EP1943140A2

EP1943140A2 - Life jacket

Info

Publication number: EP1943140A2
Application number: EP06828868A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Guido Berge
Original assignee: Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH and Co
Priority date: 2005-10-26
Filing date: 2006-10-26
Publication date: 2008-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 2026-10-26
Also published as: WO2007048606A3; WO2007048606A2; EP1943140B1; ES2353785T3; DE502006007983D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a life jacket whose chest-level floating elements (4, 4') are adjacent to one respective additional floating element (5, 5'), both of which flip or fold upwards during use. For this purpose, the chest-level floating elements (4, 4') are anchored to the body belt of the life jacket via a belt or a band with a toggle that is inserted through an eye (9, 9').

Description

life jacket

description

The invention relates to a life jacket with a protective cover and a floating body, which has a ring with a neck opening and connect to the two breast floating body, which are inflatable together with the ring and form the shape of an inverted U.

Life jackets should bring the wearer in the water in a stable supine position, in which the respiratory openings of the wearer are clearly lifted out of the water. While this can usually be achieved very easily in normal clothing, waterproof weatherproof clothing hampers rotation into the supine position due to the air inclusions it contains. This behavior is well known and is also mentioned in the valid European standard EN 399, which states:

"The stated buoyancy and its distribution should ensure that the wearer is supported so that his mouth and nose stick out of the water, and that he has a suitable stable floating position with the trunk tilted backwards Waves or wearing clothing that intentionally or unintentionally causes additional buoyancy, or when wearing cold weather suits. "

So far, various approaches to improve the rotational behavior were followed, for example, by the use of a large volume, possibly asymmetric float or by the combination of at least two superimposed floats.

From EP 0 659 638 A1, an inflatable lifejacket with a collar-shaped neck piece and two adjoining chest wings is known which integrally form an inflatable one -? "-

Floating bodies are connected. In the non-inflated state, outer parts of the thorax and the neck piece can be folded from the outside to the inside and in the region of the internal parts from the inside to the outside and can be held detachably in this position. The free ends of the chest wings are held on belt loops on a lap belt. The breast wings and the oppositely directed internal parts form a coherent air chamber, which has no constrictions.

From DE 94 15 596 Ul a Rettungsschwimmkragen is known in which a collar-shaped neck piece connects two breast wings to a one-piece, inflatable, horseshoe-shaped float. At the outer edge of a thorax is an additional buoyant body, which communicates via at least one gas passage with the interior of the chest wing. In addition, the known Rettungsschwimmkragen inside a throttle point, which is located at the transition region of the chest, to which the buoyancy adjoins the neck piece. This ensures that when inflating the Rettungsschwimmkragens for a transitional period only a partial inflation of the thorax occurs with the subsequent buoyancy body, which should lead to a rotational movement of the person to be rescued in the water.

From US 2,615,182 rescue floating body with additional buoyancy bodies are known, which hang on a harness or a collar. The floats worn on the body belt are folded before use worn under a pair of pants, while the attached to a collar floats are held by means of ribbons on the upper body in the manner of a harness.

Finally, from US 3,329,982 a life jacket with several buoyancy bodies is known, which are arranged butterfly-shaped and four independent chambers bil- the. The chambers are symmetrical to a horizontal plane and to a vertical plane.

The object of the invention is to improve a known lifejacket to the effect that their ability to rotate in the inflated state and when wearing a subject in the water over known lifejackets is improved.

To solve this problem is a life jacket according to claim 1.

This ensures that parts of the float can be bent, for example, along fold lines at angles of more than 30 ° and so in conjunction with the floating body connection to the lifejacket or through the use of additional fasteners create a shape that the volume of the float in the area of the sternum with the greatest possible distance to the body axis.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing; show in a schematic plan view:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment; and

Figure 5, the life jacket of Fig. 1 in operation. - A -

It should be noted that in all figures the same parts are provided with the same reference numerals. In this case, the apostrophe designate reference numerals each parts that are mirror images of the parts provided with the same reference numerals. The lifejacket according to the invention is usually combined with a protective cover with automatic inflation; delivered. It also includes a harness with harness and back strap. For reasons of clarity, the protective cover and the harness, etc., however, are not shown; they are known to the skilled person anyway.

