CA1265960A - Floating device - Google Patents
Floating deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA1265960A CA1265960A CA000514126A CA514126A CA1265960A CA 1265960 A CA1265960 A CA 1265960A CA 000514126 A CA000514126 A CA 000514126A CA 514126 A CA514126 A CA 514126A CA 1265960 A CA1265960 A CA 1265960A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- jacket
- compartment
- particle
- compartments
- volume
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
- B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
- B63C9/08—Life-buoys, e.g. rings; Life-belts, jackets, suits, or the like
- B63C9/11—Life-buoys, e.g. rings; Life-belts, jackets, suits, or the like covering the torso, e.g. harnesses
- B63C9/115—Life-buoys, e.g. rings; Life-belts, jackets, suits, or the like covering the torso, e.g. harnesses using solid buoyant material
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)
- Paper (AREA)
- Wrappers (AREA)
- Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A flotation device comprises one or several compartments essentially bounded by covering material. The compartments contain granular material, which is lighter than water. The volume of the granular material within each compartment is less than the volume of the compartment.
A flotation device comprises one or several compartments essentially bounded by covering material. The compartments contain granular material, which is lighter than water. The volume of the granular material within each compartment is less than the volume of the compartment.
Description
~S~6~
Flotation device The invention relates to a flotation device, which comprises one or several compartments essentially bounded by covering material or the like and containing buoyant par~ic'e-like, e.g. granular, material. The above described flotation d~vice can be in the ~orm of a life jacket, such as a so-called boat jacke~ or flotation jacket, a flotation cushion or mattress or arly survival device intended to protect the user from drowning.
Flotation devices of various types are known. For example, in li~e ~ackets, a gas or foamed cellular plastics such as cellular polystyrene serves as material lighter than water. Life jackets made of foamed cellular polystyrene or a similar substance particularly are inconvenient to use, because they are not elastic, and this drawback becomes considerable at least in those parts which contain the aforementioned cellular polystyrene shaped as a block filling up the whole space of the compartment. It can be noted in general, that a life jacket is always put on in the hope that it will be never needed for its proper purpose. When the life jacket is on, the user ofken performs various operations which require unhindered movements e.g. in sailing, in hunting and in fishing, generally in all operations on the water. The aforementioned life jackets are not satisfactory in this respect and the use of these jackets restricts the mobility of the user and also various activities.
On the other hand, US-patent 2,6~g,116 discloses a life jac~et comprising several compartments, which are filled with cork fragments surrounded by a covering fabric. The aforementioned compartments are only i~tended to support the neck of the user in rescue situations. These compartments are packed relatively ..
... . .
. . .
. :~ . , ,, . . : , .: . , :
,: . - ~ , : ,.. . -: , ..
.
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tightly with the cork fragments, and the compartments do not take the shape of the body of the user. The main purpose of these devices is only to serve as the collar porkion of a life jacket.
This invention provides a new flotation device, which has various advantages in comparison with previous devices. For realizing this purpose the floating device according to the invention is mainly characterized in that the buoyant particle-like material is loose and the total volume of the particle-like material within each compartment is substantially less than the volume of the compartment containing the material. This feature allows the compartments of the flotation device to take the shape of the body of the user in every situation and also to respond quickly in shape according to the movements of the user. This advantageous feature becomes apparent when the aforementioned structure is used e.g. in life jackets. When a life jacket having the structure in accordance with the invention is put on, it fits very well to the shape of the body of the user and it can be pressed tightly against the body. The use of the life jacket as warm clothing is thus possible and it can be put under outdoor clothing. It should also be noted, that good thermal insulation properties of survival clothing is a very important factor in rescue situations, in particular in a cold climate.
Other advantageous features of the invention will become apparent in the following description.
In the following, the in~ention is described more closely with reference to the accompanying drawing, which presents an embodiment of the invention used in connection with a so-called boat jacket. In the drawing :
_ ~: , . .
