Patent ID: 6244784
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: B63C

Abstract:
A method for construction of an inflatable buoyancy compensator (BC) which permits utilization of single side coated fabric for its construction which obviates the necessity of exposing any of the coated fabric surfaces to the surrounding environment, the steps comprisingproviding a single sided coated fabric having only one side thereof impregnated with a coating which is susceptible to welding to another surface of said coating and utilizing the same throughout the construction of the air-containing portions of said buoyancy compensator,employing in the design architecture of said BC at least two or more contiguous air chambers with a multiplicity of internal gas communication passages formed integral thereto to permit gas to pass therethrough between said chambers,disposing for exposure to the environment only the uncoated surfaces and edges of said fabric whereby the contiguous surfaces of said air chambers are arranged with the fabric side of said coated fabric opposed to the adjacent fabric side of said adjacent chamber and the internal surfaces of said air chambers are comprised of the coated surfaces of said fabric,welding the contiguous chambers of said BC together at said gas communication passages with aligned annular disks comprised of said one side coated fabric, said disks being disposed in each of said chambers to surround and overlap said gas communication passages formed in said fabric layers which are aligned in said air chambers, said disks being arranged in coated-surface-opposed facing-relation in the respective chambers whereby when said disks are welded together the center portions of said disks are joined together through said gas communication passages forming an air passage in the centers thereof, and the peripheral edges of said disks are joined to the internal surfaces of the contiguous air chambers respectively thereby interlocking said air chambers at the centers of said disks, andwelding the peripheral edges of said internal surfaces of said chambers together to form an air containing BC.