US20080257248A1

US20080257248A1 - Portable Emergency Floatation System For a Vessel

Info

Publication number: US20080257248A1
Application number: US11/737,021
Authority: US
Inventors: Cortes W. Randell
Original assignee: Save A Life Inc
Current assignee: SAVE-A-LIFE Inc; Save A Life Inc
Priority date: 2007-04-18
Filing date: 2007-04-18
Publication date: 2008-10-23

Abstract

An emergency floatation system for a vessel in a body of water includes a portable canister having a removable lid; and an inflatable bag contained in the portable canister in a collapsed or deflated form, and wherein the inflatable bag is removable from the canister and inflatable to provide buoyancy to the vessel in an emergency condition.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate generally to systems and methods for keeping a vessel afloat following an accident or emergency. More specifically, aspects of the present invention relate to a compact and portable floatation device that can be activated to inflate to provide buoyancy to a vessel in distress.
2. Description of the Related Art
Boating accidents claim hundreds of lives each year. Many of these fatal accidents involve boats that sink after becoming swamped or after hitting an underwater obstruction such as a pylon or sunken log or reef. In such a situation, passengers and crew are forced to abandon ship and may be plunged into the water after the boat sinks. Personal floatation devices such as life rafts may be inadequate to protect against hypothermia and the perils of the open water. Further, persons in the water without a floating boat to pinpoint their location are more difficult to spot and rescue. Even a boat that remains at least partially above water provides more protection and safety than a boat that has sunk to the bottom. Therefore, many lives could be saved by keeping a vessel afloat following an accident or emergency.
A boat in danger of sinking can be kept afloat by providing buoyancy to the boat as soon as the danger is recognized. However, conventional emergency floatation systems for vessels are typically devices that are permanently installed on the inside or outside of the vessel. Such devices may require expensive installation and may take up a lot of space in the vessel and interfere with the aesthetics and normal operation of the boat. Moreover, a person who owns several boats is not able to conveniently move a conventional installed emergency floatation system from one boat to another and must install a separate system in each boat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an emergency floatation system comprises a portable canister and an inflatable bag contained in a collapsed or deflated form in the portable canister, and wherein the inflatable bag is removable from the canister and inflatable to provide buoyancy to the vessel in an emergency condition. According to an aspect of the present invention, a weather balloon can be used as the inflatable bag.
An emergency floatation system for a vessel in a body of water, comprising an inflatable bag that is impermeable to gas and water; and at least one activatable foam and/or gas generating precursor pre-positioned inside the inflatable bag.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an emergency floatation system for a vessel in a body of water comprises first and second foam precursor compositions that react to generate foam and gas when placed in contact with each other; an inflatable bag that holds the first and second foam precursors in separate frangible compartments in the inflatable bag when the inflatable bag is in a collapsed state and that is expanded to an expanded state by generated foam and gas when the separate frangible compartments are ruptured to place the first and second foam precursor compositions in contact with each other, wherein the inflatable bag is impermeable to gas and water, and wherein the inflatable bag provides buoyancy to a vessel in an emergency. The emergency floatation system according to this embodiment may also include a portable canister that stores the inflatable bag when the inflatable bag is in the collapsed state.
Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side perspective view of an emergency floatation system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the emergency floatation system with the lid of the canister removed and showing the inflatable bag stored inside;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the inflatable bag in collapsed form, removed from the canister;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the inflatable bag in inflated form;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a boat having an enclosed cabin and having the inflatable bag in inflated form inside the cabin;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of an open seat boat having the inflatable bag in inflated form attached to seats of the boat;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an emergency floatation system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a variation of the emergency floatation system of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of an emergency floatation system including the inflatable bag in collapsed form, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of the inflatable bag of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic top view of a variation of the inflatable bag of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an emergency floatation system