Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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INFLATABLE LIFE PRESERVER BELT
BACKGROUN[) OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to personal floatation devices.
A number of different types of personal floatation devices are known in the
art. These pl rsonal floatation devices range from Type 11 floatation vests which
fit around thle upper torso of a person to belts of a buoyant material. The
particular design of the personal floatation device depends on the end use - i.e.
Type 11 floataltion vests are required to be used when boating and are designed
to keep the user in an almost upright position with the head held out of the water.
Generally, they are manufactured of a very thick floatation foam which makes
them relatively bulky. The vests are Idesigned with various types of zippers, tabs,
clips and the like.
Floatation belts are also widely available on the market and usually
comprise an ~longaled member of a buoyant material with strap means attached
at either end for securement about l:he waist of the user.
All of the above devices made of a buoyant material do suffer from the
disadvantage that they are relatively bulky and can inhibit the motions of the
wearer in many sihl~tions. This is palrticularly the case when the wearer is using
the device merely in the case of falling into the water but would otherwise require
or desire freedom of movement.
It is also known in the art to provide for personal noatalion devices in the
form of an inflatable member wherein the user wears the deflated floatation
device until the device is needed whereby an ~ssori~ted compressed gas
inflation device is actuated. However, many of the proposed devices have not
CA 0223l040 l998-0C,-06
received com,mercial acceptance as they are of a relatively complicated
construction which renders manufac:turing relatively expensive.
SUMMARY C)F THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved inflatable
floatation device having an inflatable! unit enclosed in a belt adapted to be worn
around the waist of the user.
It is al further object of the present invention to provide an inflatable
floatation device which is comfortable to wear and reliable in operation.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an inflatable
floatation device I which the inflatable unit is constructed so as to ensure quick
reliable operation when inflated.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an inflatable
floatation device having an oral inflaltion means configured to minimize the risk
of blockage.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an inflatable
floatation device which will conform to conventional forms of manufacturing, be
of simple construction and economically feasible.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
inflatable personal floatation device comprising an inflatable bladder, a cover
secured to th~ inflatable bladder, closure means associated with the cover, first
attachment rrleans for securing first and second ends of the cover together whenthe ir,nalat'e bladder is in an uninflated condition, second attachment means for
securing the first and second ends of the bladder togell,er when the inflatable
bladder is in an inflated condition, a compressed gas inflation device operatively
CA 02231040 1998-0~-06
connected to the inflatable bladder, the compressed gas inflation device including
a pressurized gas container, actuation means, and a first outlet nozle assembly
providing gaseous communication between the gas container and the inflatable
bladder, the first nozle assembly providing a plurality of gas outlet paths
arranged in different orientations with respect to each other, and manual oral
inflation means comprising a conduit and a second nozzle assembly providing
gaseous commun.~alion between the conduit and the inflatable bladder, a second
outlet nozzle assembly providing a plurality of gas outlet paths arranged in
different orientations with respect to each other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to
the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments thereof, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an inflatable
floatation device in a non-inflated configuration;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the inflatable floatation device of Figure
1 in a non-inflated configuration being wom around the waist of a user;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the innatable floatation device of Figure
1 in an inflate!d configuration;
Figure 4 is a per~pe~i~e view illu~ liny the inflatable floatation device in
an inflated configuration in association with a user of the same;
Figure! 5 is a cross sectional view of the inflatable floatation device in a
non-inflated configuration as taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1;
Figure 5A is a cross sectional view of the inflatable floatation device in an
inflated condition;
CA 0223l040 l998-0~-06
Figure 6 is an elevational view of the compressed gas inflation device of
the inflatable floatation device of the present invention;
Figure 6A is an elevational view of the nozle portion of the gas inflation
device;
Fi9Ure! 7 iS an elevational view similar to Figure 6 illustrating the
compressed gas inflation device with a different embodiment of a nozle;
Figure 7A is an elevational view showing the nozle of Figure 7;
Figure!s 8 8A and 8B illustrate alternative embodiments of different
nozzles which may be used in association with the compressed gas inflation
device;
Figure 9 is a side elevational view illustrating a manual inflation means in
accordance vvith an embodiment of l:he present invention;
Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 illustrating an alternative
embodiment thereof;
Figure 10A is a perspective view illustrating the nozle of Figure 10;
Figure 11 is a perspective vie~N illustrating a still further embodiment of a
nozle which may be utilized with the manual inflation means of Figures 9 and 10;
Figure! 12 is a view of the gas inflation device according to the present
invention;
Figure 13 is a top plan view of the inflatable floatation device of the
present invention in a non-inflated configuration; and
Figure 14 is a top plan view of the inflatable floatation device of the
present invention in an inflated configuration.
CA 02231040 1998-0~-06
DIESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference characters
thereto,
there is illustrated an inflatable personal floatation device which is generallydesignated by reference numeral 10.
Inflatalble floatation device 10 is comprised of an inflatable bladder 14
which is shown in Figure 5 in an uninlRated condition whiie in Figure 5A, inflatable
bladder 14 is shown in an inflated condition with the interior of the bladder 14being designated by reference numeral 15. As may be seen from Figure 5A,
bladder 14 has a somewhat oval configuration when inflated.
