CH711348B1 - Dry suit. - Google Patents

Abstract

The drysuit is preferably as a one-piece suit from a three-layer, waterproof, but breathable fabric laminate with max. 220 g / m 2 mass per area made, and he also includes the feet seamlessly. A waterproof main zipper (4) extends from the crotch area up to the upper edge of the collar (5). On the sleeves (8) is ever a waterproof sleeve zipper (7), each extending from the front edge of the sleeve (13) along the forearm to the rear. With these watertight zippers (4, 7), the collar and the chest area as well as the cuffs (13) and front sleeves (8) can be opened slightly, providing an effective cooling function which makes wearing this drysuit much more comfortable in non-critical mission phases and less tiring. In addition, this drysuit weighs less than 1.5 kg and is therefore easy to wear on the body.

Description

Description: This invention relates to a comfortable, light and breathable drysuit for keeping people who have fallen into the water dry and for delaying their life-threatening hypothermia. Experts speak of Immersion Protection Suits (IPS).

An immersion suit or survival suit is a special type of waterproof drysuit. Due to an accident involving people who have fallen into cold water, it should protect against hypothermia, usually after the abandonment of a sinking or capsized ship or, in the military field, also after a crash into the water or an emergency landing of a plane on water. Such a drysuit should keep the body heat in the suit and keep the user dry until he is recovered from the cold water. These drysuits are tailored to the wearer's body and must be worn by a crew as a precaution if there is a risk of falling into the water during a mission. Accordingly, it is important that these suits are as light as possible and that they can be put on easily and quickly and worn comfortably. It is known that a person's chance of survival if they have fallen into the water can be significantly increased mainly by staying dry and maintaining body temperature, because hypothermia can then be postponed.

Conventional drysuits are usually made of reinforced neoprene and have a face seal and cap, gloves, waterproof zippers, ankle cuffs, neoprene pockets and reflective strips, and they should restrict the freedom of movement of the wearer as little as possible. They must meet the requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) for hypothermia, and their use is primarily for personnel on board military aircraft and ships or boats, ferries, offshore oil rigs, lifeboats, for men - overboard boats and intended for general commercial use.

[0004] The challenges in designing a drysuit are the various trade-offs. The suit is designed to provide optimal protection against heat loss and moisture. But the better it fulfills these properties, the more uncomfortable it is to wear, as long as its actual function is irrelevant. Due to the waterproofness, sweating or breathing of the body skin is excluded, for example, when using neoprene. Accordingly, the heat builds up in the body, which is very uncomfortable. The better the thermal insulation works, the more uncomfortable the suit is to wear. Many dry suits with thick layers of thermal insulation materials are so stiff and clumsy that users can hardly put them on alone. You need helpers to put the suit on. If a dry suit has to be worn, for example in the case of aircraft crews, during the preparation phase or briefing of a flight and during the debriefing, this is usually very uncomfortable for those affected. You sweat in common suits, although in principle you cannot sweat effectively for heat dissipation. As soon as you put on a conventional drysuit, you are sealed in this suit on the neck and wrists and any air exchange between inside and outside and thus with the body surface is prevented. This means that you soon have a damp or wet body surface and suffer from a build-up of heat. Therefore, wearing such a drysuit in the long run is very uncomfortable and significantly affects well-being and performance, which every naval aviator will immediately confirm.

The object of this invention is therefore to provide a drysuit which, in addition to the function of keeping the wearer dry in the water and thermal insulation according to the existing regulations, is much easier and much easier to put on and is much more comfortable to wear. The drysuit can be worn in combination with an acceleration protective suit, as is apparent from WO 2012/066 114 A1, and it should in any case be able to be put on and taken off independently by the user and passive or for the phases of non-functional use optionally also have active cooling functions.

This object is achieved by a drysuit for keeping people fallen into the water to delay their life-threatening hypothermia, characterized in that it consists of a fabric laminate with max. 220 g / m ² mass per surface is made, so that the entire dry suit weighs less than 1.5 kg and has at least one waterproof main zipper for putting on and taking off, which extends from the collar to the belly area, this zipper opening the collar and that a waterproof cuff zipper extends along the forearm to open the waterproof cuffs, so that the entire suit can be worn open on the collar and cuffs during the non-critical mission phase and thus allows air to be exchanged with the body surface, and that it can be brought from this state into the waterproof state by closing all waterproof zippers.

