GB2184069A

GB2184069A - A life belt

Info

Publication number: GB2184069A
Application number: GB08626492A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Neil Bettell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-11-25
Filing date: 1986-11-05
Publication date: 1987-06-17
Also published as: GB2184069B; GB8528978D0; GB8626492D0

Abstract

A life belt (2) comprising a body portion (4) which is inflatable and which has at first and second ends (6, 8), fastener means (18, 24) for fastening the first and second ends (6, 8) about the waist of a person, and valve means (10) for connection to a container (12) of compressed gas whereby gas from the container (12) can pass into the body portion (4) to inflate it consequent upon the person being in an emergency situation in water. In the deflated position, the body portion is folded back on itself in the S-shape 32 and retained in the position by spaced apart rings 34, 34 which allow for unfolding of the belt on inflation. The gas container is automatically activated to release its contents after a predetermined period of immersion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A life belt This invention relates to a life belt.

Life belts are well known and they usually comprise a ring of relatively hard plastics material which is stored in an accessible position and which is adapted to be thrown to a person in an emergency situation in water. Since the ring is both bulky and incompressible, it cannot normally be worn by a person working or playing out of the water. Persons working or playing out of the water often wear life jackets for reasons of safety. These life jackets fit over the shoulders in a manner of a jacket and they are inflatable. Since these life jackets cover the shoulders, they are not always favoured by sun bathers since they cover most of the upper body. They are also not always favoured by workmen since they can restrict the workmen, especially if the workmen are wearing work clothes underneath the life jacket.

There is a need for a device which is inflatable like a life jacket but which is easy to wear and covers less body space.

Accordingly, this invention provides a life belt comprising a body portion which is inflatable and which has first and second ends, fastener means for fastening the first and second ends about the waist of a person, and valve means for connection to a container of compressed gas whereby gas from the container can pass into the body portion to inflate it consequent upon the person being in an emergency situation in water.

The life belt of the present invention is such that it is not a continuous ring and it can be fastened in the manner of a belt around the waist of a person. Thus the life belt will not cover much body space and so be an annoyance to persons wishing to sunbathe, whilst indulging in water sports, or generally travelling on boats. Also, since the life belt fixes around the waist, it will not hamper persons as much as a life jacket, so that persons such as oil rig workers, dockers and fishermen can have relative safety without the discomfort of a life jacket. More generally, any person nervous of an accident in water can be provided with the life belt.

Preferably, the body portion is folded back on itself to define an S-shape, the life belt then including retainer means for retaining the body portion in its folded back shape until in use inflation of the body portion occurs whereupon the folded part slips from the retainer means to allow the belt to increase in diameter and pass from the person's waist to under their armpits.

The retainer means may be a pair of spaced apart rings. The rings may be rings of material held together by interlocking plastics hooks.

Material provided with such interlocking plastics hooks is sold under the registered trade mark of Velcro.

Advantageously, the body portion is folded about its longitudinal axis which extends between the first and the second ends of the body portion.

It will be appreciated that when the body portion is folded back on itself and/or is folded about its longitudinal axis, the life belt occupies very little surface area in its flat stored condition but this surface area increases greatly upon inflation. Thus compactness and unobtrusiveness are achieved during normal use and prior to inflation, whilst a relatively large surface area providing good floatability is provided upon inflation.

The fastener means may include a male buckle portion for being received by a female buckle portion.

The fastener means may be secured ta the body portion by strips of material.

The valve means may be a normally closed value which enables the compressed gas to enter into and be retained in the body portion.

The valve means may have fixing means for fixing the container to the valve means. The fixing means may be a screw threaded aperture whereby the container is screwable to the valve means. As an alternative to employing a screw threaded aperture, the fixing means could be bayonet fixing means or clip fixing means.

The present invention provides the life belt with or without the container of compressed gas.

The container may be a container of compressed carbon dioxide gas. It is to be appreciated that other gases such for example as nitrogen and air may be employed. Generally, the gas will be as inert and as non-flamable as possible, commensurate with manufacturing techniques and product costs.

When the fixing means on the valve means is a screw threaded aperture, then the container may have a screw threaded neck portion for screwing into the aperture.

The container may be activated to release its gas in any desired manner. Thus, for example, the container may be activated by pulling a cord; pulling, squeezing or flicking a lever; or depressing a button.

The container and valve means may be such that gas is automatically emitted when the life belt has been in the water for a predetermined period of time, for example, three to five seconds. Such automatic gas emission will normally be effected chemically. For example, an appropriate chemical or chemicals within the valve means could react with water to release a pin which pierces the container to allow the gas to escape.

Preferably, the body portion of the life belt is provided with pocket means for holding the container.

The pocket means may be a fold over flap.

The flap may be held in position by interlocking plastics hooks such for example as the above mentioned Velcro material. Alternatively, the flap may be held in position by press studs.

The body portion may be made of a material which is treated so that it is impervious to air. The material may be life jacket material.

The inside of the material may be coated with an air impervious material such.for example as polyvinylchloride.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a life belt; and Figure 2 shows an alternative container of compressed gas for the life belt.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a life belt 2 comprising an inflatable body portion 4 which has first and second ends (6,8) respectively. The life belt 2 also has valve means in the form of an elbow valve 10. As shown in Fig. 1, a container 12 of compressed gas is screwed to the valve 10.

The first end 6 of the body portion 4 has a strip 14 of material sewn to it at position 16.

