Abstract:
A body protection device in the form of an inflatable vest includes an inflation mechanism that is actuated upon separation or removal of the wearer from a vehicle. A compressed gas cartridge is held in an interior pocket of the vest and attached to an inflatable bladder. The compressed gas cartridge communicates with the interior of the bladder through a cartridge actuation mechanism and an inflation tube. The cartridge actuation mechanism includes a triggering device that operates an actuation lever to open the cartridge. The actuation lever is actuated in response to a pulling force of predetermined magnitude that detaches the triggering mechanism from the actuation mechanism. The actuation lever is connected to the vehicle by a lanyard, which lanyard, when a wearer of the vest is forcibly separated from the vehicle, actuates the triggering device before detaching from the actuation mechanism, thereby opening the cartridge to inflate the vest.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 10/043,917; filed Jan. 11, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,561. The prior application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. Section 119(e), of Provisional Application No. 60/261,480; filed Jan. 12, 2001. 
    
    
     FEDERALLY-FUNDED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of body protection devices, and more particularly to items of apparel that are inflatable so as to offer protection to a part of the wearer&#39;s body. 
     Inflatable items for the protection of a part of the human body are well known. For example, items such as protective pads and helmets have been made with inflatable bladders to offer protection to a body part from blows, falls, and other sources of trauma. Also known are inflatable vests used as life preservers, i.e., to provide added buoyancy to keep the human body afloat in water. 
     Inflatable life vests of conventional design typically include a unitary internal bladder that is connected to a source of pressurized gas, typically a CO 2  cartridge. The cartridge must be actuated manually, by pulling an actuation cord connected to a valve-actuation pin that opens a valve connecting the cartridge to a gas inlet tube communicating with the bladder. 
     In certain situations, it may be desirable to protect a person from a sudden trauma that may occur while the person is engaging in a hazardous or semi-hazardous activity. There may not be sufficient time or an appropriate opportunity to manually actuate the inflation mechanism of an inflatable protective garment (such as a vest) before the blow or fall is suffered. An example of such an activity is riding a mountain bike, motorcycle, ATV, personal water craft or other vehicle. While in some cases (particularly in riding a personal water craft), it may be acceptable or even desirable to wear a pre-inflated vest, in the case of motorcycle riding, it is not practical to do so. Consequently, motorcycle riders typically wear bulky jackets made of leather or other heavy material to offer protection in a fall. These bulky garments, however, are often uncomfortable, particularly in hot weather. 
     There has accordingly been a long-felt need for an inflatable protective garment that can be worn comfortably in a deflated condition, either alone or with a further jacket, and yet that can be automatically and nearly instantaneously inflated upon the onset of a potentially trauma-inducing incident. There further exists a long felt need for such an inflatable protective device that is aesthetically pleasing and does not resemble a protective garment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Broadly, the present invention is a body protection device in the form of an inflatable garment having an inflation mechanism that is actuated in response to the separation or removal of the wearer from a motor vehicle, in particular, a motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile or personal water craft. In a specific preferred embodiment, the invention is embodied as an inflatable vest, comprising an inflatable bladder configured as a vest, a compressed gas cartridge communicating with the interior of the bladder through an inflation tube, and a cartridge actuation mechanism comprising a triggering device that can be actuated to open the cartridge. The triggering device includes an actuation lever that actuates the triggering device, and in doing so detaches from the actuation mechanism, upon being pulled with a force of predetermined magnitude. The invention further comprises a lanyard having a first end connected to the actuation lever and a second end that is attachable to the vehicle. When the wearer is thrown or forcibly separated from the vehicle, the lanyard exerts an actuation force on the actuation lever, which actuates the triggering device before detaching from the actuation mechanism, thereby opening the cartridge and allowing the gas from the cartridge to inflate the bladder. 
