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US 7,255,621 B2Granted
Personal flotation device
OwnerJulien Pascal Deslauriersinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerJulien Pascal Deslauriersinventor
Estimating the term…
A personal flotation device (PFD) comprises a front flotation portion overlaying an upper region of a wearer's chest and a rear flotation portion overlaying an upper region of the wearer's back. The front flotation portion is joined with the rear flotation portion along a transverse top edge of the PFD adapted to overlay shoulders of the wearer. A seat portion is adapted to extend between the wearer's legs and is substantially free of buoyant materials relative to the main flotation member. At least one fastening strap is releasably fastenable to retain the main flotation member in place on the wearer. A majority of buoyancy provided by the PFD is disposed above a horizontally extending reference axis which corresponds to a center of gravity of the wearer. At least one ballast weight may also be provided and is disposed below the reference axis.
A personal flotation device comprising a buoyant main flotation member fastenable to a wearer and including a rear flotation portion adapted to overlay an upper region of the wearer's back and a front flotation portion adapted to overlay an upper region of the wearer's chest, said rear flotation portion and said front flotation portion respectively extending a first and a second distance away from a transversely extending top edge of the personal flotation device intermediately disposed between said front and rear flotation portions and adapted to overlay shoulders of the wearer, the front flotation portion including a pair of flotation elements which are separated by a frontal opening extending said second distance of said front flotation portion and which communicates with a neck receiving opening defined along said transversely extending top edge, said rear flotation portion having a transversal width greater than that of said front flotation portion, said transversal width increasing from a remote end of said front flotation portion to an opposed remote end of said rear flotation portion.
A personal flotation device comprising a buoyant main flotation member fastenable to a wearer and including a rear flotation portion adapted to overlay an upper region of a wearer's back and a front flotation portion adapted to overlay an upper region of a wearer's chest, the front flotation portion including a pair of flotation elements which are separated by a frontal opening extending a complete length of said front flotation portion and which communicates with a neck receiving opening defined along a transversely extending top edge of the personal flotation device, said rear flotation portion being comprised of central and lateral side portions, the lateral side portions being located on either side of the central portion and providing greater buoyancy toward lateral edges of the rear flotation portion than said central portion, said lateral side portions stabilizing the personal flotation device in a lateral direction, and wherein said rear flotation portion has a transversal width greater than that of said front flotation portion, said transversal width increasing from a remote end of said front flotation portion to an opposed remote end of said rear flotation portion.
A personal flotation device comprising a buoyant main flotation member fastenable to a wearer and including a rear flotation portion adapted to overlay an upper region of a wearer's back and a front flotation portion adapted to overlay an upper region of a wearer's chest, said rear flotation portion and said front flotation portion respectively extending a first and a second distance away from a transversely extending top edge of the personal flotation device intermediately disposed between said front and rear flotation portions and adapted to overlay shoulders of the wearer, the front flotation portion including a pair of flotation elements which are separated by a frontal opening extending said second distance of said front flotation portion and which communicates with a neck receiving opening defined along said transversely extending top edge, said front flotation portion having an upper transversal width proximate said transversely extending top edge that is greater than a lower transversal width proximate a remote end of said front flotation portion, wherein a seat portion extends between said front flotation portion and said rear flotation portion and is adapted to pass between the wearer's legs, the seat portion having a fixed end thereof permanently engaged with one of said front and rear flotation portions and an opposed free end having a fastening member thereon for removably fastening said free end to the other of said front and rear flotation portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.