BUOYANT RIGID SUNBATH AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME

Abstract

Buoyant rigid sunbath comprising at least one hull shaped so as to allow the lying position of at least one person so as it includes a core consisting of closed and hydrophobic cells able to ensure the buoyancy of the sunbath with the person lying thereon and sandwiched between two watertight rigid facings each constituting a hull, the assembly forming a panel shaped as desired.

Claims

1. A method for making a buoyant rigid sunbath comprising at least one hull shaped so as to allow the lying position of at least one person, comprising: constituting a panel integrating in its inner portion a core consisting of closed and hydrophobic cells able to ensure the buoyancy of the buoyant rigid sunbath with the person lying thereon, and said core is sandwiched between at least two watertight rigid facings having the desired shape, and able to ensure the mechanical strength of the sunbath by the created sandwich, each of these facings thus forming a hull.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the facings, consisting of organic materials and which also ensure the protection of the foam core regarding the environment (UV, water, handling, . . . ), are shaped by thermoforing.

3. A buoyant rigid sunbath comprising at least one hull shaped so as to allow the lying position of at least one person, and including an inner core consisting of hydrophobic closed cells able to ensure the buoyancy of the buoyant rigid sunbath with the person lying thereon and sandwiched between two watertight rigid facings each constituting a hull, the assembly forming a panel shaped as desired.

4. The buoyant rigid sunbath according to claim wherein the two facings are mechanically linked to the inner core and are able to transmit the forces and to provide the rigidity to the buoyant rigid sunbath.

5. The buoyant rigid sunbath according to claim 3, wherein the panel, consisting of the closed-cells of the inner core and of the facings, has at least the shape of a sine wave, obtained during the constitution of the sandwich and adapted to the lying position of at least one person.

6. The buoyant rigid sunbath according to claim 3, wherein at least an upper facing comprises on its face oriented outwardly at least either a color or a decoration.

7. The buoyant rigid sunbath according to claim 3, wherein the closed-cells of the inner core is a hydrophobic foam of a thickness ranging from 30 to 100 mm and of a density ranging from 10 to 300 kg/m.sup.3.

8. The buoyant rigid sunbath according to claim 3, wherein the facings are each of a thickness ranging from 1 to 10 mm and consisting at least of an organic material.

9. The buoyant rigid sunbath according to claim 8, wherein the facings are made of composite material consisting of fiber-based reinforcements and of an organic matrix.

10. The buoyant rigid sunbath according to claim 3, wherein a facing, called lower facing as opposite to a facing intended to support a person and called upper facing, comprises at least one flat surface.

11. The buoyant rigid sunbath according to claim 3, wherein the facings consist in sheets or plates, and an edge constituted of organic material is bonded to the section of the inner core and links the rims of the two facings on the entire periphery of the sunbath.

Description

[0044] The invention will be better understood using the description given with reference to the appended schematic drawings showing, by way of examples, several embodiments of the panel according to the invention.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a sunbath according to the invention,

[0046] FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view along DD of the sunbath in FIG. 1 without its peripheral edge,

[0047] FIG. 1B is a partial side view of the detail A of the sunbath of FIG. 1 without its peripheral edge,

[0048] FIG. 1C is a partial cross-sectional view along DD of the sunbath of FIG. 1 with its peripheral edge,

[0049] FIG. 1D is a partial side view of the detail A of the sunnbath of FIG. 1 with its peripheral edge,

[0050] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a sunbath with outer facings presenting each the shape of a sheet, or a plate or a skin, obtained by shaping technologies integrating peripheral rounded forms.

[0051] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the sunbath is composed of a core 2, disposed between two rigid facings, namely an outer facing 1, or called higher facing, having the aspect, the shape and the color of the sunbath or even may accommodate a pattern or photo and another facing called lower stiffening facing 3. In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the sunbath shows no edge 4 on its periphery but shows directly the section of the core 2.

[0052] In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, the sunbath is still composed of a core 2, disposed between two rigid facings 1 and 3 but integrating an edge 4. This edge 4 may be inserted or integrated with the facings 1 or 3 in order to create a closed double-hull shape and completely enclosing the core 2.

[0053] The lower facing 3, which may be qualified as stiffening facing, is separated from the outer/upper rigid facing 1 by the core 2 made in a closed-cells hydrophobic material in order to ensure the buoyancy. This lower stiffening facing 3 may have a flat surface in order to ensure the perfect bath stability of the sunbath during its use.

[0054] By way of example, a sandwich panel intended for king a sunbath of FIG. 2, consists of the following elements: [0055] the outer facings 1 and 3 formed of a sheet or plate which will match the shape of the sunbath or even by using a facing which has been formed in the shape of the sunbath by different systems such as the thermoforming, the vacuum molding, the spraying, . . . integrating or not the edge 4 or any other technique allowing to provide the shape of the sunbath. These facings 1 and 3 may be constituted of a homogeneous product of thickness ranging from 1 to 10 mm, such as a metallic or plastic (PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, ABS/ASA, ABS/PMMA, ASA, PP, etc.) product, or even a composite product consisting of fiber-based reinforcement (matt glass, rowing or any other organic material) and of an organic matrix such as a resin (epoxy, polyurethane, . . . ). These facings 1 and 3 will also allow guaranteeing the strength over time and more particularly UV. At least, the upper facing 1 may accommodate or comprise on its face oriented outwardly either a color or a decoration by printing technologies, inkjet, laser or even obtained by sublimation, transfer, by setting up a decoration film or any other decorative technology,

[0056] the central core 2 constituted of closed-cells hydrophobic material in order to provide the buoyancy, having a density comprised between 10 and 300 kg/m.sup.3, of a thickness ranging from 30 to 100 mm and which may be constituted of polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, polyvinyl chloride foam, polyethylene foam or any other organic or mineral cores having hydrophobic and, dosed cells in order to allow its buoyancy.

[0057] the edge 4 in the version during use of sheets or plates for the facings 1 and 3 which may consist of organic material, bonded on the section of the core 2 and linking the rims of the two facings 1, 3 over the entire periphery of the sunbath, it allows hiding said section of the core 2 on the sides of the sunbath, protecting the foam of this core 2 from the UV and from any other external attacks such as mechanical attacks during its handling.

[0058] Of course, the different layers of the panel are, in a known manner, linked to each other by an adhesive layer whose nature is adapted for products which must be assembled, except the case of the injection between the rigid outer facings representative of the shapes of the sunbath.