EP0298836B1 - Method and storage case for maintaining the condition of an isothermic garment of large volume - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for packaging an isothermal garment.

Isothermal clothing is more particularly known as "down jacket". These garments, generally jackets, consist of a very thin sheet of synthetic material allowing air to pass through, a layer of insulating and heat reflective material of the artificial fiber type or better still a layer of natural down, a sheet of synthetic material fabric allowing air and water molecules to pass through but impermeable to water in the form of drops, this effect being obtained by depositing a hydrophobic polymeric veil.

The quilting effect is obtained by cross stitching which insulates volumes of reduced dimensions. This has a double advantage first of all that of a better distribution of the insulating material and then avoids in case of tearing to lose all of the insulating material.

The functioning of the insulating material is in fact due to a trapping of a layer of air thanks to the apparent volume created by the down and it is this layer of air which is insulating.

Down also has the advantage of having a very low density and an elastic character which ensures good swelling.

This type of garment has all the advantages from the thermal point of view, but it involves an important drawback which is a corollary of its qualities: its volume is important. We understand that this drawback becomes a problem when space is counted as in the bag of mountaineers, in first aid kits, in shelters, on boats and planes for example.

In addition, it is necessary that once folded this jacket be quickly accessible.

It has been proposed to place this type of garment in vacuum packaging since it is indeed the air which takes up the largest volume.

Such a method is open to criticism. It is indeed necessary to have a vacuum installation and the method cannot be applied anywhere in addition to the cost price.

During transport there is a risk of snags on the packaging, which is likely given the uses, and a single snag is sufficient.

The most serious is especially the endothermic effect during use. Indeed, being evacuated, there is only a very small fraction of residual air in the quilting. The elastic swelling effect of down is progressive and when the user has put on his jacket it is his own heat which is "pumped" by the swelling of the quilting. We therefore understand that the insulating effect necessary from the start is reversed.

The invention therefore aims to provide a device for packaging an isothermal garment according to claim 1, and a method of folding an isothermal garment according to claim 3.

The jacket thus folded is immediately usable after extraction of the bag which is obtained by pulling out the locking pin, opening the quick fastener, removing the elastics.

This type of jacket finds a certain application in survival kits in cold regions.

Figure 1:

Vêtement déplié

Figure 2:

Vêtement roulé avec liens temporaires.

Figure 3:

Vêtement roulé avec bracelets élastiques.

Figure 4:

Vêtement roulé et lové dans la trousse de conditionnement ouverte.

Figure 5:

Mise en place de la face supérieure de la trousse à travers les oeillets.

Figure 6:

Liaison des boucles adjacentes les unes dans les autres et par fermeture rapide.

Figure 7:

Mise en place de la broche de verrouillage.

The invention will now be described according to a non-exhaustive embodiment in relation to the appended figures which represent:

Figure 1:

Unfolded garment

Figure 2:

Rolled garment with temporary ties.

Figure 3:

Rolled garment with elastic bracelets.

Figure 4:

Garment rolled up and coiled in the open packaging bag.

Figure 5:

Placement of the upper side of the kit through the eyelets.

Figure 6:

Connection of adjacent loops into each other and by rapid closure.

Figure 7:

Installation of the locking pin.

In Figure 1, there is shown an unfolded insulated jacket 1, which distinguishes the hood 2, the collar 3, sleeves 4 ′ and 4˝ and the jacket itself 4. It consists of two sheets of very fine synthetic materials between which is generally placed natural down or another insulating fiber material (not shown). Topstitching 5 is carried out to delimit volumes 6 ensuring good distribution of the down.

In Figure 2, we see a flange 7 produced by rolling the jacket in the direction of the arrow 8 indicated in Figure 1, that is to say from the hood down.

Temporary tightening links 9 maintain the shape of the tube 7. The tube is then placed parallel to a template 10 which indicates the position of the elastic fixed tightening bracelets 11 as shown in FIG. 3.

