Inflatable safety vest

A body protection device in the form of an article of clothing for a person riding a vehicle, comprising:

• an inflatable vest having an exterior surface and an airtight interior bladder;
• an inflation tube having a first end on an interior wall of the vest and a second end in the interior of the vest;
• at least one compressed gas cartridge attached to a holding strap secured at an angle to a wall in an interior pocket formed in the vest behind the exterior surface and the airtight interior bladder and connected to the first end of the inflation tube;
• a cartridge actuation mechanism operably connected to the at least one compressed gas cartridge and comprising:
• a triggering device that is operable to open the at least one compressed gas cartridge;
• and
• an actuation lever operatively connected to the triggering device so as to actuate the triggering device in response to a pulling force of a predetermined magnitude, wherein the actuation lever is detachable from the actuation mechanism in response to the pulling force of predetermined magnitude;
• and
• a lanyard having a first end passing through an open portion of the interior pocket and connected to the actuation lever and a second end that is attachable to the vehicle.

A body protection device in the form of a simulated article of clothing for a person riding a vehicle, comprising:

• the simulated article of clothing being an inflatable vest having an exterior surface and an airtight interior bladder;
• at least one compressed gas cartridge attached to a wall of an inner pocket formed in the vest between the exterior surface and the airtight interior bladder;
• a cartridge actuation mechanism held in the inner pocket and operably connected to the at least one compressed gas cartridge and comprising:
• a triggering device that is operable to open the at least one compressed gas cartridge;
• and
• an actuation lever operatively connected to the triggering device so as to actuate the triggering device in response to a pulling force of a predetermined magnitude, wherein the actuation lever is detachable from the actuation mechanism in response to the pulling force of predetermined magnitude;
• a lanyard having a first end connected to the actuation lever through a bottom opening in the interior pocket and a second end that is attachable to the vehicle;
• a deflation tube communicating between the interior of the airtight interior bladder and the ambient atmosphere;
• a deflation valve;
• a deflation tube communicating between the interior of the vest and the ambient atmosphere through the deflation valve;
• and
• the at least one compressed gas cartridge being attached at an angle to the airtight interior bladder by a holding strap.