EP2314506A1

EP2314506A1 - Anti-capsize float for bathing

Info

Publication number: EP2314506A1
Application number: EP09173826A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ramon Garcia Marin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-10-22
Filing date: 2009-10-22
Publication date: 2011-04-27

Abstract

Anti-capsize float designed for the bathing of people in an aquatic medium, which comprises an unsinkable U-shaped body (1), dimensioned in such a way that it embraces a person's trunk and the end branches (2) whereof are equipped with fitting and closing devices (9,10,11) in order to fit it tightly on the bearers trunk. The central branch (3) and the end branches (2) of the U-shaped body (1) are over-dimensioned in order to increase the floatability of said areas.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The main object of this invention consists of an anti-capsize float for people with disabilities, which allows for leisure bathing in a completely safe manner.
The anti-capsize float is especially conceived to guarantee the bearer's floatability and to facilitate the placement thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, there is a great variety of elements and devices in the market which allow for the floatability, in an aquatic medium, of people susceptible to drowning due to their young age or to the fact that they cannot swim.
Classic floats, composed of an unsinkable ring, the swim bubbles that are attached to the users' backs, are not free from danger, since the bearers may capsize and their heads remain submerged, with a high risk of drowning; as a result, the use of this type of floats must be constantly supervised and controlled by a third person.
In the state of the art, numerous flotation solutions and devices for people who cannot swim have been published, such as, for example, patent ES2020092 and utility model ES1002206 , which disclose two special floats designed to prevent the bearers from sinking.
In the case of patent ES2020092 , a bathing float is disclosed that is especially indicated for children or people who cannot swim; it is composed of two twin flotation bodies made up of one or more parallel chambers. Said flotation bodies are joined by two flexible bracers, which constitute the means of support of the body whereon the swimmer's body is suspended, in a horizontal position.
In the case of utility model ES1002206 , a float designed for gymnastic and leisure exercises is disclosed, composed of a roller with convex ends formed by a mass of a low-density flexible or semi-rigid spongy material that allows for floatability, which provides a support for people who use it by climbing thereon.
All of these types of floats are designed to be used by people with full physical capacity, who are consequently autonomous in an aquatic medium, regardless of whether or not they have to be supervised and controlled by a third person. The inventor of the float of this invention is not aware of any float specifically designed for people with disabilities, who generally do not have mobility in their limbs and, consequently, are not autonomous, least of all in an aquatic medium. This means that, with the floats available in the market, the possibility of drowning is very high and, therefore, they must be constantly accompanied, supported and controlled by a third person.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The anti-capsize float proposed by the invention solves the problems explained above, by ensuring the floatability of all persons, regardless of their physical disabilities.
To this end, and more specifically, the anti-capsize float designed for the bathing of people in a water medium comprises an unsinkable U-shaped body, that is, in the form of a horseshoe, which is dimensioned to embrace a person's trunk and the end branches whereof are equipped with fitting and closing devices, in order to fit it tightly onto the bearer's trunk. This U-shape configuration allows for fast, easy placement on the bearer, taking into consideration lack of mobility in the case of people with disabilities. The unsinkable U-shaped body is understood to have a density lower than the density of the aquatic medium wherein it is to be used. The length of the end branches is between 1.2 and 1.8 times the length of the central branch of the "U".
The stretch corresponding to the central branch of the U-shaped body, which, once placed, will coincide with the bearer's back, is over-dimensioned in order to increase the floatability of said stretch and prevent backward capsizing.
On the other hand, the stretches corresponding to the end branches of the U-shaped body, which, once placed, will coincide with the bearer's chest, are over-dimensioned in order to increase the floatability of said stretches and prevent forward capsizing.
The intermediate stretches of the end branches of the U-shaped body, which, once placed, will coincide with the bearer's armpits, are reduced in order to facilitate mobility of the bearer's arms.
Glven said distribution, the floating capacity is greater than 40% in the front area, greater than 40% in the rear area and lower than 20% in the central area; preferably greater than 45% in the front area, greater than 40% in the rear area and lower than 10% in the central area. The floating capacity is understood to be the weight that said area may bear without becoming submerged in the aquatic medium.
As mentioned above, the anti-capsize float comprises fitting and closing devices that consist of a plurality of through-holes in the end branches, facing one another; at least one strap passes through these facing holes in order to fit the U-shaped body tightly, through the end branches, to the bearer's trunk.
The ends of said strap are equipped with a safety clasp that can be slid on the ends of the strap to regulate the length thereof, in order to join the ends of the strap and fit the float tightly on the bearer's trunk. In this way, we may close and fit the U-shaped float to the perimeter of the bearer's trunk, the end branches being approached in parallel. This strap has a single stretch and passes through the facing through-holes in the end branches of the float, with the ends pointing toward the exterior in order that it may be fastened from above, by clutching and joining the end branches. This arrangement makes it possible to separate the end branches of the float and thereby facilitate the placement thereof, whilst allowing for a fast, easy closing in order to secure it on the bearer's trunk.
Additionally or alternatively, the float may comprise a fitting and closing strap, composed of two stretches whose ends are equipped with safety clasps that may slide on the ends of the respective stretches of the strap in order to regulate the lengths thereof; these strap stretches go through the respective facing holes in the end branches. In addition to allowing for the complete opening of the end branches of the float, the arrangement of said strap in two stretches makes it possible to place it directly on the bearer's trunk through said opening, since there are no straps in between. This facilitates even more placement of the float on people with disabilities.
Therefore, said float is especially suitable to be used by people with disabilities.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to complement the description being made and contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferred practical embodiment example thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, where the following has been represented for illustrative, non-limiting purposes:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the anti-capsize float, where its U-shaped configuration may be observed, with the corresponding fitting and closing straps.
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the anti-capsize float, with the end branches open and the straps unfastened, ready to be placed on the bearer's trunk.
Figure 3 shows a plan view of the anti-capsize float, with the straps tightened and closed by joining the end branches.
Figure 4 shows a lateral view of anti-capsize float duly fitted and closed, where the accessories on the central branch and the end branch designed to increase the floatability of said areas, and the through-holes for the straps, may be observed.
Figure 5 shows a view of the float, duly placed and fitted onto a bearer's trunk.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the figures listed, it can be seen that the anti-capsize float comprises an unsinkable U-shaped body (1), in this embodiment example made from cylinders of a low-density spongy material, duly dimensioned to embrace a person's trunk, as shown in figure 5. The end branches (2) of the U-shaped body (1) are equipped with fitting and closing devices designed to fit it tightly on the bearer's trunk, which we will describe in more detail further below.
As may be observed in figure 1, the central branch (3) of the U-shaped body that makes up the anti-capsize float is over-dimensioned in order two increase the floatability of said stretch and thereby prevent backward capsizing. In this embodiment example, said over-dimensioning has been performed by incorporating cylinders of a spongy material (4), which are complementary to the main cylinders (5), duly dimensioned and fitted in order to obtain an anatomical design that may be adapted to the bearer's back.
On the other hand, the end branches (2) of the U-shaped body (1) are equally over-dimensioned in order to increase the floatability of said stretches and thereby prevent forward capsizing. In this embodiment example, said over-dimensioning has been performed by incorporating cylinders of a spongy material (6), which are complementary to the main cylinders (5), duly dimensioned and fitted in order to obtain a design without projections.
In order to facilitate placement and mobility of the bearer's arms, the intermediate stretches (7) of the end branches (2) are reduced to a smaller cross-section.
As mentioned above, the anti-capsize float comprises fitting and closing devices, which consist of a plurality of through-holes (8) in the end branches (2), facing one another; a strap (9) passes therethrough in order to fit the float tightly, from the end branches (2), on the bearer's trunk. Depending on the bearer's body perimeter, the strap (9) will go through different holes. The ends of the strap (9) are equipped with sliding safety clasps (10), in order to regulate the length thereof, designed to join the ends of the strap and fit the float tightly on the bearer's trunk. This strap (9) has a single stretch and passes through the facing through-holes (8) in the end branches (2) of the float, with the ends toward the exterior in order that it may be fastened from above, by clutching and joining the end branches (2). This arrangement makes it possible to separate the end branches (2) of the float and thereby facilitate the placement thereof, whilst allowing for a fast, easy closing in order to secure it on the bearer's trunk.
As a supplementary safety measure, in this embodiment example, the anti-capsize float comprises a second strap (11), composed of two stretches (11 a, 11 b) with respective sliding safety clasps (10), in order to regulate the length thereof; these stretches (11a, 11b) pass through the respective facing holes (8) in each of the end branches (2). In addition to allowing for the complete opening of the end branches (2) of the float, the arrangement of said strap (11) in two stretches (11a, 11b) makes it possible to place it directly on the bearer's trunk through said opening, since there are no straps in between. This facilitates even more placement of the float on people with disabilities.

