EA034450B1 - Dry suit - Google Patents

Abstract

The dry suit is produced preferably as a one-piece combined suit made of a three-layer, water-tight but air-permeable, woven laminate with maximum 220 g/mmass per unit area, and also seamlessly includes the feet. A water-tight zipper (4) extends from the crotch area up to the top edge of the collar (5). There is a water-tight zipper (4) on each of the sleeves (8), which extends rearwards from the front edge of the cuff (13) along the lower arm. With said watertight zipper (4, 7) the collar and chest region as well as the sleeves (13) and front arms (8) can open to a certain extent, providing an effective cooling function, which makes the wearing of the dry suit in non-critical mission phases significantly more comfortable and less tiring. In addition, said dry suit has a total weight of less than 1.5 kg and is correspondingly light to wear on the body.

Description

This invention relates to a comfortable, lightweight and breathable wetsuit to keep people who have fallen in the water in a dry state, to slow down the process of hypothermia, which threatens life. In professional circles, they use the term protective immersion suit (Immersion

Protection Suits, IPS).

A life suit or diving suit is a special type of waterproof wetsuit. It is intended to protect against hypothermia of persons who fell into cold water as a result of an accident, as a rule, when leaving a sinking or overturned ship or in the military sphere after falling into the water or emergency landing of the aircraft on water. Such a wetsuit should retain body heat in the suit and keep the user dry until it is removed from cold water. These wetsuits are made in strict accordance with the body of the carrier, and as a precaution they should be worn by team members in case there is a risk of falling into water during the execution of the task. Accordingly, it is important that these suits are as light as possible, and also provide simple and quick dressing and comfortable wearing. It is known that the chances of survival of a person who has fallen into water can be substantially increased mainly by keeping them dry and maintaining body temperature, since in this case the onset of hypothermia can be delayed.

Traditional wetsuits are usually made of reinforced neoprene and have a face seal and a flap, gloves, waterproof zippers, electronic bracelets, neoprene pockets and reflective strips, and it is assumed that they will not limit the freedom of movement of the carrier if possible. They must comply with the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regarding hypothermia, and their use is primarily intended for personnel of military aircraft and ships or boats, ferries, offshore drilling platforms, rescue boats, rescue boats and for general industrial use .

The difficulties in implementing the design of the wetsuit are conflicts of various goals. The suit should provide optimal protection against heat loss and moisture. But the better he copes with these tasks, the less comfortable he is to wear, before his main function is claimed. Due to the watertightness when using, for example, neoprene, sweating and breathing of the skin of the body are excluded. Accordingly, hot air accumulates in the body, which is very unpleasant. The more effective the insulation, the less comfortable the suit is to wear. Many wetsuits with thick layers of heat-insulating material are so rigid and inflexible that when dressing they are almost impossible to do without assistance. To put on a suit, they need helpers. If, for example, aircraft crew members need to wear a wetsuit during the preparatory phase or a brief pre-flight briefing, as well as during the interview after completing the assignment, then, as a rule, this causes significant inconvenience to the persons concerned. In ordinary suits, a person sweats, although in principle it is impossible to provide effective sweating to remove heat. As soon as you put on a traditional wetsuit, you find yourself in the neck and wrists tightly closed by this suit, which prevents air exchange between the internal and external spaces and, accordingly, with the surface of the body. This leads to the fact that very soon the surface of the body becomes wet or damp and there is an accumulation of heat. Therefore, the prolonged wearing of such a wetsuit is very unpleasant and very negatively affects one's well-being and working capacity, which will be confirmed by any pilot of naval aviation.

Therefore, the objective of this invention is to create a wetsuit, which in addition to performing the function of keeping the carrier in the water in a dry state and thermal insulation in accordance with the requirements established some time ago, will have significantly less weight, and will also provide significantly higher comfort when donning and significantly higher wearing comfort. In addition, it should be possible to wear a wetsuit in combination with an anti-boot suit, for example, described in WO 2012/066114 A1, and in any case, it should provide the wearer with the ability to put on and take off independently, and during periods of no need for functional use, also provide passive or optional active cooling function.

This problem is solved by a wetsuit to keep people who have fallen into the water dry by delaying the onset of life-threatening hypothermia, characterized in that it has at least one sealed zipper for putting on and taking off the suit, and the sealed zipper separates the collar and ensures its opening, and that on each of the sleeves along the forearm there is a sealed zipper to open the sealed cuffs, so that during the non-critical stages of the task, the suit can be worn about open in the area of the collar and cuffs, thus providing air exchange with the surface of the body, and that by closing all sealed zippers, the suit can be quickly brought from this state into a sealed state.

