GB2480095A

GB2480095A - A plastically deformable flotation aid

Info

Publication number: GB2480095A
Application number: GB201007607A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Geoffrey Whiteley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-05-06
Filing date: 2010-05-06
Publication date: 2011-11-09
Also published as: GB201007607D0

Abstract

A personal flotation aid 6 has an elongate section which is plastically deformable such that when deformed, the section substantially retains its deformed shape under self weight. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing such a personal flotation aid. The elongate section may have a first component (10, Fig 5) which is plastically deformable and a second component 24 which is buoyant in water. The second component may comprise a series of respective compressible segments 24 arranged along the first component, each segment being buoyant in water and separate from its adjacent segment. The first component may be formed from a core (12, Fig 4a) of aluminium, an aluminum alloy, copper or a copper alloy, coated in a plastic polymer sheath (14, Fig 4a).

Description

FLOTATION AID

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to flotation aids, and more specifically, flotation aids to aid human buoyancy, for example, when swimming.

Background of the Invention

Swimming floats are commonly used to aid people, commonly toddlers or young children, with buoyancy when learning to swim.

Generally, traditional floats are designed to be held in the user's hands, whilst the user propels themselves through water with their legs.

In recent years, specialist floats have been developed specifically for playing pool games or for aquatic therapeutic reasons. Therapeutic floats may be specifically designed to assist the buoyancy of disabled or elderly people in a swimming pool. They can also be used for exercise purposes, for example a float's resistance to immersion in water can be used for "weight training", when it is repeatedly submerged by a user.

One such float that has been developed is a swimming noodle, or waggle, as seen in figure 1. This is an elongate float, which is typically three or more feet long and of circular cross-section. Noodles typically have a diameter of only a few inches and are formed from a buoyant foam or foam rubber, for example EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) Noodles can be formed around users' bodies and physically held in place to offer support, for example around the user's back to enable the user to float in a seated' position as shown in figure 2. This leads to a range of therapeutic uses, whereby forming the noodle around a user's body can offer support in the water to the user.

As prior art noodles are typically formed from closed cell foam, however, they are inherently resilient. In other words, they tend to spring back to their original form after a deformation force is removed. Typically, known noodles are provided in a substantially straight (and elongate) form.

Thus, when bent by a user they will spring back to their original substantially straight form upon removal of the bending force. This means that if they are deformed e.g. to conform to a user's body, they must typically be held in position, e.g. by the user, to prevent them from springing back to their original form. This can be seen in figure 2, where the user 4 is gripping the noodle 2 with her elbows and hands to resist its resiling (or spring back) forces.

When a bend is formed in a noodle, as with any structure, the inside of the bend is under compression, and the outside of the bend is under tension. The resiling forces can therefore be characterized as compressive forces (-3-forces') on the inside of a bend, and tensile forces (-forces') around the outside of a bend, as illustrated in figure 3. These forces cooperate to give the overall resiling, or spring back, force.

This is problematic where the user is not able to hold the noodle themselves, and where an assistant or carer has to physically hold the noodle in place for extended periods of time. This takes up a lot of the assistant/carer's time so that they are unavailable to complete other tasks, and can damage the confidence of the user as they have to be physically assisted at all times.

Also, should such a person not have an assistant or carer, it can lead to a dangerous problem that should a noodle slip due to its resilience such that it no longer provides the desired shape when supporting an elderly or disabled person, for example so that it no longer conforms to a user's body, that person may not be able to support themselves in the water and may lose buoyancy. This is distressing for the user, and in severe cases could lead to drowning.

Another problem with conventional noodles is that they are difficult for peopLe with small or weak hands to grip, especially when wet. The body of a conventional noodle is generally smooth, and this can be difficult to hold, meaning that the conformity of the noodle to the user's body cannot be assured where a user (Or carer/assistant) cannot maintain a grip of the noodle to hold it in the desired shape for the duration of use.

Summary of the Invention

Generally, the invention provides a flotation aid, which is plastically deformable, such that when deformed it substantially retains its deformed shape.

