Flotation device

A flotation device such as a life buoy comprises a flotation member in the form of a buoyant body of foamed plastic material having a support surface extending about a perimeter thereof. A retrieval member is connected to the flotation member and is in the form of an elongated web. The web is connected to the flotation member in a manner such that it is positioned to be located in an operable position extending from its connection with the flotation member and a storage position extending about the support face.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to flotation devices. In particular this invention 
relates to a life buoy flotation device. 
PRIOR ART 
Flotation devices such as life buoys generally consists of a flotation 
member and a retrieval cord or rope, one end of which is secured to the 
flotation device. The remainder of the rope is wound upon itself and 
stored adjacent the flotation member. In order to use the flotation 
member, it is necessary to unwind the retrieval cord so that its full 
length can be utilized for retrieval purposes. In most instances there is 
an urgent need to use the flotation device as quickly as possible and 
difficulties can result from delays in attempting to unravel the retrieval 
cord. Furthermore, the retrieval cord can become wound around support 
structure upon which the life buoy is mounted making the removal of the 
life buoy from its support difficult and time consuming. 
I have found that the retrieval member of a flotation device can be 
conveniently stored and easily released with respect to a flotation member 
by forming a support face on a perimeter of the flotation member and 
wrapping the retrieval member around the support face. 
I have further found that a short retrieval member may be provided in the 
form of an endless loop, the length of which is substantially equal to the 
length of the perimeter on which the support surface is formed so that the 
loop is self-supporting on the support surface when located in the storage 
position. 
When a long length of retrieval member is required, I connect one end of 
the retrieval member to the flotation member at the support surface and I 
wind the remainder of the web around the support surface and releasably 
secure the other end of the web at the support surface. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
According to one aspect of the present invention, a flotation device 
comprises the flotation member which consists of a buoyant body of foamed 
plastics material having a support face extending about the perimeter 
thereof, a retrieval member comprising an elongated web of flexible 
material. The web is connected to the flotation member and is adapted so 
as to be locatable in an operable position extending from its connection 
with said flotation member and a storage position extending about said 
support face.

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings reference numeral 10 refers 
generally to a flotation device constructed in accordance with an 
embodiment of the present invention. The flotation device 10 is in the 
form of a life buoy and consists of a flotation member 12 and a retrieval 
member 14. The flotation member 12 is in the form of a buoyant body of 
foamed plastics material such as soft vinyl closed cell foam. Preferably 
the entire body 12 is coated with a brightly coloured vinyl coating by 
dipping it in a vinyl polymer bath. The bright coloured coating such as a 
yellow coating serves to make the body readily visible and more water 
tight. The flotation member 12 is in the form of a ring having a support 
surface 16 extending about the periphery thereof, a pair of oppositely 
disposed annular faces 18 and an inner face 20. A slot 22 is formed in the 
body 12 and extends between the side faces 18. A band 24 extends through 
the slot 22 and around an adjacent section of the support face. The band 
24 overlies the retrieval web 14 and serves to connect the flotation 
member and the web 14. Overlapping ends of the band 24 may be releasably 
secured to one another by means of oppositely disposed VELCRO (trade mark) 
strips or they may be sewn together or riveted together or otherwise 
secured. The retrieval member 14 illustrated in the embodiment of the 
invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is in the form of a flat elongated 
web of flexible material arranged in the form of an endless band which is 
proportioned such that its peripheral length is substantially equal to and 
preferably slightly less than the circumferential length of the support 
face 16. The band 14 can be shorter than the perimeter of the support 
surface because the flexible material from which the flotation member is 
formed will yield to permit the band to extend around the support surface 
to be retained in the position shown in FIG. 1. The resilient nature of 
the plastics material from which the flotation member is formed will serve 
to permit it to expand into engagement with the retrieval member so as to 
retain the retrieval member in the storage position illustrated in FIG. 1 
while being sufficiently flexible to facilitate the release of the web 
from the storage position shown in FIG. 1 to the operable position shown 
in FIG. 2. 
A notch 26 is provided on the inner face 20. The notch 26 is proportioned 
to form a seat for receiving the support arm portion 28 of a mounting 
bracket 30 of a type which can be mounted on any convenient structure such 
as a wall or a fence so as to support the flotation member in a readily 
accessible position (ie near a pool or beach). 
A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 of 
the drawings wherein the flotation member 12 is constructed as previously 
described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. In this 
embodiment the retrieval member 40 is in the form of longitudinally 
elongated web which has a first end 42 secured to the cuff 24 by stitching 
or the like. One or more sets of complementary Velcro (trade mark) 
fasteners 42a and 42b are secured to the outer face and inner face 
respectively of the web 40 at spaced intervals along the length thereof. 
While two sets of Velcro fasteners are illustrated in FIG. 3 of the 
drawings, it will be understood that only the Velcro pad located on the 
inner face of the web adjacent the second end thereof and the 
complementary Velcro pad which is located on the outer face at the 
position which the inner pad will overlie when the web is wound around the 
support surface is required in order to retain the web in the fixed 
position in this embodiment. The additional Velcro pads are positioned 
along the length of the web so as to be arranged in a face to face 
interlocking relationship when the web is coiled around the support 
surface. 
An elongated web which forms the retrieval member may be in the form of a 
flat strap of material such as nylon. 
The support face 16 may be formed with a shallow transverse concave 
curvature so as to form a recessed seat for receiving the web, the 
curvature further serving to prevent an accidental removal of the web 14 
from the support face. When cutting a body of foamed plastic material from 
a slab of plastic material, a concave curvature can be achieved mainly as 
a result of compression of the body by the cutting tool. 
The flotation device of the present invention is simple and inexpensive to 
manufacture. The illustration member may be die-cut from a slab of closed 
cell foamed plastic material, or expanded in a mould that contains the 
negative shape of the flotation member 12. The exposed cells at the 
surface of the slab may be sealed by dipping the flotation member in a 
bath of vinyl material as previously described. 
From the foregoing, it would be apparent that the flotation device of the 
present invention is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and provides a 
compact storage configuration of flotation member and retrieval member 
while ensuring that the retrieval member can be readily released.