Packing sack for a life jacket and its easy access storage, especially in an aircraft

• US 4,883,242 A
• Filed: 12/07/1987
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm GmbH (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm GmbH (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Becker, Reinhard, Jansa, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Basinger, Sherman D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avila, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US07/123,862
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.5, 441/80, 441/88
• US Class Current: 244/118.5
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/22 Devices for holding or launching life-buoys, inflatable life-rafts, or other floatable life-saving equipment equipment for handling life-boats or the like B63B23/00
• 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 packing sack or bag for holding a life jacket, providing an easy access thereto, preferably in an aircraft, has the shape of a hose with an open end (6) and a closed end (7). The closed end (7) forms a tab (8) to receive at least one securing element (9). A rip cord (14) fixed at one point (17) situated approximately at the middle of the length of the bag (2, 3, 4) and surrounding the extremity of the folded life jacket (16) turned to the side of the open end (6) of the bag (2, 3, 4), extends along the inner surface of the bag (2, 3, 4) and comes out through its open end (6). The bag may be directly suspended from a wall or a ceiling or may be placed into a container (1). The main advantage of such a packing sack is that the required manipulation to grab the life jacket (16) may be easily executed by a single hand.

Claims

1. A packing sack for a life jacket and for an easy access storage of said life jacket, in a craft, such as an aircraft, comprising a substantially hose shaped construction forming said packing sack with an open end (6, 32) and a closed end (7), said closed end (7) having a tab (8, 30) for receiving at least one securing element, a rip cord (14, 28) on the inside of said packing sack, said rip cord being secured to said packing sack, at a location intermediate the ends of said packing sack (2, 3, 4, 25), said rip cord leading from said location around that jacket end of a folded life jacket (16, 26) which faces away from said open end (6, 32) of said packing sack (2, 3, 4, 25), said rip cord further passing along the inner surface of the packing sack (2, 3, 4, 25) out through said open end (6, 32), and wherein said packing sack has such an inner dimension that a life jacket (16, 26) is safely held by friction inside said packing sack in a vertical position of said packing sack (2, 3, 4, 25) hanging with its open end (6, 32) downwardly.

2. The packing sack of claim 1, further comprising a strap (33) for closing the open end (6, 32) of said packing sack.

3. The packing sack of claim 1, further comprising means for securing said packing sack to a surface in said craft.

4. The packing sack of claim 3, wherein said means for securing said packing sack comprise a band (11) including band opening means (13), said band holding a free end of said packing sack.

5. The packing sack of claim 4, wherein said rip cord is arranged for first releasing said band opening means by pulling said rip cord to permit said packing sack to tilt downwardly into a position with its open end facing down, and to then pull said life jacket out of said packing sack.

6. The packing sack of claim 3, wherein said means for securing said packing sack comprise a clamp (34) for holding a free end of said packing sack.

7. The packing sack of claim 6, wherein said rip cord is arranged for first pulling said packing sack out of its clamp and then said life jacket out of said packing sack.

8. A combination of a container and at least one packing sack for a life jacket and for an easy access storage of said life jacket, in a craft, such as an aircraft, wherein said packing sack comprises a substantially hose-shaped construction forming said packing sack with an open end (6, 32) and a closed end (7), said closed end (7) having a tab (8, 30) for receiving at least one securing element, a rip cord (14, 28) on the inside of said packing sack, said rip cord being secured to said packing sack, at a location intermediate the ends of said packing sack (2, 3, 4, 25), said rip cord leading from said location around that jacket end of a folded life jacket (16, 26) which faces away from said open end (6, 32) of said packing sack (2, 3, 4, 25), said rip cord further passing along the inner surface of the packing sack (2, 3, 4, 25) out through said open end (6, 32), and wherein said packing sack has such an inner dimension that a life jacket (16, 26) is safely held by friction inside said packing sack in a vertical position of said packing sack (2, 3, 4, 25) hanging with its open end (6, 32) downwardly, and wherein said container encloses a space for holding said packing sack, said container further comprising at least one downwardly tiltable flap (5) for opening said container, and securing means for attaching said closed end (7) of said packing sack to said container, and means for holding said open end of said packing sack in a stored position in said container.

9. The combination of claim 8, further comprising a strap (33) for closing the open end (6, 32) of said packing sack.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein said holding means of said container (1) comprise a clamp (34) for holding an open end (6, 32) of said packing sack in said stored position.

11. The combination of claim 8, wherein said holding means comprise a band including a surface zipper for holding an open end of said packing sack in said stored position.

12. The combination of claim 8, further comprising a rip cord arranged for first releasing said holding means and then to pull said life jacket out of said packing sack.

13. The combination of claim 8, further comprising means for securing said packing sack to a surface in said container.