It should be clear that by plastically deformable', we mean that the material can be reversibly deformed, but not beyond its plastic limit so that fracture would occur. This refers to materials which have a relatively low elastic limit (such that they do not have a tendency to normally spring back when bent/deformed), but have a large plastic region (so that they will remain deformed without fracture under normal use) According to a first aspect, the invention provides a personal flotation aid having an elongate section which is plastically deformable such that when deformed, the section substantially retains its deformed shape under self weight.

By retaining "its deformed shape under self weight", we mean that it will retain its deformed position under the forces of gravity with no other external influences or forces. It can thus be self-supporting. This is to be contrasted for example with a body which can be plastically deformed but will not retain its shape under self weight due to a lack of stiffness or rigidity, e.g. a rope. By stiffness or rigidity, we of course mean the resistance of a body to deformation by an applied force, in this case gravity.

An advantage of this arrangement is that when the personal flotation aid is formed around a user, or bent into a predetermined shape to support the user e.g. in water, it will retain its bent position during use. It will thus be able to support the user without constant force having to be applied to retain it in its deformed shape. Accordingly, the user (or a carer/assistant) does not need to maintain a grip of the flotation aid at all times to help it maintain its deformed shape. This means that the carer/assistant is free to do other tasks and the user may feel more confident or independent as they are able to swim or move about the water without being physically aided.

Optionally, the personal flotation aid may have a first component, which is plastically deformable and which, when deformed, retains its deformed shape under self weight; and, a second component, which is buoyant in water; wherein each component extends along the elongate section. An advantage of this arrangement is that conventionally used and approved foam can be used for the second, buoyant, component, and a separate material can be used for the first component.

Preferably, the second component of the personal flotation aid may comprise a series of a plurality of respective compressible segments arranged along the elongate section, each segment being buoyant in water, and each segment being separable from its adjacent segment. By separable, we mean that although the segments may be constrained along the length of the flotation aid, adjacent segments are formed of respective bodies which are preferably movable relative to one another in order that a gap can form between them.

Advantageously therefore, by forming the second component from a plurality of segments, gaps can form between adjacent segments around the outside of a bend, so that the tension around the outside of said bend is reduced relative to that of the prior art, thereby further reducing the tendency of the flotation aid to resile (spring back) to its original pre-bent form.

Optionally, the relative height of adjacent segments, transverse to the long axis of the elongate section, may vary along the series, such that each segment can be grouped as either a tall segment or a short segment, the tall segments having a greater relative height than the short segments. The series is preferably arranged to include a first sub-series of respective groupings of one or more tall segments and a second sub series of respective groupings of one or more short segments. Preferably, the respective first sub-series groupings are mutually separated by respective second sub- series groupings. In other words, the respective second sub-series groupings can be thought of as being interposed between respective first sub-series groupings.

This helps to address the problem of compressive forces building around the inside of a bend, such that the section will spring back to its unbent position. Alternating tall and short segments mean that the tall sections will not interfere with each other, or at least, will interfere with each other relatively less around the inside of a bend, as they are separated by short segments. As the tips of the tall segments do not interfere with each other, or interact directly, the compression forces between them are lower than if they were to interfere significantly (as would be the case in the absence of short segments) . Thus compressive forces around the inside of a bend are reduced relative to the prior art, and thus the tendency of the flotation aid to return it its unbent state is also reduced.

Optionally, each respective grouping in the first sub-series may have only one tall segment, so as to further reduce the interference between subsequent tall segments.

Preferably, each respective grouping in the second sub-series may have only one short segment. This is advantageous as the number of tall segments is correspondingly increased, e.g. to a maximum. Each tall segment is formed from a greater quantity of buoyant material than each short segment, and is therefore more buoyant than each short segment. Accordingly, by maximising the quantity of present tall segments, the overall buoyancy of the flotation aid is increased relative to a flotation aid with fewer tall segments, whilst also retaining the advantages associated with the short segments.

Another advantage of this arrangement is that it is easier to grip than a conventional arrangement for those with small or weak hands, especially when wet. The short segments may be easier to hold on to for people with smaller hands, and the segmented configuration may be easier to grip than the conventional smooth configuration. Accordingly, the height of the short segments relative to the long axis may preferably be between 1 and 4cm high, or even more preferably between 2 and 3 cm high. Also, the height of the tall segments may preferably be between 3 and 6 cm high, or even more preferably be between 4 and 5 cm high, relative to the long axis (providing, of course, that the tall segments are taller relative to the long axis than the short segments) . Generally, the ratio of the height of the tall segments to the height of the short segments should be around 2:1, but ratios as low as 2:1.5, or as high as 2:0.5 could also be used to achieve similar effects.

