Flexible pressure compensating divers weight belt

A flexible pressure compensating weight belt for scuba divers is disclosed. It is comprised of two tubular elastomeric weight compartments adapted to retain lead shot. These compartments are secured to a belt. Upon being worn around a diver's waist, the compartments will stretch and will compensate for varying degrees of water pressure upon the diver, due to its elastomeric properties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to weight belts and more particularly to weight 
belts for scuba divers. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
In order to overcome the problem associated with the buoyancy of divers, it 
is necessary for scuba divers to attach a weight belt around the waist. 
The main type of weight that has been used with belts is cast in lead in 
various weight ranges. This type of belt weight system is very 
uncomfortable since the lead weights may dig into the divers flesh causing 
bruises and pinching in some instances. Another problem associated with 
weight belts is that as the diver descends below the surface, the pressure 
on the body causes the body and diving suit to compress and since the 
weight belt does not compensate, the weight belt around the diver's waist 
may eventually move around erratically on the diver's waist. This is not 
only uncomfortable but also can represent a safety hazard. Divers 
accordingly, at various depths, have to unfasten their belts in order to 
tighten it. Having to unfasten a weight belt under water is somewhat risky 
since the diver may loose some weights and risk the possibility of losing 
the whole belt and thus rising in an uncontrolled ascent. 
Prior art weight belts have in the past been unsuccessful in solving the 
aforementioned problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,636, discloses a 
weight belt wherein the weight is evenly distributed about the waist of 
the diver. However, this belt is made of material to provide substantial 
stiffness to the body of the belt. Accordingly, as the diver descends 
below the surface and compression becomes pronounced, the weight belt 
still requires to be adjusted and readjusted, as desired, around the 
diver's waist. 
Another diver's belt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,299. This weight 
belt provides an even distribution of weight and allows lead shot to be 
readily removed from the end of the belt facilitating submerged adjustment 
of the ballast. Again this weight belt requires continuous adjustment by 
the divers in order to compensate for water pressure on the body. 
Yet another diver's weight belt is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,525. 
This patent discloses a belt formed from a single piece of material having 
a plurality of rectangular pockets formed along the belt to hold standard 
rectangular lead diving weights. Although this belt has been padded in 
order to make it more comfortable, the continuous weight of the air tank 
bottle against the belt and the diver's back will quickly render the 
wearing of this belt uncomfortable. Again, divers will be required to 
adjust the belt continuously while diving. 
Therefore, there is a need for a simple, safe and comfortable weight belt 
that can be worn with or without a diving suit and be self adjusting as 
the body and diving suit of the diver compresses due to water pressure. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a weight belt 
which will stretch and contract to remain tight and snug, around a diver's 
waist, at any depth. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a weight belt having 
sealed elastomeric tubular compartments holding lead shot. 
It is still another object of the invention to provide a diver's weight 
belt in which two rubberized tubes filled with lead shot are supported at 
the hips of the diver to render it more comfortable. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a diver's weight belt 
which allows the belt to be free of additional weights between the diver's 
air tank bottle and his back. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a weight belt having 
elastomeric compartments and wherein said compartments have opening means 
to add additional lead shot weight means. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a flaccid weight 
means for use in conjunction with diving belts having a fabric shell 
substantially filled with lead shot. 
According to one aspect, this invention provides a flexible pressure 
compensating weight belt for scuba divers comprising: flaccid weight means 
a first and second elastomeric compartment for retaining said flaccid 
weight means; first strap means having fastening means at one end and said 
first compartment connected at another end; second strap means having one 
end adapted to be secured to said fastening means and another end 
connected to said second compartment, said first and second compartments 
being connected via connecting means to form a flexible pressure 
compensating belt, said connecting means allowing a pressurized air tank 
to remain positioned and comfortably rest against said connecting means 
between said first and second compartments, whereby when said elastomeric 
compartments are pre-stretched and said belt worn by a diver in its 
pre-stretched condition, said belt will compensate for varying degrees of 
water pressure upon the diver by the contraction of the pre-stretched 
compartments. 
