JP2000318683A - Life jacket - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure buoyancy at the time of falling dive (submerging) to allow lifesaving in a water surface and in an underwater site, by filling gas in response to a water pressure. SOLUTION: A skin 1 surrounds a buoyancy material 2 and an inflator part 3 in this life jacket. The buoyancy material 2 is an elastomer. The inflator part 3 is provided with a pneumothorax 4 surrounded by the buoyancy material 2 and a gas source 5 for inflating the pneumothorax 4. At least one out of the skin 1 and the buoyancy material 2 is constituted to have gas non- permeability.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a life jacket or life vest.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Life jackets (life vests) when a person falls into the sea or water are used for business or leisure purposes, based on various laws and regulations such as the Ministry of Transport and the Japan Coast Guard, or based on experience. From the "buoyancy material" such as resin foam represented by Kapok, and "gas expansion type" (inflator type) to ensure buoyancy by inflating with gas such as carbon dioxide manually or automatically when falling in water There are two ways. As a common performance at home and abroad, the life jacket is said to secure 8 liters of buoyancy at the surface of the water. That is, it is based on securing buoyancy to keep the head above the water surface so that breathing can be secured on the water surface.

[0003]

A life jacket made of only a buoyant material has high reliability because a constant buoyancy is always secured, but is bulky and occupies a considerable space for storage when not in use. The gas inflatable type is not bulky because it can be folded small when not in use, but if a hole is formed in the air bag, gas leaks, and if the gas source is not properly opened, the air bag does not expand, and both have serious consequences. Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by using a buoyancy material type and a gas expansion type as a combined type.

With respect to buoyancy, in the case of a buoyant material type and a gas expansion type, or a combination of both, the purpose is to secure buoyancy on the water surface, so that the wearer of the life jacket instantaneously moves to a deep position below the water surface. If you sink in the water, you will not be able to ascend due to insufficient buoyancy. For example, humans are wearing non-buoyant tools for work, falling into the water from high places such as large ships, getting caught in high waves, sinking ships, and submerging a crashed aircraft. Then, it is easily drawn to a depth of about 20 m below the water depth at a deep place. The buoyancy in this case is one third (absolute pressure) of the buoyancy material regardless of whether it is of the gas expansion type. Atmospheric pressure is 1 atmosphere (1
Ata), 2 at the depth of 10m, 3 at 20m, and 8 liters at the surface of the water have a volume of one third at 20m, that is, 8/3 = 2.7 liters, and the weight of the underwater is 5kg
Even with the buoyancy of, it will sink without being able to ascend. Even when the water depth is 10m, the buoyancy is only half that of 4kg.

It goes without saying that the buoyancy is the amount of drainage, but its capacity is above the water surface, that is, at 1 atm. If the water depth increases and the water pressure increases, the volume decreases and the buoyancy also decreases. . There are submarines and submarines in which buoyancy in the water is a problem. In this case, the buoyancy is controlled by a buoyancy material that is not affected by water pressure and air mainly corresponding to the water pressure. However, such systems are not possible with personal life vests and none have been considered for use in water. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to fulfill a life-saving purpose from a water surface and a depth below the water surface by securing buoyancy during a dive (submersion) by injecting gas according to water pressure.

[0006]