By height' of a segment, we mean the distance between the long axis of the noodle and the furthest point of the segment.

In the case of a circular cross-sectioned noodle, for example, the height is the radius of the circular segments. The diameter of the segments, and thus the total width' of the segments (transverse the long axis of the noodle) is double the radius.

Optionally, each segment may be of a predetermined size such that upon bending (deformation) of the flotation aid, compression between and within the segments resists the first component being bent to an angle so acute that it is permanently damaged, e.g. fractured. This predetermined size can refer to either the segment height (relative to the long axis), the segment width (along the long axis), or a relationship between the two.

For example, if the segments have a very low height and a very large width, they may bend with the first component and thus be unable to resist bending of the section tightly, so that fracture of the first component may occur. Similarly, if the segments are very tall and narrow, the spaces between subsequent segments may be so close that a tight bend could be formed around a single segment, so that fracture of the first component may occur.

It is important therefore that a suitable relationship or ratio between the height and width of each segment is maintained to resist bends being formed that are so tight that fracture might occur. In other words a sufficient height of segment is required so that it doesn't bend with the first component to a degree where fracture could occur, and a sufficient thickness of segment is required so that the first component can't be bent around it to a degree where fracture Actual heights and widths of segments will, of course vary dependant on the size of noodle and first component used, and the material of the first component. For a "standard" noodle (of approximately 8cm diameter at its widest point, transverse to the long axis, and 2m length along the long axis) and a first component formed from copper tubing with approximately 6mm diameter, a minimum segment height of around 2.5cm, and a minimum segment width of about 3cm is required.

By tightness of bend, we mean either the angle of the bend or the bend radius, as either can cause fracture of the first component. Depending upon the material and size of the first component, the minimum bend radius will also vary. For example, when the first component is a standard 6mm copper tube, a bend radius tighter than 10cm, 7cm, or even as low as 5cm may not be recommended.

Advantageously, the first component may have a higher tensile strength than the second component, such that the overall tensile strength of the flotation aid is effectively determined by that of the first component. This means that in a situation where tensile strength (i.e. strength against pulling in the direction along the length of the elongate section) is required, the present flotation aid will perform better than conventional floats which are typically formed of materials having a tensile strength similar to that of just the second component.

Optionally, the first component may form at least a portion of the core of the elongate section. Preferably, it extends substantially along the entire length of the section. This means that the flotation aid will have its deformable characteristics along its whole length.

Preferably, the first component is resistant to water corrosion. Optionally, the first component may be formed from aluminium, an aluminium alloy, copper and/or a copper alloy.

It may be coated in a polymer, or more specifically a plastic polymer, to improve its resistance to corrosion in general, but particularly with respect to water.

To further resist corrosion, the personal flotation aid may further comprise a flexible water impermeable sheath, enclosing the first component, to form an enclosed core.

The sheath preferably has sufficient toughness to resist puncture by the first component under normal use, e.g. when the elongate section is bent. This is particularly advantageous in the case where the first component is formed from a metal or metal alloy, in which case the first component could have or form one or more sharp edges which could otherwise puncture the sheath and cause injury to the user, for example. By toughness, of course, we mean resistance to fracture when stressed, for example resistance to puncture.

Accordingly, enclosing the first component in a sheath that is not as sharp as parts of the first component, or cannot fracture to create sharp edges like the first component, may prevent injury that would otherwise be caused to a user. As the sheath is generally smoother and more rounded than the first component, it also has the surprising advantage that it generally offers a smoother substrate onto which the second component can be slid during manufacture.

According to a second aspect, the invention may provide a method of manufacturing a personal flotation aid comprising the step of: arranging (e.g. sliding) a series of segments of a second component along an elongate first component, wherein, the first component is plastically deformable and, when deformed, retains its deformed shape under self weight, and wherein each of the series of segments of the second component is buoyant in water.

