GB2060510A - Lifejacket - Google Patents

Abstract

A lifejacket comprises two chest flaps (1) and a neck portion (2) interconnecting the two chest flaps (1), the neck portion and chest flaps being inclined towards one another. The median planes (3, 4) extending through the chest flaps (1) and neck portion (2) abut at an angle of approximately 60 to 110 degrees, preferably between 80 and 90 degrees, over the shoulders of a life- jacket wearer. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Lifejacket This invention relates to a lifejacket comprising two chest flaps and a neck portion interconnecting these two flaps and in which the chest flaps and neck portion are inclined towards one another.

A large number of different constructions of lifejackets or belts are known in which the chest flaps and neck portion which give the necessary buoyancy are constructed as inflatable elements or comprise solid floats. It is common to all these constructions that they are held on the body of the wearer by an abdominal belt and optionally a belt passing between the legs and which act in the neck area and in an emergency turn the wearer on to his back. It is a disadvantage of these lifejackets that they only raise the respiratory orifices and particularly the mouth just above the water surface, i.e. they have a limited freeboard.

German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2 103 413 discloses a safety jacket made from solid floats in which, as indicated hereinbefore, the chest flaps and neck portion are inlined towards one another.

The median planes of the chest flaps and the neck portion abut over the chest of the wearer of the safety jacket. Although such a safety jacket keeps the endangered person in a stable position, i.e. on his back so that he cannot become unconscious, his respiratory orifices and mouth are only just above the water surface, so that if unconscious there is a risk of breathing in water which can lead to his death before help arrives.

To adequately support and maintain above water the head of the safety jacket wearer, German Offenlegungsschrifl No. 2 644 138 proposes constructing the neck portion in an almost circular manner from a plurality of blocklike members. In an emergency these members float, so that their median plane is approximately in a linear extension of the median plane of the chest flaps, so that as a function of the bone structure and the body weight of the safety jacket wearer a force is exerted on the back of his head which not only raises the head, but also attempts to incline it forwards, so that in unfavourable cases, e.g. when unconscious, the chin rests on the chest. However, this does not move the respiratory orifices necessary for survival away from the water surface and instead moves them towards it, i.e. there is no increase in the freeboard.

The present invention aims to so construct a safety jacket of the aforementioned type that whilst maintaining a stable position on the back and reliably supporting the wearer's head, his respiratory orifices are kept as far as possible above the surface of the water by the lifejacket, i.e. the freeboard is raised considerably compared with known lifejackets.

According to the invention, there is provided a lifejacket comprising two chest flaps and a neck portion interconnecting these two flaps and in which the chest flaps and neck portion are inclined towards one another, wherein the median planes extending through the chest flaps and neck portion, when the lifejacket is in use, abut at an angle of approximately 60 to 110 degrees over the shoulder of a lifejacket wearer.

The median planes extending through the chest flaps and neck portion preferably abut at an angle of between 80 and 90 angular degrees over the shoulder of the lifejacket wearer. It has proved advantageous if the buoyant forces of the chest flaps are approximately twice as high as those of the neck portion.

The construction of the lifejacket according to the invention ensures that the neck portion does not assume the position of the raised coat collar about the back of the head of the endangered person. Thus, the free edge of the neck portion remains immersed in the water, so that the buoyant forces thereof are utilized in an optimum manner and the endangered person is raised out of the water in the shoulder area, so that the distance between the respiratory orifices and the water surface, i.e. the freeboard, is increased.

The angular position between the chest flaps and the neck portion according to the invention can be obtained by inserting into the lifejacket an angular member extending from the chest flaps over the shoulder area into the neck portion. It is also possible to fix at the free end of the neck portion a belt which can be arranged to pass between the legs of the wearer or which can be passed around the lifejacket wearer's chest in the vicinity of the shoulder blades. If the lifejacket is embedded in a protective covering or in the case of a so-called lifevest is fixed to said vest, to achieve the angular position according to the invention between the chest flaps and the neck portion the rear, free edge thereof can be fixed to the protective covering or to the back of the vest, so as to prevent the neck portion from assuming the position of a raised coat collar.

Owing to the relatively great risk of falling into the water, persons such as dockers and bargees must wear a lifejacket, lifebelt or the like when performing their professional duties. Devices of this type which impede to the minimum the freedom of movement of the wearer are therefore inflatable lifejackets which only come into action when the wearer is in the water and can otherwise be carried as a flat member which is bendable on all sided. Such lifejackets are made from two superimposed, symmetrical, horseshoeshaped elements of gas-impermeable materials such as rubber, which are rigidly interconnected at their edges, e.g. by vulcanization, so that an inflatable sleeve is obtained. In the case of such sleeves the chest flaps and neck portion are in one plane in the inflated state.The angular position between the chest flaps and the neck portion according to the invention cannot be obtained if the blank for the elements is modified.

It has now been found that this can be brought about with straps which, when the lifejacket is being worn, are fixed to the element directed towards the wearer's body in the area covering the shoulders connecting the chest flaps to the neck portion and are shorter than said element in this area.

