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US 5,516,233 AGranted
Water safety and survival system
OwnerWilliam L. Courtneyinventor
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OwnerWilliam L. Courtneyinventor
Estimating the term…
A water safety and survival system that provides a multi-chambered personal flotation device that operates on minimal volume to create a single heads up righting moment that reliably stabilizes an unconscious victim with his airway out of the water. This is accomplished with a minimal amount of lift, less deflated bulk, improved cosmetic appeal and reduced cost. These combined advances result in a safety vest conducive to actually being worn, a key feature for a safety vest. The system also provides for incorporation of a separating second inflatable life ring, rescue board, artificial respiration assist platform and ultimately a raft for removal of the victim from the water to protect him from hypothermia. This sequentially inflated, multi-chambered, multi-faceted inflatable rescue product is incorporated within the body of the safety vest. The incorporation of a wide range of rescue products into the body of the personal flotation device will reduce the incidence of that dual tragedy that occurs when the rescuer becomes the second victim. This water survival system when adapted to the special needs of the scuba diver requires the incorporation of a tank compensating keel to offset the deleterious effects of a buoyant empty tank whose buoyancy can force the divers airway under the water. Further adaptation for use underwater also includes a system to adjust the volume of the primary buoyancy compensation chamber and variable valve for segregation and reliable regulation of one or more additional surface flotation chambers underwater. The design of the separating chambers coincides with responsibilities and goals of the diver. These and more modifications for the safe underwater use of the heads up safety vest are critical in order to mitigate the risk of rapid ascent and its consequences, arterial gas embolism and decompression sickness.
A safety garment for a water-borne person comprising a single garment, at least one first buoyancy chamber provided in said garment disposed on the person's back, at least one second buoyancy chamber provided in said garment disposed on the person's front side above the person's waist and positioned substantially centrally about the longitudinal axis of said person, means for inflating each of said chambers, whereby said second buoyancy chamber effectively generates a righting movement, whereby an incapacitated water borne person's mouth and nose are positioned and maintained out of the water at all times;
The garment of claim 7 wherein the strap means include Velcro.RTM. for securing the same in place,
A life saving garment comprising at least one buoyant chamber adapted to be worn by the user, said chamber including a storage pocket, a separate life preserving device disposed in said pocket, means secured to said separate life preserving device to facilitate removal of said separate life preserving device from said pocket, said separate life preserving device including a plurality of separate inflatable chambers, and inflation means communicating with said separate inflatable chambers for sequentially inflating said separate inflatable chambers, said inflation means including a manifold having a plurality of outlets, each of said outlets communicating with a respective separate inflatable chamber, check valve means in each of said outlets, each of said check valve means having a pressure relief setting corresponding to a respective separate inflatable chamber to facilitate the sequential inflation of the separate inflatable chambers for inflating the separate life preserving device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.