US20010049840A1

US20010049840A1 - Safety apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20010049840A1
Application number: US09/878,067
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph Atanasio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-06-08
Filing date: 2001-06-07
Publication date: 2001-12-13

Abstract

A new and improved article of clothing that will severely reduce, and possibly eliminate, the chances that a person who falls down will injure himself or herself The present invention would preferably be a jacket, with the jacket including at least two internal air bags. Both air bags could be in the front portion of the jacket, or the jacket could have one air bag in front and another air bag in back. When the air bags are located on the present invention, each air bag would be located beneath the outer covering of the jacket, effectively hiding it from view. Each air bag would automatically inflate by an activation means. The activation means would either be triggered by a sudden change in position by a user of the jacket or voluntarily triggered by a user by activating an activator that would be attached to a user's wrist and connected to the air bags.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns that of a new and improved article of clothing that will severely reduce, and possibly eliminate, the chances that a person who falls down will injure himself or herself.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,842, issued to Pinsley et al., discloses an impact absorbing garment which is shown having a number of inflatable compartments attached to the garment.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,952, issued to Keyes, discloses a self-contained protective device/system designed to protect the hips, pelvis, buttocks, and coccyx areas of a user.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,098, issued to Guill, discloses a device for providing crash protection to people aboard a land, air, sea or space vehicle.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,065, issued to McGee, discloses a protective and attractive garment such as a jumpsuit which has the appearance of a normal article of clothing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns that of a new and improved article of clothing that will severely reduce, and possibly eliminate, the chances that a person who falls down will injure himself or herself. The present invention would preferably be a jacket, with the jacket including at least two internal air bags. Both air bags could be in the front portion of the jacket, or the jacket could have one air bag in front and another air bag in back. When the air bags are located on the present invention, each air bag would be located beneath the outer covering of the jacket, effectively hiding it from view.