according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a variation of the emergency floatation system of FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a portable canister 10 according to an aspect of the present invention contains an inflatable bag 30 in a collapsed or deflated form. The portable canister 10 may be formed of any suitable impact-resistant material such as, for example, metal or hard plastic, and may also be padded or insulated. The portable canister 10 may include a lid 20 that seals the interior of the canister from outside elements and that can be popped off or screwed off to provide access to the inflatable bag 30 inside. The lid 20 of the portable canister 10 may include a tamper-resistant seal such that any unauthorized access or tampering with the contents of the canister can be detected. The portable canister 10 may have any shape, including, for example, rectangular or cylindrical, as long as the portable canister 10 provides an opening through which the inflatable bag 30 can be easily removed in an emergency. As a non-limiting example, the portable canister may occupy a space of less than 2 cubic feet. As another non-limiting example, the portable canister may be approximately the same size as a 2.5 lb., 5 lb. or 10 lb. capacity fire extinguisher. As another non-limiting example, the canister may have an insulation liner inside the canister.
The inflatable bag 30 may be made of any material that is flexible and strong enough so that when the inflatable bag 30 is inflated with foam and/or gas, the foam and/or gas stays inside and water is kept out. For example, the inflatable bag may be made of a rubberized or flexible polymer material. As a non-limiting example, the inflatable bag may be made of TYVEK® (DuPont).
Referring to FIG. 3, the inflatable bag 30 in its compressed or deflated form may be folded so that it can be stored conveniently inside the canister. The inflatable bag 30 may include a sealable inlet 40 through which a compressed gas or foam can be forced into the inflatable bag 30 for inflation and that can be sealed when the bag is inflated. The sealable inlet 40 can be configured to interface with a source of compressed gas such as, for example, a gas cartridge, gas tank, scuba tank, a fire extinguisher containing compressed gas or foam, or a pump. The sealable inlet 40 may also be configured to allow the insertion of a foam or gas generating material into the inflatable bag 30 to provide inflation.
The inflatable bag 30 may have any convenient shape when inflated, such as spherical, ovoid or rectangular. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the inflatable bag when inflated may be spherical or ovoid. The inflatable bag 30 should have a sufficient size such that when the inflatable bag is inflated, it can provide buoyancy to a vessel in an emergency. As a specific, non-limiting example, the inflatable bag 30 may inflate to a length of at least 2 feet in its shortest dimension. As a further specific, non-limiting example, the inflatable bag 30 may inflate to a length of up to 6 feet in its longest dimension. As a general guideline, one can use the approximate weight of water (about 62 lbs. per cubic feet or 1 kilogram per liter) to calculate the amount of cubic feet of buoyancy required to float a boat of a given weight. For example, in order to provide buoyancy to a very small boat such as a kayak or canoe, an inflatable bag 30 that inflates to a capacity about one or two cubic feet may be enough. Similarly, for a 6,000 lb. boat, an inflatable bag 30 that inflates to a capacity of about 100 cubic feet may be enough. As a further specific, non-limiting example, the inflatable bag 30 may inflate to a capacity of up to 150 cubic feet. As a further specific non-limiting example, the inflatable bag 30 may inflate to an ovoid shape that is about 3.75 by 5 feet. As an upper limit on the size of the inflatable bag 30, if the emergency floatation system is to be used in a boat having a closed cabin, the inflatable bag 30 typically should not inflate to a dimension that is larger than the closed cabin, so as to not place an additional strain on the inflatable bag 30 or on the cabin structure. The inflatable bag 30 may be custom made with regard to a particular vessel cabin space in which the inflatable bag 30 might be used; however, such customization may add unnecessary cost and typically may not be necessary. As a further upper limit on the size of the inflatable bag 30, the inflatable bag 30 should be small enough so that the canister 10 containing the inflatable bag 30 is easily transported.
The inflatable bag 30 may be formed as a single piece or may be formed as panels that are sealed together to be water-tight and gas-tight. As a non-limiting example, the inflatable bag 30 may be a large balloon structure such as a weather balloon. Weather balloons are typically collapsible, water-tight, air-tight, made of a sufficiently tough material such as rubber, and have a sealable inlet that is configured to interface with a source of compressed gas. Weather balloons are commercially available in a range of sizes and are typically sold according to their un-inflated weight. For purposes of the present embodiment, a weather balloon having a weight of 200 grams or more may be used as the inflatable bag 30. Such a weather balloon may have an inflated diameter of 45 inches, for example. As a specific, non-limiting example, the weather balloon may have a weight of up to 300 grams, which typically provides an inflated diameter of 60 inches. It is to be understood that it is not necessary to fill the weather balloon with a lighter-than-air gas, as one would do when using the weather balloon for meteorological purposes. Moreover, it is not necessary to fill the weather balloon to its fullest theoretical capacity. When used as an inflatable bag 30 according to aspects of the present invention, the weather balloon may be inflated with any gas, foam or other material that provides buoyancy in water.