In the figures, this suit is shown in two versions and described afterwards and its function is explained.

[0008] It shows:

Fig. 1 The drysuit designed as a one-piece combination suit, in the tightened state, seen in a view from the front;

CH 711 348 B1

Fig. 2 The dry suit as a two-piece suit with a jacket and pants except for a textile material bridge, in the tightened state, seen from the front.

As can be seen in Fig. 1, the suit in this example is designed as a combination suit 1, that is, it forms a one-piece suit. As a special feature, this suit consists of a three-layer, flame-resistant, waterproof, breathable and blow-resistant fabric laminate, which has a basis weight of just 220 g / m ² . This fire-retardant fabric laminate consists of a tear and flame-resistant fabric on the outside, followed by a layer of glue, then a membrane with a microporous structure, for example based on polytetrafluoroethylene, with over 10 million pores per mm ² , so that this membrane is waterproof, but vapor permeable. This is followed by another layer of glue, followed by a fabric with aramid fibers (Kevlar®), which is particularly light, around 40 g / m ² ± 10%, and serves as a protective layer for the inner membrane. This means that the fabric laminate can withstand a pressure column of up to ten meters and is therefore highly water-resistant, watertight and non-inflammable. Using this fabric laminate, a total weight of the entire drysuit of less than 1.5 kg, which until now was hardly thought possible, is realized. And that in turn significantly increases the comfort of this drysuit. Experiments have shown that it is so light on the body that it can even be worn under an ordinary street suit without being noticed by observers. The fabric of the drysuit must be blow-proof so that the drysuit can withstand very high blowing speeds of up to 600 knots (kn) or 1111 km / h, because these occur in the event of ejection of the ejector seat and affect the pilot. This resistance to blowing is achieved by the high tensile strength mentioned, which the flame-retardant thin outer fabric offers.

To put on the drysuit, slip on with the legs and feet in the trousers 2 and this part packs the legs and feet of the wearer already waterproof, so that the wearer could stand knee-deep to waist-deep in the water, because the trousers 2 are made of waterproof three-ply Fabrics merge seamlessly into foot trims 3. The suit is easy to put on because a waterproof zipper 4 extends from the crotch area to the upper edge of the collar 5. To put on the upper part 6, in addition to the front main zipper 4, the two zippers 7 on the cuffs 13 and the front sleeves 8 are also opened. The upper part 6 can then be slipped on and the arms slipped into the sleeves 8. The suit offers at least one breast pocket 15 which can be closed with a waterproof zipper 14, and a further waterproof zipper 18 which allows access under the suit in the chest area. This is particularly necessary if the drysuit is worn over another suit, especially over an acceleration protective suit. It has been shown that in this case the function of the acceleration protective suit is not impaired by the dry suit worn over it. In addition, the dry suit can optionally have a trouser pocket 10 which can also be closed with a waterproof zipper 9.

During preparation and intermediate times, when the suit does not have to be in the standby mode, i.e. during non-critical mission phases, this drysuit can be left open on the collar 5 and on the front sleeves 8 by not pulling the zippers 7 fully there, but leaves a bit open at will, and also leaves the main zipper 4 a little bit open at any depth from the collar 5. This provides an effective passive cooling function, which is not possible with any other dry suit to date and which has proven to be the most decisive advantage of this dry suit. Conventional drysuits, as soon as they are put on, seal the neck and wrists in a watertight manner, so that no air exchange with the body is possible, which proves to be extremely unpleasant as long as there is no emergency, which is the case for most of the time which such a drysuit is worn. The cooling function of the dry suit presented here by opening the collar 5 and the cuffs 13 and front sleeves 8, however, offers the user an enormous and highly welcome relief in practice. Wearing this drysuit proves to be far more comfortable than closed drysuits of conventional design due to its cooling function and its particular lightness.

Only shortly before a standby phase, the main zipper 4 is closed up to the upper collar edge. The collar 5 is provided at its upper edge with an elastic rubber lip 11 which, when the main zipper 4 is completely closed, rests watertight on the neck of the wearer. Likewise, the cuffs 13 are designed at the front end of the sleeves. They end with a rubber lip 12 running all the way up to the zipper. When the zippers 7 on the front sleeves 8 are closed all the way forward, these rubber lips 12 close behind the wrist in a watertight manner around the forearms.