Optionally, the series of segments of the second component may be arranged to include a first sub-series of respective groupings of one or more tall segments and a second sub-series of respective groupings of one or more short segments, wherein each of the respective first sub-series groupings are mutually separated by a respective second sub-series grouping.

Also optionally, each respective grouping in the first sub-series may consist of only one tall segment, or each respective grouping in the second sub-series may consist of only one short segment.

According to a third aspect, the invention may provide a kit of parts for the construction of a personal floatation aid, the kit of parts including: an elongate first component, which is plastically deformable and which, when deformed, retains its deformed shape under self weight; and, a plurality of segments of a second component, which is buoyant in water, and which are slidable onto the first component.

Optionally, each of the segments of the second component may be different relative heights transverse to the long axis of the first component, when slid onto the first component in a series, such that each segment can be grouped as either, a tall segment or a short segment, the tall segments having greater height than the short segments.

Also optionally, the series of segments of the second component, when slid onto the first component, may be arranged to include a first sub-series of respective groupings of one or more tall segments and a second sub-series of respective groupings of one or more short segments, wherein each of the respective first sub-series groupings are mutually separated by a respective second sub-series grouping.

Optionally, each respective grouping in the first sub-series may consist of only one tall segment or each respective grouping in the second sub-series may consist of only one short segment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a conventional prior art noodle or woggle.

Figure 2 shows a conventional prior art noodle or woggle in use to support a user in a seated position.

Figure 3 shows the forces built up around a noodle when it is bent.

Figure 4 shows a section of a noodle in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Figure 4a shows a section of the deformable core of a noodle in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Figure 5 shows a deformable core with end caps and some segments of a buoyant component of a noodle in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Figure 5a shows a cutaway view of an end cap and one end of the deformable core of a noodle in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Figure 6 shows a noodle in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 7 shows an end of a noodle in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 7a shows an end of a noodle, when bent, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 8 shows the end of a further noodle in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a conventional prior art noodle or woggle 2.

This is normally formed from high density foam, typically EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) . It is conventionally a length L of 3 or more feet (approximately one metre or more), and a diameter D of about 4 inches (10cm) Figure 2 shows a conventional noodle 2 in use. Fig 2 shows a noodle or woggle 2 being wrapped around a user's 4 back and arms to support the user when floating in a "seated" position.

Figure 3 indicates the general stresses when a simple bend is formed in a noodle 3. Compressive forces [+] are formed around the inside of the bend and tensile stresses [-1 are formed around the outside of the bend.

Figure 4 shows a cross section of a noodle 6 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Second component 22 is formed from buoyant foam, in this case EVA, and surrounds a deformable core 10 (shown in dashed lines) Optionally, the second component 22 could also be formed from nitrogen blown, low density cross linked, closed cell foam, for example, commercially available Zotefoam. Preferably, however, the second component 22 is formed from cross linked, low density, closed cell foam made from polyethelyne or chemically blown polyethelyne, for example, commercially available PalfoamTM.

The deforrnable core 10 is shown in more detail in figure 4a, in which it can be seen that the deformable core 10 formed from a first component 12, which is surrounded by a water impermeable sheath 14. This water impermeable sheath could be formed from a variety of materials, for example a reinforced hose, but preferably from reinforced garden hosepipe.

The first component 12 is formed, in this case, from copper tube which is itself coated in a plastic polymer coating. The first component 12 could, of course, be formed from any one of a range of plastically deformable materials. Examples include copper, aluminium, steel, platinum, gold or many of their alloys. Specific materials could be chosen for their corrosion resistance when exposed to water or chlorinated water, for example. The first component can be formed from tubing, solid bar, rod or wire, or one of a range of other suitable material cross-sections.

Again, it should be clear that by plastically deformable', a material is referred to that can be reversibly deformed, but not beyond its plastic limit so that fracture would occur.

This refers to materials which have a relatively low elastic limit (such that they do not have a tendency to normally spring back when bent), but have a large plastic region (so that they will remain deformed without fracture under normal use) Of course, normally the deformation will be bending along the length of the noodle, such than when bent, the noodle (due to the deformable core) will retain its bent shape. Bending includes forming arches or bows in the noodle and flexing and curling it into a range of shapes. When bending the noodle, it will thus retain its deformed, bent or contorted position under self weight.