Associated with inflatable bladder 14 is a cover 16 which, as may be seen
in Figure 5A, is secured to innatable bladder 14 by a line of stitching 40. Cover
16 is designed to surround and enclose inflatable bladder 14 when it is in an
uninflated condilion. To this end, cover 16 may include means for fastening and
preferably, as is shown in Figure 5, I:he fastening means comprises a hook and
loop textile fastener such as is marketed under the Trademark Velcro. As will benoted, the upper portion or flap of cover 16 is designed to overlap the lower
portion or flap of cover 16 to prevent the ingress of any extraneous material such
as sand or the like.
Inflatable floatation device 10 has the overall configuration of a belt and
is designed to be worn about the waist of a wearer. As such, inflatable floatation
device 10 includes first attachment means for securing first and second ends
together when the inflatable bladder is in an uninflated condition. Thus, as maybe seen in Figures 1 and 2, straps 18 having buckle attachments 20 secured
CA 0223l040 l998-0~-06
thereto are designed to be secured together to hold inflatable floatation device10 in the required position on the walist of the wearer. A slopper buckle 22 is also
provided on strap 18.
In order to inflate inflatable floatation device 10, there is provided a
compressecl gas inflation device which is generally designated by reference
numeral 24. Compressed gas inflation device 24 includes, as may be seen in
Figures 6 and 12, a compressed gas container 26 which is held in position by
means of a retaining member 32. Compressed gas inflation device 24 also, as
seen in Figure 12, includes a release handle 30 which is operatively connected
to a release! mechanism 52. Such mechanisms are well known in the art and
need not be described in greater detail herein.
Compressed gas inflation device 24 also includes an upper nut 56, an
upper washer 54, a valve 48, a lower washer 50 and an adapter 49 for
secu,emenl to inflatable bladder 14 A safety pin 58 also may be provided with
compressecl inflation device 24.
Inflatable noA1~tion device 10 also includes a manual oral inflation means
which comprises a conduit 36 having an end cap and check valve 38 associated
therewith.
Upon actuation of compressed gas inflation device 24 by means of
release mechanism 52 and ~lease handle 30, inflatable bladder 14 assumes the
position shown in Figures 3 and 4 wherein cover 16 is opened. In this
arrangement, there are provided second attachment means comprising a hook
42 secured to one end of inflated bladder 14 and which is adapted to engage a
U-shaped member 44 secured to the opposile end of bladder 14.
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In order to ensure proper opening of the inflatable bladder 14, a nozle
arrangemenl: is provided wherein there are a plurality of gas outlet paths, the
paths being arranged in different orientations to assure inflation despite the
blocking of any single path.
Thus, as shown in Figures 6 to 11, various different configurations may
be employed for nozzle assembly 68 and an associated nozzle head 76.
In greater detail, one embodiment is shown in Figures 6 and 6A wherein
nozle assermbly 68, which includes an interior air passageway 64, has a nozle
head 76 whic:h has a side wall 70 and a centrally formed slot 73 which provides
two air passageways diametrically opposed.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 7 and 7A, nozle head 76 has a
frustraconically shaped configuration with a plurality of apertures 72 formed inside wall 70 while there is also provided a main outlet aperture 74 centrally ofnoz71e head 76.
Figures 8, 8A and 8B illustrate various different nozle configurations.
Thus, in Figure 8, two different arrangements are illusllated; a first one has aplurality of apertures 72 formed in a side wall 70 with the nozle head 76 also
having an inwardly tapered side wall portion 75 surrounding a central outlet 74.In the other illustrated embodiment of Figure 8, side wall 70 does not have any
apertures; rather, tapered wall portion 75 has a plurality of slots 77 formed therein
to provide a plurality of gas outlet paths. There is also provided a centrally
located gas outlet path.
In the! embodiment of Figure 8A, nozle head 76 is of a frustraconical
configuration with a plurality of aperhlres 72 formed in side wall 70 and a centrally
CA 0223l040 l998-0~-06
located outlet 74. In Figure 8B a ~;imilar arrangement is illustrated except that
no centrally located outlet is provided.
Figures 9 10 1 OA and 1 1 illlustrate further embodiments of nozle head
configurations which are used in associ~lion with the manual inflation means 34.It will of course be understood that nozles similar to those described with
respect to c~mpressed gas inflation device 24 may also be employed.
In thl embodiment of Figure 9 a plurality of apertures 72 are radially
spaced with r~spect to nozle head 76. In Figure 10 a plurality of apertures 72
are formed in side wall 70 of nozle Ihead 76. In Figure 11 a somewhat different
configuration is illustrated wherein a nozle head co,n~,rises a disk shaped
member 75 Ihaving a plurality of radially extending and alternating ridges 79 and
grooves 77. This a"dnge",e"l provides a plurality of radially extending gas outlet
paths from c entrally located conduit 74.
As will be seen from the above various dil~r~nt configurations of a nozle
head to permit inflation of the device irrespective of any sealing together of the
bladder mernbrane may be utilized.
It will be understood that l:he above described embodiments are for
purposes of illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made
thereto without departing from the !3pirit and scope of the invention.
