| US 7,523,713 B2 | ||
| Use of floatation material to support a vehicle in water | ||
| Robert Farris, 113 Rodborough Rd., Columbia, S.C. 29212 (US) | ||
| Filed on May 07, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/800,519. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0276852 A1, Nov. 13, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. B63B 43/10 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 114—68 | 1 Claim |
| 1. A method of improved vehicle safety by modifying a vehicle to include floatation material to make the vehicle float in
a top side up position when immersed in water including,
a vehicle having a drive train including an engine, having a floor, having a front hood over the engine, a passenger compartment
with seats, fender wells with voids and a trunk with a trunk lid,
the vehicle having a center of lift and a center of mass, the center of mass including the vehicle weight, cargo and passengers,
the passenger compartment being above the floor,
the front hood, passenger compartment, and trunk lid are all raised by the same height with respect to the drive train which
remains unchanged,
floatation material, the same height that the vehicle front hood, passenger compartment and trunk lid are raised, is attached
to the underside of the front hood, attached below the seats and the passenger compartment but above the floor, and attached
to the underside of the trunk lid,
floatation material is also attached to and fills the voids in the fender wells,
all of the floatation material adds enough buoyancy to cause the vehicle to float when immersed with the waterline being below
a passenger's upper torso and with all of the floatation material being placed to change the vehicle center of lift to be
above the vehicle center of mass to cause the vehicle to be in a top up position when immersed in water,
all of the floatation material also providing sound reduction and insulation to the passenger compartment.
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