According to a second aspect, this invention provides a flaccid weight 
means for use with diving belts comprising a sealed bag having an outer 
shell made of flexible fabric; and a flaccid weight essentially filling 
said bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of the weight belt of the 
invention is shown generally at 10. The belt is comprised of a first and 
second tube 11 and 12 respectively made of elastomeric material, such as 
rubber for example, which will allow stretching. Tubes 11 and 12 are 
filled with lead shot to provide the required weight. Tubes 11 and 12 are 
then wrapped in a flexible and strong material. First tube 11 is attached 
at one end 13 to a first strap 14 having a buckle 15 or other suitable 
fastening means. A second strap 16 adapted to be secured to belt buckle 15 
is attached to a first end 17 of tube 12. Tubes 11 and 12 are connected 
via a third strap 18 which will be located, when worn, at the lower back 
of the person wearing the belt. Third strap 18 will therefore allow proper 
positioning of a pressurized air tank container (not shown) between tubes 
11 and 12 and strap 18. 
Upon wearing the weight belt, a diver will tighten the end of belt 16 into 
belt buckle 15 thereby prestretching tubes 11 and 12 to a condition shown 
by broken lines 19. As the diver descends below the surface, the pressure 
on the body will cause the body to compress and thus the tubes 11 and 12 
will contract to retain a tight fit around the diver's body. Tubes 11 and 
12 can be sewn onto straps 14, 16 and 18. Belt 10 should preferably be 
worn so that tubes 11 and 12 rest on the diver's hips thereby offering a 
greater comfort to the diver and absence of back strain due to the weight 
belt, and also as indicated earlier permitting proper positioning of an 
air tank bottle on the diver's back. Such a bottle would rest on belt 18 
between tubes 11 and 12. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, we have shown a cross-section of a tubular 
compartment generally shown by reference numeral 20. It is comprised of an 
outer fabric shell 21 made of a flexible or stretchable fabric such as 
polyester--lycra--SPANDEX.RTM. material. The weight compartment 22 is made 
of an elastomeric material such as rubber. It can have a tubular shape to 
help stretching and conform with a diver's hips. In the present 
embodiment, the weight compartment 22 is filled with lead shot 23. The 
lead shot preferably has a 71/2 size pellet. The weight compartment 22 
becomes sealed once it is sewn to belt 24. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, we have shown a flaccid weight 30 which can be 
used in conjunction with belt 10 shown in FIG. 1 or other diving weight 
belt. Flaccid weight 30 is comprised of an outer shell 31 which can be 
made of a stretchable fabric similar to fabric 21 disclosed in conjunction 
with FIG. 2. Shell 31 can either be a tubular shell sealed by sewing or 
other suitable means at its ends or pieces of fabric sealed together at 
their perimeters to form a bag. This bag can be filled with lead shot 32 
which will give it its flaccid properties. Its physical properties make it 
feasible for divers to use in conjunction with the weight used in the 
present invention. 
For example, it is relatively simple for a diver to insert weight 30 into 
pockets of buoyancy compensators (not shown) worn by divers to decrease 
the effect of buoyancy on their bodies. 
This becomes important when diving at varying depths. It is a well known 
principle that the buoyancy effect decreases as depth increases. 
For example, a diver at 33 feet below the surface will have half the 
buoyancy that he would have at the surface. At 66 feet, he will have 
quarter the buoyancy and at 99 feet one-eighth the buoyancy. 
The current practice of divers is to insert rocks into their buoyancy 
compensators to give themselves more weight underwater at shallower 
depths. 
Accordingly, weight bag 30 would be more practical to use and also allow a 
diver to compensate for shallow as well as deeper dives by either 
increasing or decreasing the number of weight bags used in conjunction 
with weight belt 10 shown in FIG. 1 or other diving weight belts. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, we have shown at 35 another embodiment of the 
elastomeric compartment used in the present invention. Elastomeric weight 
compartment 35 includes opening means 36 on the outer fabric shell 37 and 
would be used in conjunction with another opening (not shown) on inner 
shell 38 which is made of elastomeric material. Opening means 36 would 
permit the insertion and removal of weight bags 39 or other suitable 
weight means, in order to vary the weight of the weight belt. Opening 
means 36 can consist of a zipper or other suitable opening and closing 
devices. 
In another embodiment, the belt buckle 15 could be replaced by velcro 
strips thereby facilitating the fastening of the belt. Although the 
diver's weight belt disclosed herein has been described with respect to 
certain materials in construction, it will be obvious to those skilled in 
the art to make various changes, such as other types of elastomeric 
materials or other well known fasteners. Such changes are considered to be 
within the spirit and scope of the invention.