GB2108053A - Swimmers' arm bands - Google Patents

Abstract

A swimmer's arm band is made by heat sealing together two sheets of plastics along transverse lines 12, 13 which form inner and outer halves. The outer half is provided with inflating valves 23A, 24A each in two inflatable portions provided by a peripheral heat sealing line 25. The inner half is divided into smaller inflatable portions by transverse and peripheral lines, communication existing between each outer portion and some of the inner portions, but not between the outer portions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Swimmers' arm bands This invention relates to swimmers' arm bands.

It is desirable that the inner part of the band between the arm and body should allow free movements of the arm and the ability to lower the arm against the body but should not involve the risk of the band slipping of the arm if part of the arm band becomes deflated.

The object of the present invention is to provide an arm band which achieves both of these advantages.

According to this invention we provide a swimmer's arm band comprising two layers of impermeable flexible material having sealing lines which seal the two layers together, said sealing lines including (a) two transverse lines offset from each other so as to divide the band into approximately two halves, one half to be outermost in use, (b) a sealing line in the peripheral direction dividing the outer half into approximately two inflatable portions, and (c) sealing lines both transverse and in the peripheral direction which divide the inner half into a series of inflatable portions much smaller than the outer portions; two inflating valve nozzles, one in each of the outer inflatable portions; said lines being arranged to isolate the interior of the outer portions from each other but providing communication between each outer inflatable portion and some of the inner inflatable portions.

Preferably each outer portion communicates respectively with at least one inner portion that extends completely across the arm band.

In a constructional form of the invention the inner half is divided again into two approximately equal parts by a transverse sealing line and each part has at least one inflatable portion communicating with one outer inflatable portion and at least one other inflatable portion communicating with the other outer inflatable portion.

According to a preferred constructional form of the invention each inner part has one inflatable portion being a long portion extending completely across the arm band and has sealing lines in the transverse and peripheral directions which form additional small inflatable portions; one outer inflatable portion communicating to the first of said parts with a long portion and with at least one small portion on one side of the band and communicating to the second of said parts with at least one small portion on the other side of said band; and the other outer inflatable portion correspondingly communicating with similar long and small portions in the second and first parts respectively.

This preferred constructional form of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an arm band made in accordance with the invention looking at one side thereof; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view thereof looking at the other side; FIGURE 3 is a view of one side thereof in flat condition; and FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a valve.

The arm band is made from two thin sheets 10, 11 (Figure 3) of impermeable flexible plastics material e.g. polythene, which can be heat sealed together to form inflatable pockets.

The sheets have transverse sealing lines 12, 1 3 which divide the band into two parts of about equal length to provide an inner part 16 to be placed between the arm and the body and an outer part 17. The lines 12, 13 do not extend completely across the arm band but leave air channels 18, 19, 20, 21 at opposite ends of the lines.

The outer half 1 7 is divided into two large inflatable pockets 23, 24 by a central sealing line 25 that extends in the peripheral direction. These pockets are inflatable by means of valves 23A, 24A respectively.

The inner half 16 is divided into two equal parts by a transverse sealing line 27 that extends completely across the arm band. Each part has a central peripherally directed sealing line 30, 31 that is a continuation of the line 25 and extends only part way towards the line 27. Each part also has two transverse lines 30A, 30B and 31 A, 31 B.

The lines 30A, 31 A do not extend completely across the arm band but leave air channels 30C, 30D and 31 C, 31 D. The lines 30B, 31 B extend completely across the band on one side so as to leave an air channel 30E, 31 E on one side, the channels 30E, 31 E being on opposite sides of the arm band.

Thus each part of the inner half 16 of the arm band is divided into a series of small inflatable pockets including one pocket 30G, 31 G that extends completely across the arm band and four small pockets much smaller than the pockets 23, 24, two of these 30H, 301, 31 H, 311 being on one side of the arm band and 30K, 30L, 31 K, 31 L being on the other side of the arm band.

It will be seen that one end of the large outer pocket 23 communicates through channels 18, 30C, 30E with pockets 30H, 301, 30G. The other end of the same pocket 23 also communicates through the channels 20, 31 C, with pockets 31 H, 311 these being sealed off from the other pockets in the same part of the inner portion of the arm band. Thus on inflating the pocket 23, the small pockets 30H, 301, 30G, 31 H, 311, are also inflated.

30H, 301, 30G are in one part (e.g. first part) of the inner portion 16 while 31 H, 311, are in the other (second) part.

The other outer inflatable portion or pocket 24 correspondingly communicates with similar long and small portions or pockets 31K, 31 L, 31 G, 30K, 30L. Pockets 31K, 31L, 31G are in the aforesaid second part of the portion 1 6 while 30K, 30L are in the aforesaid first part.

When all pockets are inflated the arm is tightly engaged so that it cannot fall off. However on the inside of the arm the small pockets will be only three eighths to three quarters of an inch thick so that this does not interfere with the free movements of the arm whereas the large pockets 23, 24 can be two and a half to three inches thick to provide adequate bouyancy.

If one of the pockets becomes deflated there remains one large pocket together with four small pockets and one transverse pocket (30G or 31 G) all inflated which ensures adequate grip on the arm so that the arm band will not fall off and also provides considerable residuai buoyancy.

The sheets 10, 11 may have different colours e.g. red and yellow respectively.

The circles are circular sealing lines.

All the sealing lines are effected by heat sealing.

The sheets 10 and 11 are also sealed together all around their edges.

The valves 23A, 24A may be made of rubber or like flexible material and may be as shown in Figure 4 consisting of a support thimble 40 carrying a tube 41 which is closed at its inner end and open at its outer end and which has a slit 42 which when open provides communication between the interior of the pocket and the ambient atmosphere. The slit is normally closed and additional closure is effected by a plug 43. To deflate a pocket the plug 43 is removed and the slit is opened by squeezing the valve. The thimble has a flange 44 heat sealed to the pocket.

Claims (5)

1. A swimmer's arm band comprising two layers of impermeable flexible material having sealing lines which seal the two layers together, said sealing lines including (a) two transverse lines offset from each other so as to divide the band into approximately two halves, one half to be outermost in use, (b) a sealing line in the peripheral direction dividing the outer half into approximately two inflatable portions, and (c) sealing lines both transverse and in the peripheral direction which divide the inner half into a series of inflatable portions much smaller than the outer portions; two inflating valve nozzles, one in each of the outer inflatable portions; said lines being arranged to isolate the interior of the outer portions from each other but providing communication between each outer inflatable portion and some of the inner inflatable portions.

2. A swimmer's arm band as claimed in claim 1 wherein each outer portion communicates respectively with at least one inner portion that extends completely across the arm band.

3. A swimmer's arm band as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the inner half is divided again into two approximately equal parts by a transverse sealing line and each part has at least one inflatable portion communicating with one outer inflatable portion and at least one other inflatable portion communicating with the other outer inflatable portion.

4. A swimmer's arm band as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein each inner part has one inflatable portion being a long portion extending completely across the arm band and has sealing lines in the transverse and peripheral directions which form additional small inflatable portions; one outer inflatable portion communicating to the first of said parts with a long portion and with at least one small portion on one side of the band and communicating to the second of said parts with at least one small portion on the other side of said band; and the other outer inflatable portion correspondingly communicating with similar long and small portions on the second and first parts respectively.

5. A swimmer's arm band substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.