WO2008143539A1

WO2008143539A1 - Belt shaped personal flotation device (pfd) of automatic insufflation

Info

Publication number: WO2008143539A1
Application number: PCT/PT2008/000022
Authority: WO
Inventors: Manuel Lopes Marques De Agonia
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-05-23
Filing date: 2008-05-19
Publication date: 2008-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-23
Also published as: PT10227T; PT10227U

Abstract

This device consists of a belt shaped Personal Flotation Device (PFD) of automatic insufflation which is adjustable to the wearer's waistline. It can be directly placed on the wearer's skin or over clothing. This Personal Flotation Device (PFD) is comprised of three main elements: the flotation element (6), the protection element (7) and a security element (1) the three elements are interlocked and inserted in a pouch which is part of the device. The design and construction of the set give this Personal Flotation Device (PFD) of automatic insufflation an extra function which does not currently exist in other such devices: a protection against hypothermia. This device is applicable to aquatic activities (recreational or professional), in all types of water, for lifeguards or other swimmers.

Description

Belt shaped personal flotation device (PFD) of automatic insufflation

The present utility model refers to a belt shaped personal flotation device (PFD) of automatic insufflation (adjustable according to the wearer's waistline) can be used for water activities (recreational or professional) in all types of water, by both lifeguards and other swimmers, and can be placed directly over the wearer's skin or clothing.

The main function of the Personal flotation devices (PFD) of automatic insufflation is to keep an individual afloat with his head above water for purposes in emergency situations. The development of this type of device was mainly promoted for the wearer's comfort, and nowadays there is a various array of such devices, most of which are classified as Type III (developed for protected waters where the rescue is fast) or V (developed for special activities), according to their design and purpose. Practically all personal flotation devices (PFD) of automatic insufflation are based on the same operating principle: an air chamber where gas (CO₂) is insufflated into from a tank attached to the device and which opens up when the device is deployed. When these devices don't activate, they will neither float nor provide any floatabϋity. In operational terms, their general characteristics are to provide the wearer floatability, keeping the respiratory tract above water. Keeping a person's head above water, however, is insufficient in situations in which help is slow or when water is too cold. Under these conditions (in which body temperature rapidly decreases due to the transfer of heat from the body to the water being about 25 times superior to that of the air), hypothermia is a risk that the wearer of a personal flotation device (PFD) with such characteristics takes (including those which keep the upper torso (chest) above water).

^"The present utility model for a personal flotation device (PFD) of automatic insufflation adopted the technical approach of promoting thermal isolation of the wearer's torso as a way of providing protection against hypothermia (maintaining all operational and comfort characteristics associated with this kind of device) and is characterized for consisting of three elements: the flotation element (buoy), the protection element (lumber region protection waistband) and the safety element (a belt with a lock system, lifting strap and D ring), connected between them and inserted in a pouch. The pouch is an integral part of the personal flotation device (PFD) and is meant to accommodate the emergency device elements. When this device isn't activated, the emergency device is folded inside the pouch, constituting the visible part of the device which is placed around the waist When activated, the pouch opens up to release the emergency device. The device opens upwards, positioning the fully inflated flotation element (buoy) underneath the wearer's arms around the upper thorax and the lumbar protection waistband around the lower thorax (between the waist and chest). The design of the said flotation device (buoy) was manufactured in order to promote a correct positioning and adjustment to the wearer's torso and to provide the arms greater freedom of movements when inflated. The lumbar protection waistband is connected on one end (the lower end) to the pouch and on another one (the upper end) to the buoy and is constituted of panels of a fabric structure which consists of thermo isolating materials. The elements' design and the set's construction provide this personal flotation device (PFD) of automatic insufflation an extra function which does not currently exist in other such devices: a protection against hypothermia.

