GB2266837A

GB2266837A - A survival suit

Info

Publication number: GB2266837A
Application number: GB9309694A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan James Hutchins; Keith Rockley
Original assignee: MULTIFABS Ltd
Current assignee: MULTIFABS Ltd
Priority date: 1992-05-12
Filing date: 1993-05-11
Publication date: 1993-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-11
Also published as: GB9210140D0; GB2266837B; GB9309694D0

Abstract

The suit is provided at various locations with constriction means 5, 9, 11 which, after the suit has been donned by its wearer contract to pull the suit against the wearer's body thereby reducing the volume of air trapped in the suit and, consequently, the buoyancy. Means 9, 11 may be of elastic material. Alternatively, the means 9, 11 may be replaced with rows of eye lets attached to the suit and receiving draw strings therethrough. Means 5 are leg straps with sliding clasp fasteners 7. <IMAGE>

Description

Survival Suits The present invention relates to survival suits.

Survival suits are worn to prolong survivability of a wearer in a hazardous environment such as that experienced by a passenger evacuating a ditched helicopter in the North Sea.

Consequently, by their nature, survival suits must provide a watertight enclosure separating seal for the wearer from his environment. An adverse consequence of this is that the suit entraps a volume of air.

The suit is over-large to allow a wearer to don it without difficulty through its hood opening or other means.

The wearer will probably also be wearing other garments such as shoes, trousers, etc. and the suit is sized to allow easy donning by the wearer without the removal of other clothing.

Furthermore, it may be that suits are made in one size for all, so the suit, when worn by a small man, be even more oversize.

As a result the suit will entrap air to a greater or lesser extent. A dangerous consequence of entrapped air is that, if the wearer is unfortunate enough to find himself inverted in the water, the entrapped air will migrate to the suit legs with the result that he will find it impossible to right himself. Additionally if the wearer is trapped inside, for example, a ditched helicopter, the air entrapped in the suit will provide unwanted buoyancy forcing him upwards thereby hindering escape. Additionally air trapped in the legs can induce an unsafe flotation position.

Previously survival suits have incorporated one way valves and leg straps to reduce and prevent entrapped air migration to the legs. One way valves are relatively inefficient and may leak water due to the volume of air that must be vented and the relatively low pressure differentials involved. The use of leg straps also has limited effect as the bulk of entrapped air is still held within the suit and may migrate still to the wearer's seat area.

It is an object of the present invention to attempt to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a survival suit incorporating constriction means to allow recuperative constriction of at least a part of the suit, when worn by a wearer.

Preferably, the constriction means comprises bands of elastic material secured to the suit.

Preferably, the band of elastic material is arranged to constrict the suit when worn, to a wearer's chest.

Preferably, bands of elastic material are arranged to constrict to the suit, when worn, to a wearer's shoulders.

Preferably, the bands of elastic material are secured in channels formed in the survival suit.

Alternatively, the constriction means is an arrangement of eye members secured to the suit with a draw string arranged to draw the eye members together to constrict the suit.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing of a survival suit, viewed from behind.

The survival suit 1 illustrated in the drawing has a torso portion 3, two arms 4, two legs 6 and a hood 2. The suit 1 has conventional leg straps 5 each provided with a sliding clasp fastener 7 arranged to constrict the suit leg against the wearer's leg. Thus, the volume of entrapped air in the suit legs is reduced. Secured to the suit back 8 is constriction means comprising bands of elastic material 9, 11 which are arranged to ruche the suit back material whereby the suit is constricted against the wearer. The band of elastic material 9 is arranged to constrict the material against the wearer's chest. The bands of elastic material 11 are arranged to constrict the suit against the wearer's shoulders and thereby reduce the amount of loose fabric of the suit in the head-to-toe axis. Thus the suit is effectively tensioned from the waist to the shoulders.Elastication in the head-to-waist direction not only reduced the volume of air entrapped within the suit but also introduced a greater flexibility in sizing.

When a suit is fitted with a continuous neck seal, i.e. entry to the suit is via either a back zip or a front diagonal zip, then normally in order for the wearer to pull the rubber neck seal over his head a zipped rear gusset has previously been incorporated in the suit. This gusset is not only difficult to manufacture in terms of keeping it waterproof but also proved distinctly uncomfortable to the wearer whilst in a seated position. The vertical elastication obviates the need for such a gusset.

The effect of the constriction means 9,11 is to reduce the volume of entrapped air in the suit 1 whilst still allowing the suit to be manufactured oversized to allow easy donning.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The elastic band 9,11 may be replaced by rows of eyelets attached to the suit material, draw strings being passed through the eyelets so that by pulling and tieing off the string the suit can be constricted against the wearer. Alternative leg straps may be employed or elasticated areas could be provided at the legs. In another modification the elastic band or other restricting means could be located at additional or alternative areas of the suit.

Claims

1. A survival suit incorporating constriction means to allow recuperative constriction of at least a part of the suit, when worn by a wearer.

2. A suit as claimed in claim 1, in which the constriction means comprises bands of elastic material secured to the suit.

3. A suit as claimed in claim 2, in which a band of elastic material is arranged to constrict the suit when worn, against a wearer's chest.

4. A suit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which bands of elastic material are arranged to constrict to the suit, when worn, against a wearer's shoulders.

5. A suit as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the bands of elastic material are secured in channels formed in the survival suit.

6. A suit as claimed in claim 1, in which the constriction means is an arrangement of eye members secured to the suit with a draw string arranged to draw the eye members together to constrict the suit.

7. A survival suit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.