Zodiac International

Bernard Franchetti

Dominique Pestel

Apparatus including an inflatable enclosure delimited by a flexible wall to which an accessory is secured. The wall has an opening defined by an edge to which a protruding reinforcement is secured; two rigid frames straddle the edge of the opening on each side of the wall, at least one frame including a groove accommodating the reinforcement; the two frames are clamped against one another, trapping the reinforcement in the groove; the accessory is secured to a frame; and the accessory mounted on the wall is leaktight with respect to the fluid used for inflating the enclosure.

Integrated accessory for an inflatable apparatus

A mixed hull inflatable craft convertible into a closed box for its storage or transport is disclosed. The hull has a rigid body (1) with a top edge (5), a plane to which is fixed an inflatable buoyancy tube (7), a rigid closing panel corresponding in contour to the edge and an inverted U-shaped profile (15) interlocking the tube to the hull. The profile overlaps the top edge (5) of the body and has a first groove (16) open upwards and inside the body, retaining a ring (18) carried by a flexible skirt (19) connected to the tube; a second groove (20) open upwards and outside the body, receiving the edge of the panel closing the body (1) in the closed box conformation and supporting the flexible skirt (19) of the inflated tube located outside the body in the craft conformation; and an elastomer bead (21) located on the outside under the second groove (20) forming a sealed bearing surface for the inflated tube (7) in the craft conformation.

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Le Vernet, France

Bernard Franchetti