Fashionable emergency flotation aid

• US 6,231,411 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alejandro Vinay
• Original Assignee: Alejandro Vinay
• Inventors: Vinay, Alejandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotelo, Jesus D.
• Application Number:
  US09/578,104
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 441/88, 441/99, 441/102, 441/108, 441/113, 441/120
• US Class Current: 441/120
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 7/003 provided with inflatable elements
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/155 inflatable

Abstract

A fashionable life saving device utilizes the look of casual clothing such as shorts, pants, bathing suits or skorts to disguise inflatable chambers, a gas canister and safety devices including a manual inflation tube, thereby providing a subtle way to ensure safety in and around the water. When inflated, the chambers rest under the users arms, but are safely attached to his waist or the lower part of his body for security and safety.

Claims

1. An inflatable safety device, the device comprising:

an article of clothing;

at least one pocket, wherein the pocket is incorporated in the waist and hip area of an article of clothing;

at least two inflatable chambers contained within the pocket;

a releasable member for closing the pocket such that, when inflated, the inflatable chambers may be released from the pocket;

a belt;

fastener for fastening the belt around the waist of a wearer;

a plurality of straps running from said inflatable chamber to said belt;

a compressed gas container;

a first tube running from said gas container to the inflatable chambers;

a mouthpiece;

a second tube running from the mouthpiece to the inflatable chambers; and

a ripcord attached to the gas container such that when the ripcord is pulled, the gas is released from the canister and flows through the first tube and into the inflatable chambers, whereby the inflatable chambers are released from the pocket and float so that they rest under the arms and around the torso of the user, and wherein the inflatable chambers carry one end of the straps from the waist of the wearer so that the straps extend substantially vertically along the body of the wearer when the tube is inflated.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the device may be worn as an item of apparel selected from the group consisting of:

a man'"'"'s swimsuit, a woman'"'"'s swimsuit, shorts, skorts and pants.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the shape of an inflatable chamber is selected from the group consisting of:

oblong, L-shaped and annular.

4. The device as in claim 1, including a fastener to hold the inflatable chambers around the wearer in a shape suitable for supporting the body of the wearer.

5. The device as in claim 1, wherein the straps are constructed from a durable, flexible material.

6. The device as in claim 1, wherein the straps have a first and a second end, and wherein the first end is attached to the inflatable chamber and the second end is attached to the belt.

7. The device as in claim 1, wherein the straps run through safeguards attached to an inflatable chamber.

8. The device as in claim 1, wherein the first and second tubes pass through one-way airtight valves as they enter the inflatable chambers.

9. The device as in claim 1, further including tubing surrounding each of the first and second tubes.

10. The device as in claim 1, including a detachable band that holds the ripcord and handle to the portion of the device that covers a portion of the wearer'"'"'s thigh.

11. The device as in claim 1, wherein the gas container is located in the portion of the article that covers a portion of the wearer'"'"'s thigh.

12. The device as in claim 1, wherein the releasing member for closing the pocket is selected from the group consisting of corresponding hook and loop fasteners and snaps.

13. The device as in claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is attached to a leg portion of the article of clothing.

14. The device as in claim 1, wherein the inflatable chambers have safety devices features selected from the group consisting of:

brightly colored tubing material, brightly colored patches, brightly colored tape, neon tape, neon patches, reflective tape, reflective patches, a reflective member and a combination thereof.

15. The device as in claim 1, wherein the device may be worn as an item of apparel selected from the group consisting of:

a wetsuit and a drysuit.

20. The device as in claim 1, wherein the releasing member for closing the pocket is light stitching.

16. An inflatable safety device, the device comprising:

an article of clothing;

at least one pocket, wherein the pocket is incorporated in the waist and hip area of an article of clothing;

at least two inflatable chambers contained within the pocket;

a releasable member for closing the pocket such that, when inflated, the inflatable chambers may be released from the pocket;

a belt;

fastener for fastening the belt around the waist of a wearer;

a plurality of straps running from said inflatable chamber to said belt;

a compressed gas container;

a first tube running from said gas container to the inflatable chambers;

a one-way, airtight valve located so that the gas from the gas container passes through the valve as it enters an inflatable chamber;

a mouthpiece;

a second tube running from the mouthpiece to the inflatable chambers

a one-way, airtight valve located so that air from the mouthpiece passes through the valve as it enters an inflatable chamber; and

a ripcord attached to the gas container such that when the ripcord is pulled, the gas is released from the canister and flows through the first tube and into the inflatable chambers, whereby the inflatable chambers are released from the pocket and float so that they rest under the arms and around the torso of the user, and wherein the inflatable chambers carry one end of the straps from the waist of the wearer so that the straps extend substantially vertically along the body of the wearer when the tube is inflated.