In the figures, the claimed suit is presented in two versions, in accordance with which a description is given and an explanation of the principle of its operation.

- 1 034450

The figures show:

FIG. 1 - wetsuit in the form of a one-piece overall in a dressed state, front view;

FIG. 2 - a suit made of two parts - jackets and trousers, with the exception of a bridge made of textile material, in a dressed condition, front view.

As seen in FIG. 1, in this example, the suit is made in the form of overalls 1, i.e. he forms a one-piece suit. The peculiarity of this costume is that it consists of a three-layer refractory, waterproof, breathable and resistant to the incoming air flow fabric laminate, whose surface density is only 220 g / m ² . This fire-retardant fabric laminate on the outside consists of a tear-resistant and non-combustible fabric, followed by an adhesive layer, and then a membrane with a microporous structure, for example, based on polytetrafluoroethylene with a pore number of more than 10 million per 1 mm ² , due to which this membrane It is waterproof but vapor permeable. A further adhesive layer is hidden behind it, followed by aramov fiber fabric (Kevlar®), which is particularly lightweight, about 40 g / m ² ± 10%, and serves as a protective layer for the inner membrane. Due to this, the fabric laminate is able to withstand a pressure column of up to 10 m and thus has high water resistance and water resistance, as well as protection against the incoming air flow. The use of this fabric laminate made it possible to create a wetsuit with a record low total weight of less than 1.5 kg, which until now was considered hardly possible. And this, in turn, has a decisive effect on the comfort of wearing this wetsuit. Tests have shown that the volume of the suit on the body is so small that it can be worn under a normal street suit, completely invisible to others. The wetsuit fabric must be resistant to free flow so that the wetsuit can withstand very high free flow speeds of up to 600 knots or 1111 km / h, since such a speed occurs when it is thrown out of the ejection seat and affects the pilot. This resistance to the incoming air flow is achieved due to the above tensile strength, which provides a thin non-combustible outer fabric.

To put on a wetsuit, it is necessary to put your feet in legs 2, after which this part will tightly wrap around the legs of the wearer and ensure their water resistance, so that the wearer can stand knee-deep or waist-deep in water, since the legs 2 of the waterproof three-layer fabric pass without any seams into the shell of the legs 3. The suit is easy to put on, since the waterproof zipper 4 stretches from the crotch to the upper edge of the collar 5. To put on the upper part 6, in addition to the front main zipper 4, you must also cover both fasteners 7 on the cuffs 13 and the sleeves for the forearm 8. After that, put on the upper part 6 and put your hands in the sleeves 8. The suit has at least one chest pocket 15, which can be closed with a waterproof zipper 14, as well as an additional zipper zipper 18 in the chest area, which provides access to the space under the suit. In particular, this is necessary when the wetsuit is worn on top of another suit, namely over the overload suit. It was found that in this case, wearing a wetsuit over an anti-loading suit does not affect the performance of the latter. In addition, the wetsuit can optionally have a trouser pocket 10, which also closes with a waterproof zipper 9.

During preparatory and intermediate periods of time when the suit should not be in standby mode, i.e. during the non-critical phases of the task, the collar 5 and the sleeves of the forearm 8 of this suit can be left open, for this the zippers 7 in these places are not completely closed, leaving them slightly open by any size, the main zipper 4 is also lowered from the collar 5 down to any distance and left open. This provides an effective passive cooling function, which is impossible to achieve with any other wetsuit and which is probably the most decisive advantage of this wetsuit. Traditional wetsuits after putting them on tightly encircle the throat and wrists, as a result of which it becomes impossible to exchange air with the body, which manifests itself as an extremely unpleasant circumstance during the absence of emergency situations, which is true for the predominant part of the time during which the wetsuit is worn. But the cooling function of the wetsuit presented here, available after opening the collar 5 and cuffs 13 and the arms of the forearm 8, provides the user with significant and very welcome relief in practice. Due to its cooling function and incredible lightness, this suit is much more comfortable to wear than traditional wetsuits.

