Fabric laminated flotation foam material for manufacturing life jackets and similar articles and articles manufactured using such materials
AssigneeExtrasport, Inc.
InventorAlexander Khanamirian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Heat, pressure, and glue are used to form a composite material in which a layer of U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation foam is located between a pair of fabric layers which are glued to the foam layer. The process of bonding the fabric layers to the foam layer is accomplished using both heat and pressure whereby a fabric covered, foam composite structure is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a flotation foam of the type which can be included in the calculation of flotation for a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD is used, so the composite material can be used both as a fabric and as flotation in a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD.
Claims30
A composite material including:
- at least one first layer of foam material, the at least one first layer of foam material having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- at least one first layer of fabric material which is bonded to said upper surface of said at least one first layer foam material, said composite material including embossing which compresses and permanently alters the cross-sectional shape of said at least one first layer of foam material, wherein said embossing includes hinge portions which are formed in the shape of lines at which the foam has been sufficiently compressed so as to function as a hinge along said lines, thereby facilitating the bending of said at least one first layer of foam material along said lines;
- and
- a second layer of foam material and a second layer of fabric material, said second layer of foam material having an upper surface and a lower surface, said upper surface of said second layer of foam material being adjacent to said lower surface of said at least one layer of foam material, said second layer of fabric material being adjacent to said lower surface of said second layer of foam material;
- said at least one first layer of foam material, said at least one first layer of fabric material, said second layer of foam material and said second layer of fabric material being joined together along seams sewn therethrough.
A U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD manufactured using a composite material wherein said composite material includes a flotation foam layer having an upper side and a lower side, there being bonded to the upper side of said flotation material a layer of fabric material, whereby said composite material acts as both a fabric and as a flotation foam which can be included in the calculation of flotation in determining the flotation provided by said PFD;
- wherein said composite material is formed in a process in which a glue layer is provided between said flotation foam layer and said layer of fabric material, and said composite is bonded in a process in which both heat and pressure are applied to said composite material to both bond said layers together and to emboss said composite material such that both the flotation foam and the layer of fabric material have raised and depressed portions;
- a second layer of foam loosely held adjacent said lower side of said flotation foam;
- and
- a second layer of fabric material on the side of said second layer of foam remote from said composite material, said composite material and said second layer of fabric material being sewn together to capture the second layer of foam therebetween.
A personal flotation device comprising:
- at least one panel configured to extend about a user's torso and over each of the user's shoulders, at least a portion of the at least one panel including:
- a laminate having a first layer of flotation foam having an inner side adapted to face the user when the device is worn by the user and an opposite outer side;
- and
- a first layer of fabric bonded to the outer side of the layer of flotation foam, wherein selected portions of the layer of foam adjacent the outer side are compressed towards the inner side to form a raised portion and a depressed portion in the fabric adjacent to the outer side.
A method of manufacturing a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a layer of a U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation foam having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- (b) applying at least one layer of thermally setting glue to said upper surface of said layer of flotation foam;
- (c) applying a layer of a U.S. Coast Guard approved fabric to said at least one layer of glue;
- (d) bonding said fabric layer to said upper surface of said layer of flotation foam by applying heat and pressure to the composite structure formed by said foam, glue, and fabric layers;
- (e) providing a second layer of foam to the lower surface of said layer of flotation foam;
- (f) providing a second layer of fabric to the lower surface of said second layer of foam;
- and
- (g) then sewing said second layer of fabric to the composite formed by said layer of flotation foam, said second layer of foam, and said second layer of fabric;
- (h) forming a PFD out of the material formed in steps (a-d) by sewing together panels made of said material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.