The present utility model will now be explained in greater detail with the help of the attached pictures, in which:

• Figure I is a front view of the utility model, closed (not activated), with the lumbar pøteetion waistband and the deflated flotation element (buoy) in the ;

• Figure 2 is a front view of said utility model, completely spread out (in working condition), with a fully inflated flotation element (buoy), the lumbar protection waistband around the wearer's torso and the said open;

• Figure 3 represents a back view of the said utility model, completely spread out (in working condition), with a fully inflated flotation element (buoy), the lumbar protection waistband around the wearer's torso and the said open;

• Figure 4 represents an upper view of the flotation element (buoy), showing the several accessory elements which are required components in a personal flotation device (PFD).

Referring to the pictures in figures 1, 2 and 3, the belt shaped personal flotation device (PFD) of automatic insufflation is generally shown, consisting of safety element 1, protection element 7, flotation element 6 and 2 for storing elements 1 (namely the lock system belt 11), 6 and 7.

Safety element 1 consists of the lock system belt 11, which is adjustable to the wearer's waist and has a blocking system to avoid undue deployment, by means of the metallic D or delta shaped ring 10, which in an emergency situation is used to lock the wearer to a vessel using a hook and respective cable, and by the lifting strap % which is stitched to the lock system belt 11 and allows roe wearer, in case of need, to be caught and dragged to a rescuing vessel.

Protection element 7 consists of a set of fabric panels stitched to each other, forming a lumbar protection waistband which completely embraces the wearer's torso (when the personal flotation device is inflated) and is connected by its lower end to the upper side of pouch 2 and by its upper end to the inner side of flotation element 6. The said protection element is connected to pouch 2 by stitching and sealing. Flotation element 6 consists of a buoy formed by the overlapping of two fabric sheets which are joined by their edges, and it is linked in its inner edge to protection element 7. The said flotation element 6 has a margin 17, which enables it to be united to protection element 7. The said flotation element also comprises several accessories which are part of a personal flotation device (PFD). Such elements consist of the supplementary insufflation tube 12, located at the wearer's front and left side, the emergency illuminating system 13, located at the front of the said flotation element 6 and on the wearer's right side, the automatic and manual deployment system 14, 15 and 16, which is at the front of the said flotation element 6 and on the wearer's right side, and reflecting elements 5. The automatic and manual deployment system 14, 15 and 16 is comprises of a manual deployment pin 14, the CO₂ gas tank 16 and an automatic deployment device 15, which includes an attaching section to tank 16 and the manual deployment mechanism.

The pouch 2 is part of the present personal flotation device (PFD) and consists of two fabric sheets joined at their upper and lower edges by a seam with Velcro 8. In the space formed by the 2 overlapping sheets a guiding strap is stitched through which the lock system belt 11 slides. When not activated, the said pouch 2 is closed, with its upper and lower Velcro edges overlapping, forming an envelope which stores the flotation element 6 and the protection element 7.

GuimarSes, 2^nd August 2007.

Claims

1 - The belt shaped Personal Flotation Device (PFD) of automatic insufflation (adjustable with accordance to the waistline of the user), is characterized by a set of three elements: the flotation element (6), the protection element (7) and the security element (1) the three elements are interlocked and inserted in a pouch (2). The pouch, which is an integral part of the said Personal Flotation Device (PFD), having the function of containing the set of three elements that form the personal flotation device, constituting the visible part of the personal flotation device (PFD) which is placed at the wearer's waistline. When activated, the pouch (2) opens, activating the emergency device. The activation of the device happens in an upward motion; the position of the flotation device (6) completely insufflated is under the wearer's arms around the upper thorax and the protection element (7) is around the lower thorax (between the waistline and the chest).

2 - The device according to claim 1, is characterized by the three main elements, in which the protection element (7) includes a set of fabric panels of theπno isolating materials connected forming a lumbar protection waistband which completely embraces the wearer's torso and its design and construction provide mis personal flotation device of automatic insufflation protection against hypothermia.

3 - The device according to claim 1, characterized by the design of the said flotation element's (6) promotes a correct positioning and adjustment to the wearer's torso and allows the arms greater freedom of movements, when insufflated.

Guimartes, 2 ,nd August 2007.