The emergency floatation system according to aspects of the present invention may be used in an open seat boat, such as a bass boat, for example, by providing the inflatable bag with one or more fasteners to attach the inflatable bag to a structure, such as, for example, a bench or seat, of the open seat boat. For example, the inflatable bag 30 may be provided with one or more hooks, straps, bungee cords, etc., to attach the inflatable bag 30 to the boat.
The emergency floatation system according to aspects of the present invention may be used in any type of vessel that may encounter an emergency that places the vessel in danger of sinking in a body of water. In particular, the emergency floatation system may be used in a boat, such as a recreational watercraft. However, the emergency floatation system is not limited to boats, and may also be used in other types of vessels such as airplanes or helicopters, since these vessels may also be in danger of sinking if they crash in a body of water. For larger or heavier vessels, more than one emergency floatation system may be used. In addition, the emergency floatation system may be used in various forms of personal life saving devices, wherein a modified canister will provide an expandable balloon expanded by foam and/or gas.
The emergency floatation system according to aspects of the present invention may be stored in any convenient location aboard a vessel. The portable canister 10 containing the inflatable bag 30 may be kept aboard the vessel when the vessel is not being used, or it can be taken off the vessel when the vessel is not being used and stored at another site or used in a different vessel.
According to an aspect of the present invention, when the emergency floatation system is needed to provide buoyancy to a vessel in an emergency condition, such as when the vessel begins to fill with water due to a collision or structural failure, the portable canister 10 is opened, the inflatable bag 30 in a collapsed or deflated form is removed from the canister and is inflated to provide buoyancy to the vessel. For example, the inflatable bag 30 may be coupled to a source of compressed gas, such as air, nitrogen or CO₂or to a source of foam. As a specific, non-limiting example, since boats are typically required to have fire extinguishers on board, if the boat is not on fire and the fire extinguisher is not immediately necessary to put out a fire, the fire extinguisher can be used as a source of compressed gas or foam to inflate the inflatable bag.
For example; as shown in FIG. 5, if the vessel is a boat 50 having a closed cabin 55, the inflatable bag 30 may be inflated in the closed cabin 55 and is held in place by the structure of the closed cabin 55 to provide buoyancy to the boat 50.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, if the vessel is an open seat boat 60, such as bass boat, canoe, rowboat, lifeboat, dinghy, etc., the inflatable bag 30 may include fasteners such as hooks 63 such that the inflatable bag 30 can be tied with ropes or cords 65 to structures of the boat, such as seats 67. Any type of fastener that keeps the inflatable bag 30 from floating away from the boat and passengers may be used.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, the portable canister 10 may contain both the inflatable bag 30 and a container 15 holding compressed gas and/or foam to inflate the inflatable bag 30. The container 15 fits inside the portable canister 10 and is fluidly connected to the inflatable bag by a passageway 17 that is closed except when the inflatable bag is being inflated. Typically, to allow for easy access to the inflatable bag 30, the portable canister 10 would be packed so that the container 15 containing the compressed gas or foam is near the bottom of the canister 10 and the inflatable bag is nearest the open end of the canister. The advantage of this alternative is that it provides a self-contained emergency floatation system that can be especially advantageous for small boats, canoes and kayaks. For example, in a very small boat, an emergency may happen so fast that there is not time to remove the inflatable bag 30 from the portable canister 10 and look around the boat for a fire extinguisher, scuba tank or other source of foam or gas that can be used to inflate the inflatable bag 10. Moreover, in a small boat, there may not be enough room to store both an emergency floatation system and a separate source of gas or foam. The emergency floatation system described in this alternative may include a triggering device such as a button, lever or cord with an attached handle or other types of triggering device that opens the passageway between the source of gas or foam and the inflatable bag such that pressing the button, pulling the lever, pulling the cord, or striking the bag, etc., causes the inflatable bag to become filled with foam or gas. While the inflatable bag 30 is expanding from the foam or gas, the inflatable bag can be removed from the portable canister 