As shown in FIG. 2, the dry suit can be produced in a variant as a quasi two-piece suit, with a jacket and a pair of pants hanging from it over a textile material bridge 17. The pants and the jacket can be connected to one another in a watertight manner with a waterproof zipper 16, which overlaps a bit around the waist. This design offers a further cooling function in the hip area, because if this zipper 16 is opened more or less, a very welcome cooling function is achieved in the abdomen, hip and cross area. In the cross area in particular, you tend to sweat a lot. This suit is otherwise constructed identically to that according to FIG. 1, that is, it also has at least one waterproof breast pocket 15, which can be closed with a waterproof zipper 14, and a waterproof zipper 18 in the chest area, for reaching inside from under the dry suit. As shown, this suit also has a waterproof trouser pocket 10 in that it can be closed with a waterproof zipper.

CH 711 348 B1 This dry suit is, as presented, the only known cold and water protection suit for aircraft crews, which can be worn as part of the flight preparations and post-flight preparations and debriefings with an open collar to the lower abdomen and with open cuffs 13 and front sleeves provides the wearer with the required cold water protection in an emergency by quickly closing the waterproof zips.

In addition, because this drysuit for the first time consists of a comparatively thin, three-layer fabric laminate, it weighs less than 1.5 kg and is therefore so light and bulky that it can be worn over an acceleration protective suit, and the function of this G- Suit is not affected if it is constructed according to the design as disclosed in WO 2012/066 114. If it is also combined with the characteristics of a refrigerated suit, that means equipped on the inside with flat cooling channels, which, for example, from a hose sleeve that opens outwards in the hip area, via a hose from a portable compressed gas bottle with relaxed and thus cool gas, preferably with cool air , is available, in addition to protection against the cold and wet, it also offers an active, highly effective cooling system for the periods in which it is only worn as a protective suit as a precaution. The gas or air channels are then routed to all highly perspiring body parts and have outlet openings there in order to remove heat from there. These areas are located in the cross, on the hips, in the knees, in the neck and chest area, in the armpits, arm joints and on the forearms, which lie opposite the inside of the wearer's forearms. The heat absorbed by this cooling gas or by the cooling air is then transported outside through the open sleeves 13 and the open collar 5, as long as the dry suit is not used as such. This provides an even more convenient and less heat-intensive system for intercontinental flights as well as for operations in the tropics and in polar regions.

The pilot or other crew members do not need any help and can put the suit on and off alone. The very light and at the same time extremely hard-wearing 3-layer fabric laminate was specially developed for this drysuit. This innovative fabric laminate leads to a weight reduction with high strength and durability. As a result, in addition to the waterproofness and a certain air permeability, a weight of less than 1.5 kg is achieved for the whole suit.

This drysuit includes synthetic, waterproof zippers, covered with fire-resistant fabric, which allow the suit to be worn open on the neck and arms during the entire pre- and post-flight phase, to ensure a maximum level of comfort. The cuffs 13 which can be opened on the neck and forearms offer a significant increase in comfort and enable long-term wearing while maintaining the performance of the wearer due to low stress and correspondingly low fatigue of the wearer. The waterproof closure of the collar 5 consists of an elastic rubber lip 11 laminated onto flame-resistant fabric made of neoprene, silicone or a material with comparable properties, which is divided by the main zip 4, but seals the neck area when the main zip 4 is closed. Just like the collar 5, the cuffs 13 on the sleeve ends also consist of such a structure, that is to say a rubber lip 12 that can be divided by the zippers 7, laminated onto flame-resistant fabric of the cuffs 13, the rubber lip 12 being made of neoprene, silicone or a material with comparable materials Properties is made.

In combination with the cooling system mentioned with gas or air channels inside the suit 1, longer-lasting operations are possible even under extreme environmental conditions with a high ambient temperature and also at high relative humidity without significant fatigue of the user. Nevertheless, the user is always waterproof and heat-insulating packaged in a matter of seconds, for which he only needs to completely close the waterproof zippers 4, 7, 9 and 16.

The following professional groups are primarily seen as the target group for the use of such dry suits:

- pilots / crew members of jet-powered fighter jets;

- pilots / crew members and passengers of helicopters, transport and special aircraft;

- crews and passengers of sea vehicles;

- Water sports enthusiasts of all kinds (sailors, canoeists, kayakers, surfers, stand-up paddlers, etc.).