: :
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Fig. 1 is a front Vi2w of the boat jacket worn by a user, Fig. 2 is a back view of ~he boat jacket worn by a user and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2.
The boat jacket presented in the drawing haa no sleeves and it can be opened at the front. It is fastened to the body with belts or straps 1 and 2, which are secured to the jacket by means of pieces 3, which are sewn on the jacket and allow the belt to slip between them and the jacket. The belts can be tightened by means of buckles 4.
According to the invention, the jacket is divided into compartments. The covering matexial is a woven fabric or similar suitable material. The material is treated with flame retardants. The jacket is formed of fabric cut into the shape of the jacket and sewn together at the edges with sewn reinforcing portions along the edges. Further the fabrics are sewn together along sewing lines in intermediate portions. Each compartment is partially filled with loose particles of granular material M which is lighter than water.
As shown in Fig. 1, front portions 5, 6 of the jacket each comprise two compartments 01 and 02, which are formed by sewing the fabric together along horizontal sewing lines 7. As shown in Fig. ~, the back portion 8 comprises four compartments 03-06, which have been formed by sewing the material kogether along intersecting sewing lines, namely a vertical sewing line 9 and a horizontal sewing line 10. In the side of the ~acket there is no granular material, according to conventional structure for a boat jacket~. The lower compartments 05 and 06 are bounded at their sides by sewing lines 11 and 12, along which ~he fabric is sewn ~, ',: ~.,,: .
' together. All compartments are bounded at the edges of the jacket by elongate reinforcing portions 13. Reinforcing portions 13 are positioned also on the sides of the jacket between the front and back portions.
The granular material can be e.g. of cellular polystyrene, polyurethane or corresponding foamed plastics. Fig.3 shows the structure of the boat jacket as a cross sectional view along line III-III of Fig.2. The inner wall 14 and the outer wall 15 of the covering material together with reinforcing edge portions 13 and the intermediate sewings outline the compartments 0~ and 06, which contain granular material M. Because the loose particle-like granular material only partially fills compartments 04 and 06, the boat jacket fits the body of the user with comfort and takes its shape according to the shape of the body and thus lies tight against the body. The boat jacket can therefore change shape quickly with the movements of the user. Due to the aforementioned properties the jacket is also warm.
A flotation jacket can be made in accordance with the principle described hereinabove using compartments so that the jacket comprises a neck compartment and a side compartment disposed on the left side of the body, both containing granular material.
This kind of flotation jacket maintains an unconscious person in a position lying on the person's side, the left side upward and the head supported by the neck compartment, thus preventing the person from drowning.
Because the jacket is provided with several compartments, the jacket does not lose its flotation properties, even if some compartments are damaged and emptied.
r .
.
~ ' S9~;~
It will be understood that various modifications of the inv0ntion are possible. The jacket can be provided also with various means for securing the jack0t on the body. For example, a zipper can be disposed along the reinforcing portions 13 bekween the front portions S and 6.
EXAMPLE
An embodiment of the jacket applicable in practice comprises a covering fabric of 100% polyamide treated with a flame retardant and the granular material is cellular polystyrene consisting of spherical particles having a diameter of 2 to 8 mm. The granular material fills 60 to 80% of the volume of the compartments. The material of the belts can be nylon and the fastening means can be made of suitable plastic material The cellular polystyrene has been subjected to fire resistant treatment. The jacket has eight compartments and the volume of the granular material can alter between 10 and 20 ia)according to the load capacity of the jacket.
~, ~ .~
. . :
~ :"
-. . . :. :
: . . i - ~ , .. .
Flotation device The invention relates to a flotation device, which comprises one or several compartments essentially bounded by covering material or the like and containing buoyant par~ic'e-like, e.g. granular, material. The above described flotation d~vice can be in the ~orm of a life jacket, such as a so-called boat jacke~ or flotation jacket, a flotation cushion or mattress or arly survival device intended to protect the user from drowning.