10, either by pulling the inflatable bag 30 out of the canister or by allowing the force of the foam and/or gas to propel the inflatable bag 30 from the canister 10 or by a combination of both actions. As a further example, as shown in FIG. 7, the inflatable bag may be attached to a pull cord 25 such that the inflatable bag 30 can be pulled out of the canister 10 by pulling on the pull cord 25. The passageway 17 between the inflatable bag 30 and the container 15 having the source of gas or foam can be configured with a valve or breakable seal 18 such that the action of pulling the inflatable bag 30 out of the canister 10 opens the valve or seal 18 in the passageway 17 so that gas or foam flows into and inflates the inflatable bag 30. Thus, the pull cord 25 may serve both as a pulling aid for pulling the inflatable bag out of the canister 10 and as a triggering device for effecting the opening of the passageway between the container 15 and the inflatable bag 30. As shown in FIG. 8, the pull cord 25 could be attached to the lid of the canister 20 such that when the lid 20 is removed from the canister 10, the inflatable bag 30 is pulled out of the canister 10. Thereby, it is possible to provide a rapid-response emergency floatation system for small boats, kayaks and canoes.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an emergency floatation system may be provided by an inflatable bag that is inflated by foam and/or gas generated in situ inside the inflatable bag. The emergency floatation system may comprise an inflatable bag that is impermeable to gas and water; and at least one activatable foam and/or gas generating precursor pre-positioned inside the inflatable bag. As used herein, the term “at least one activatable foam and/or gas generating precursor” refers to a material or a combination of materials that can be stored inertly inside the inflatable bag and that can be activated when needed to inflate the bag with a foam and/or gas generated inside the bag. Unlike the inflatable bag 30 described previously, the inflatable bag of this embodiment contains all the components needed for generating a foam or gas, such as foam and/or gas generating precursors, pre-installed and sealed inside such that coupling the inflatable bag to an external gas source is not necessary. Therefore, the inflatable bag of this embodiment does not need a sealable inlet for admitting a gas.
Referring to FIG. 9, an inflatable bag 300 in collapsed form may contain first and second compartments 310, 320 that contain separate components or compositions that generate foam and/or gas when combined. As a non-limiting example, foam and gas may be generated by combining foam precursor compositions that include an isocyanate in one composition and a polyol in the other composition. The isocyanate and a polyol react with each other in water to generate CO₂and a urethane polymer, which is foamed by the bubbling action of the generated CO₂. In a typical polyurethane foaming reaction, the generated polyurethane foam and CO₂have a volume that is much greater than the volume of the two foam precursor compositions. Therefore, when used in an inflatable bag 300 according to this embodiment, the force of the generated foam and CO₂gas causes the inflatable bag 300 to expand. The polyurethane foam and CO₂have a combined density much less than water, so that the inflatable bag, when inflated, is able to provide buoyancy.
According to this embodiment, the two foam precursor compositions are pre-disposed in the separate compartments 310, 320 inside the inflatable bag 300 until it becomes necessary to combine them to generate foam to inflate the inflatable bag 300. For example, the first compartment 310 may contain an isocyanate compound and the second compartment 320 may contain a polyol and water. The second compartment 320 may also contain catalysts, initiators, foaming agents and other components. To inflate the inflatable bag 300, the contents of the separate compartments are combined inside the bag to generate foam. For convenience, the separate compartments 310, 320 may be frangible or may have frangible seals between them so that a user can break open the separate compartments to mix the foam precursor compositions without having to physically open the inflatable bag 300. For example, separate compartments 310, 320 can be configured such that the user can hit the inflatable bag 300 sharply at a designated spot to break open the separate compartments inside the inflatable bag 300 and mix the foam precursor compositions. As shown in FIG. 10, the inflatable bag 300 may have a marking 330, such as, for example, a target design or other symbol to indicate to a user where the bag should be struck in order to activate the foam-generating components. Alternatively, as described more fully below, the inflatable bag 300 may include a triggering device.