     In a further embodiment, the inflatable vest comprises an inflatable bladder configured as a vest that may be worn alone or under a jacket to which it may be removably held. The further embodiment is designed so as to resemble an article of clothing, and includes a compressed gas cartridge communicating with the interior of the bladder through an inflation tube that is held within an interior pocket formed in the vest, and which is hidden from view in the vest. A cartridge actuation mechanism comprising a triggering device that can be actuated to open the cartridge is also held in the interior pocket. The second embodiment of the invention also comprises a lanyard having a first end connected to one or more actuation levers in one or more interior pockets of the vest and a second end that is attachable to the vehicle. When the wearer is thrown or forcibly separated from the vehicle, the lanyard exerts an actuation force on the actuation lever(s), which actuates the triggering device(s) before detaching from the actuation mechanism, thereby opening the cartridge(s) and allowing the gas from the cartridge(s) to inflate the bladder. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a person wearing an inflatable safety vest in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vest being in its deflated state; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the person and vest of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a person wearing the vest of FIG. 1 while  2  riding a motorcycle, the vest being in its deflated state; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vest of FIG. 1, taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1, but omitting the person wearing the vest; 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a portion of the inwardly-facing surface of the vest, showing a deflation tube that is advantageously included with the vest; 
     FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the person lying on the ground with the vest in its inflated state; 
     FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the compressed gas cartridges and the actuation mechanism used in the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a person wearing an inflatable safety vest in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vest being in its deflated state; 
     FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of the person and vest of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of a person wearing a jacket over the vest of FIG. 8, showing the jacket fitting over and concealing the vest; 
     FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the vest of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 12 is a rear elevational view of the person and jacket of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of a person wearing a jacket over a third preferred embodiment of a vest, as best shown in FIG. 14, with the jacket in an open position and partially raised so as to show a portion of the vest; 
     FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention in an open position and including jacket securing elements on the vest; 
     FIG. 15 is a partial cut-away view taken along line  15  of FIG. 14 showing details of at least one compressed gas cartridge and actuation mechanism held at an angle in an interior pocket formed in the vest; 
     FIG. 16 is a rear elevational view of the vest of FIG. 14; 
     FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of a further embodiment of an open jacket showing securing portions therein for insertion and holding of the jacket securing elements of the vest of FIG. 14; and 
     FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional, taken along line  18 — 18  of FIG. 15 showing details of the interior pocket and the compressed gas cartridge and actuation mechanism held therein. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3  show an inflatable safety vest  10 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, being worn by a person  12  wearing the other apparel typically worn by a motorcycle rider. In these Figures, the vest  10  is shown in its deflated state. The vest  10 , as best shown in FIG. 4, comprises an inflatable, gas-tight bladder  14  configured to form a unitary back portion, left and right shoulder portions, and left and right chest portions of the vest. The vest  10  also includes side panels  16  connecting the chest and back portions. The side panels  16  may be unitary, or, as shown in FIG. 4, they may each be divided into front and rear portions  16   a ,  16   b , respectively, connected to each other by means such as laces  18 . The left and right chest portions of the vest  10  are attachable to each other by fastening means such as a zipper  20 , although other means, such as snaps, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, and buckles may also be used. Size adjustment means may be provided to assure a snug and secure fit of the vest  10  on persons of different sizes. For example, one or more cross-straps  22 , which are length-adjustable by means of buckles  24 , may be attached to the outside of the vest  10 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  4 ,  6 , and  7 , the vest  10  is provided with a source of compressed gas for inflating the vest. In the preferred embodiment, the compressed gas source is at least one compressed CO 2  gas cartridge  26 , and preferably two such cartridges  26 , as shown. Each cartridge  26  is removably secured within a fabric loop  28  fastened to one of the straps  22 . The gas cartridges  26  are of conventional design, and are commercially available from a number of sources. While such cartridges come in a variety of sizes, two cartridges, each of the 16 gram net contents weight size, provide good results. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, each cartridge  26  is removably coupled (as by a threaded fitting, not shown) to a cartridge actuation mechanism  30 . The actuation mechanism  30  is of conventional design, and is commercially available from a number of sources. For example, if 16 gram cartridges are used, the actuation mechanism  30  may be the Model 840AM, manufactured by Halkey-Roberts, of St. Petersburg, Fla., or the equivalent. The actuation mechanism  30  includes a triggering device that comprises an actuation lever  32  that is detachably connected to a spring-loaded pin or rod (not shown), installed in the actuation mechanism  30  so as to rupture the neck of the cartridge  26  when the lever is pulled with a force of predetermined magnitude, thereby opening or “firing” the cartridge  26 . 
