Conformable buoyancy compensator

Abstract

The following specification sets forth a conformable buoyancy compensator that conforms to a user's body in a uniform manner during use. The buoyancy compensator incorporates an interior bladder having a plurality of heat sealed pleats or insets around the shoulder area in order to provide conformity of the buoyancy compensator to a user's body. The bladder further comprises interior reinforced gussets that retain the conformation of the bladder in a plurality of air channels or pockets that conform to the frontal areas of a user's body. The arm openings are free and open for a user to extend one's arms. Between the front and back portions of the air channels are a plurality of side panels that can be made of spandex, elastic, or can be configured of suitable strapping. The buoyancy compensator has vents. Vented pockets are provided for the receipt of a second stage regulator therein, as well as providing for other specific storage of items used by a diver. The combination of notches, pleats, and insets that have been heat set into the shoulder portion in combination with the heat set reinforced gussets within the bladder in the frontal and rear portion of the buoyancy compensator allow for a conformable configuration that conforms to the body. The foregoing configuration eliminates bulges and undue expansion of the buoyancy compensator into an extended relationship as is known in the prior art.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.