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a floating body in the plan view and in the non-inflated state. The outer, thin drawn contour means the outer edge of the blank while the inner, thick solid contour indicates the beginning of the cavity, which can be filled by inflation with carbon dioxide, with air or with nitrogen. For this purpose, the float is made of two superimposed, congruent blanks of an airtight material, which are sealed together along the edge 1. As an airtight material, for example polyurethane-coated nylon® comes into question.

In detail, Figure 1 shows a floating body, which is formed by a neck piece or ring 2, connect to the two breast floating body 4, 4 '. The ring 2 surrounds a neck opening 3, so that the breast floats 4, 4 ¹ connect like the legs of an inverted U. In the chin region of the wearer, ie in the drawing down, put on the ring 2 on both sides of the center line M chin latch 8, which almost complete the neck opening 3 and thus give the head a firm but comfortable grip during operation. Subsequent to the chin lobes 8 branches from the ring 2 depending on a breast float 4, 4 ', which lie in the use of a wearer or a wearer on the chest. The chest floats 4, 4 'are elongated strips, such as the legs of an inverted U, which also widen outwardly in the illustrated embodiment to increase the buoyancy space. Inside the breast-floating body 4, 4 'and thus to the center line M or directed against each other close two other floats 5, 5'. The connection of the other floats 5, 5 'to the breast floats 4, 4' via fold lines 6, 6 ', which are not continuous, but have an interruption, each of which forms a passage 7, 7'. Thus, the interior of the ring 2, the breast-floating body 4, 4 'and the other floats 5, 5' are in fluid communication with each other, so that the life-jacket of a compressed air cartridge, not shown by compressed air or by a gas, or with the mouth with air can be inflated.

By fold lines 6 and 6 ', the other floats 5, 5 ¹ kinked with inflated lifejacket in the water by the buoyancy of the water upwards, because they are not connected to each other at their free, inner ends along the center line M. The kinking of the other floating body 5, 5 ¹ , depending on the orientation of the fold lines 6, 6 'at an angle of 30 ° or more, which significantly increases the revolutions of the life jacket over known life jackets.

As mentioned, the lifejacket according to the invention is usually supplied together with a protective cover to which a waist belt and, if appropriate, back strap are attached. For reasons of clarity, however, the known protective cover is not shown. The protective cover accommodates the floating body before use in a folded state and includes it. For this purpose, the float is folded before inflation in a special way, namely so that it forms a shallow U with uniformly wide legs.

To close the protective cover over and around the float around serve in one embodiment attached to the protective Velcro closures that tear when inflating the lifejacket or be blown up and thus allow unfolding of the floating body. In another embodiment, push buttons or zippers with predetermined breaking points find use for closing the protective cover.

In the float further two eyelets 9, 9 ^{1 are} provided, in the fold lines 6, 6 ¹ in the vicinity or close to the passages 7, 7 '. Through the eyelets 9, 9 ', the float at the transition from the breast-floating bodies 4, 4 ¹ are attached to the other floats 5, 5' on the harness of the protective cover, resulting in that the breast-floating body 4, 4 'in inflated state on sternum or sternum of a user can be held while the other floats 5, 5 'turn away from the sternum by supporting each other in the increase in volume and thus dodge upwards, whereby the Aufrichtmoment is increased in the water.

One way of attaching the float to the waist belt is that sewn to the waist belt straps or attached to other, known per se, whose free ends are inserted through the eyelets 9, 9 ¹ and secured with a gag.