The outer jacket of the life jacket according to the present invention surrounds the buoyancy material and the inflator portion. The buoyancy material is an elastic body. The inflator includes a pneumothorax surrounded by the buoyancy material and a gas source for inflating the pneumothorax. And at least one of the outer skin and the buoyancy material is non-breathable. This life jacket is almost the same in appearance as a conventional life jacket, and the mounting and usage are almost the same. The buoyancy material is generally an elastic resin foam material, for example, a urethane resin foam material. Thereby, the life jacket can be folded to some extent. This buoyancy material does not have enough buoyancy to lift each person's head above the water surface. The inflator part compensates for the insufficient buoyancy. Since the pneumothorax of the inflator is inflated with gas, the pneumothorax is usually crushed and not bulky. When the gas from the gas source is released, the pneumothorax expands and buoyancy is generated, so that the buoyancy of the buoyancy material cooperates with the required buoyancy. Gas release from the gas source is conventional, and a cartridge into which gas is injected is employed as the gas source. By pulling the operating cord, the sealing plate of the cartridge is broken by the needle, and the gas inflates the pneumothorax.
In the case of a normal life jacket, the outer skin is non-breathable, but in the present invention, since the pneumothorax is surrounded by a buoyant material, even if the outer skin is non-breathable, the buoyant material is also closed cells. It may be impermeable like a resin foam. According to this life jacket, the pneumothorax is usually flattened, so that the buoyancy portion is roughly bulky, and the volume is reduced accordingly. Therefore, the storage space is small and the handling is easy. Further, the decrease in buoyancy due to the reduction in the volume of the buoyancy material is compensated for by inflating the pneumothorax with gas, so that the buoyancy as a whole does not decrease.

[0007] The pneumothorax may be divided into a primary pneumothorax and a secondary pneumothorax by a partition membrane, a primary gas source may be connected to the primary pneumothorax, and a secondary gas source may be connected to the secondary pneumothorax. .
In this case, the primary and secondary pneumothorax independently have an inflation function. Even if one becomes inoperative, the other can be expected to operate, so that the risk can be dispersed and the safety is enhanced.

[0008] The secondary gas source may include an opening device that operates at a set water pressure, and a gas cartridge that is detachable from the opening device. In this case, when the water reaches a predetermined water depth, the opening device operates by water pressure to release gas from the gas cartridge. Can be opened automatically to ensure safety.

The opening device includes a main body having a gas cartridge mounting port and a gas outlet communicating with the mounting port, a diaphragm mounted on the main body on a side opposite to the mounting port, and a diaphragm on the main body side of the diaphragm. A needle attached to a surface and movable back and forth with respect to the attachment port, and a cover for the diaphragm with a water guide hole attached to the main body may be provided. In this case, since the diaphragm is protected by the cover, no external pressure other than the water pressure acts on the diaphragm, and there is no possibility that the gas cartridge is unnecessarily opened. In addition, since the plug is opened with a needle, a cartridge whose opening is sealed with a welded sealing plate can be adopted, and the cartridge is released from a fear of gas leakage. Further, the gas that has flowed out of the cartridge upon opening is reliably introduced into the secondary pneumothorax.

[0010] An oral tube with a check valve may communicate with the pneumothorax. In this case, a certain amount of buoyancy is guaranteed by the buoyancy material, so that replenishment by exhalation is small.

An oral tube with a check valve may be in communication with the primary pneumothorax. In this case, since the empty volume of the primary pneumothorax is reduced by the amount of the secondary pneumothorax, the shortage of gas volume can be compensated with a smaller exhalation volume.

[0012] At least one of the primary pneumothorax and the secondary pneumothorax may be provided with a relief valve. In this case, it is prevented by escaping the gas into the water that the injected gas expands during ascent and causes rupture of the primary pneumothorax and secondary pneumothorax and various obstacles, etc., and personal safety is more reliably guaranteed. .

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference numeral 1 denotes an outer skin, which surrounds a buoyancy member 2 and an inflator portion 3. The buoyancy material 2 is an elastic body such as a closed cell urethane resin. The inflator section 3 includes a pneumothorax 4 surrounded by a buoyant material 2 and a gas source 5 for inflating the pneumothorax 4. The outer skin 1 is non-breathable. The buoyancy material 2 may be non-breathable instead of the outer skin 1.

In this life jacket, the pneumothorax 4 is folded flat, and the buoyancy member 2 is also elastic, so that it is stored as a whole as a whole. In use, the life jacket is deployed and worn on the body to introduce gas from the gas source 5 into the pneumothorax 4. The introduction of the gas from the gas source 5 to the pneumothorax 4 may be performed, as usual, by manually pulling the string 6 and opening the gas cartridge by the cutting device 7 or automatically. The life jacket makes the head float above the water surface by the combined buoyancy of the buoyancy material 2 and the pneumothorax 4.