     The vest is provided with a pair of inflation tubes  34  (only one of which is shown in FIG.  4 ). Each inflation tube  34  has a first end on the exterior of the vest that is connected to one of the cartridges  26  through its associated actuation mechanism  30 , and a second end opening into the interior of the bladder  14 . When a cartridge  26  is opened, as described above, gas from the open cartridge  26  passes through its associated inflation tube  34  into the interior of the bladder  14  to inflate the vest. When the lever  32  is pulled with a force sufficient to actuate the actuation mechanism  30 , the lever  32  detaches from the mechanism  30 . 
     The invention further comprises a lanyard  36  having a Y-shaped or bifurcated proximal portion comprising two branches  38   a ,  38   b , each of which is secured to one of the actuation levers  32  by an attachment ring  40 . If only one cartridge  26  is used, the proximal portion of the lanyard  36  will be unitary, rather than bifurcated. The lanyard  36  has a main portion  42  with a distal end that is terminated by a clip  44 . The main portion  42  is advantageously connected to the proximal portion by a snap fitting  46  that permits the main portion  42  to be detached from the proximal portion. 
     FIG. 5 shows a bladder deflation tube  48  that is advantageously provided on the inner surface of the vest, preferably on the lower part of one of the chest portions. The deflation tube  48  communicates between the interior of the bladder  14  and the ambient atmosphere through a deflation valve  50 , of conventional design, that can be manually opened to deflate the vest  10  after it has been inflated. The valve  50  may, for example, be of the well-known type that is rotated in opposite directions to move it respectively toward and away from a valve seat to close and open the valve, respectively. 
     In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, a person  12  wears the vest  10  while riding on a vehicle, such as a motorcycle  60 . The vest  10  is normally in its deflated state. The proximal lanyard branches  38   a ,  38   b  are respectively secured to the levers  32  of the triggering devices in the two actuation mechanisms  30 . The levers  32 , in turn, are attached to their respective actuation mechanisms  30 . The distal end clip  44  of the lanyard  36  is clipped to a convenient portion or component of the vehicle  60 . Should the person  12  be thrown from or fall off of the vehicle  60 , the resulting force applied to the lanyard  36  is transmitted to the actuation levers  32 , resulting in the actuation of the triggering devices in the actuation mechanisms  30 , thereby firing the cartridges  26  to inflate the bladder  14  through the inflation tubes  34 . At the same time, the actuation force applied to the lanyard  36  is sufficient to separate the actuation levers  32  from the actuation mechanisms  30 . Consequently, as shown in FIG. 6, the vest  10  is inflated before the person  12  hits the ground, while the vest itself is separated from the lanyard  36 . The impact of the fall is softened by the inflated vest  10 , thereby reducing the likelihood of severe injuries. After impact, the vest  10  can be deflated for reuse by opening the deflation valve  50 . 
     Turning now to FIGS. 8-12 and  13 - 18 , there shown are second and third preferred embodiments of an inflatable safety vest  70 ,  80 , in accordance with the present invention. The vests  70 ,  80  may be made form any desired material to emulate a decorative article of clothing and may include any desired decorations or embellishment so as to enhance its looks when worn alone by a user, on or off a vehicle. For example, the vests may include one or more air vents, controlled by fastener means, such as zippers or the like. FIGS. 8 and 9 show the vest  70  being worn by a person  72 , while FIGS. 10 and 12 show the person wearing a jacket  74  over the vest, while off of a vehicle, such as a motorcycle. 