The noodle is referred to as being able to retain its bent or deformed position under self weight. This means that it will retain its deformed shape under the forces of gravity with no other external influences or forces. It is thus self-supporting. This can be contrasted for example with a body which can be deformed, but does not have sufficient stiffness or rigidity to maintain its deformed position under self weight, for example a rope. By stiffness or rigidity, we of course mean the resistance of a body to deformation by an applied force, in this case gravity.

Figure 5 shows the deformable core 10 of a noodle 6 in accordance with an aspect of the invention. In this example, end caps 20 are fitted into respective ends of the sheath 14 of the deformable core 10. segmented sections 24 of buoyant component 22, illustrated as dashed lines, are slid onto the sheath 14 of the deformable core 10, and retained by end caps 20. In this example, only two segmented sections 24 of buoyant component 22 are shown for clarity, but it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that more are normally provided so that they collectively extend substantially along the length of the deformable component 10.

Figure 5a shows an enlarged cutaway section of one of the ends shown in figure 5. Here it can be seen that the end cap 20 is sealably fitted into the end of sheath 14 to prevent fluid ingress when the flotation aid is submerged in fluid, e.g. water. The shaft 26 of end cap 20 is formed, preferably with ridges, such that it can be pushed into sheath 14, but such that it resists removal. In this case, a saw tooth profile is used to ridge the shaft 26, but a selection from a range of suitable types of ridging would achieve the same effect. The flange 28 of end cap 20 is of a diameter such that it will retain the buoyant component 22 (not shown) on the sheath 14 of the deformable core 10. As also seen in figure 5a, the deformable component 12 extends substantially along the entire length of the noodle 6. It will be apparent however that although it is desirable for it to do so, it need not and could extend through a portion of the noodle 6 only.

The shaft 26 of the end cap 20 is further sealed into the sheath 14 by sealant 18, in this case silicone sealant, although one from a range of suitable sealants could be used.

The sheath 14, sealant 18 and end cap 20 thus cooperate to provide a water impermeable enclosure for the deformable first component 12. This prevents corrosion of the deformable first component 12. Corrosion can be further avoided by coating the deformable first component 12 in a plastic polymer coating, which may also add to its visual appeal if the sheath is transparent or translucent. In figure 5a, the deformable first component is an aluminium bar, rod or wire and the sheath is formed from (reinforced) garden hose pipe.

Figure 6 shows a noodle 6 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Here individual compressible segments 24 of the buoyant component 22 are shown along the entire length of the noodle 6. Each of the segments 24 is slid onto the deformable core 10, such that they abut one another, with the first one in the chain abutting an end cap 20, and another end cap 20 sealing the distal end of the deformable component in the same way as described above with reference to figure 5a, such that it abuts the final segment 24 in the chain. The segments are thus retained substantially in place along deformable core 10 due to the retaining action of end caps 20.

Subsequent segments accordingly abut one another and are separable along the length of the noodle 6.

Another advantage of the sheath 14 of the deformable core 10 is that it can provide a smooth surface for the segments 24 of the buoyant component 22 to be slid onto during manufacture.

It can also act as a guard such that if deformable first component 12 fractures, breaks or splinters, the sheath 14 will retain it (enclose it, or its fractured pieces) so that it cannot injure the user.

As is also shown in figure 6, when the noodle 6 is bent, gaps form around the outside of bends such that, due to the segmented or separable nature of the buoyant component 22, tension around the outside of bends is reduced relative to a situation where buoyant component 22 is formed in one piece (i.e. not in segments). Accordingly, the tension around the outside of a bend is not sufficient to cause the bent shape to tend to spring back to its original form. Accordingly, by using segmented separable portions 24, bends can be formed that do not resile to their unbent position when force is removed, unlike if they were not segmented and separable.

Also, the dimensions of segments 24 are chosen so that they restrict bending of the deformable core 10 within limits, such that it cannot be bent to an angle so acute that fracture of the core would occur, as described in detail above. The dimensions are also chosen so that compression forces around the inside of bends are reduced as described with reference to figure 7a below.