These elastic bands are in fact positioned at very precise distances from each end of the tube to allow folding of this tube in the form of a concentric double rectangle as shown in FIG. 4. Additional elastic straps 18 hold the jacket in the coiled position. Conditioning halyards such as 20 are passed through the folds of the sausage. In the example shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4, the kit 30 comprises 15 conditioning halyards regularly distributed more particularly equidistant from one another as well as with the edge of the conditioning kit 30, the underside 31 of which is shown bordered with a part rapid closure 310. In FIG. 5, the upper face 32 is placed provided with 15 eyelets 33 regularly distributed so as to be in line with each halyard which is then passed through each eyelet.

On the enlargement of a portion of Figure 5, we have disregarded the upper face and the flange to show that the conditioning halyards are temporary they are simply introduced into a loop 34 which is sewn in 35 or at least secured to the underside 31 of the kit 30.

The upper face 32 is also bordered by a quick closing part 311 symmetrical to the part 310. The kit in FIG. 6 is closed to form a volume thanks to the quick closing and by folding the flaps 36 and 37. At the same time, each halyard is pulled. so as to make the loop appear through the eyelet and the halyard of the adjacent loop is then passed through the first loop so that the adjacent loops are maintained with each other without the need for a knot. The assembly is shown in an enlarged manner by the loops 60 and 61. The loop 60 passes through the eyelet 62 and the loop 61 passes through the eyelet 63 and into the loop 60 which then maintains this loop 60. The length of the loop is calculated so that the tension is sufficient but possible.

In FIG. 7, the central loop 70 has been shown which is passed through the two adjacent loops 71 and 72. The length of the loop 70 is provided to be just protruding above the corresponding eyelet 73 so as to that we can introduce the locking pin 74. This can be connected to a strap (not shown) integral with the kit so as to facilitate subsequent traction.

Longueur

375 mm

Largeur

270 mm

Hauteur

60 mm

pour un poids supplémentaire de 215 g.Similarly, the locking pin can be held in place by a safety link which breaks easily under the effect of a traction but which limits the possibilities of inadvertent disengagement of the pin. Such a kit makes it possible to package a jacket weighing 1135 g for adults in a volume of

Length

375 mm

Width

270 mm

Height

60 mm

for an additional weight of 215 g.

The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments which have just been described, it is on the contrary liable to modifications and variants which will appear to those skilled in the art.

Claims (3)

1. A bag (30) for conditioning an isothermic clothing (1) having a high apparent volume, characterized in that it includes two faces (31, 32) connected by a lateral, low height band (36, 37) provided with a fast fastener (310, 311) along the whole periphery thereof, the lower face (31) being provided with loops (34) equally spaced on the surface thereof into which are threaded movable, conditioning braided ropes (20), the upper face (22) being provided with eyelets (33) which are equally spaced on the surface thereof straight above said loops so that one eyelet corresponds to each loop.

2. The bag of claim 1, characterized in that at least one loop (70) has a length lower than the height of the lateral band in order to project from the eyelet (73) to allow the locking pin (74) to be blocked.

3. A process for folding an isothermic clothing (1) in a conditioning bag as recited in claim 2, characterized by the following steps of:

― rolling said clothing (1) in order to form a cylinder (7) temporarily maintained by clamping links (9),

― positioning resilient bracelets (11) with intervals according to a laying jig (10),

― coiling down the cylinder to substantially form two concentric rectangles,

― positioning the coiled down clothing on the internal lower face (31), with the conditioning braided ropes (20) which drive the integral loops (34) of the bag passing through the folds of the coiled down cylinder,

― positioning the upper face (32) and passing the braided ropes (60, 61) through corresponding eyelets (62, 63) which are equally spaced on this upper face,

― closing the lateral fast fastener (310, 311),

― pulling the braided ropes (20) and passing each braided rope and the associated loop into the adjacent loop successively,

― blocking at least two loops (71, 72) with a locking pin (74),

― retracting the conditioning braided ropes (20).

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