Emergency self-inflating flotation device
OwnerNeil Del Biancoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle seat comprising a seating substrate, an outer seat covering, and a housing containing an integrated self-inflating floatation device. The self-inflating flotation device includes one or more inflatable flotation bladders and an inflator that is activated to automatically inflate the one or more inflatable flotation bladders when the seat or a vehicle to which it is attached is immersed in water. The one or more inflatable flotation bladders are releasably received and secured within the housing when the bladders are deflated. The housing is received within the vehicle seat such that upon activation of the inflator the one more inflatable flotation bladders inflate and are completely released and detached from the housing and from the vehicle seat.
Claims18
A vehicle seat comprising a seating substrate, an outer seat covering, and a housing containing an emergency integrated self-inflating floatation device, said self-inflating flotation device comprised of one or more inflatable flotation bladders and an inflator that is activated to automatically inflate said one or more inflatable flotation bladders when said seat or a vehicle to which it is attached is immersed in water, said one or more inflatable flotation bladders releasably received and secured within said housing when said bladders are deflated, said housing received within said vehicle seat such that upon activation of said inflator said one more inflatable flotation bladders inflate and are released and detached from said housing and from said vehicle seat.
A vehicle seat comprising a seating substrate, an outer seat covering, an internal cavity, and a housing received within and secured to said internal cavity, said housing containing one or more inflatable flotation bladders in a deflated state and a conduit, said conduit connected to said one or more inflatable flotation bladders and adaptable for connection to an inflator positioned within a vehicle to which said seat is to be attached such that when said seat or the vehicle to which said seat is attached become immersed in water, pressurized gas is transported through said conduit from said inflator to said inflatable flotation bladders causing said bladders to inflate and become completely released and detached from said housing, said cavity and from said vehicle seat.
An emergency self-inflating flotation device for use on a snowmobile, said emergency self-inflating flotation device comprising;
- (i) a housing secured to the snowmobile and containing one or more inflatable flotation bladders in a deflated state, said one or more inflatable flotation bladders forming an inflatable raft;
- (ii) an inflator fixed to the snowmobile;
- (iii) a conduit having a first end connected to said one or more inflatable flotation bladders and a second end connected to said inflator;
- and,
- (iv) a water sensing switch positioned within the snowmobile's engine compartment, when a predetermined level of water enters the snowmobile's engine compartment said water sensing switch activating said inflator to cause said one or more inflatable flotation bladders to inflate upon immersion of the snowmobile in water, upon inflation said one or more flotation bladders becoming completely released and detached from said housing, said inflator and from the snowmobile such that said inflated flotation bladders float free of said housing, said inflator and the snowmobile should the snowmobile become immersed in water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.