Figure 7 shows a noodle 6 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Here the buoyant component 22 is formed from alternating tall 24a and short 22b segments. It will be apparent that in the illustrated case, the segments 24 of the buoyant component are of circular cross section, and that the tall segments 24a are simply segments with a larger diameter than the short segments 24b. It will also be apparent that a buoyant component in accordance with the invention could be made from any shaped cross-section and tall segments will refer to segments which have a height above a certain threshold, when measured transverse to the long axis 0-C of the noodle 6.

One of the benefits of the alternating arrangement of segments 24 seen in figure 7 can be seen in figure 7a. In this case, around the inside of a bend of noodle 6 it can be seen that the tips of subsequent tall segments 24a do not interfere with each other, as they are separated by respective short segments 24b. This lowers the compression forces around the inside of bends than they would otherwise be if all of the segments were the same size, and thus the tendency for the noodle to return to its original pre-bent (un-deformed) shape. There will, however, still be slight compression forces between the tallest points of the short segments 24b and the side of the tall segments 24a, but these forces are significantly lower than if all the segments were tall segments, and are not large enough to cause the section to resile to its un-bent state.

Another benefit of the alternating tall 24a and short 24b segments is that the taller segments 24a are formed from a greater quantity of buoyant material than the shorter segments 24b, such that noodle 6 is more buoyant than if the taller segments 24a were not present.

Another benefit of the alternating tall 24a segments and short 24b segments is that they are easily grippable for small or weak hands. This means that children and weaker people may find the noodle 6 easier to grip than a conventional smooth noodle or woggle which has only a single diameter equivalent to the diameter of the tall segments.

Figure 8 shows a noodle 6 in accordance with another aspect of the invention. Here tall segments 24a of the buoyant component 22 are formed from laminated sections of foam. This has the advantage that standard thickness sections of foam can be used and glued together, and that different colours of foam can be used to approve the appearance of the noodle and make it

easier to see against a background.

Another general advantage of a noodle 6 formed according to a preferred aspect of the present invention is that the tensile strength of the noodle 6 is determined by the tensile strength of the deformable core 10, rather than the buoyant component 22. In conventional noodles (e.g. as shown in figures 1 to 3), the tensile strength of the noodle is limited by the tensile strength of the foam it is made from, which is generally equivalent to that of buoyant component in the present invention. The tensile strength of the deformable core 10 is generally higher than that of the buoyant component 22, and accordingly the present invention has higher tensile strength than conventional noodles due to its deformable core 10. It can thus be used in situations where higher tensile strength is required.

A noodle 6 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention can be manufactured using a number of steps including one or more of the following: selecting a first deformable component 12 for the deformable core 10; selecting a water impermeable sheath 14 to enclose the first component 12; cutting the water impermeable sheath 14 and first component 12 to a predetermined size; applying a sealant material to an end of the impermeable sheath 14, around the interior walls of the sheath 14; inserting an end cap 20 into the end of the impermeable sheath 14, such that it cooperates with the impermeable sheath 14 and sealant 18 to seal said end of the sheath 14; sliding one or more sections of buoyant material 24 onto the sheath 14 of deformable component 10, such that at least one abuts the sealed end cap 20; applying a sealant material to the distal end of the impermeable sheath 14, around the interior walls of the sheath 14; inserting an end cap 20 into said distal end of the impermeable sheath 14, such that it cooperates with the impermeable sheath 14 and sealant 18 to seal said end of the sheath 14.

A method of manufacturing a personal flotation aid (as described above) is also provided comprising at least the steps of sliding a series of segments of a second component along an elongate first component, wherein, the first component is plastically deformable and, when deformed, retains its deformed shape under self weight, and, each of the series of segments of the second component is buoyant in water.