Following the manufacture of the lifejacket in the conventional manner these flaps are fixed to the intended area, preferably by adhesion. During fixing if said straps are constructed in one piece they are of the same length as the element of the area in question. The reduction in the length of the straps compared with the element only takes place after the curing of the adhesive-bonded joint by making a wedge-like fold or some similar fold on the straps. If these straps are made from two parts the free ends thereof not fixed to the lifejacket can have buckles by which said free ends can be interconnected whilst fixing the necessary length of the straps. These flaps prevent the lifejacket element directed towards the body from stretching during inflation.

However, as the outer lifejacket element can unfold completely during inflation in the vicinity of the flaps the jacket is so curved as a result of the reduction in length that the chest flap and neck portion are drawn towards the body of the lifejacket wearer and the median planes of the flaps and the neck portion assume the angular position according to the invention.

In addition to increasing the freeboard, the folding of the inflated lifejacket according to the invention also modifies the contour of the neck or head hole by bringing the front and rear areas closer to the head, so that particularly the chin is additionally protected from sliding out of the hole and from being immersed in the water. As the lifejacket is folded over the shoulder the neck or head hole is widened in the course of the fold line, i.e. substantially adjacent to the neck arteries, so that any constriction of these arteries is counteracted.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the ends of each strap are fixed to the lifejacket level with the shoulderbone or with the upper collarbone.

In order to further reinforce the folding action emanating from the straps on the neck portion and to draw it closer to the wearer's shoulder blades, it has proved advantageous in the case of a lifejacket located in a protective covering or sleeve to provide a band loop covering the floats in the neck portion of the protective covering or sleeve.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one embodiment of a lifejacket according to the invention worn by a person in the water in the position for saving; and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of an inflated lifejacket according to the invention.

The lifejacket shown in the drawings comprises two symmetrical chest flaps 1 on which engages an abdominal belt (not shown) in the shoulder area of a neck portion 2 connecting the flaps 1.

The median planes 3 and 4 of the chest flaps 1 and neck portion 2 abut at an angle A-B of approximately 60 to 110 degrees, preferably 80 to 90 degrees above the lifejacket wearer's shoulder.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1 the chest flaps 1 and neck portion 2 are held in the requisite angular position by means of a belt 5 passing between the legs and which acts on the free end 12 of the neck portion 2. As a result the head and respiratory orifices of the lifejacket wearer are reliably kept at an adequate distance above the water surface 6.

In the case of the inflatable lifejacket shown in Fig. 2, which comprises two symmetrical horseshoe-like elements 7, 8 of gas-tight material, the angular position of the median planes 3 and 4 of chest flaps 1 and neck portion 2 in accordance with the present invention is maintained by means of straps 9. These straps 9 are fixed, e.g. by adhesion in the area covering the shoulder to the element 8 directed towards the lifejacket wearer's body and have a wedge-like fold 10. The latter shortens the straps 9 which, during the fixing process to element 8, have the same length as the latter in the shoulder area.

During the inflation of the lifejacket this length reduction prevents the complete stretching of the element 8. However, as element 7 facing element 8 can completely unfold it is curved, so that the ends of the chest flaps 1 and the neck portion 2 move towards one another in the direction of arrows X-X and element 8 is folded in at 11.

The invention is not limited to the above described embodiments and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the chest flaps may be constructed in one piece.

Claims (14)

Claims

1. A lifejacket comprising two chest flaps and a neck portion interconnecting these two flaps and in which the chest flaps and neck portion are inclined towards one another, wherein the median planes extending through the chest flaps and neck portion, when the lifejacket is in use, abut at an angle of approximately 60 to 110 degrees over the shoulder of a lifejacket wearer.

2. A lifejacket according to claim 1, wherein the median planes of the chest flaps and neck portion abut at an angle of between 80 and 90 degrees.

3. A lifejacket according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the buoyant forces of the chest flaps are approximately twice as high as those of the neck portion.

4. A lifejacket according to any preceding claim, wherein an angular member extending from the chest flaps over the shoulder area into the neck portion is inserted in the jacket.

5. A lifejacket according to claim 4, wherein the chest flaps and neck portion each comprise two symmetrical, superimposed, horseshoeshaped elements of gasimpermeable material joined together at their ends to form an inflatable sleeve, and wherein when the lifejacket is worn, in the shoulder areas connecting the chest flaps and the neck portion, in each case, a strap is fixed to the element directed towards the wearer's body, the straps being shorter than the element in said shoulder areas.

6. A lifejacket according to claim 5, wherein the straps have a wedge-like fold.

7. A lifejacket according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the straps are provided with a buckle for the adjustment of the length thereof.

8. A lifejacket according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the ends of each strap are fixed to the element level with the shoulderbone or with the upper collarbone.

9. A lifejacket according to any preceding claim, wherein a protective sleeve is provided and wherein a band loop centrally covering the neck portion of the lifejacket is provided in the neck portion of the protective sleeve.

10. A lifejacket according to any preceding claim, wherein a belt is fixed to the free end of the neck portion.

1 A lifejacket according to claim 10, wherein the belt comprises an abdominal belt.

12. A lifejacket according to claim 10, wherein the belt is adapted to be passed between the legs of a wearer.

13. A lifejacket according to any preceding claim, wherein the chest flaps are constructed in one piece.

14. A lifejacket substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.