The pneumothorax 4 is divided by a partition membrane 11 into a primary pneumothorax 12 and a secondary pneumothorax 13, a primary gas source 14 is connected to the primary pneumothorax 12, and a secondary gas source 15 is connected to the secondary pneumothorax 13. Have been. In this way, primary and secondary pneumothorax 1
2 and 13 independently have an inflation function, and if one becomes inoperative, the other can be expected to operate, so that the risk can be dispersed and the safety is enhanced.

The secondary gas source 15 has an opening device 21 which operates at a set water pressure, and a gas cartridge 22 which is detachable from the opening device 21. In this case, when the water depth reaches a predetermined water depth, the opening device 21 is activated by the water pressure to release the gas from the gas cartridge 22, so that the water pressure can be used even if the person is upset and the opening operation cannot be performed artificially. Can be opened automatically to ensure safety.

The opening device 21 includes a main body 33 having a mounting port 31 for the gas cartridge 22 and a gas outlet 32 communicating with the mounting port 31, a diaphragm 34 mounted on the main body 33 on the side opposite to the mounting port 31, It has a needle 35 attached to the surface of the diaphragm 34 on the side of the main body 33 and capable of moving back and forth with respect to the mounting port 31, and a diaphragm cover 37 with a water guide hole 36 attached to the main body 33. In this case, since the diaphragm 34 is protected by the cover 37, no external pressure other than water pressure acts on the diaphragm 34, and there is no possibility that the gas cartridge 22 will be opened. In addition, since the stopper is opened by the needle 35, the gas cartridge 22 whose opening is sealed with a welding type sealing plate can be adopted,
Relieved of gas leakage. Further, the gas that has flowed out of the gas cartridge 22 by opening the plug is surely the secondary pneumothorax 1
3 is introduced.

Oral tube 4 with check valve on pneumothorax 4
1 is conducting. In this case, a certain amount of buoyancy is guaranteed by the buoyancy material 2, so that replenishment by exhalation can be reduced.

An oral tube 41 with a check valve is connected to the primary pneumothorax 12. In this way, the empty volume of the primary pneumothorax 12 is reduced by the amount of the secondary pneumothorax 13, so that the gas volume can be compensated for with a smaller exhalation volume.

A relief valve 51 is provided on at least one of the primary pneumothorax 12 and the secondary pneumothorax 13. This prevents the injected gas from inflating during ascent and causing rupture of the primary pneumothorax 12 and the secondary pneumothorax 13 and various obstacles, etc., by preventing the gas from escaping into the water, thereby ensuring the safety of the human body. Is done.

EXAMPLE A life vest as shown in FIG. 1 was prototyped and its function was confirmed. The design buoyancy was 8 liters. As the buoyancy material 2, lightweight and independently foamed urethane is disposed inside the waterproof outer skin 1 so as to have a buoyancy of 4 liters. Primary pneumothorax 12
Of the conventional gas source 5 (10 cc:
A gas cartridge with 8 g of carbon dioxide = 4 liters) and an opening device were installed. The secondary pneumothorax 13 has an internal volume of 4 liters and is housed in the outer skin 1. The secondary pneumothorax 13 has an independent and hydraulically operated opening device 21 and a similar gas cartridge 2.
2 and a relief valve 51 operating at about 5 m. The water-based system works well, has a proven track record and works without any problems. The operation of the underwater operating part was confirmed using a transparent hydraulic tester. At a water depth of 10 m, the volume was reduced to 1/2, the buoyancy was certainly reduced to 1/2 (4 liters), and the secondary pneumothorax 13 exhibited 4 liters of buoyancy, and the overall buoyancy was 8 liters. At 20m, primary pneumothorax 12
And the secondary pneumothorax 13 both reduced in volume to 1/3, and the buoyancy was 2.7 liters each, for a total of 5.4 liters. However, the gas cartridge 22 on the secondary pneumothorax 13 side is 20cc
(8 liters) was used. If the gas flowed up in this state was 12 liters, the buoyancy was 16 liters on the water surface, but it was about 9 liters in actual measurement due to the blow from the relief valve 51. The set pressure of the hydraulically actuated opening device 21 for the secondary pneumothorax 13 is set at 1
About 0 m is appropriate.