A kit of parts for the construction of a personal flotation aid is also provided.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative only and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

C LA I MS1. A personal flotation aid having an elongate section which is plastically deformable such that when deformed, the section substantially retains its deformed shape under self weight.
2. A personal flotation aid according to claim 1, wherein the elongate section has: a first component, which is plastically deformable and which, when deformed, retains its deformed shape under self weight; and a second component, which is buoyant in water; wherein each component extends along the elongate section.
3. A personal flotation aid according to claim 2, wherein the second component comprises a series of a plurality of respective compressible segments arranged along the elongate section, each segment being buoyant in water, and each segment being separable from its adjacent segment.
4. A personal flotation aid according to claim 3, wherein the relative height of adjacent segments, transverse to the long axis of the elongate section, varies along the series, such that each segment can be grouped as either a tall segment or a short segment, the tall segments having greater height than the short segments, the series being arranged to include a first sub-series of respective groupings of one or more tall segments and a second sub series of respective groupings of one or more short segments, wherein, each of the respective first sub-series groupings are mutually separated by respective second sub-series groupings.
5. A personal flotation aid according to claim 4, wherein each respective grouping in the first sub-series consists of only one tall segment.
6. A personal flotation aid according to either one of claim 4 or claim 5, wherein each respective grouping in the second sub-series consists of only one short segment.
7. A personal flotation aid according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein each segment is of a predetermined size such that upon bending, compression between and within the segments resists the section being bent to an angle so acute that the first component may fracture.
8. A personal flotation aid according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the first component has a higher tensile strength than the second component, such that the tensile strength of the flotation aid is determined by that of the first component.
9. A personal flotation aid according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the first component forms at least a portion of the core of the elongate section, extending substantially throughout the entire length of the section.
10. A personal flotation aid according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the first component is formed from aluminium, an aluminium alloy, copper or a copper alloy.
11. A personal flotation aid according to claim 10, wherein the first component is coated in a plastic polymer.
12. A personal flotation aid according to any one of claims 2 to 11, further comprising a flexible water impermeable sheath, enclosing the first component.
13. A personal flotation aid according to claim 12, wherein the sheath has sufficient toughness to resist puncture by the first component.
14. A method of manufacturing a personal flotation aid comprising the step of: sliding a series of segments of a second component along an elongate first component, wherein, the first component is plastically deformable and, when deformed, retains its deformed shape under self weight, and, each of the series of segments of the second component is buoyant in water.
15. A method of manufacturing a personal flotation aid according to claim 14, wherein each of the segments of the second component are different relative heights transverse to the long axis of the first component, such that each segment can be grouped as either a tall segment or a short segment, the tall segments having greater height than the short segments.
16. A method of manufacturing a personal flotation aid according to claim 15 wherein, the series of segments of the second component is arranged to include a first sub-series of respective groupings of one or more tall segments and a second sub-series of respective groupings of one or more short segments, wherein each of the respective first sub-series groupings are mutually separated by a respective second sub-series grouping.
17. A method for manufacturing a personal flotation aid according to claim 16, wherein each respective grouping in the first sub-series consists of only one tall segment.
18. A method of manufacturing a personal flotation aid according to either one of claim 16 or claim 17, wherein each respective grouping in the second sub-series consists of only one short segment.
19. A kit of parts for the construction of a personal floatation aid, the kit of parts including: an elongate first component, which is plastically deformable and which, when deformed, retains its deformed shape under self weight; and, a plurality of segments of a second component, which is buoyant in water, and which are slidable onto the first component.
20. A kit of parts for the construction of a personal flotation aid according to claim 19, wherein each of the segments of the second component are different relative heights transverse to the long axis of the first component, when slid onto the first component in a series, such that each segment can be grouped as either a tall segment or a short segment, the tall segments having greater height than the short segments.
21. A kit of parts for the construction of a personal flotation aid according to claim 20 wherein, the series of segments of the second component when slid onto the first component is arranged to include a first sub-series of respective groupings of one or more tall segments and a second sub-series of respective groupings of one or more short segments, wherein each of the respective first sub-series groupings are mutually separated by a respective second sub-series grouping.
22. A kit of parts for the construction of a personal flotation aid according to claim 21, wherein each respective grouping in the first sub-series consists of only one tall segment.
23. A kit of parts for the construction of a personal flotation aid according to either one of claim 21 or claim 22, wherein each respective grouping in the second sub-series consists of only one short segment.
24. A personal flotation aid substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated in accompanying figures 4 to 8.
25. A kit of parts for the construction of a personal flotation aid substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated in accompanying figures 4 to 8.
26. A method of manufacturing a personal flotation aid substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated in accompanying figures 4 to 8.