GB2069416A

GB2069416A - Marine lifesaving apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2069416A
Application number: GB8009871A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-01-18
Filing date: 1980-03-24
Publication date: 1981-08-26
Also published as: GB2069416B

Abstract

A life-support arrangement comprises a bag 1 a flexible material within which a person may place himself before entering the sea. The bag is closeable and is provided with means 7, for instance in the form of a semi-permeable membrane, for permitting a flow of air but not water into the bag. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Life support means This invention relates to life support means and in particular to assisting the survival of persons at sea.

Sea going vessels are often equipped with liferafts or lifeboats. These are difficult to launch in an emergency and they are also difficult to enter, particularly in heavy seas. Ships and smaller boats may be provided with lifejackets and lifebelts but these, though assisting buoyancy, provide little other protection against the sea.

According to the present invention there is provided a life support arrangement comprising a bag made of flexible material for accommodation of one or more persons, the bag being closable and being provided with means for permitting a flow of air but not water into the bag.

The bag may be provided with a snorkel type arrangement including one or more conduits for fluid flow. The entrance to the or each conduit is provided with a valve arrangement in which the valve member is a floatable element such as a hollow plastics ball. The arrangement is such that the ball will, in the absence of water in the conduit, remain off its valve seat thereby permitting air flow into the conduit. However, when water enters the conduit it pushes the ball into contact with the valve seat and closes the conduit so that water is not able to flow into the bag.

In a preferred embodiment the airflow permitting means is provided by a semi-permeable membrane which forms part of the bag wall.

Preferably the bag is of dimensions such as to accommodate a single person. More preferably the bag is shaped in particular by the provision of leg portions so that the person within the bag is capable of reasonable mobility. The bag may be, for instance, provided with leg portions and generally elongate, the end opposite the leg portions, which will evelop the head of the person inside the bag, being formed of the semipermeable material. Such a shaped bag is in the form of a loose fitting suit although not necessarily provided with arm portions.

The head part of the suit may have, overlying the semi-permeable membrane, a hood made of non-permeable material, the hood allowing passage of air between the semi-permeable membrane and the hood but being arranged to prevent water contacting the semi-permeable membrane itself. Thus the arrangement may be such that air may enter the space between the hood and the semi-permeable membrane and between the lower peripheral edge of the hood and the suit so that should the upper portion of the suit become immersed in water trapped air pockets between the hood and the membrane provide back pressure restrictions against the entry of water. Such an arrangement also improves the buoyancy of the suit.

Preferably the portion of the suit which will cover the upper part of the body of the wearer is in the nature of a bell made of material which is resilient whereby it may be deformed but will revert to essentially the same shape. This may be achieved by, for instance, incorporating a resilient annular member, such as a tyre, or a plurality of such members in the wall of the upper part of the the suit. The degree of deformability and resilience of the upper part of the suit should be such that it will respond to the alternating pressure bearing upon it from the sea. Thus the upper part of the suit will alternately deform and revert to its original shape with the result that air will tend to be pumped through the head portion of the suit.

Thus a greater amount of air will pass into the suit than in the case where air passes therethrough simply by diffusion.

The non-permeable portion or portions of the suit may be made of any suitable material, for instance, of plastics material such as polypropylene. Although the non-permable portion or portions of the suit may be in the form of a single layer of material, preferably the material will be multi-layered to give good heat insulation and for improved buoyancy. A preferred arrangement is somewhat similar to that of a quilt so as to give a multi-cellular structure, the cells being trapped air pockets giving exceptionally good heat insulation and buoyancy.

Preferably the suit is provided with a skirt which, when the person is in the water, will spread out to form a large diameter circle of material.

Such a skirt will make it easier for the person in his suit to be retrieved from the water either by boat or by helicopter. Furthermore, the skirt may be brightly coloured so that it acts as a good visual indicator of the position of a survivor.

A suit in accordance with the present invention may be provided with one or more transparent panels adjacent to the position or the wearer's head so that visibility may be permitted.

The semi-permeable membrane may be made of any suitable material which permits the through flow of air but not water. An example of such material is TERAM (made by l.C.I.) which comprises polyester fibres arranged in layers, the fibres in one layer arranged at right angles to those of adjacent layers.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic representation of a survival suit in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, a survival suit in accordance with the present invention is in the form of a bag 1 of flexible material within which a person may place himself before entering the sea.

The suit is provided with leg portions 3 and foot portions 5. It is generally elongate and at the end opposite the leg portions 3 the bag is provided with a portion in the form of a semi-permeable membrane 7. Overlying semi-permeable membrane 7 and connected to it by means of ribs 9 is a hood 11 made out of the same material as the main portion of bag 1.