Claims

Anti-capsize float designed for the bathing of people in an aquatic medium, characterized in that it comprises an unsinkable U-shaped body (1), dimensioned in such a way as to embrace a person's trunk, the end branches (2) whereof are equipped with fitting and closing devices, in order to fit it tightly on the bearer's trunk.
Anti-capsize float, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the stretch corresponding to the central branch (3) of the U-shaped body (1) is over-dimensioned in order to increase the floatability of said stretch and thereby prevent backward capsizing.
Anti-capsize float, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the stretches corresponding to the end branches (2) of the U-shaped body (1) are over-dimensioned in order to increase the floatability of said stretches and thereby prevent forward capsizing.
Anti-capsize float, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate stretches (7) of the end branches (2) of the U-shaped body (1) are reduced in order to facilitate mobility of the bearer's arms.
Anti-capsize float, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the fitting and closing devices comprise a plurality of through-holes (8) in the end branches (2), facing one another; at least one strap (9) passes through said facing holes (8) in order to fit the U-shaped body (1) tightly, through the end branches (2), on the bearer's trunk.
Anti-capsize float, as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the ends of the strap (9) are equipped with safety clasps (10) that may slide on the ends of the strap (9) in order to regulate the length thereof, and thus join the ends of the strap (9) and fit the float tightly on the bearer's trunk.
Anti-capsize float, as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that it additionally comprises a fitting and closing strap (11), composed of two stretches (11a, 11b), the ends whereof are equipped with safety clasps (11) that may slide on the ends of the respective stretches of the strap (11 a, 11 b) in order to regulate the lengths thereof; these strap stretches (11 a, 11 b) go through the respective facing holes (8) in the end branches (2).
Use of the anti-capsize float, as described in any of the preceding claims, for people with disabilities.