Self righting, automatically inflatable life raft

Claim 1

In combination, a raft container formed of separable sections, a life raft having circumferential inflatable side walls and a floor folded within said container, a source of compressed gas, a sleeve securing said source of compressed gas to one wall of said life raft, valve means coupling said inflatable side walls and said source of compressed gas, strap means secured to said sleeve and separably encompassing a central portion of said folded life raft around said inflatable side walls adjacent said source of compressed gas to temporarily restrict inflation around the encompassed portion, said strap means including a breakable string separable upon continued inflation of said inflatable side walls, and a lanyard extending from said valve means to exterior of said container whereby a yank on said lanyard will activate said valve means to inflate said raft to sequentially separate the sections of said container to free said raft therefrom, then further inflate the non-central portions of said side walls to position said raft in a self-righting orientation, then further inflate said raft to break said string to eliminate the inflation restriction and complete inflation of the raft in the proper erect orientation.