Devices containing preinstalled foam precursor compositions in separate compartments of the device that can be ruptured to allow the foam precursors to mix and generate foam in place are known in the packaging industry. Such foam-in-place devices are typically used to prepare fragile items for shipping by providing cushioning that conforms to the shape of the item, thereby avoiding the need to use foam peanuts or bubble wrap. For example, a packaging device containing foam precursors may be placed in a container with the item to be shipped, and the foam reaction may be initiated so that a foam structure is created in place that surrounds the item. Such devices are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,419,134; 5,699,902; 5,899,325; and 5,996,782, incorporated herein by reference. Foaming components and configurations of frangible compartments that are used in the packaging industry may be adapted for use inside the inflatable bag 300 according to the present embodiment. However, it should be noted that whereas in packaging materials, excess gas produced in the foaming reaction is vented so that the gas does not adversely affect the quality of the foam produced, in an emergency floatation system according to the present embodiment, the quality of the foam produced in the foaming reaction is not an important issue, but rather the concern is with the amount of buoyancy that can be imparted to the inflatable bag 300. Therefore, gas-permeable materials or venting devices used in the foaming device used in the packaging industry may be omitted from embodiments of the present invention.
In other aspects, the emergency floatation system, including the inflatable bag 300 that is inflated by internally generated foam and/or gas, may have the same features as the emergency floatation system including the inflatable bag 30 that includes a sealable inlet. For example, the inflatable bag 300 may be stored in a portable canister 10 until the emergency floatation system is needed in an emergency. In this instance, the portable canister 10 protects the inflatable bag from being accidentally inflated by protecting the separate compartments 310, 320 from impact.
For very small boats, canoes and kayaks, it may be advantageous to provide the emergency floatation system including the inflatable bag 300, but omitting the canister 10. The reason is that space is more limited in a small vessel such as a small boat, canoe or kayak. Also, as mentioned above, emergencies may happen much faster in a smaller boat and a quicker reaction time may be required. Therefore, it may be desirable to have an emergency floatation system that can be accessed even faster as there may not be enough time to remove the inflatable bag 300 from a canister 10. Accordingly, the inflatable bag 300 may be stored in the boat or attached to a structural member such as underneath a seat. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 11, a triggering device such as a pull cord 325 may be attached directly to the inflatable bag 300 so that the rupturing of the separate compartments 310, 320 containing the first and second precursor compositions can be effected more easily. For example, the pull cord may connect to the inflatable bag 300 at a location such that the pulling force exerted on the inflatable bag 300 by pulling the pull cord 325 ruptures the separate compartments 310, 320 inside the inflatable bag 300. The inflatable bag 300 may also be triggered by striking the inflatable bag.
As discussed above, for boats that do not have an enclosed space such as a cockpit or cabin, the inflatable bag may include fasteners such as hooks 63 such that the inflatable bag 300 can be tied with ropes or cords 65 to structures of the boat, such as seats 67. Any type of fastener that keeps the inflatable bag 300 from floating away from the boat 60 and passengers may be used.
If the inflatable bag 300 is stored in a portable canister 10, a triggering device may be provided to initiate the reaction to inflate the inflatable bag 300 before it has been removed from the portable canister 10. For example, in a very small boat, an emergency may happen so fast that there may not be enough time to pull the inflatable bag 300 out of the portable canister 10, find the correct spot to hit on the outside of the inflatable bag 300 to break open the separate compartments 310, 320 inside and initiate the reaction to generate the foam and/or gas. To provide a quick activation of the inflation reaction, the portable canister 10 can include a button, lever or cord with an attached handle or other type of triggering device such that pressing the button, pulling the lever or pulling the cord, etc., effects the breaking of the separate compartments 310, 320 to combine the separate precursor compositions to generate the foam and/or gas. While the inflatable bag 300 is expanding from the generated foam or gas, the inflatable bag can be removed from the portable canister 10, either by pulling the inflatable bag 300 out of the canister or by allowing the force of the foam and/or gas generating reaction to propel the inflatable bag 300 from the canister 10 or by a combination of both actions. As shown in FIG. 12, a triggering device such as a pull cord 325 may be attached directly to the inflatable bag 300. When the inflatable bag 300 is stored in the canister 10, the pull cord 325 may serve both to aid in the pulling of the inflatable bag 300 from the canister and to exert a rupturing force on the separate compartments 310, 320 to initiate the foam and/or gas generating reaction. As shown in FIG. 13, the pull cord may be attached to the lid 20 of the canister 10 such that when the lid 20 is removed, the inflatable bag 300 is pulled out of the canister 10.
When inflated, the inflatable bag 300 may be placed in a cabin of a vessel such as a boat 50 having an enclosed cabin or may by fastened to a structure of a boat 60 that does not have an enclosed cabin, as shown with respect to the inflatable bag 30 in FIGS. 5 and 6.
Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An emergency floatation system for a vessel in a body of water comprising:

a portable canister; and

an inflatable bag contained in the portable canister in a collapsed or deflated form, and wherein the inflatable bag is removable from the canister and inflatable to provide buoyancy to the vessel in an emergency condition.

2. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the canister has a removable lid.

3. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bag inflates to a diameter of up to 6 feet in its longest dimension.

4. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the Inflatable bag Inflates to a capacity of at least 1 cubic foot.

5. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bag inflates to a capacity of up to 150 cubic feet.

6. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bag is a weather balloon.

7. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the canister occupies a space of less than 2 cubic feet.

8. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bag inflates by being connected to a source of compressed gas and/or foam and wherein the inflatable bag includes a sealable inlet that couples with the source of compressed gas and/or foam.

9. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the source of compressed gas and/or foam is a scuba tank, a fire extinguisher, a pump or a container holding a gas and/or foam generating composition.

10. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the vessel is a boat, helicopter or airplane having a closed cabin and wherein the inflatable bag fits within the closed cabin when the inflatable bag is inflated.

11. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, wherein the vessel is an open boat and wherein the inflatable bag includes at least one fastener that attaches the inflatable bag to a structure of the open boat.

12. The emergency floatation system of claim 1, further comprising:

a container contained inside the portable canister and containing compressed gas and/or foam,

wherein the inflatable bag and the container containing compressed gas and/or foam are fluidly connected by a passageway that is closed except when the inflatable bag is being inflated.

13. The emergency floatation system of claim 12, wherein the canister has an open end and a closed end and wherein the container containing compressed gas and/or foam is stored inside the canister adjacent to the closed end of the canister and the inflatable bag is stored inside the canister adjacent to the open end of the canister.

