US20110045722A1

US20110045722A1 - Flotation device

Info

Publication number: US20110045722A1
Application number: US12/632,805
Authority: US
Inventors: Chao-Tsung Fan
Original assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2009-08-21
Filing date: 2009-12-08
Publication date: 2011-02-24
Also published as: CN101992844A

Abstract

A flotation device includes a hollow body, a container attached to the hollow body and comprising a nozzle extending into the hollow body, and a latching member formed at the hollow body to attach the hollow body to an object requiring flotation. The hollow body and the container respectively contain two chemical materials, such that when the container is pressed, it ejects material therefrom via the nozzle into the hollow body, whereby the material from the container reacts with the material in the hollow body to produce a gas to inflate the hollow body.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a flotation device.
2. Description of Related Art
Life jackets, life vests, and life rings are all well known flotation devices often to be deployed when a person is drowning in the water. However, these flotation devices must be filled with air at the time of use, or stored in an inflated state, which can be inconvenient for prompt response to emergency, provides a flotation device with inadequate inflation in time of need.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a flotation device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawing, an exemplary embodiment of a flotation device includes a hollow body 10, a container 20, and a latching member 30.
The hollow body 10 is longitudinal and of elastic material, such as plastic. The hollow body 10 contains weak acid powders, such as oxalic acid powders. The latching member 30 includes a grommet 32 and a latching tape 34, respectively formed on the two opposite ends of the hollow body 10. In this embodiment, the latching tape 34 is a self-adhesive tape.
The container 20 is made of elastic material, such as plastic, and filled with weak alkaline solution, such as sodium bicarbonate solution. The container 20 is attached to the hollow body 10 and includes a nozzle 22 extending into the hollow body 10.
The hollow body 10 is capable of encircling a user's neck to form a ring. The latching tape 34 extends through the grommet 32 to adhere to itself. When a user enters the water, the container 20 is pressed, allowing the weak alkaline solution therein to flow into the hollow body 10 via the nozzle 22. Weak alkaline solution mixes with and reacts with weak acid powder, very quickly producing carbon dioxide gas to inflate the hollow body 10, which supports the user's head above water. The flotation device is small and easily transported.
In other exemplary embodiments of the flotation device, weak acid powder and weak alkaline solution may be replaced by other kinds of chemical materials capable of reacting quickly to produce gas.
In other exemplary embodiments of the flotation device, the hollow body 10 can be filled with the weak alkaline powder, such as sodium bicarbonate powder, and the container 20 correspondingly filled with weak acid solution, such as oxalic acid solution. The hollow body 10 can be long enough to surround other portions of the body, as desired.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A flotation device comprising:

a hollow body;

a container attached to the hollow body and comprising a nozzle extending into the hollow body; and

a latching member formed at the hollow body to attach the hollow body to an object requiring flotation;

wherein the hollow body and the container respectively contain two chemical materials, such that when the container is pressed, it ejects material therefrom via the nozzle into the hollow body, whereby the material from the container reacts with the material in the hollow body to produce a gas to inflate the hollow body.

2. The flotation device of claim 1, wherein the latching member comprises a grommet and a latching tape, respectively formed at the two opposite ends of the hollow body.

3. The flotation device of claim 2, wherein latching tape is a self-adhesive latching tape.

4. The flotation device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the chemical materials is carbonic acid material to produce carbon dioxide gas.

5. The flotation device of claim 4, wherein the hollow body contains weak acid powder, and the container contains alkaline solution.

6. The flotation device of claim 5, wherein the weak acid powder is oxalic acid powder, and the alkaline solution is sodium bicarbonate solution.

7. The flotation device of claim 4, wherein the hollow body contains alkaline powder, and the container contains weak acid solution.

8. The flotation device of claim 7, wherein the weak acid powder is sodium bicarbonate powder, and the alkaline solution is oxalic acid solution.

9. The flotation device of claim 1, wherein the hollow body and the container are made of elastic materials.