Flotation devices of various types are known. For example, in li~e ~ackets, a gas or foamed cellular plastics such as cellular polystyrene serves as material lighter than water. Life jackets made of foamed cellular polystyrene or a similar substance particularly are inconvenient to use, because they are not elastic, and this drawback becomes considerable at least in those parts which contain the aforementioned cellular polystyrene shaped as a block filling up the whole space of the compartment. It can be noted in general, that a life jacket is always put on in the hope that it will be never needed for its proper purpose. When the life jacket is on, the user ofken performs various operations which require unhindered movements e.g. in sailing, in hunting and in fishing, generally in all operations on the water. The aforementioned life jackets are not satisfactory in this respect and the use of these jackets restricts the mobility of the user and also various activities.
On the other hand, US-patent 2,6~g,116 discloses a life jac~et comprising several compartments, which are filled with cork fragments surrounded by a covering fabric. The aforementioned compartments are only i~tended to support the neck of the user in rescue situations. These compartments are packed relatively ..
... . .
. . .
. :~ . , ,, . . : , .: . , :
,: . - ~ , : ,.. . -: , ..
.
iS9Çi~
tightly with the cork fragments, and the compartments do not take the shape of the body of the user. The main purpose of these devices is only to serve as the collar porkion of a life jacket.
This invention provides a new flotation device, which has various advantages in comparison with previous devices. For realizing this purpose the floating device according to the invention is mainly characterized in that the buoyant particle-like material is loose and the total volume of the particle-like material within each compartment is substantially less than the volume of the compartment containing the material. This feature allows the compartments of the flotation device to take the shape of the body of the user in every situation and also to respond quickly in shape according to the movements of the user. This advantageous feature becomes apparent when the aforementioned structure is used e.g. in life jackets. When a life jacket having the structure in accordance with the invention is put on, it fits very well to the shape of the body of the user and it can be pressed tightly against the body. The use of the life jacket as warm clothing is thus possible and it can be put under outdoor clothing. It should also be noted, that good thermal insulation properties of survival clothing is a very important factor in rescue situations, in particular in a cold climate.
Other advantageous features of the invention will become apparent in the following description.
In the following, the in~ention is described more closely with reference to the accompanying drawing, which presents an embodiment of the invention used in connection with a so-called boat jacket. In the drawing :
_ ~: , . .
: :
~:65i9~
Fig. 1 is a front Vi2w of the boat jacket worn by a user, Fig. 2 is a back view of ~he boat jacket worn by a user and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2.
The boat jacket presented in the drawing haa no sleeves and it can be opened at the front. It is fastened to the body with belts or straps 1 and 2, which are secured to the jacket by means of pieces 3, which are sewn on the jacket and allow the belt to slip between them and the jacket. The belts can be tightened by means of buckles 4.
According to the invention, the jacket is divided into compartments. The covering matexial is a woven fabric or similar suitable material. The material is treated with flame retardants. The jacket is formed of fabric cut into the shape of the jacket and sewn together at the edges with sewn reinforcing portions along the edges. Further the fabrics are sewn together along sewing lines in intermediate portions. Each compartment is partially filled with loose particles of granular material M which is lighter than water.
As shown in Fig. 1, front portions 5, 6 of the jacket each comprise two compartments 01 and 02, which are formed by sewing the fabric together along horizontal sewing lines 7. As shown in Fig. ~, the back portion 8 comprises four compartments 03-06, which have been formed by sewing the material kogether along intersecting sewing lines, namely a vertical sewing line 9 and a horizontal sewing line 10. In the side of the ~acket there is no granular material, according to conventional structure for a boat jacket~. The lower compartments 05 and 06 are bounded at their sides by sewing lines 11 and 12, along which ~he fabric is sewn ~, ',: ~.,,: .
' together. All compartments are bounded at the edges of the jacket by elongate reinforcing portions 13. Reinforcing portions 13 are positioned also on the sides of the jacket between the front and back portions.