14. The emergency floatation system of claim 12, further including a triggering device operably connected to open the passageway between the inflatable bag and the container containing compressed gas and/or foam to inflate the inflatable bag.

15. The emergency floatation system of claim 14, wherein the canister has a lid covering the open end of the canister and wherein the inflatable bag and the triggering device are connected to the lid such that an action of removing the lid from the canister pulls the inflatable bag from the canister and activates the triggering device to open the passageway between the inflatable bag and the container containing compressed gas and/or foam to inflate the inflatable bag.

16. The emergency floatation system of claim 12, wherein the passageway connecting the inflatable bag and the container containing compressed gas and/or foam is opened by removing the inflatable bag from the canister and wherein the emergency floatation system further includes a pull cord attached to the inflatable bag.

17. An emergency floatation system for a vessel in a body of water, comprising:

an inflatable bag that is impermeable to gas and water; and

at least one activatable foam and/or gas generating precursor pre-positioned inside the inflatable bag.

18. An emergency floatation system for a vessel in a body of water, comprising:

first and second precursor compositions that react to generate foam and/or gas when placed in contact with each other; and

an inflatable bag that is impermeable to gas and water, that holds the first and second precursors in separate frangible compartments inside the inflatable bag when the inflatable bag is in a collapsed state and that is expanded to an expanded state by generated foam and/or gas when the separate frangible compartments are ruptured to place the first and second precursor compositions in contact with each other; such that the inflatable bag when expanded provides buoyancy to a vessel in an emergency.

19. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the first precursor composition is in a first separate frangible compartment and the second precursor composition is in a second separate frangible compartment.

20. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the first and second precursor compositions are liquids.

21. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the first precursor composition comprises an isocyanate and the second precursor composition comprises a polyol and water and wherein, when the first and second precursor compositions are placed in contact with each other, the first and second precursor compositions react to generate a polyurethane foam and CO₂.

22. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the separate frangible compartments of the inflatable bag are ruptured by applying a force to the inflatable bag at a designated location of the inflatable bag.

23. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the inflatable bag includes an external guide marking to identify the designated location to apply a force to the inflatable bag to rupture the separate frangible compartments.

24. The emergency floatation system of claim 22, wherein the force is applied to the inflatable bag by a triggering device coupled to the inflatable bag.

25. The emergency floatation system of claim 24 wherein the triggering device is a pull cord.

26. The emergency floatation system of claims 18, wherein the emergency floatation system further includes a portable canister that stores the inflatable bag when the inflatable bag is in the collapsed state.

27. The emergency floatation system of claim 26, wherein further including a triggering device coupled to the inflatable bag such that the separate frangible compartments can be ruptured while the inflatable bag is inside the portable canister.

28. The emergency floatation system of claim 27, wherein the triggering device is a button, lever or pull cord operably connected to the inflatable bag to rupture the separate frangible compartments.

29. The emergency floatation system of claim 27, wherein the triggering device is a pull cord that is connected to the inflatable bag to assist pulling the inflatable bag from the canister.

30. The emergency floatation system of claim 29, wherein the canister has a lid that covers the open end of the canister and wherein the pull cord is connected to the lid such that removing the lid from the canister pulls the inflatable bag out the canister and ruptures the separate frangible compartments to inflate the inflatable bag.

31. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the inflatable bag inflates to a diameter of up to 6 feet in its longest dimension.

32. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the inflatable bag inflates to a capacity of at least 1 cubic foot.

33. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the inflatable bag inflates to a capacity of up to 150 cubic feet.

34. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the canister occupies a space of less than 2 cubic feet.

35. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the vessel is a boat, helicopter or airplane having a closed cabin and wherein the inflatable bag fits within the closed cabin when the inflatable bag is inflated.

36. The emergency floatation system of claim 18, wherein the vessel is an open boat and wherein the inflatable bag includes at least one fastener that attaches the inflatable bag to a structure of the open boat.