Each air bag would automatically inflate by an activation means. The activation means would either be triggered by a sudden change in position by a user of the jacket or voluntarily triggered by a user by activating an activator that would be attached to a user's wrist and connected to the air bags.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of a safety apparatus in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the safety apparatus that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the safety apparatus in detail, it is to be understood that the safety apparatus is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The safety apparatus is capable of other embodiments and being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present safety apparatus. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus, which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus which is economically affordable and available for relevant purchasing government entities.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a jacket of the present invention. [0016]
FIG. 2 is a rear view of a jacket of the present invention. [0017]
FIG. 3 is a front view of a “vest style” jacket of the present invention. [0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a front view of [0019] jacket 2 of the present invention. Jacket 2 of the present invention is a new and improved article of clothing that will severely reduce, and possibly eliminate, the chances that a person who falls down will injure himself or herself. Jacket 2 would preferably include at least a pair of air bags 4 and 6, with the air bags being located in pockets 5 and 7. Jacket 2 of the present invention could place the pockets 5 and 7 in a wide variety of locations within the jacket, with both pockets located in the front portion of the jacket, or alternatively, jacket 2 could have one pocket in front and another pocket in back. When the air bags are located on the present invention, each air bag would be located within the pockets of the jacket 2, effectively hiding them from view.
FIG. 1 is not meant to be limiting as to the location of various air bags used with the present invention. Rather, FIG. 1 is one of many possible embodiments that the present invention could be made and still create a workable embodiment of the present invention. The primary goal with all embodiments would be to ensure that the present invention would reduce, and possibly eliminate, the chances that a person who falls down will injure himself or herself. [0020]
Each air bag would automatically inflate by an activation means [0021] 8. Activation means 8 would either be triggered by a sudden change in position by a user of jacket 2 or voluntarily triggered by a user by activating an activator 10 that would be attached to a user's wrist and connected to the air bags.
FIG. 2 is a rear view of [0022] jacket 2 of the present invention, while FIG. 3 is a front view of a “vest style” jacket of the present invention. Again, the placement of various air bags shown is not meant to be limiting as to the location of various air bags used with the present invention. Rather, FIGS. 2 and 3, like FIG. 1, represents one of many possible embodiments that the present invention could be made and still create a workable embodiment of the present invention. The primary goal with all embodiments would be to ensure that the present invention would reduce, and possibly eliminate, the chances that a person who falls down will injure himself or herself.
FIG. 4 shows a preferred schematic of the electrical configuration of the present invention. [0023] Battery 12 would be the power source and would be connected to power switch 14. Power switch 14 would normally be in the “on” position, but could be turned to the “off” position if a user would need to bend over or do other work. The power switch 14 would prevent the air bags 4 and 6 from accidentally inflating when not needed.
[0024] Power switch 14 would be connected to activation means 8, which would preferably be a mercury switch. Activation means would be housed within housing 9. Housing 9 would be positioned so that when the jacket 2 would be upright, then the activation means 8 would not become activated. However, once a user would cause jacket 2 to reach a certain position relative to the horizontal plane, activation means 8 would become activated, completing the circuit between battery 12 and solenoid valve 18. Once solenoid valve 18 receives power, it would activate the air canisters 20 which would then quickly inflate air bags 4 and 6.
[0025] Pressure switch 16 would be electronically connected between the activation means 8 and the solenoid valve 18. Pressure switch 16 would be preferably positioned on the underside of the shoulder seam and would normally be in an open position when jacket 2 is not being worn. Once placed on a person, however, then the pressure switch 16 would become a closed circuit.
As long as a [0026] jacket 2 would be on a user and the power switch 14 would be in an “on” position, the only object of FIG. 4 that maintains the “open circuit” status of the electrical configuration is the activation means 8. Once a user causes the jacket 2 to be displaced to a specific pre-set degree from the vertical plane, then the mercury within the mercury switch would reconfigure and cause mercury switch to become a closed circuit.
As previously shown, the electrical configuration would also include [0027] activator 10, which would preferably be a button on the sleeve of jacket 2. Activator 10 would simply be a circuit, normally open, which when depressed, would close the circuit between battery 12 and solenoid valve 18. Once activator 10 would be depressed, then the electrical configuration between battery 12 and solenoid valve 18 would become closed, causing air canisters 20 to immediately inflate air bags 4 and 6.
The [0028] air canisters 20 used with the present invention would be replaceable and would also be preferably located within pockets 5 and 7. All the electronics of the present invention would be located in between the inner and outer lining of the jacket, with the battery 12 being accessible to allow for regular changing of the battery 12 when necessary.

Claims

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A safety apparatus comprising:

(a) a jacket,

(b) a pair of pockets located on the jacket, a first pocket and a second pocket,

(c) a pair of air bags, a first air bag and a second air bag, the first air bag placed within the first pocket, the second air bag placed within the second pocket, and

(d) means for inflating the pair of air bags.

2. A safety apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein the means for inflating the pair of air bags further comprises:

(a) a battery,

(b) a power switch connected to the battery, the power switch having two positions, an “on” position and an “off” position,

(c) a mercury switch connected to the power switch, the mercury switch positioned to be an open circuit when the jacket would be in an upright position, the mercury switch designed to become a closed circuit once the jacket has deviated from the vertical plane beyond a certain predetermined angle.

(d) a pressure switch connected to the mercury switch, the pressure switch having two positions, an “on” position and an “off” position, the pressure switch turning to the “on” position when the jacket would be worn by an individual,

(e) a solenoid valve connected to the pressure switch,

(f) at least one air canister connected to the solenoid valve, the air canister also connected to the pair of air bags,

(g) wherein the mercury switch, once becoming an closed circuit, will allow power to flow from the battery to the solenoid valve, activating the air canisters which would then forcibly and quickly pump air into the pair of air bags.

3. A safety apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein the means for inflating the pair of air bags further comprises:

(a) a battery,

(b) an activator connected to the battery, the activator normally being an open circuit, the activator preferably being a button located on a sleeve of the jacket,

(c) at least one air canister connected to the activator, the air canister also connected to the pair of air bags,

(d) wherein the activator, once depressed by a user, would become a closed circuit, allowing allow power to flow from the battery to the solenoid valve, activating the air canisters which would then forcibly and quickly pump air into the pair of air bags.