17. An inflatable safety device, the device comprising:

an article of clothing;

at least one pocket, wherein the pocket is incorporated in the waist and hip area of an article of clothing;

at least two inflatable chambers contained within the pocket;

a releasable member for closing the pocket such that, when inflated, the inflatable chambers may be released from the pocket;

a belt;

fastener for fastening the belt around the waist of a wearer;

a plurality of straps running from said inflatable chamber to said belt;

a compressed gas container;

a first tube running from said gas container to the inflatable chambers;

a mouthpiece;

a second tube running from the mouthpiece to the inflatable chambers;

tubing surrounding the first and the second tube; and

a ripcord attached to the gas container such that when the ripcord is pulled, the gas is released from the canister and flows through the first tube and into the inflatable chambers, whereby the inflatable chambers are released from the pocket and float so that they rest under the arms and around the torso of the user, and wherein the inflatable chambers carry one end of the straps from the waist of the wearer so that the straps extend substantially vertically along the body of the wearer when the tube is inflated.

21. The device as in claim 17, wherein the device may be worn as an item of apparel selected from the group consisting of:

a man'"'"'s swimsuit, a woman'"'"'s swimsuit, shorts, skorts and pants.

23. The device as in claim 21, wherein the device may be worn as an item of apparel selected from the group consisting of:

a man'"'"'s swimsuit, a woman'"'"'s swimsuit, shorts, skorts and pants.

24. The device as in claim 23, wherein the device may be worn as an item of apparel selected from the group consisting of:

a man'"'"'s swimsuit, a woman'"'"'s swimsuit, shorts, skorts and pants.

18. An inflatable safety device, the device comprising:

an article of clothing;

at least one pocket, wherein the pocket is incorporated in the waist and hip area of an article of clothing;

at least two inflatable chambers contained within the pocket;

a releasable member for closing the pocket such that, when inflated, the inflatable chambers may be released from the pocket;

a belt;

fastener for fastening the belt around the waist of a wearer;

a plurality of straps running from said inflatable chamber to said belt;

a compressed gas container;

a first tube running from said gas container to the inflatable chambers;

a mouthpiece;

a second tube running from the mouthpiece to the inflatable chambers;

a ripcord attached to the gas container; and

a detachable band holding the ripcord and handle to the portion of the device that covers a portion of the wearer'"'"'s thigh, wherein the pulling of the ripcord releases gas from the canister that flows through the first tube and into the inflatable chambers, whereby the inflatable chambers are released from the pocket and float so that they rest under the arms and around the torso of the user, and wherein the inflatable chambers carry one end of the straps from the waist of the wearer so that the straps extend substantially vertically along the body of the wearer when the tube is inflated.

19. An inflatable safety device, the device comprising:

an article of clothing;

at least one pocket, wherein the pocket is incorporated in the waist and hip area of an article of clothing;

at least two inflatable chambers contained within the pocket;

a releasable member for closing the pocket such that, when inflated, the inflatable chambers may be released from the pocket;

a belt;

fastener for fastening the belt around the waist of a wearer;

a plurality of straps running from said inflatable chamber to said belt;

a compressed gas container located in the portion of the article that covers a portion of the wearer'"'"'s thigh;

a first tube running from said gas container to the inflatable chambers;

a mouthpiece;

a second tube running from the mouthpiece to the inflatable chambers; and

a ripcord attached to the gas container such that when the ripcord is pulled, the gas is released from the canister and flows through the first tube and into the inflatable chambers, whereby the inflatable chambers are released from the pocket and float so that they rest under the arms and around the torso of the user, and wherein the inflatable chambers carry one end of the straps from the waist of the wearer so that the straps extend substantially vertically along the body of the wearer when the tube is inflated.

22. The device as in claim 19, wherein the device may be worn as an item of apparel selected from the group consisting of:

a man'"'"'s swimsuit, a woman'"'"'s swimsuit, shorts, skorts and pants.