Life saving device that can be attached to the body of a user

A life saving device that can be attached to the body of a user including an attachment strap, a housing, an inflation sac, a rope, a pressure release device and a compressed air cylinder. The attachment strap is attached to the user's body. The housing accommodates the inflation sac, the rope, the pressure release device and the compressed air cylinder. An upper cover of the housing is popped off when the inflation sac is being inflated. The inflation sac envelops the compressed air cylinder and most of the pressure release device with a press element of the latter partly projecting from an opening of the inflation sac. When the press element is pressed, a steel ball stopping the compressed air cylinder is pushed away so that compressed air escapes from the cylinder through a tubular body and an air outlet of the pressure release device into the interior of the inflation sac to form a life ring. The rope is provided to allow the user to pull back the inflation sac if it floats away from him/her.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to a life saving device that can be 
attached to the body of the user, and more particularly to a life saving 
device that is small and can be carried on the user's body and easily 
operated to become inflated to form a life ring during emergencies. 
For those who are not good at swimming but like to play or angle at the 
seaside, it will be dangerous if the waves suddenly big. It is therefore 
desirable to provide a compact life saving device that can be attached to 
the user's body and can be quickly inflated to keep the user from being 
drowned. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a life saving 
device that can be attached to the user's body and can be speedily 
inflated during emergency.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the life saving device according to the present 
invention is shown to comprise an attaching strap 1, a housing 2, an 
inflation sac 3, a rope 4, a pressure release device 5 and a compressed 
air cylinder 6. 
The attaching strap 1 is provided to attach to the body of the user. For 
instance, it may be configured to be a belt worn on the user's waist or a 
shorter band tied around the user's arm. 
The housing 2 is provided to connect to the attaching strap 1 and receive 
the inflation sac 3, the rope 4, the pressure release device 5 and the 
compressed air cylinder 6. The housing 2 includes a base 21 and an upper 
cover 22. The base 21 is provided with a suspension portion 211 and a 
frame 212. The suspension portion 211 allows passage of the attaching 
strap 1 therethrough so that the base 21 may be suspended on the attaching 
strap 1. The frame 212 is provided with a U-shaped indentation 2121. The 
upper cover 22 is provided with a hook portion 223 along its bottom edges 
to engage slightly the base 21 such that it may disengage from the base 21 
when subjected to a slightly large external force. In addition, the upper 
cover 22 is provided with a hole 221 on one end surface, an elastic press 
piece 222 being installed on the hole 221. 
The inflation sac 3 has an interior enclosing the compressed air cylinder 6 
and most of the pressure release device 5, and an opening 31 capable of 
sealing and securely connected to a diameter-reduced portion 511 of a 
tubular body 51 of the pressure release device 5 so that a press element 
54 of the pressure release device 5 is partly exposed on the outside (the 
structure of the pressure release device 5 being discussed in detail 
hereinafter). Furthermore, the opening 31 of the inflation sac 3 together 
with the diameter-reduced portion 511 of the pressure release device 5 is 
placed in the indentation 2121 of the frame 212 so that the pressure 
release device 5, the compressed air cylinder 6, and the inflation sac 3, 
after being folded, may be positioned and squeezed in the interior space 
of the housing 2. When the press element 54 of the pressure release device 
5 is being pressed, the pressure release device 5 may be prevented from 
moving inwardly. Additionally, when the inflation sac 3 is inflated, it is 
in the shape of a life ring, and during the early stage of inflation, the 
upper cover 22 of the housing 2 may be popped off (see FIG. 5). 
The rope 4 has one end connected to the outside of the opening 31 of the 
inflation sac 3, with the other end secured to the base 21 of the housing 
2 so that, after inflation of the inflation sac 3, the user may easily 
pull back the inflation sac 3 for subsequent use (see FIG. 6). 
The pressure release device 5 includes the tubular body 51, an air outlet 
52, a stopper 53, and the press element 54. The tubular body 51 has the 
diameter-reduced portion 511 on an outer end thereof to seal and be 
secured to the opening 31 of the inflation sac 3 so that they can be 
together positioned on the frame 212 of the housing 2. Additionally, an 
inner end of the tubular body 51 has a threaded portion 512 for engaging a 
threaded end 61 of the compressed air cylinder 6. The air outlet is 
provided on one side of the tubular body 51 and communicates therewith so 
that when air is released from the compressed air cylinder 6, it may flow 
via the tubular body 51 and exit through the air outlet 52 to the interior 
of the inflation sac 3. The stopper 53 is tightly fitted in the interior 
of the tubular body 51 and is centrally provided with a through hole for 
passage of a rod 542 of the press element 54 therethrough. When the 
compressed air cylinder 6 releases air, the stopper 53 is shielded by the 
diameter-reduced portion 511 of the tubular body 51 so that it will not be 
pushed to the outside. The press element 54 includes a pressure bearing 
portion 541 and the above-mentioned rod 542. The pressure bearing portion 
541 projects from the outside of the tubular body 51 and adjacent to the 
elastic press piece 222 of the housing 2. The rod 542 passes through the 
center of the tubular body 51 and the stopper 53. Before it displaces 
inwardly, its inner end is near or in contact with a steel ball 62 (see 
FIG. 3) of the compressed air cylinder 6. In use, the rod 542 displaces 
inwardly to push the steel ball 62 from its position (see FIG. 4) so that 
air inside the compressed air cylinder 6 escapes from the opening at the 
threaded end 61 to the outside. Furthermore, in order to prevent the press 
element 54 itself from being pushed reversely by the compressed air, the 
rod 542 is provided with hooking rings 5421 thereon so that, after it has 
been pressed into the hole of the stopper 53, it is firmly retained by the 
stopper 53 in a single direction and will not displace in a reverse 
direction. 
After being filled with compressed air, the compressed air cylinder 6 
utilizes the steel ball 62 to stop the inner opening of the threaded end 
61 so that air will not leak. The threaded end 61, on the other hand, is 
fastened to the threaded portion 512 of the tubular body 51. 
Referring to FIG. 4, when the user is in danger of being drowned, he/she 
may press the elastic press piece 22 on the housing 2 inwardly. The 
elastic press piece 222 will then push the pressure bearing portion 541 of 
the press element 54 so that the rod 542 displaces inwardly to push away 
the steel ball 62 of the compressed air cylinder 6 to release compressed 
air therein. Since the press element 54 and the stopper 53 are prevented 
from reverse displacement, the steel ball 62 will not block the inner 
opening of the threaded end 61 and the stopper 53 will not be pushed to 
the outside. At this point, the compressed air from the compressed air 
cylinder 6 will flow via the tubular body 51 to the air outlet 52 into the 
interior of the inflation sac 3. 
Referring to FIG. 5, when the inflation sac 3 is being inflated, the upper 
cover 22 of the housing 2 will be popped out, and the inflation sac 3 will 
continue to expand until it floats on the water. 
Referring to FIG. 6, the inflation sac 3 will become inflated in a short 
while and forms a life-ring structure. The user may then grab the 
inflation sac 3. If the inflation sac 3 is floating away, the user may 
pull the rope 4 to pull back the inflation sac 3. 
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with 
reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood 
that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiment but is 
capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.