Liferaft

Claim 1

A liferaft for use in a dry crane or davit launched evacuation rescue, comprising in combination: a base having a floor panel; a generally circular main annular buoyancy chamber affixed to and superimposed upon said base; an annular backrest chamber superimposed upon and attached to said main annular buoyancy chamber; an annular spaced seat chamber affixed to said base and disposed generally concentrically within said generally circular main annular buoyancy chamber and superimposed upon said floor panel of said base; a seat panel mamber attached to and extending from an upper surface of said main annular buoyancy chamber to an upper surface of said annular spaced seat chamber and subtending an annular space therebetween; a plurality of dividing walls internaly dividing said seat chamber into a plurality of sub-compartments while allowing a limited bi-directional gas flow therethrough and preventing complete flattening of any one sub-compartment by the momentum of the occupants upon impact of the raft with a surface; a plurality of ducts interconnecting said main buoyancy chamber with said annular spaced seat chamber; and non-return valve means disposed within said ducts for controlling inflation of said buoyancy chamber and said annular spaced seat chamber and preventing exhaustion from said annular spaced seat chamber impact.