Only shortly before the onset of the ready phase does the main zipper 4 close to the upper collar. An elastic rubber edge 11 extends along the upper edge of the collar 5, which, when the main zipper 4 is completely closed, fits snugly on the neck of the wearer from all sides, providing the necessary tightness. Similarly, cuffs 13 are made in the front end region of the sleeves. At the end of the sleeves there is a rubber edge 12 extending around the circumference of the sleeves, extending to the zipper. When the zippers 7 on the arms of the forearms 8 are completely closed, these rubber edges 12 behind the wrist also move forward 2 034 450 and move forward tightly around the circumference of the forearm and ensure its waterproofness.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wetsuit can be made up as it were in two parts - from a jacket and trousers passing through a bridge of textile material 17 and connected to it. Pants and jacket are connected using a waterproof zipper 16, which runs around the hips with a small overlay. Such a design provides additional cooling in the thigh region, since if this zipper 16 is more or less open, this creates a very desirable cooling in the abdomen, thighs and lower back. First of all, intense sweating occurs in the lumbar region. Otherwise, this suit has a structure identical to that shown in FIG. 1, i.e. and it has at least one waterproof chest pocket 15 that closes with a waterproof zipper 14, and a waterproof zipper 18 in the chest area for external access to the space under the wetsuit. In addition, this suit has, as has been shown, a trouser pocket that closes with a waterproof zipper.

Thus, this wetsuit in the presented form is the only known heat and water-proof suit for aircraft crew members, which during preparation for flights and after-flight analysis and interviews after completing the task can be worn with an open collar and a zipper unfastened to the gum region and open cuffs 13 and sleeves of the forearms, and, despite this, provides the user after quick closure of the waterproof zipper, the necessary protection against emergency cold water.

In addition, due to the fact that this wetsuit is the first suit that consists of a comparatively thin three-layer fabric laminate, it weighs less than 1.5 kg and therefore is so light and small in volume that it can be worn over an overload suit that does not affects the functionality of the latter, if it has the structure described in WO 2012/066114. In addition, if it provides for elements of a cooling suit, i.e. if it is equipped on the inside with flat cooling channels, which can pass from the thigh area, starting, for example, from the location of the hose sleeve, which leaves out while maintaining airtightness, by means of a pipe connected to a portable compressed gas cylinder, throttled and, thus, cooling gas , preferably with cool air, in addition to protection against low temperature and moisture, it provides a highly efficient cooling system for periods during which it prudently uses only as a protective suit. In this case, the gas and air channels are brought to the places of greatest sweating and have exhaust openings here, allowing for heat removal. These places are located in the lower back, thighs, in the region of the popliteal cavities, in the neck and chest, in the armpits, on the shoulder joints, and also on the arms of the forearms, which are opposite the inner side of the forearms of the wearer. The heat absorbed by this cooling gas or cooling air is removed to the outside through the open cuffs 13 and the open collar 5, this occurs during the time that the wetsuit is not used for its intended purpose. This creates an even more convenient system that protects against the effects of high temperatures for intercontinental flights, as well as for performing tasks in the tropics and in the polar regions. The pilot or other crew members do not need help and can independently take off and put on a suit. A very lightweight and at the same time incredibly wear-resistant three-layer fabric laminate was developed specifically for this wetsuit. This innovative fabric laminate made it possible to reduce weight while at the same time having high strength and wear resistance. As a result, in addition to water resistance and a certain breathability, it was possible to achieve a weight of the entire costume of less than 1.5 kg.

This wetsuit has synthetic waterproof zippers covered with refractory material that allow you to wear the suit during the entire preparatory and post-flight period with an open collar and sleeves, which provides the maximum level of comfort. Openable sleeves on the neck of the cuffs 13 significantly increase the comfort of wearing a suit and provide the possibility of long-term wearing while maintaining the functional ability of the wearer due to the low load and, accordingly, insignificant fatigue of the wearer. The final waterproof part of the collar 5 consists of an elastic rubber edge 11 made of neoprene, silicone or a material with similar properties, applied by lamination to the refractory fabric, while it is separated by the main zipper 4, but when the main zipper 4 is closed, it ensures the neck area is waterproof . Just like the collar 5 of the cuff 13 at the end of the sleeves have the same structure, i.e. a rubber edge 12 separated by zippers 7 applied to the refractory fabric of the cuffs 13 by lamination, the rubber edge 12 being made of neoprene, silicone or a material with similar properties. In combination with the aforementioned cooling system with gas and air channels inside the suit 1, long-term operations are possible even in extreme conditions at high ambient temperature and even at high relative humidity without significant fatigue of the user. Despite this, the water resistance and thermal insulation of the user is ensured in a matter of seconds, for this he needs only 3,034,450 to completely close the waterproof zippers 4, 7, 9 and 16.

