A thin air bag/bladder, which when packaged and attached to an air valve system is inserted into an inflatable boat, or inflatable structure to repair a puncture or leak. This valve and adapter system is used to fasten and lock the valve structure in place during use After attachment to the air valve system, the packaged bag is inserted into the inflatable structure with a collapsible tent pole/stick through the pre-existing valve opening with newly installed adapter. A valve system and bag/bladder will be needed for each separate air chamber of the boat design, whatever the length, diameter, or number of individual chambers. This will allow a replacement bag to be user retrofitted at any later time, whenever needed to repair a puncture or leakage, in any inflatable boat, life-raft or inflatable device.

An aspirator assembly for an inflatable device may have an inner housing disposed about an axis with an outlet formed through the inner housing. An outer housing may also be disposed about the axis with a surface of the outer housing covering the outlet. The outer housing may be translatable relative to the inner housing to expose the outlet in response to a gas pressure within the aspirator assembly being above a threshold.

An aspirator system for inflating an inflatable device includes an aspirator body and a plurality of nozzles. The aspirator body has an inner surface and an outer surface that each extend between a first end and a second end along a central longitudinal axis. The aspirator body defines a distribution channel that is disposed between the inner surface and the outer surface. The plurality of nozzles are fluidly connected to the distribution channel and extend inwardly from the inner surface towards but are spaced apart from the central longitudinal axis.

Embodiments provide a swimming assist garment capable of adjusting buoyancy positions. In the embodiments, the swimming assist garment includes a swimsuit, a buoyancy mechanism, and a gas regulating mechanism. The inflatable end of the gas regulating mechanism is connected to first airbags of a first buoyancy assembly and a second airbag of a second buoyancy assembly. The first bidirectional air pumps are connected to each first airbag and each third airbag of the first buoyancy assembly; and a second bidirectional air pump is connected to the second airbag and the fourth airbag of the second buoyancy assembly, to change the buoyancy positions of the swimsuit to adapt to swimming postures or to support the head on the water.

An electro-pneumatic valve assembly includes a valve having a valve housing and a poppet and a solenoid valve having an actuator housing and a valve body. The valve housing has a wall that defines a valve inlet that is arranged to receive a fluid flow from a pressurized container and defines a valve outlet and a first port. The poppet is disposed within the valve housing and is movable between a first position and a second position. The actuator housing defines an opening. The valve body has a first wall that defines an inlet that is fluidly connected to the first port and a second wall that defines an outlet that is fluidly connected to the second port.

A recovery device can include a bladder, a canister, an opening mechanism, and a tether. The bladder can be disposable in an inflated configuration and an un-inflated configuration. The canister can contain a compressed fluid and be coupled with the bladder. The opening mechanism can be configured to selectively open the canister and direct the compressed fluid into the bladder. The tether can extend between a first end coupled to the bladder and a second end engageable with a vehicle. The bladder in the inflated configuration can define a volume of less than one-tenth of a cubic meter.

An aspirator assembly for an inflatable device includes an outer housing disposed about an axis, an inner housing disposed about the axis, and a manifold coupled through the outer housing to an annulus located between the inner housing and the outer housing, the manifold providing pressurized gas to said annulus via a plurality of gas ejector nozzles. The annulus may be divided into a plurality of annulus segments by a plurality of vanes protruding radially from the inner housing

A valve includes a valve body, an inlet in the valve body in fluid communication with the gas and an outlet in the valve body, and a rupture disc in fluid communication with and between the inlet and the outlet that prevents fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet. The valve also includes a piston that is urged by a gas from the gas source to rupture the rupture disc to allow fluid communication between the gas source and the outlet.

A method of operating an inflation system is provided. The method includes recognizing that the inflation system is activated or actuated by a user, supplying current to an electromagnet of a solenoid valve of the inflation system such that an armature-valve element of the solenoid valve is moved to an open position, wherein movement of the armature valve element to the open position actuates an actuator housing that in turn causes a normally-closed valve element of a valve housing of the inflation system to open, and ceasing current supply to the electromagnet once the actuator housing is actuated.

A valve assembly is provided and includes a valve housing, an actuator housing coupled to the valve housing and configured when actuated to open a normally-closed valve element in the valve housing whereby pressurized fluid is permitted to flow through the valve housing and a solenoid valve. The solenoid valve includes an armature-valve element balanced to remain in a closed position and an electromagnet. The electromagnet generates magnetic flux that moves the armature-valve element into an open position such that at least a portion of the pressurized fluid flows into the actuator housing to actuate the actuator housing.