This strip of material has a male buckle portion 18 which has a pair of lugs 20. The lugs 20 are received in an aperture 22 in a female buckle portion 24, the lugs 20 passing through the buckle portion 24 and hooking at the back 26 of the aperture 22. The female buckle portion 24 is secured by a strip 28 of material to the second end 8 by sewing at position 30. The male buckle portion 18 and the female buckle portion 24 constitute fastener means.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the central part of the body portion 4 is folded back on itself to define an S-shape 32. The S-shape 32 is retained in position by retainer means in the form of a pair of spaced apart rings 34,36. Both rings are strips of Velcro material and the plastics hooks are shown at 38 on ring 34. The ring 34 passes over three layers of the body portion 4 whilst the ring 36 passes over only the two outer layers of the body portion 4.

Also as shown in Fig. 1, the body portion 4 is folded about its longitudinal axis 40 which extends between the first and the second ends 6,8 respectively. This longitudinal axis 40 thus becomes the top of the body portion 4 as viewed in Fig. 1.

In use, the male buckle portion 18 will be inserted into the female buckle portion 24 to fasten the belt 2 around the waist of a person. The person can thus work without being unduly obstructed by the presence of the life belt 2 and also the life belt 2 will not cover too much of the persons body if the person wishes to sunbathe. However, when the body portion 4 is inflated via the valve 10, the life belt 2 will increase greatly in size because the folded S-shaped 32 will pull out of the rings 34,36 and also the fold about the longitudinal axis 40 will unfold. The life belt 2 will now be greatly increased in diameter due to the Sshape 32 unfolding so that the life belt 2 can slip up the body and under the armpits, where it is best suited for keeping the person afloat in an emergency situation in water.The unfolding of the body portion 4 about the longitudinal axis 40 will also increase the inflated cross section of the life belt 2 and it will be apparent that more than sufficient air will be present in the life belt 2 to keep the person aloat.

It is envisaged that the life belt 2 can be worn by persons engaging in water sports such for example as sailing and wind surfing.

The life belt 2 can also be worn by workmen such as those on off shore oil rigs. Fishermen and persons on pleasure craft may also use the life belt 2. Generally, it will be appreciated that any person on or near the water may wear one of the life belts 2 for safety reasons, and whilst the life belt 2 is being worn, it will not be unduly obtrusive or obstructive.

The container 12 is relatively small but it will provide sufficient gas to inflate the body portion 4. After use, it will be apparent that a new container 12 can be screwed into position in the valve 10 and the body portion 4 can be refolded for another use. In order to avoid the container 12 hanging loose, it is preferably housed in pocket means in the form of a fold over flap 42 which is held in position by a pair of press studs 44.

The container 12 may be any suitable container for emitting compressed gas. Forrea- sons of extra safety, it may be desired that the container 12 be such that it will automatically be activated to release its compressed gas into the body portion 4 upon contact of the container 12 and/or the valve 10 with water for a predetermined period of time such for example as three to five seconds. Such activation will normally be achieved by chemicals. The chemicals may be in the valve 10 and effective to release a striking pin which will pierce the container 12 to release the gas from within the container 12. Alternatively, it could be arranged that a cap on the valve 12 would dissolve on contact with water to release the gas from within the container 12.

Various arrangements may be employed in this respect.

As an alternative to chemical activation to obtain the gas from the container 12, manual operation may be employed. In Fig. 2, there is illustrated the container 12 of Fig. 1 and it will be seen that the container 12 is provided with a pull ring 46 which needs to be pulled to allow gas to escape from within the container 12. Fig. 2 also illustrates that the container 12 is provided with a screw threaded neck portion 48 for screwing into a portion 50 of the valve 10, the portion 50 being provided with an internally screw threaded aperture.

The body portion 4 may be made from various materials. Obviously, the materials should be relatively hard wearing so that the body portion 4 will not be prematurely punctured during use of the life belt 2 out of the water.

Also, the material should be capable of retaining the gas when it is inflated and, for this purpose, the inside of the material may be treated with a sealant material such for example as polyvinylchloride. The body portion 4 may be brightly coloured such for example as coloured yellow, to enable the life belt 2 easily to be seen.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, sufficient types of container 12 may be employed and the body portion 4 may be of a different shape. Also, fastener means other than the buckle portions 18, 24 may be employed.

Claims

1. A life belt comprising a body portion which is inflatable and which has first and second ends, fastener means for fastening the first and second ends about the waist of a person, and valve means for connection to a container of compressed gas whereby gas from the container can pass into the body portion to inflate it consequent upon the person being in an emergency situation in water.

2. A life belt according to claim 1 in which the body portion is folded back on itself to define an S-shape, the life belt including retainer means for retaining the body portion in its folded back shape until in use inflation of the body portion occurs whereupon the folded part slips from the retainer means to allow the belt to increase in diameter and pass from the person's waist to under their armpits.

3. A life belt according to claim 2 in which the retainer means comprises a pair of spaced apart rings.

4. A life belt according to claim 3 in which the rings are rings of material held together by interlocking plastics hooks.

5. A life belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion is folded about its longitudinal axis which extends between the first and the second ends of the body portion.

6. A life belt according to any one of the preceding claims and including a male buckle portion for being received by a female buckle portion.

7.. A life belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which the fastener means is secured to the body portion by strips of material.

8. A life belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which the valve means is a normally closed valve which enables the compressed gas to enter into and be retained in the body portion.

9. A life belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which the valve means has fixing means for fixing the container to the valve means.

10. A life belt according to any one of the preceding claims and including the container of compressed gas.

11. A life belt according to claim 10 in which the container and the valve means are such that gas is automatically emitted when the life belt has been in the water for a predetermined period of time.

12. A life belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion of the life belt is provided with pocket means for holding the container.

13. A life belt according to claim 12 in which the pocket means is a fold over flap.

14. A life belt substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.