more outer bottom tubes outside of one of the one or more center bottom tubes, the one or more outer bottom tubes having a second transverse dimension smaller than the first transverse dimension of the one or more center bottom tubes. 
 
     
     
         18 . The boat of  claim 16  wherein the bottom structure includes a sufficient number of adjacent bottom tubes to extend laterally across the width of the boat to form an integral deck for the boat or an integral deck support surface. 
     
     
         19 . The boat of  claim 16  further including:
 (a) an inflatable right side peripheral tube extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis along a right side of the bottom support structure to define a right side of the boat; and 
 (b) an inflatable left side peripheral tube extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis along a left side of the bottom support structure to define a left side of the boat, the right and left side peripheral tubes extending inwardly toward a centerline of the boat and meeting at a bow end of the boat, and the right and left side peripheral tubes defining a peripheral tube structure for the boat. 
 
     
     
         20 . The boat of  claim 19  wherein the bottom tubes intersect the peripheral tube structure at the bow end of the boat.