With the lifejacket according to the invention not only a subject lying in the prone position in the water quickly becomes turned back, so that the mouth and nose are lifted out of the water, but by the upstanding other floats 5, 5 'improves the visibility of the injured person, since the other floats 5, 5 ^{λ project} well beyond the water level and thus better are visible. If the other floats 5, 5 ^{1 are} also provided with reflective films and distress lights, so the visibility of the lifejacket can be further improved.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the lifejacket according to the invention, in which the other floating body 5, 5 ¹ not on the inside, but on the outside of the breast-floating body 4, 4 'set. The interior of the other floating body 5, 5 'is in turn connected via passages 7, 7 ¹ with the interior of the other floating body in flow communication, while the fold lines 6, 6' allow the erection of the other floating body 5, 5 ¹ . Since in this embodiment, the other floating body 5, 5 'are not supported each other during inflation, they must be secured by other straps or straps on the lifejacket that they are erected during inflation. For this purpose, depending on a belt or a band with one end on the breast float 4, 4 'and anchored at its other end to the other floating body 5, 5'. The length of the belt or belt is dimensioned so that the other floating body 5, 5 ^{1 is} kept erect when inflated lifejacket. It should be noted that the one end of the straightening of the further floating body 5 or 5 'serving strap or band, which is anchored in one embodiment on the breast-floating body 4, 4 ¹ , can also be anchored to another location, for example on waist belt. It is only essential that the righting function for the other floating bodies 5, 5 'is ensured.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the lifejacket according to the invention, in which the further floating bodies 5, 5 ' Similar to the first embodiment of Figure 1 are directed against each other. The difference from the first embodiment, however, is that, on the one hand, the breast floats 4, 4 'are not widened to the outside, and further that the fold lines 6, 6' are missing. The buckling of the other floating body 5, 5 'takes place substantially as in the embodiment of Fig.l.

Figure 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention, which is designed similar to Figure 3, but to support the buckling of the other floats 5, 5 'fold lines 6, 6', extending from the region of the chin tabs 8, 8 ¹ parallel to the breast floating bodies 4, 4 ¹ in the direction of the free lower end of the other floating body 5, 5 'extend, but at a distance to end, so that each a passage 7, 7' remains free, the flow connection from the interior of the Rings 2 on the breast floating body 4, 4 ¹ to the other floats 5, 5 'guaranteed.

FIG. 5 shows the lifejacket according to the invention in use, specifically the first embodiment according to FIG. 1 with further floats 5 and 5 'erected almost up to 90 °. It also recognizes a breast float 4, while the ring is only hinted at recognizable in the water. This depiction illustrates the high level of maneuverability of the lifejacket according to the invention and its good visibility in the water, since the parts of the lifejacket erected by the buoyancy of the inflated further floats 5, 5 'rise far above the water surface.

Claims

claims

A lifejacket with a protective cover and a floating body having a ring (2) with a neck opening (3) and connecting to the two breast floating bodies (4, 4 ¹ ) which are inflatable together with the ring (2) and the Forming a shape of an inverted U, the float being enclosed in the protective cover with tearable hook-and-loop fasteners, snap fasteners or breakable zippers prior to inflation; and with a harness comprising at least one back strap and at least one waist belt with belt buckle; characterized in that on each breast-floating body (4, 4 ') a hinged further floating body (5, 5 ¹ ) via fold lines (6, 6 ¹ ) connects, each having a passage (7, 7') with the adjacent breast -Schwimmkörper (4, 4 ^Λ ) is in flow communication; and that in the fold lines (6, 6 ¹ ) in the vicinity of the passages (7, 7 ') each have an eye (9, 9') is arranged, through which the breast floating body (4, 4 ¹ ) are anchored to the harness ,

2. lifejacket according to claim 1, characterized in that the other floats (5, 5 ¹ ) begin in the deflated state of the lifejacket inside the free legs of the inverted U-shaped float.

3. lifejacket according to claim 1, characterized in that the other floats (5, 5 ¹ ) begin in the deflated state of the lifejacket outside of the free legs of the inverted U-shaped float.

4. lifejacket according to claim 1, characterized in that the passages extend (7, 7 ¹ ) parallel to the legs of the U-shaped float.

5. lifejacket according to claim 1, characterized in that the passages (7, 7 ') extend at right angles to the legs of the U-shaped float.