[0022]

According to the present invention, the required buoyancy is the sum of the buoyancy material and the gas that inflates the pneumothorax, so that the volume can be reduced when not in use, and the storage space is reduced. Handling becomes easy.

According to the second aspect, the primary and secondary pneumothorax are independently provided with an inflation function, and even if one of them becomes inoperative, the other can be expected to operate.
Increases safety.

According to the third aspect, when the water reaches a predetermined water depth, the opening device operates by the water pressure to release gas from the gas cartridge. Can also be opened automatically using water pressure, ensuring safety.

According to the fourth aspect, since the diaphragm is protected by the cover, external pressure other than water pressure does not act on the diaphragm, and there is no possibility that the gas cartridge is unnecessarily opened. In addition, since the plug is opened with a needle, a cartridge whose opening is sealed with a welded sealing plate can be adopted, and the cartridge is released from a fear of gas leakage. Further, the gas that has flowed out of the cartridge upon opening is reliably introduced into the secondary pneumothorax.

According to the fifth aspect, the buoyancy material guarantees a certain degree of buoyancy, so that replenishment by exhalation can be reduced.

According to the sixth aspect, the empty volume of the primary pneumothorax is reduced by the amount of the secondary pneumothorax, so that the shortage of gas volume can be compensated for with a smaller exhaled air volume.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the injected gas from inflating during the ascent and to cause the primary or secondary pneumothorax to rupture or cause various obstacles, etc., by escaping the gas into the water to prevent personal injury. Is more reliably guaranteed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cut front view showing a specific example of a life jacket according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway front view of a secondary gas source.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 outer skin 2 buoyant material 3 inflator part 4 pneumothorax 5 gas source 11 partition membrane 12 primary pneumothorax 13 secondary pneumothorax 14 primary gas source 15 secondary gas source 21 opening device 22 gas cartridge 31 mounting opening 32 gas outlet 33 main body 34 diaphragm 35 Needle 36 Water inlet 37 Cover 41 Oral tube 51 Relief valve

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An outer shell (1) comprising a buoyant material (2) and an inflator portion.
(3), wherein the buoyancy member (2) is an elastic body, and the inflator portion (3) is a pneumothorax surrounded by the buoyancy member (2).
(4) and a gas source (5) for inflating the pneumothorax (4), wherein at least one of the outer cover (1) and the buoyant material (2) is non-breathable. A characteristic life jacket. 2. The pneumothorax (4) is separated from the primary pneumothorax (1) by a partition membrane (11).
2) and a secondary pneumothorax (13), a primary gas source (14) is connected to the primary pneumothorax (12), and a secondary gas source (15) is connected to the secondary pneumothorax (13). The life jacket according to claim 1, which is tied. 3. The secondary gas source (15) has an opening device (21) operated at a set water pressure and a gas cartridge (22) detachable from the opening device (21). 2. The life jacket according to 2. 4. The gas stopper (21) is provided with a gas cartridge (22).
Mounting port (31) and a gas outlet (32) communicating with the mounting port (31)
A diaphragm (34) attached to the body (33) on the side opposite to the mounting port (31), and the diaphragm
(34) a needle (35) attached to a surface of the body (33) on the side of the body (33) and capable of moving forward and backward with respect to the attachment port (31); and a diaphragm having a water guide hole (36) attached to the body (33). The life jacket according to claim 3, comprising a cover (37). 5. The life jacket according to claim 1, wherein an oral tube with a check valve communicates with the pneumothorax. 6. The life jacket according to claim 2, wherein an oral tube with a check valve communicates with the primary pneumothorax. 7. The life jacket according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the primary pneumothorax (12) and the secondary pneumothorax (13) is provided with a relief valve (51).