Reinflatable life preserver device

• US 4,657,516 A
• Filed: 12/09/1985
• Issued: 04/14/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tomas Tassy
• Original Assignee: Tomas Tassy
• Inventors: Tassy, Tomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARTZ, CLIFFORD T
• Application Number:
  US06/806,434
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 441/80, 441/87, 441/88, 441/92, 441/83, 441/106, 441/125, 441/117-119, 441/123, 441/129, 441/131, 441/132, 114/345, 280/728-730, 280/732, 280/733, 280/743, 2/2, 244/121, 244/118.5, 244/122 AC
• US Class Current: 441/125
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/00 Emergency apparatus or devices, not otherwise provided for parachutes B64D17/00, B64D19/00; jettisoning of fuel tanks or fuel per se B64D37/00; specially adapted for protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems B64D45/0015 ; safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00; safety belts or body harnesses for land vehicles B60R22/00; jettisonable parts of fuselage facilitating emergency escape B64C

Abstract

A life preserver device which is constructed with an inflatable inner bag located inside an inflatable outer bag, with the device being deployed in the back of a seat in an aircraft. When extremely rough turbulance is encountered or a crash landing is envisioned, pressurized air is supplied to the inner bag through a break-away tube, causing the inner bag to inflate, expanding the outer bag around it from the back of the seat to act as an impact cushion. Following a landing in the water, the device may be removed from the seat by breaking the break-away tube and causing the device to deflate, put on by the passenger, and the inflatable outer bag reinflated by a gas cylinder prior to exiting the aircraft into the water.

Claims

1. An improved life preserver device for mounting in the back of an aircraft seat, comprising:

an inflatable outer bag for removeable deployment in an uninflated state in said back of said aircraft seat;

an inflatable inner bag located inside said inflatable outer bag;

means operably, removeably connected to said inflatable inner bag for supplying a pressurized gas to said inflatable inner bag to cause said inflatable inner bag to fill with pressurized gas, the expansion of said inflatable inner bag causing a corresponding expansion of said inflatable outer bag around said inflatable inner bag, said inflatable inner and outer bags extending from said back of said airline seat to form an impact cushion when said supply means fills said inflatable inner bag, said inflatable inner and outer bags being removeable from said back of said seat when said supply means is disconnected from said inflatable inner bag, said inflatable inner bag and said inflatable outer bag both collapsing when said supply means is disconnected from said inflatable inner bag;

means connected to said inflatable outer bag for securing said inflatable outer bag to a passenger; and

means for selectively inflating said inflatable outer bag to expand said inflatable outer bag while compressing said inflatable inner bag within said inflatable outer bag by causing pressurized gas remaining within said inflatable inner bag to be expelled;

means for supplying pressurized gas through said back of said seat;

a breakaway tube having one end connected to said inner bag through said outer bag, said one end of said breakaway tube being removable from the other end of said breakaway tube;

a first one-way valve interposed between said supply means and said other end of said breakaway tube, said first one-way valve allowing pressurized gas to flow from said supply means into said inner bag through said breakaway tube but preventing the flow of gas in the opposite direction therethrough, said inner and outer bags being removeable from the back of said seat when said breakaway tube is broken to separate said one end of said breakaway tube from said other end of said breakaway tube, gas escaping from said inner bag and said inner and outer bags collapsing when said breakaway tube is broken.

2. An improved life preserver device for mounting in the back of a aircraft seat, comprising:

a storage container mounted in said back of said aircraft seat, said storage container having an openable lid thereon covering an opening in said storage container facing rearwards;

an inflatable body contoured outer bag releasably connected to the interior of said storage container;

an inflatable inner bag contained within said outer bag, said inner bag being contoured to fit exactly within the interior of said outer bag when said inner bag is inflated;

means for supplying pressurized gas through said back of said seat to said storage container;

a breakaway tube having one end connected to said inner bag through said outer bag, said one end of said breakaway tube being removeable from the other end of said breakaway tube;

a first one-way valve interposed between said supply means and said other end of said breakaway tube, said first one-way valve allowing pressurized gas to flow from said supply means into said inner bag through said breakaway tube but preventing the flow of gas in the opposite direction therethrough, said inner bag expanding and causing said outer bag to expand when said inner bag is filled with pressurized gas from said supply means, said inner and outer bags extending out from said storage container when said inner bag is filled, said inner and outer bags being removeable from said storage compartment when said breakaway tube is broken to separate said one end of said breakaway tube from said other end of said breakaway tube, gas escaping from said inner bag and said inner and outer bags collapsing when said breakaway tube is broken;

belt means for fastening said outer bag to a passenger for use as a flotation device;

a compressed gas cylinder having a manually operable valve thereon to initiate the flow of compressed gas from said cylinder;

a tube leading from said valve to said outer bag, said tube providing compressed gas to the interior of said outer bag when said flow of compressed gas from said cylinder is initiated; and

a second one-way valve to allow compressed gas to flow from said tube into said outer bag but to prevent the flow of gas in the opposite direction.