Reference numeral directory [0020]

Combined suit

pants bumps

foot mounts

Main zipper

collar

top

CH 711 348 B1

Zippers on the front sleeves

sleeve

Zipper for closable trouser pocket

Lockable pocket

Elastic rubber lip on the collar 5

Elastic rubber lips on the cuffs

cuffs

Waterproof zipper for breast pocket

breast pocket

Zipper between jacket and pants

Fabric bridge between jacket and pants

Waterproof zipper in the chest area to reach under the suit

Claims (12)

claims 1. Dry suit to keep people who have fallen into the water dry and delay their life-threatening hypothermia, characterized in that it consists of a fabric laminate with max. 220 g / m ² mass per area is produced, so that the entire dry suit weighs less than 1.5 kg and has at least one waterproof main zip (4) for putting on and taking off, which extends from the collar to the belly area, this zip ( 4) divides the collar (5) to open, and that on the sleeves (8) a waterproof cuff zipper (7) extends along the forearm to open the waterproof cuffs (13), so that the entire suit during the non-critical Mission phase on the collar (5) and cuffs (13) can be worn open and thus allows an exchange of air with the body surface, and that it can be brought from this state into the watertight state by closing all waterproof zippers (4, 7, 9, 16, 18) is. 2. Dry suit according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of a three-layer waterproof, tear-resistant, but air-permeable fabric laminate with max. 220 g / m ² mass per area is made, so that the entire dry suit weighs less than 1.5 kg. 3. Dry suit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of a fabric laminate, the same from the outside in consisting of a tear and flame-resistant fabric, followed by a layer of glue, then a membrane with a microporous structure, so that this membrane is waterproof is, but vapor permeable, and then from a further layer of glue, followed by a fabric with aramid fibers as a protective layer for the membrane. 4. Dry suit according to claim 3, characterized in that the membrane is a microporous structure based on polytetrafluoroethylene, with over 10 million pores per mm ² , and that the innermost fabric layer of the fabric laminate weighs 40 g / m ² ± 10%. 5. Dry suit according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the three-layer fabric laminate offers such good water resistance and water resistance that it withstands a pressure column of up to ten meters of water. 6. Dry suit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a one-piece combination suit (1) with a waterproof main zipper (4) which extends from the crotch area up to the upper edge of the collar (5). 7. Dry suit according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is designed as a two-piece suit made of pants and jacket, except for a textile material bridge (17) between pants and jacket, and that pants and jacket in the hip area with a Hip circumferential waterproof hip zipper (16) can be connected, with one side of the hip zipper at the lower edge of the jacket and one side of the hip zipper (16) on the waistband, the end regions of the hip zipper (16) overlap laterally, including the textile material Bridge (17) between jacket and pants. 8. Dry suit according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the waterproof seals on the collar and the cuffs are realized by rubber lips (11, 12), each of the associated waterproof main zipper (4) or the waterproof cuff zippers ( 7) are divisible, the rubber lips (11, 12) being laminated onto the flame-resistant fabric and with the main zipper closed CH 711 348 B1 sen (4) to be water-tight on the neck or with closed cuff zippers (7) to be water-tight on the wrists. 9. Dry suit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has in the chest area at least one inwardly recessed breast pocket (15) which can be closed with a waterproof zipper (14), and in the chest area a waterproof zipper (18) for reaching under the dry suit put on if it is worn over another suit or acceleration protective suit. 10. Dry suit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has at least one trouser pocket (10) which can be closed with a waterproof trouser pocket zipper (9). 11. Dry suit according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the three-layer fabric is designed to be blow-proof, i.e. Withstands air flows of up to 1111 km / h without damage, as the outer fabric is woven from tear-resistant synthetic fibers, especially aramid fibers. 12. Drysuit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a cooling suit at the same time, in that its inside is additionally equipped with flat gas channels which lead to a water-tight tube sleeve, the gas channels on the inside of the drying suit heavily perspiring parts of the body are guided and open there, namely in the area of the cross, on the hips, in the knees, in the neck and chest area, in the armpits, on the arm joints and on the forearms, which lie opposite the inside of the forearms of the wearer so that the heat absorbed by the cooling gas can be transported to the outside through the open sleeves (13) and the collar (5), as long as the dry suit is used in non-critical mission phases, and that the hose sleeve can be connected to an outlet hose of a portable compressed gas bottle for inflow v on gas that is relaxed and thus cooled.