FR2620416A1 - Underwater diving garment acting also as a balancing and reascent buoy - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an underwater diving garment in which the jacket or the jacket part if the garment is in one piece is inflatable except for the hood and the limbs. The inflatable part of the said jacket consists of two neoprene walls, an outer wall 1 and an inner wall 2 bonded together on the edges around the collar 4, the armholes 5 and the bottom 7 forming between them a sealed space 3 which can be inflated with the aid of the pipe 12. The safety valve 13 prevents excess pressures.

Description

Classic diving clothes are made from 3 to 7 millimeter thick neoprene foam, the buoyancy of which is compensated by an appropriate lead sinker. Under the effect of the hydrostatic pressure which increases with the depth, the neoprene compresses, causing a reduction in the thickness of the garment. This has two negative effects
1 / the isothermal protection decreases.

2 / The buoyancy of the garment decreases and the ballast initially
correct becomes excessive when the diver descends.

 To compensate for this effect, the diver uses a so-called balancing and ascending vest or buoy, which he also uses if a rapid ascent is necessary. This accessory is bulky but necessary.

The garment according to the invention allows
- to remedy the drawbacks of conventional clothing.

 - to remove the life jacket or the ascent buoy.

 Indeed, in the garment according to the invention, the jacket, or the jacket part if the garment is one-piece, is inflatable, excluding the hood, the sleeves and a ventral or dorsal strip intended to receive a zipper.

 The inflatable part of said jacket consists of two neoprene walls, one internal and one external, which may be of different thicknesses, superimposed and glued together on the edges at the neckline, armholes, ventral band. or back and bottom.

 On these edges relate by gluing on the edge, the hood, the sleeves, the ventral or dorsal band, and the lower part comprising the subcutale on the back part and the subcutaneous attachment on the ventral side.

 In a variant of the one-piece garment, the lower part is replaced by the pants. All the non-inflatable parts have a thickness equal to the thickness of the two superimposed walls.

 The two walls of the jacket thus assembled form between them a sealed space in which the plunger can breathe air at will using an inflation hose connected to the external wall.

 The inflation hose is a flexible tube with a special bu cal nozzle, which also allows the air to be injected directly from the bottle, as on modern ascent vests. This tip is called "direct system".

 The inflatable part is also fitted with a safety valve and quick drain.

 The garment as defined above behaves like a classic balancing and ascent vest.

 When the buoyancy decreases, by the effect of the decrease in thickness of the neoprene, the diver slightly inflates his clothing, which has the consequence of restoring his initial volume therefore his initial buoyancy.

 In addition, the injected air being a good thermal insulator, the isothermal protection is improved.

 If it is necessary to use a buoy, the garment is fully inflated using the "direct system". The volume that can take up the space between the two walls makes it possible to contain enough air (more than 18 liters) thanks to the elasticity of the neoprene, and to allow a rise in a buoy as a classic life jacket would do.

 Figures 1 and ibis show the garment from the front and back.

 Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section, median on the back part, at the shoulder on the face part.

 Figure 3 shows a 1/2 section along the shoulder plane with detail of a bonding point.

 The garment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprises two neoprene walls, one external (1) and one internal (2), glued together on the edges at the neckline (4), armholes (5), the ventral or dorsal band (6) and the bottom (7).

 The hood (8), the sleeves (9), the ventral or dorsal band (10) and the lower part (11) are attached by gluing on edge at the corresponding locations according to the principle shown in detail in Figure 3. This view of detail shows the outer wall (1) and the inner wall (2) previously glued together flat over a width of about 1 cm, then cut to present a clear edge (5) as if it were a single thickness. The non-inflatable part (9) whose thickness is equal to the thickness of the 2 walls 1 and 2 is assembled by gluing on the edge 5. This method of assembly guarantees perfect sealing of the inflatable space (3).

 The inflation is carried out using the hose (12) fitted with a "direct system" type nozzle. The safety valve (13) makes it possible to avoid overpressure during a rapid ascent or to quickly and voluntarily empty the air contained in the space (3).

Claims (5)

 1) Scuba diving clothing also serving as a balancing and ascent buoy characterized in that the jacket, or the jacket part if the clothing is one-piece, is inflatable, excluding the hood and the sleeves, and made up an outer part (1), an inner wall (2), superimposed and glued together on the edges to form a sealed space (3) equipped with an inflation hose (12) and a safety valve (13).  2) Garment according to claim 1 characterized in that the hood, the sleeves and the pants, if the garment is mons s are not inflatable so as not to interfere with the movements of the limbs during use in a buoy.  3) Garment according to claims 1 and 2 characterized in that the sealing of the space (3) is obtained by gluing on the edge of the two walls (1) and (2) with the non-inflatable parts (8) - ( 9) - (10) - (11), the thickness of which is at least equal to the thickness of the two superimposed walls.  4) Garment according to claim 1 characterized in that the space (3) can by the elasticity of the neoprene contain a minimum of 18 liters of air to serve as a lifting buoy.  5) Garment according to claim 1 characterized in that the inflatable space (3) is equipped with an inflation hose (12) and a drain and safety valve (13) for controlling the filling of this space .