Avalanche life-preserving jacket with airbag

• US 6,270,386 B1
• Filed: 04/06/1998
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avagear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avagear Incorporated
• Inventors: Visocekas, Ariel Remy
• Primary Examiner(s): BASINGER, SHERMAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/056,181
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 441/80, 441/88, 441/89, 441/91-93, 441/94, 441/96, 441/104, 441/106, 441/114-119, 441/121, 441/123
• US Class Current: 441/80
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/018 inflatable automatically
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 33/00 Devices for allowing seemingly-dead persons to escape or draw attention; Breathing apparatus for accidentally buried persons
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 29/021 Means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2009/133 specially adapted for being attachable to the user's head or neck, e.g. like a cap or collar
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/125 having gas-filled compartments connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/155 inflatable

Abstract

An avalanche life jacket having an airbag inflatable by a gas release system upon actuation is disclosed. The life jacket provides a torso strap and buckles for attaching the life jacket to the user. Prior to inflation, the airbag is folded and enclosed within the harness. The harness encloses the airbag via an enclosure mechanism which opens during inflation of the airbag to allow the airbag to fully expand. The life jacket further comprises a gas release system which may be automatically actuated by an accelerometer and/or manually actuated by the user'"'"'s pulling of a release handle. Upon actuation, the gas release system releases gas into and inflates the airbag. The airbag inflates to surround at least the back and sides of the user'"'"'s head to thereby provide physical protection and a thermal buffer between a portion of the user and the external environment, for example, during and after an avalanche and to facilitate search and rescue of the user after the avalanche. The inflated airbag also provides a buoyant force against the downward force exerted by the current of the avalanche as well as a supply of breathable gas. A hood or mesh is also included to shield the user from the external elements such as snow and thereby facilitate in preventing injury and/or suffocation during a fall or an avalanche.

Claims

1. An inflatable life jacket comprising:

a harness attachable to a user;

an inflatable airbag comprising at least one compartment and being encloseable within said harness prior to inflation, wherein upon inflation said airbag tightly surrounds at least a portion of the head of the user;

a gas release system in gaseous communication with said at least one compartment of said airbag, said gas release system being capable of inflating said airbag; and

an actuator for actuating said gas release system.

2. The inflatable life jacket of claim 1, wherein upon inflation, said airbag further surrounds at least a portion and supports the neck of the user.

3. The inflatable life jacket of claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises a release mechanism for manual actuation of said gas release system.

4. The inflatable life jacket of claim 3, further comprising an actuation preventer coupled to said actuator to selectively prevent manual actuation of said gas release system.

5. The inflatable life jacket of claim 3, wherein said actuator comprises an accelerometer capable of automatic actuation of said gas release system upon indication of a predetermined threshold acceleration.

6. The inflatable life jacket of claim 5, wherein said actuator further comprises a switch for selectively switching between at least two positions, said positions selected from the group consisting of a first position for preventing actuation of said gas release system, a second position for manual actuation, a third position for automatic actuation, and a fourth position for manual and automatic actuation.

7. The inflatable life jacket of claim 1, further comprising a gas port in gaseous communication with said airbag for selectively allowing gas to escape from said airbag.

8. The inflatable life jacket of claim 1, wherein said gas release system comprises a pressurized gas cartridge for inflating said airbag.

9. The inflatable life jacket of claim 8, wherein said cartridge contains a pressurized gas selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, oxygen, sodium oxide, hydrogen and mixtures thereof.

10. The inflatable life jacket of claim 1, wherein said harness comprises an airbag enclosure mechanism for enclosing said airbag in said harness prior to inflation of said airbag, said airbag enclosure mechanism being capable of opening during inflation of said airbag to allow expansion thereof outside of said harness.

11. The inflatable life jacket of claim 1, further comprising a hood coupled to said harness capable of being disposed over the user'"'"'s head to provide protection thereto.

29. The life jacket of claim 1, wherein at least the back and sides of the head of the user are tightly surrounded.

12. A life jacket, comprising:

an inflatable airbag comprising at least one compartment;

an enclosure for attachment to a user, said enclosure adapted to enclose said airbag prior to inflation thereof, wherein upon inflation said airbag is disposed tightly around at least a portion of the head of the user; and

an actuatable gas introducer in gaseous communication with said at least one compartment of said airbag, wherein upon actuation, said introducer introduces a gas into said airbag to inflate it.

13. The life jacket of claim 12, wherein upon inflation, said airbag further surrounds at least a portion and supports the neck of the user.

14. The life jacket of claim 12, wherein said gas introducer is manually actuatable by a release device upon manipulation thereof.

15. The life jacket of claim 14, wherein said release device is coupled to said gas introducer via a cable.

16. The life jacket of claim 12, wherein said gas introducer is automatically actuatable by an accelerometer upon said accelerometer registering a predetermined threshold acceleration.

17. The life jacket of claim 12, wherein said gas introducer comprises an actuation preventer for selectively preventing actuation of said introducer.

18. The life jacket of claim 12, wherein

said gas introducer is manually actuatable by a release device upon manipulation thereof, said gas introducer is automatically actuatable by an accelerometer upon said accelerometer registering a predetermined threshold acceleration,

said life jacket further comprising a toggle for selectively switching between at least two positions,

said positions selected from the group consisting of an off position for preventing actuation of said introducer, a manual actuation position, an automatic position, and a manual and automatic position.

19. The inflatable life jacket of claim 12, further comprising a pressure sensor in gaseous communication with said airbag, said pressure sensor includes a one-way valve adapted for selectively allowing gas to escape from said airbag.

20. The inflatable life jacket of claim 12, wherein said gas introducer comprises a pressurized gas cartridge for inflating said airbag.

21. The inflatable life jacket of claim 20, wherein said cartridge contains a pressurized gas selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, oxygen, sodium oxide, hydrogen and mixtures thereof.

22. The inflatable life jacket of claim 12, wherein said container comprises an airbag enclosure mechanism for enclosing said airbag in said container prior to inflation of said airbag, said airbag enclosure mechanism being capable of opening during inflation of said airbag to allow expansion thereof outside of said container.

23. The inflatable life jacket of claim 12, further comprising a port in gaseous communication with said airbag and adapted to selectively urge the gas toward the nose or mouth of the user.

24. The inflatable life jacket of claim 23, further comprising a mouth bite in gaseous communication with said port.

25. The inflatable life jacket of claim 12, wherein said airbag is coated with a radar-detectable material.

26. The inflatable life jacket of claim 12, further comprising at least one dye introducer attached to at least one of said airbag and said enclosure, said dye introducer being adapted to discharge a dye upon actuation of said actuatable gas introducer.

27. The inflatable life jacket of claim 26, wherein said dye is at least one of a fluorescent dye and a reflective dye.

28. The inflatable life jacket of claim 12, further comprising at least one scented gas introducer attached to at least one of said airbag and said enclosure, said scented gas introducer being adapted to discharge a scented gas upon actuation of said actuatable gas introducer.

30. The life jacket of claim 12, wherein at least the back and sides of the head of the user are tightly surrounded.