The granular material can be e.g. of cellular polystyrene, polyurethane or corresponding foamed plastics. Fig.3 shows the structure of the boat jacket as a cross sectional view along line III-III of Fig.2. The inner wall 14 and the outer wall 15 of the covering material together with reinforcing edge portions 13 and the intermediate sewings outline the compartments 0~ and 06, which contain granular material M. Because the loose particle-like granular material only partially fills compartments 04 and 06, the boat jacket fits the body of the user with comfort and takes its shape according to the shape of the body and thus lies tight against the body. The boat jacket can therefore change shape quickly with the movements of the user. Due to the aforementioned properties the jacket is also warm.
A flotation jacket can be made in accordance with the principle described hereinabove using compartments so that the jacket comprises a neck compartment and a side compartment disposed on the left side of the body, both containing granular material.
This kind of flotation jacket maintains an unconscious person in a position lying on the person's side, the left side upward and the head supported by the neck compartment, thus preventing the person from drowning.
Because the jacket is provided with several compartments, the jacket does not lose its flotation properties, even if some compartments are damaged and emptied.
r .
.
~ ' S9~;~
It will be understood that various modifications of the inv0ntion are possible. The jacket can be provided also with various means for securing the jack0t on the body. For example, a zipper can be disposed along the reinforcing portions 13 bekween the front portions S and 6.
EXAMPLE
An embodiment of the jacket applicable in practice comprises a covering fabric of 100% polyamide treated with a flame retardant and the granular material is cellular polystyrene consisting of spherical particles having a diameter of 2 to 8 mm. The granular material fills 60 to 80% of the volume of the compartments. The material of the belts can be nylon and the fastening means can be made of suitable plastic material The cellular polystyrene has been subjected to fire resistant treatment. The jacket has eight compartments and the volume of the granular material can alter between 10 and 20 ia)according to the load capacity of the jacket.
~, ~ .~
. . :
~ :"
-. . . :. :
: . . i - ~ , .. .
Claims (5)
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A flotation device comprising a compartment essentially bounded by covering material and containing buoyant particle-like material, wherein the compartment can be easily shaped, the particle-like material within the compartment is loose and the volume of the particle-like material is substantially less than the volume of the compartment.
2. The flotation device according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the particle-like material is 60 to 80% of the volume of the compartment.
3. The flotation device according to claim 1, wherein the particle-like material is cellular polystyrene, polyurethane or corresponding foamed plastics.
4. The flotation device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the grain size of the particle like material is between 2 and 8 mm.
5. The flotation device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the grain size of the particle-like material is between 2 and 5 mm.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FI852942 | 1985-07-30 | ||
| FI852942A FI75774C (en) | 1985-07-30 | 1985-07-30 | FLYTPLAGG. |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1265960A true CA1265960A (en) | 1990-02-20 |
Family
ID=8521167
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000514126A Expired - Lifetime CA1265960A (en) | 1985-07-30 | 1986-07-18 | Floating device |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1265960A (en) |
| DK (1) | DK347386A (en) |
| FI (1) | FI75774C (en) |
| NO (1) | NO862940L (en) |
| SE (1) | SE466054B (en) |
-
1985
- 1985-07-30 FI FI852942A patent/FI75774C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1986
- 1986-07-09 SE SE8603060A patent/SE466054B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1986-07-18 CA CA000514126A patent/CA1265960A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1986-07-22 NO NO862940A patent/NO862940L/en unknown
- 1986-07-22 DK DK347386A patent/DK347386A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| SE8603060L (en) | 1987-01-31 |
| NO862940D0 (en) | 1986-07-22 |
| FI852942L (en) | 1987-01-31 |
| NO862940L (en) | 1987-02-02 |
| SE8603060D0 (en) | 1986-07-09 |
| SE466054B (en) | 1991-12-09 |
| DK347386D0 (en) | 1986-07-22 |
| FI75774C (en) | 1988-08-08 |
| FI75774B (en) | 1988-04-29 |
| DK347386A (en) | 1987-01-31 |
| FI852942A0 (en) | 1985-07-30 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed |