JP2024065879A - Buoyancy control jacket - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a buoyancy control jacket that can follow the body movements of a diver and provide a stable feeling of hold. [Solution] The harness 10 of the buoyancy control jacket 1 includes a shoulder belt 11 and a harness body 20 that faces the back of the diver, and is equipped with a size adjustment means that can change the back length L1 of the harness body 20 in multiple stages. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a buoyancy control jacket (BC jacket) that has a buoyancy control function.

Buoyancy adjustment jackets used for diving are well known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a buoyancy adjustment device that allows easy adjustment of the position of the waist belt in the vertical direction.

JP 2002-211484 A

The buoyancy adjustment device disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises a jacket, a harness attached to the inside of the back of the jacket, length-adjustable shoulder belts that extend downward from the shoulders of the jacket, and a length-adjustable waist belt that extends around the waist of the jacket.

In this type of buoyancy adjustment device, the end of the waist belt is attached to the harness via a connecting plate, and by selecting the position of the fixing part that fixes the connecting plate, the vertical position of the waist belt on the harness can be adjusted in two stages.

When wearing the harness, the length of the shoulder belts can be adjusted to suit the diver's body size, and the position of the waist belt can be adjusted vertically to fit the waistline. However, because the back length of the harness is constant for divers of different heights, it is not possible to achieve an optimal fit that matches the height difference.

In addition, when the shoulder belts were pulled up to fit a harness with a back length that did not match the body size, the waist belt was also positioned higher, sometimes above the stomach area. Even if the position of the waist belt could be adjusted in two stages, it was not possible to control and position the waist belt in the optimal position in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, if the waist belt is placed around the diver's torso, prioritizing fit around the torso, the shoulder belt cannot be pulled up, and there is a risk that the harness will not fit tightly against the diver's back. In particular, if the back length of the harness is not a size that fits the body, when the diver bends forward, the harness separates from the diver's shoulders, creating a gap and preventing a sufficient sense of support.

Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide a buoyancy control jacket that can follow the diver's body movements and provide a stable feeling of hold.

The present invention relates to a buoyancy control jacket that has a top-bottom direction, a width direction, and a front-to-back direction that intersect with each other and has a harness for fixing an air tank.

The buoyancy adjustment jacket of the present invention is characterized in that the harness includes a shoulder belt and a harness body positioned opposite the diver's back, and is equipped with a size adjustment means that can change the back length of the harness body in multiple stages.

The buoyancy control device according to the present invention includes the following preferred embodiments.
(1) The harness further includes a waist fastening means having a waist belt and a lumbar support pad, the waist fastening means being separate from the harness body, and the waist fastening means being movable in the up and down direction by a slide mechanism.
(2) The harness body has a back plate and a central panel located on the front side of the back plate, and the back plate and the central panel are separably connected to each other.
(3) Side panels connected to the shoulder belts are attached to both sides of the harness body so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction.
(4) The side panel has a weight means.

The buoyancy adjustment jacket of the present invention is equipped with a size adjustment means that allows the back length of the harness body to be changed in multiple stages, so that by adjusting the back length of the harness body to the optimum size for the diver's height, the harness body can be firmly attached to the body during diving, providing a sufficient sense of hold.

The drawings show specific embodiments of the present invention, including essential features of the invention as well as alternative and preferred embodiments.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the buoyancy adjustment jacket according to the first embodiment. Rear view of the buoyancy control jacket. FIG. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. 3. A diagram showing the connection points between the back plate and the center panel. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the lumbar support pad as viewed from the rear. (a) Diver standing upright, (b) Diver leaning forward. FIG. 11 is a side view of a buoyancy control jacket according to a second embodiment in a worn state. FIG. 13 is a view showing a state in which the weight means and the side panel are separated from each other.

First Embodiment
1 and 2, a buoyancy control jacket 1 according to the present invention has a vertical direction Y, a width direction X, and a front-rear direction Z, which intersect with each other, and front and rear faces 1a, 1b, and is equipped with a vest 3 capable of receiving air from an air tank 2 and covering the back and abdomen of a diver, a tank harness (harness) 10 disposed on the inner surface of the vest 3 and extending in the vertical direction Y, a pair of shoulder belts 11 extending from an upper end of the harness 10, and a pair of waist belts 12 extending around the waist of the diver at the lower end side of the harness 10. The shoulder belts 11 have shoulder pads 11a that come into contact with the diver's shoulders. The front surface 1a of the buoyancy control jacket 1 is also called the front surface, and the rear surface 1b is also called the back surface.

The air tank 2 is located on the outer side of the back of the vest 3 and is fixed to the harness 10 via a tank band 14. The length of the tank band 14 can be adjusted using a buckle 13 according to the size of the air tank 2.

The harness 10 has a harness body 20 located on the inner back surface of the vest 3, a pair of side panels 30 pivotally attached to the harness body 20, and a waist tightening means 40 located on the front surface of the lower portion of the harness body 20.

The harness body 20 includes a back plate 50 and a central panel 60 located in front of the back plate 50. The back plate 50 and the central panel 60 are removably connected to each other via a connecting means such as a connecting member 70.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the connecting member 70 is located on the outside of the rear surface of the vest 3 with the back plate 50 and the central panel 60 connected, and the tank band 14 is inserted through the band insertion hole 71 of the connecting member 70. The connecting member 70 further has an insertion hole 72 located at the top and a locking claw 73 with an upwardly bent tip located on the front surface, i.e., the surface facing the back plate 50. The vest 3 has an opening for passing a bolt inserted through the insertion hole 72 of the connecting member 70, and an opening for passing the locking claw 73.

The back plate 50 has a head 51 and a support plate 52 extending downward from the head 51. The head 51 has an insertion hole 51a for fixing the shoulder belt 11 in an inserted state. The front side of the support plate 52 has side ribs 54 extending in the vertical direction Y at both side edges, a central protrusion 55 located in the center in the width direction X, and a pair of engagement grooves 57 extending in the vertical direction Y between the side ribs 54 and the central protrusion 55.

The support plate portion 52 has a plurality of central insertion holes 58 arranged at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction Y in the central protrusion 55, and a plurality of side insertion holes 59 arranged at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction Y in the engagement groove 57. A rectangular first locking hole 75 is located below the side insertion holes 59. As shown in FIG. 7, the central insertion holes 58 are arranged in six rows from top to bottom, and are numbered 58a to 58g, and the upper side insertion holes 59 are numbered 59a and the lower side insertion holes 59 are numbered 59b.

Referring to FIG. 5, the central panel 60 has a pair of band insertion holes 61 located on both sides for inserting the mounting bands 22, and a cylindrical first connecting portion 62 located on both side edges that constitutes a hinge mechanism for rotatably connecting the side panels 30. Central insertion holes 63a, 63b are located in the center of the central panel 60 in the width direction X. In addition, on the rear surface of the central panel 60, a pair of protrusions 68a, 68b aligned in the up-down direction Y are located between the central insertion holes 63a, 63b.

A pair of engaging protrusions 64 extending in the vertical direction Y are located on the rear surface of the central panel 60. The engaging protrusions 64 have a plurality of side insertion holes 65a, 65b and rectangular second locking holes 76a, 76b that penetrate the central panel 60 and are arranged at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction Y. Inside the side insertion holes 65b, nuts with spiral grooves for screwing in bolts are arranged.

The mounting band 22 is made of cloth coated with urethane resin, and both ends of the band are inserted into the band insertion holes 61. The band is removably attached to the central panel 60 via fasteners that pass through the insertion holes at both ends and through openings at the rear surface of the central panel 60.

The pair of side panels 30 have a tip portion 31, a base portion 32 fixed to the central panel 60, a belt insertion hole 31a located at the tip portion 31 through which the connecting belt 16 is inserted, and a cylindrical second connecting portion 33 located on the base portion 32 side. The central panel 60 and the side panel 30 are connected to each other via a connecting pin (pivot shaft) 18 that passes through them, with the first connecting portion 62 and the second connecting portion 33 combined so as to be positioned alternately in the vertical direction Y.

The pair of side panels 30 are attached to the central panel 60 by the hinge mechanism having such a configuration so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction Z. The central panel 60 has an overall curved shape with both sides extending toward the wearer's body, and the hinge mechanisms of the side panels 30 located on both sides of the central panel 60 are easily rotatable inward, i.e., toward the diver's body. In addition, when the buoyancy control jacket 1 is not in use, the side panels 30 can be folded up to make it compact and can be stored and carried.

The male part of the buckle with a locking claw is located at the tip of the connecting belt 16, and by locking the male part to the female part located on the shoulder belt 11, the shoulder belt 11 is connected to the side panel 30 via the connecting belt 16.

The waist fastening means 40 comprises a waist pad 41 that is in contact with the diver's waist and a pair of waist belts 12 that extend from both side edges of the waist pad 41.

The waist belts 12 are detachably connected to each other by mechanical fasteners at their ends, which are connecting means 12a and 12b. The ends of the waist belt 12 are folded back on both sides of the lumbar support pad 41 via ring-shaped loops, and the folded back opposing portions are detachably connected to each other by mechanical fasteners, allowing the length of the waist belt 12 to be adjusted.

The lumbar support pad 41 has a cushion member 42 formed by covering a resilient material such as urethane resin with a mesh fabric, and a thin back plate portion 43 attached to the rear surface of the cushion member 42.

The back plate 43 is not easily deformed like a cushioning material, but is made of, for example, ABS resin, polypropylene resin, nylon resin, hard synthetic rubber, etc., and has enough flexibility to deform slightly along the diver's waist. On the rear surface of the back plate 43, there is a loop-shaped slider (insertion part) 45 that opens in the vertical direction Y and through which the mounting band 22 is inserted.

Referring to FIG. 6, a pair of engaging protrusions 64 of the central panel 60 engage with a pair of engaging grooves 57 of the back plate 50, and a central insertion hole 58 located in the support plate portion 52 of the back plate 50 and a central insertion hole 63a located in the central panel 60 communicate with each other in the front-rear direction Z and are fastened by a fastening means that penetrates them. Here, the fastening means used for the mounting band 22 and the harness main body 20 is composed of a grommet and a pin that is inserted into the grommet, and by inserting the pin into the insertion hole of the grommet, the legs of the grommet are elastically deformed and expanded, allowing overlapping members to be stably fastened together.

In addition, with the vest 3 interposed between the connecting member 70 and the back plate 50, the through holes 59a-59c on both sides of the support plate 52 and the through holes 65a, 65b on both sides of the central panel 60, which are connected to each other in the front-rear direction Z, are fastened by bolts inserted through the through holes 72 via openings formed in the vest 3.

The locking claws 73 of the connecting member 70 are inserted into and locked in the first locking hole 75 of the back plate 50 and the second locking holes 76a, 76b of the central panel 60, which are connected to each other in the front-rear direction Z. In this way, the back plate 50 and the central panel 60 are stably connected by fixing the central portion and both side portions in the width direction X to each other.

Referring to Figure 7, the position of the central panel 60 in the vertical direction Y relative to the back plate 50 can be changed in multiple stages. Specifically, in the illustrated example, it can be changed in six stages, allowing the back length L1 (see Figure 3) of the harness 10 to be freely changed to suit the diver's height.

Regarding the relative positions of the central panel 60 and the back plate 50 at each stage, first, when it is positioned at the lowest position (FIG. 7(a)), the central through-hole 58b and the central through-hole 63a, and the both-side through-holes 59a and 65b overlap, respectively, and the protrusion 68a is inserted into the central through-hole 58d. Furthermore, when it is positioned at the upper position (FIG. 7(b)), the central through-hole 58c and the central through-hole 63a, and the both-side through-holes 59b and 65b overlap, respectively, and the protrusion 68a is inserted into the central through-hole 58e. Furthermore, when it is positioned at the upper position (FIG. 7(c)), the central through-hole 58d and the central through-hole 63a, and the both-side through-holes 59c and 65b overlap, respectively, and the protrusion 68a is inserted into the central through-hole 58f.

When positioned at the top (Fig. 7(d)), the central through hole 58e overlaps with the central through hole 63a, and the side through holes 59a and 65a overlap. When positioned at the top (Fig. 7(e)), the central through hole 58f overlaps with the central through hole 63a, and the side through holes 59b overlaps with the side through holes 65a. When positioned at the top (Fig. 7(f)), the central through hole 58g overlaps with the central through hole 63a, and the side through holes 59c overlaps with the side through holes 65a.

In this way, the harness 10 (harness body 20) can freely change the back length L1 in six stages to suit the diver's height, and can be used by a wide range of divers with a relatively large difference in height, for example, from divers about 150 cm tall to divers about 195 cm tall. This allows divers of a wide age range, regardless of gender, to use the same buoyancy adjustment jacket 1, and manufacturers do not need to manufacture products of different sizes, resulting in excellent productivity. It can also be said that the economic burden is reduced because users do not need to prepare multiple products to suit the diver's height.

In this embodiment, the size adjustment means for the back length L1 of the harness body 20 can change the back length L1 in six stages, but it may also be able to change it in less than six stages or more than six stages.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 8, the lumbar support pad 41 of the waist tightening means 40 is attached to the harness body 20 by a slider mechanism consisting of a loop-shaped slider 45 and an attachment band 22 fixed to the harness body 20. The lumbar support pad 41 can freely move up and down by sliding the slider 45 on the attachment band 22, and as shown in Fig. 8, the lumbar support pad 41 can move upward or downward from the position shown by the thick imaginary line to the position shown by the thin imaginary line so as to follow the movement of the wearer's body.

Conventionally, when a harness that was not the right size for a diver's height was used, even if the shoulder belt was adjusted to fit the harness snugly to the body, gaps would appear between the diver's shoulders and the harness when the wearer leaned forward, and the diver was unable to feel a sufficient hold when wearing the buoyancy adjustment jacket.

As a result of the applicant's thorough investigations, it was found that in order to obtain a firm hold when worn, it is essential that the shoulder belt 11 (shoulder pad 11a) does not move away from the diver's shoulders at all times and that the harness 10 is in contact with the wearer's shoulder blades, and that to obtain an even stronger hold, it is necessary that the part that comes into contact with the diver's waist be able to move in the vertical direction Y to follow even small movements of the waist.

In addition, in conventional buoyancy adjustment jackets, the harness body to which the shoulder belts are fixed and the waist pad are integrated, so when the length of the shoulder belts is adjusted to fit the harness body closely to the diver's body, the harness body is pulled upward, and the waist pad also moves upward at the same time. This means that the waist pad is positioned higher than the diver's waist, which can reduce the fit around the waist.

As described above, the harness 10 of the present invention can freely change and set its back length L1 in multiple stages to the optimum size for the diver's height, so that the harness 10 can fit the diver's body and provide a sufficient sense of support. Furthermore, the waist tightening means 40 including the waist pad 41 can freely move up and down and change its position by sliding the slider 45 of the waist pad 41 on the mounting band 22, so that it can follow even small movements of the wearer's waist.

Referring to FIG. 9(a), before donning the buoyancy control jacket 1, the diver selects the size with the back length L1 best suited to his/her height from the multiple sizes shown in FIG. 7, connects the back plate 20 and the central panel 60, and places the waist fastening means 40 at an optimal position around the waist. Next, while standing upright, the diver adjusts the length of the shoulder belts 11, which are slightly loosened before donning, via the buckles to make them taut and fit closely to the body.

At this time, the harness body 20 to which the shoulder belt 11 is attached is pulled upward by the movement of the shoulder belt 11, but since the waist tightening means 40 is separate from the harness body 20, it is not pulled upward together with the harness body 20, and the optimal position around the waist can be maintained.

Specifically, even if the harness body 20 is pulled upward and the mounting band 22 moves upward, it only moves by sliding the slider 45 of the lumbar support pad 41, and the waist tightening means 40 including the lumbar support pad 41 does not move upward with it.

Referring to FIG. 9(b), when the diver bends forward, the waist fastening means 40 slides downward in accordance with the movement of the body, so that the waist support pad 41 can be maintained in an optimal position against the waist. Furthermore, because the waist belt 12 is connected to the waist support pad 41, when the waist support pad 41 moves up and down, the waist belt 12 also moves up and down in the same manner. Therefore, the waist support pad 41 and the waist belt 12 move up and down to follow the movement of the diver's body, and can be maintained in a state of fitting to the diver's waist and abdomen, respectively.

In the BC jacket according to the present invention, since there is no need to adjust the back length L1 of the harness body 20 after wearing, the back plate 50 and the central panel 60 are connected by mechanical means using bolts, connecting members 70, etc., whereas the waist tightening means 40 needs to be moved to follow the diver's various movements while wearing it, so a simple slide mechanism consisting of a loop-shaped slider 45 and an attachment band (rail) 22 is used for the connection. In this way, different connecting means are used as a result of selecting the optimal connecting means for each purpose and function.

Referring again to FIG. 6, since the opening width of the slider 45 and the width dimension of the mounting band 22 are approximately the same, it can be said that the slider 45 is unlikely to move downward due to its own weight.

In addition, the mounting band 22 can be made from known materials such as metal, rubber, glass, and chemical fibers, in addition to cloth and synthetic resin, as long as the required friction resistance is exhibited.

As shown in FIG. 8, it is preferable that the slider 45 is located above the center of the vertical dimension of the lumbar support pad 41 in the vertical direction Y. In this case, the area of the lumbar support pad 41 that extends downward from the slider 45 is larger than when the slider 45 is located in the central portion, and the diver's lumbar region can be widely covered even when the slider 45 is at the lowest position. Also, the sliding mechanism consisting of the mounting band 22 and the slider 45 does not have to be a pair facing each other at a distance in the width direction X as in the illustrated example, but may be two or more, or just one.

Other Examples
As another embodiment, for example, the harness body 20 and the waist belt 12 may be integrally formed, and the shoulder belt 11 may be configured separately therefrom. Also, the buoyancy control jacket 1 may be one in which the harness 10, the vest 3, and the waist belt 12 are integrally formed, and the waist tightening means 40 is formed separately therefrom, as long as the technical effects of the present invention are achieved.

In the illustrated example, the harness body 20 has a separate structure consisting of the harness body 20 and the central panel 60, which are separate bodies, but the harness body 20 and the central panel 60 may be integrally formed so that the back length L1 can be adjusted to multiple sizes.

Second Embodiment
10 and 11, in the buoyancy control jacket 1 according to this embodiment, a weight means 80 is disposed on the side panel 30. The weight means 80 includes a weight 81 and a weight bag 83 having a pocket 82 into which the weight 81 can be inserted or removed. The weight 81 has a handle portion 81a, and a diver can easily insert or remove the weight 81 from the pocket 82 by grasping the handle portion 81a.

The weight bag 83 has a bag body 84 and a flap 85, a portion of which is fixed to the bag body 84. The flap 85 has a fixed end 85a fixed to the bag body 84 and a free portion 85b that is not fixed to the bag body 84, and a locking portion having multiple hook elements is located on the inner surface of the outer periphery of the free portion 85b. A non-locking portion consisting of multiple loop elements is located on the outer periphery of the surface of the bag body 84 that faces the flap 85.

The weight 81 is placed in the pocket 82 through the pocket opening 82a of the weight bag 83, and the tip 31 of the side panel 30 is interposed between the free portion 85b of the flap 85 and the bag body 84. By connecting the engaging portion of the free portion 85b of the flap 85 to the engaged portion of the bag body 84, the weight bag 83 can be detachably attached to the side panel 30.

Underwater, divers adjust their buoyancy by controlling breathing with their lungs (trimming). However, in conventional buoyancy adjustment jackets, the weight means is stored in a pocket or the like located near the waist of the vest. For example, when worn by a relatively tall diver, the waist means and the lungs are located far apart, making it difficult to control breathing with the lungs.

In the buoyancy control jacket 1 of the present invention, the harness 10 is provided with a size adjustment means for the back length L1, so that the back length L1 can be adjusted to suit the height of the diver. Therefore, even when worn by a relatively tall diver, for example, the weight means 80 attached to the side panel 30 is positioned higher according to the diver's height.

Therefore, the weight means 80 can be positioned close to the diver's lungs at all times, making it easy to adjust buoyancy using the lungs. In addition, when worn, the side panels 30 are rotated toward the diver's body via the hinge mechanism, so they are positioned closer to the lungs than when they are positioned in the pockets of the vest 3.

The configuration of the weight means 80 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be configured integrally with the side panel 30, for example.

In this specification, the various constituent materials constituting the buoyancy control jacket 1 may be any of a variety of well-known materials commonly used in this field, without limitation, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second", etc., used in this specification are used simply to distinguish between similar elements, positions, etc.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 buoyancy adjustment jacket 2 air tank 10 harness 11 shoulder belt 20 harness body 30 side panel 40 waist tightening means 50 back plate 60 central panel 80 weight means L1 harness back length X width direction Y up-down direction Z front-rear direction

The buoyancy control jacket of the present invention comprises a vest, a harness arranged on the inner surface of the vest and extending in the vertical direction, and a pair of shoulder belts extending from the upper end of the harness, wherein the harness comprises a harness main body positioned opposite the diver's back, and a waist fastening means positioned on the front side of the lower part of the harness main body and having a waist belt and a waist pad, and is equipped with a size adjustment means capable of changing the back length of the harness main body in multiple stages , the waist fastening means and the harness main body are separate entities, the waist fastening means is capable of moving in the vertical direction by a slide mechanism, and is attached to the harness main body only via the slide mechanism.

The buoyancy control device according to the present invention includes the following preferred embodiments.
( 1 ) The harness body has a back plate and a central panel located on the front side of the back plate, and the back plate and the central panel are separably connected to each other.
( 2 ) Side panels connected to the shoulder belts are attached to both sides of the harness body so as to be rotatable in the forward and backward directions.
( 3 ) The side panel has a weight means.

Claims (5)

A buoyancy control jacket having a vertical direction, a width direction, and a front-rear direction intersecting each other and having a harness for fixing an air tank,
The harness includes a shoulder belt and a harness body positioned opposite the diver's back,
A buoyancy adjustment jacket comprising a size adjustment means for changing the back length of the harness body in multiple stages. The buoyancy adjustment jacket according to claim 1, further comprising a waist fastening means having a waist belt and a waist pad, the waist fastening means being separate from the harness body, and the waist fastening means being movable in the up and down direction by a slide mechanism. The buoyancy adjustment jacket according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the harness body has a back plate and a central panel located on the front side of the back plate, and the back plate and the central panel are separably connected to each other. A buoyancy control jacket according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which side panels connected to the shoulder belts are attached to both sides of the harness body so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction. The buoyancy adjustment jacket according to claim 4, wherein the side panels have weight means.