Bag 1 is made out of polypropylene, except for the semi-permeable membrane 7, formed into a quilted arrangement whereby there are many air cells giving rise to good heat insulation and buoyancy. Hood 11 is made of a single layer of polypropylene. A semi-permeable membrane 7 is made of TERAM.

When the person wearing the suit is in the water the water level will normally be somewhat below the lower peripheral edge of hood 11, as shown in the drawing. However, should the water level rise relative to the suit above the lower edge of the hood then the back pressure of air between the semi-permeable membrane 7 and hood 11 will prevent water flowing between the hood and the semi-permeable membrane.

The suit is provided with a belt or drawstring 1 3 which may be tightened by the person wearing the suit so as to trap air below the belt and increase the buoyancy of the suit.

Above the belt or drawstring 13, bag 1 is provided with annular rings made out of rubber or rubber like material so that these rings are deformable but sufficiently resilient to revert to their original shape on removal of the deforming pressure. One or more of such rings (not shown) may be arranged on the inside or outside of the material of bag 1, being spaced apart but each lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of drawstring 13. The movement of the sea against the bag 1 will tend to deform these rings and then cause them to return to their original shape because of their own resilience. This will have the tendency of pumping air through the semi-permeable membrane 7 and so effecting a greater transfer of air across the membrane than would be the case without such pumping action.

The suit is provided with a skirt 1 5 which is attached circumferentially about the suit at the approximate water line thereof. This skirt is made of ULSTRON net and will spread out on the water as indicated in the drawing. The skirt serves as a grappling aid when the survivor is being lifted out of the water either onto a boat or by means of a helicopter. It is also brightly coloured so as to provide good visual indication of the presence of the survivor in the water.

The suit is provided with transparent panels 17 in the head portion of the suit so as to permit the wearer vision from inside the suit.

The suit may additionally be provided with survival rations located, for instance, in pockets within the suit. It may also be provided with some form of radio transmitter. In addition the suit may be provided with a packaged dye which could be released to assist in location of the survivor.

In an alternative embodiment of the suit in accordance with the present invention the material of the suit is similar to that commonly used for so-called wetsuits.

A suit in accordance with the present invention could be used not only for survival purposes but also in other ways. For instance it could be of use in connection with various leisure pursuits. It might also be helpful as a protective "garment" for use by members of the arms forces. For both leisure pursuits and military purposes, it might be required to alter the buoyancy of the suit in order that the person wearing the suit would not be upright in the water but would adopt a more nearly horizontal attitude. The person wearing the- suit would then be able to move through the water either using leg movements or perhaps by some form of auxiliary locomotion. Such a person will be heat insulated from the water, supporting by buoyancy and will also be able breath without any difficulty. Accordingly, he will be able to move easily through the water and this is not only an advantage for leisure pursuits but a suit in accordance with the present invention will also be useful equipment for men who might need to cross rivers or approach shorelines in any defence or wartime situation.

Auxiliary locomotion could be provided by some form of jet propulsion arrangement attached to the suit.

Claims

1. A life-support arrangement comprising a bag made of flexible material for accommodation of one or more persons, the bag being closable and being provided with means for permitting a flow of air but not water into the bag.

2. A life-support arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein the bag is provided with a snorkel-type arrangement including one or more conduits for fluid flow.

3. A life-support arrangement according to Claim 2 wherein the or each conduit is provided with a valve arrangement in which the valve member is a floatable element such as a hollow plastics ball.

4. A life-support arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein an air-flow permitting means comprises a semi-permeable membrane which forms part of the bag wall.

5. A life-support arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein the bag is of dimensions such as to accommodate a single person.

6. A life-support arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein the bag is shaped in particular by the provision of leg portions so that a person within the bag is capable of reasonable mobility.

7. A life-support arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein the air-flow permitting means is provided by a semi-permeable membrane and there is provided, overlying the semi-permeable' membrane, a hood made of non-permeable material, the hood allowing passage of air between the semi-permeable membrane and the hood but being arranged to prevent water contacting the semi-permeable membrane.

8. A life-support arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein the arrangement is in the form of a suit and the portion of the suit which will cover the upper part of the body of the wearer is in the nature of a bell made of material which is resilient whereby it may be deformed but will revert to essentially the same shape.

9. A life-support arrangement according to any of the preceding claims and in the form of a suit provided with a skirt which, when the person wearing the suit is in the water, will spread out to form a large diameter circle of material.

10. A life-support arrangement according to any of the preceding claims and including one or more transparent panels adjacent to the position of the head of a wearer so that visibility may be permitted.

11. A life-support arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein the material of the arrangement comprises polyester fibres arranged in layers, the fibres in one layer arranged at right angles to those of adjacent layers.

12. A life-support arrangement according to Claim 1 and substantially as described herein.

1 3. A life-support arrangement substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.