Buoyancy compensator weight system

• US 6,527,480 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
• Inventors: Carmichael, Robert M., Angelini, Sergio A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vasudeva, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US09/916,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 405/186, 405/185, 441/102, 441/106, 441/111, 441/114, 441/115, 441/116, 441/117, 441/118, 441/119, 441/88, 441/80
• US Class Current: 405/186
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/08 Control of air pressure within suit, e.g. for controlling buoyancy ; Buoyancy compensator vests, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/30 Ballast weights worn on user's body for exercising A63B21/065
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2011/303 integral with, or directly attached to buoyancy compensator vests or to spiders of diver's backpacks combined therewith
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2011/306 Attachment means for quick release of ballast

Abstract

A buoyancy control system includes an apparel unit worn by a user and including a front panel, a pocket along the front panel having an interior, a weight pouch configured to hold at least one weight and removably received within the interior of the pocket, a first connector portion coupled to the weight pouch and a second connector portion released the couple to the first connector portion. The first and second connector portions form a mechanical lock actuatable between a connected state in which the lock connects a weight pouch to the apparel unit and a disconnected state in which a weight pouch may be removed from the weight pocket by a single manipulation step of the hand of the diver. In one exemplary embodiment, the device further includes an elastic band coupled between the apparel unit and the second connector. The band biases the second connector portion away from the first connector portion such that the band pulls the second connector portion away from the first connector portion upon release of the first and second connector portions. In one exemplary embodiment, the first connector portion and second connector portion comprise a side release connector such that the male prongs of the side release connector, upon being depressed inwardly, eject the second connector portion from the first connector. In one exemplary embodiment, a buckle and a strap couple the first connector portion to the weight pouch. Adjustment of the length of the strap between the buckle and the weight pouch moves the weight pouch within the weight pocket while the first and second connector portions are in the connected state.

Claims

1. A buoyancy control system comprising:

an apparel unit adapted to be worn by a diver, the apparel unit including a panel;

a pocket along the panel, the pocket having an interior and an exterior surface defining an opening communicating with the interior;

a weight pouch configured to hold at least one weight and removably received within the interior of the pocket;

a first connector portion coupled to the weight pouch;

a second connector portion releasably coupled to the first connector portion; and

an elastic band coup led between the apparel unit and the second connector portion, wherein the band biases the second connector portion away from the first connector portion such that the band pulls the second connector portion away from the first connector portion upon release of the first and second connector portions.

2. The system of claim 1, including an insertion mechanism coupled between the weight pouch and the first connector portion, the mechanism having a selectively adjustable length to move the pouch in the pocket.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mechanism comprises a buckle coupled to the first connector portion and a strap coupled to the weight pouch and threaded through the buckle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first connector portion comprises a female portion of a side release connector and wherein the second connector portion comprises a male portion of the side release connector.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the elastic band is coupled to the exterior surface of the pocket.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the opening faces in a sideways direction.

7. The system of claim 1, including a gas cell formed in the apparel unit and configured to retain gas to provide the apparel unit with buoyancy.

8. The system of claim 7, including means for selectively inflating and deflating the gas cell to adjust the buoyancy of the apparel unit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparel unit comprises a vest.

10. A buoyancy control system comprising:

an apparel unit adapted to be worn by a diver, the apparel unit including a panel;

a pocket along the panel, the pocket having an interior and an exterior surface defining an opening communicating with the interior;

a weight pouch configured to hold at least one weight and removably received within the interior of the pocket;

a mechanical lock coupled between the weight pouch and the apparel unit, the mechanical lock being actuatable between a connected state in which the lock connects the weight pouch to the apparel unit and a disconnected state in which the weight pouch may be removed from the pocket by a single manipulation step of a hand of the diver; and

a selectively inflatable and deflatable gas cell formed in the apparel unit to provide the apparel unit with an adjustable buoyancy.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mechanical lock includes a first connector portion coupled to the weight pouch and a second connector portion coupled to the apparel unit, wherein the first connector portion and the second connector portion are joined when the mechanical lock is in the connected state and wherein the first connector portion and the second connector portion are separated when the mechanical lock is in the disconnected state.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the first connector portion and the second connector portion receives the other of the first connector portion and the second connector portion and wherein one of the first connector portion and the second connector portion ejects the other of the first connector portion and the second connector portion upon the mechanical lock being actuated to the disconnected state.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mechanical lock comprises a side-release connector.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first connector portion receives the second connector portion and wherein the second connector portion is ejected from the first connector portion when the mechanical lock is actuated to the disconnected state.

15. The system of claim 11, including an elastic band coupled between the apparel unit and the second connector, wherein the band biases the second connector portion away from the first connector portion such that the band pulls the second connector portion away from the first connector portion upon release of the first and second connector portions.

16. The system of claim 10, including an insertion assist mechanism coupled between the weight pouch and the first connector portion, the insertion assist mechanism having a selectively adjustable length to move the pouch in the pocket.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the insertion assist mechanism comprises a buckle coupled to the first connector portion and a strap coupled to the weight pouch and threaded through the buckle.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the apparel unit comprises a vest.

19. A buoyancy control system comprising:

an apparel unit adapted to be worn by a diver, the apparel unit including a panel;

a pocket along the panel, the pocket having an interior and an exterior surface defining an opening communicating with the interior;

a weight pouch configured to hold at least one weight and removably received within the interior of the pocket; and

an insertion assist mechanism coupled to the weight pouch and the apparel unit, the mechanism having a selectively adjustable length to move the pouch in the pocket.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the insertion assist mechanism is releasably coupled to the apparel unit.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the insertion assist mechanism comprises a buckle coupled to the apparel unit and a strap coupled to the weight pouch and threaded through the buckle.

22. The system of claim 21, including a first connector portion coupled to the buckle and a second connector portion coupled to the apparel unit and releasably coupled to the second connector portion.

23. The system of claim 22, including an elastic band coupled between the apparel unit and the second connector portion, wherein the band biases the second connector portion away from the first connector portion such that the band pulls the second connector portion away from the first connector portion upon release of the first and second connector portions.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the first connector portion comprises one of a male portion and a female portion of a side release connector and wherein the second connector portion comprises the other of the male portion and the female portion of the side-release connector.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first connector portion comprises the male portion of the side-release connector.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the apparel unit comprises a vest.

27. A buoyancy control system comprising:

an apparel unit adapted to be worn by a diver, the apparel unit including a panel;

a pocket along the panel, the pocket having an interior and an exterior surface defining an opening communicating with the interior;

a weight removably positioned within the interior of the pocket; and

a mechanical lock releasably coupling the weight to the apparel unit;

at least one first strap interconnecting the apparel and the mechanical lock, wherein the at least one first strap is elastic.

28. The system of claim 27, including a weight pouch removably receiving the weight and removably positioned within the pocket.

29. The system of claim 28 further comprising:

at least one second strap interconnecting the mechanical lock and the weight pouch.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the mechanical lock comprises a side-release connector.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the side-release connector includes a male portion coupled to the at least one first strap and a female portion coupled to the at least one second strap.

32. The system of claim 30, further comprising a weight pouch configured to hold the weight and removably received within the interior of the pocket.

33. The system of claim 32, including an insertion assist mechanism coupled to the weight pouch in the apparel unit, the mechanism having a selectively adjustable length to move the pouch in the pocket.