The following professional groups are mainly considered as a target group for the use of such wetsuits:

pilots / crew members of jet aircraft, pilots / crew members and passengers of helicopters, transport and special aircraft, crews and passengers of ships, water sportsmen of any kind (sailing athletes, canoeists, kayakers, surfers, etc.).

List of symbols used.

- jumpsuit

- legs

- the shell of the legs,

- main zipper,

- collar

- top part,

- 7 zippers on the arms of the forearms,

- sleeves,

- a zipper for the closed pocket of trousers,

- lockable trouser pocket,

- elastic rubber edge on the collar 5,

- elastic rubber hem on the cuffs,

- cuffs

- waterproof zipper for a breast pocket,

- chest pocket,

- a zipper between a jacket and trousers,

- a bridge of fabric material between the jacket and trousers,

- waterproof zipper in the chest area for access to the space under the suit.

Claims (8)

1. The wetsuit to keep people who have fallen into water in a dry state to delay the onset of life-threatening overcooling is made of a fabric laminate, which consists of a tear-resistant and fireproof fabric, a waterproof membrane with a microporous structure based on polytetrafluoroethylene and internal fabric, has waterproof zippers (4, 16) for putting on and removing, and on each of the sleeves (8) along the forearm passes a waterproof zipper (7), characterized in that the waterproof end parts on the neck and wrists are realized in the form of synthetic rubber edges (11,12), and these edges (11,12) are applied by lamination to the refractory fabric, and with closed zippers (4.7) they fit snugly to the neck and wrists, thereby ensuring water resistance, each of the edges can be separated by a waterproof zipper (4.7), so that the suit is made to be worn open in the collar (5) and cuffs (13) during non-critical stages of the task, ensuring air exchange with the surface of the body, and that the suit is made with the possibility of transferring from this state to a waterproof state by closing all waterproof zippers, and that the fabric laminate in the direction from the outside to the inside consists of a tensile and fireproof fabric weighing 40 g / m ² ± 10%, followed by a layer of glue, and then a waterproof but vapor-permeable membrane with a microporous structure based on polytetrafluoroethylene with a pore number of more than 10 million per 1 mm ² , then another glue follows the first layer, behind which there is a fabric with aramov fiber as a protective layer for the inner membrane, so this three-layer waterproof, refractory and breathable fabric laminate has a mass per unit area equal to a maximum of 220 g / m ² and the entire wetsuit weighs less than 1.5 kg 2. Wetsuit according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made in the form of a one-piece overall (1) with a waterproof zipper (4), which extends from the crotch area to the upper edge of the collar (5) and separates it. 3. A wetsuit according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it is made in the form of a two-piece suit consisting of trousers and a jacket, with the exception of a bridge of textile material (17) between the trousers and the jacket, and that the trousers and jacket are connected in the hips a waterproof zipper (16) extending around the hips, with one side of the zipper extending along the bottom edge of the jacket and the other side of the zipper (16) extending across the trouser belt, with the end regions of the zipper (16) overlapping each other friend with lateral displacement, capturing mo stick (17) from tech - 4,034,450 stylish material between a jacket and trousers. 4. A wetsuit according to one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that it has at least one chest pocket (15) recessed inside and closed with a waterproof zipper (14), as well as a waterproof zipper (18) in the area chest for access to the space under the dressed suit if it is worn over another suit or overload suit. 5. A wetsuit according to one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that it has at least one trouser pocket (10) that closes with a waterproof zipper (9). 6. A wetsuit according to one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the three-layer fabric is made with a protection from the incoming air flow of up to 1150 km / h and remains intact due to the fact that the outer fabric is made of tear-resistant synthetic and aramofibres and is equipped with a waterproof protection against tearing zippers. 7. A wetsuit according to one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that its inner side is further provided with flat gas channels that are configured to supply gas starting from the location of the hose sleeve, leaving the throttled out and, thus, cooling gas through a tube connected to a portable cylinder of compressed gas, and the gas channels on the inside of the wetsuit are made to supply gas to parts of the body with intense sweating, and These places in the suit have exhaust vents to remove heat from these places. 8. Wetsuit according to claim 7, characterized in that the outlet of the gas channels are located mainly in the lumbar region, on the hips, in the region of the popliteal cavities, in the neck from the back and in the chest, in the armpits, on the shoulders joints, as well as on the arms of the forearms, which are located opposite the inner sides of the forearms of the wearer, so that heat absorbed by the cooling gas can be removed outside through open cuffs (13) and the collar (5) when the wetsuit is used during non-critical periods of execution task.