     The vest  70  includes one or more pockets  76  having closure means, such as zippers, and front fastening means such as snaps  78 , although other fastening means, such as buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, buckles, a zipper, or the like, may also be used. Although not shown in FIGS. 8-12, the vest  70  includes at least one interior pocket for holding one or more CO 2  gas cartridges  26 , such as described below in connection with vest  80 . As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the vest  70  is sized and shaped so that it may be worn under or covered by the jacket  74 . 
     As best shown in FIGS. 13-16 and  18 , the vest  80  is substantially similar to the vest  70 , and includes a plurality of air vents and exterior pockets  82 , with closure means, such as zippers, and a front fastening means  84 . Additionally, the vest  80  may be secured within another garment, such as a jacket, be a plurality of jacket securing elements  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  94 , such as the tabs and snaps means shown attached at open arm portions and a bottom portion of the vest. Additionally, the vest may be provided with further jacket securing elements or means, such as an outside or partial zipper  95 . The jacket securing elements  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  94  may be inserted into corresponding holding elements  96 ,  98 ,  100 ,  102 ,  104 , such as loops, formed in any desired configuration and attached to the inside lining or surface of a jacket  106 . The vest  80  may be inserted and held in the jacket  106  by having the securing elements  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  94  inserted into and fastened together around or on the holding elements  96 ,  98 ,  100 ,  102 ,  104 , to thereby hold the vest and the jacket together. Furthermore, the zipper  95  may be inserted and held in a further zipper closure  108  held on the interior of the jacket  106 . The tab and looped securing elements and/or holding elements may be flexible or resilient for ease in insertion and fastening together. 
     Each of the vests  70 ,  80  comprises an inflatable, gas-tight bladder such as  14  in vest  10 , having an exterior surface  105  formed thereon or secured thereto. The bladder  14  and exterior surface  105  are configured to form a unitary back portion, left and right shoulder portions, and left and right chest portions. The vests  70 ,  80  are provided with a source of compressed gas for inflating the vests. Each of the vests  70 ,  80  includes a compressed gas source comprising at least one compressed CO 2  gas cartridge  26 , which are held in one or more interior pockets  108 , as best shown in connection with vest  80  in FIGS. 15 and 18. Each cartridge  26  is removably secured within a loop  110 , made from a fabric or other material, fastened to an inner surface or wall  112  of the bladder  14 , so as to hold the cartridge against or secured to the inner surface. The one or more interior pockets  108  may be placed in any desired location behind the exterior surface  105 , but are preferably formed between one or more of the exterior pockets  82  and the bladder  14 , as shown in FIG.  18 . Inflation tubes (not shown), such as inflation tubes  34 , are connected between the one or more cartridges  26  and an opening in the inner surface  112  of the bladder  14 , in the interior pocket  108 . When a cartridge  26  is opened, as described above, gas from the open cartridge  26  passes through its associated inflation tube  34  into the interior of the bladder  14  to inflate the vest. 
     Each of the vests  70 ,  80  may also include bladder deflation tubes, such as  48 , that communicate between the interior of the bladder  14  and the ambient atmosphere through a deflation valve, such as  50 , of conventional design, that can be manually opened to deflate the vests  70 ,  80  after they have been inflated. 
     As best shown in FIG. 15, the one or more CO 2  gas cartridges  26  are preferably held at an angle in the interior pocket(s)  108 . This angle may vary, but in one preferred embodiment for use on a motorcycle is approximately 30° to a bottom edge of the vests  70 ,  80 . 
     Furthermore, as best shown in FIG. 18, the one or more interior pockets  108  may have lower or open ends  114  closed or secured together by a closure means  116 , for example, by a hook and loop securing means, such as VELCRO®. When a user is off a vehicle such as a motorcycle, the lanyard  36  and its unitary  38  or bifurcated ends  38   a ,  38   b , may be inserted in the interior pockets  108  and the closure means  116  closed to hold the same in the interior pocket. Thus, the vests  70 ,  80  provide aesthetically pleasing protective garment that simulate articles of clothing so that they may be easily worn off a vehicle. These vests do not resemble known protective garments and will appeal to those who do not wish to be seen wearing such protective garments. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiments may be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than is specifically described herein.