Underwater diving buoyancy compensator jacket with quick-release valves which can be operated simultaneously

Abstract: A buoyancy compensator jacket comprising at least one air chamber (3) associated to a back portion (2) of the jacket and a couple of quick-release valves (6, 7), arranged on an outer face (2a) of said back portion (2), respectively near the upper and lower edges (2b, 2c) thereof. Respective ropes (8, 9) extend from the valves (6, 7) for the operation thereof. A supplementary operation rope (11) extends from the lower valve (7), the supplementary rope (11) of the lower valve (7) and the rope (8) of said upper valve (6) being mutually connected at least in correspondence to the free ends, whereby the air chamber (3) can be deflated through both valves (6, 7) by means of a single action.

Description: The present invention relates to the field of underwater diving equipment, and more properly to a new type of buoyancy compensator jacket. It is known that underwater divers, hereinafter referred to simply as divers, make use of buoyancy compensator jackets, having one or more air chambers. These can be inflated - by oral or thanks to compressed gas inflation means - and deflated in order to provide for buoyancy trim or compensation to the diver. In greater detail, the aim of said jackets is that of maintaining the buoyancy of the diver to a substantially neutral state as his depth varies. In this way, he is always allowed to move in all directions with the almost ease. In fact, it has to be considered that as the diver dives deeper, due to the water pressure increase and to the consequent compression of the exposure suit and associated diving equipment as well as of the body cavities, his inherent lifting characteristics decreases, making the ascension movements harder. Such decrease is compensated by progressively inflating the jacket. Conversely, as the diver ascends to the surface his inherent buoyancy increases and air must be gradually released from the jacket in order to maintain the overall buoyancy to a substantially neutral state. The air chambers, placed in the back portion of the jacket, are pneumatically accessible, for the inflation/deflation operations, via an inflator tube, extending from the jacket and provided with an end valve. Besides, there is at least one further quick-release overpressure valve, directly attached to the back face of the jacket and which can be operated by pulling a rope. The supplementary valves support the operation of the inflator tube valve, namely assuring a quick - and as complete as possible - air release from the chamber. In the prior art two back valves are usually arranged, respectively, near the upper and lower edges of the jacket. The upper valve is operated via a rope located over the shoulder of the diver, while the lower one has an operating rope extending downwards in the waist area. The upper valve accomplishes a most favorable air release when the diver dives towards the surface, i.e. with his feet pointing downwards. On the other hand, the lower valve assures a complete deflation of the jacket when it is the head that points downwards, thus preventing air pockets from forming in the waist area in this quite common situation. However, the above described arrangement has the drawback that the diver must perform different operations depending on his position. Besides, in order to achieve an as quick deflation as possible, sometimes it would be useful to operate the two valves simultaneously. But such an operation is troublesome, mainly due to the fact that the lower valve rope is not easy to reach, and consequently it is, practically, never carried out. The object of the present invention is to overcome said drawback, by providing a buoyancy compensator jacket in which the air chamber can be deflated completely in the easiest and quickest way, whichever the position of the diver is. Such object is achieved with the buoyancy compensator jacket according to claim 1. If comprises a couple of quick-release valves, associated to the air chamber provided in the back portion of the jacket, arranged, respectively, near the upper and lower edges of such portion, respective ropes extending from the valves for the operation thereof. A supplementary operation rope extends from the lower valve. Such supplementary rope and the rope of the upper valve are mutually connected at least in correspondence to the free ends, whereby the air chamber can be deflated through both valves by means of a single action. The features and advantages of the buoyancy compensator jacket with quick-release valves which can be operated simultaneously according to the present invention will be made clearer with the following description of an embodiment thereof, made purely by way of example and not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which: figure 1 is a schematic front view of the buoyancy compensator jacket according to the invention; figure 2 is a schematic back view of the jacket of figure 1; figure 3 is a schematic side view of the jacket of the previous figures. With reference to the above figures, a buoyancy compensator jacket 1 according to the present invention is depicted schematically, a more detailed illustration being unnecessary in order to fully appreciate the features of the invention itself. One can distinguish, in jacket 1, a back portion 2, incorporating an air chamber 3 and providing an outer face 2a extending between an upper edge 2b and a lower one 2c. Air chamber 3 is pneumatically accessible via an inflator tube according to the prior art, not shown. Jacket 1 further comprises, besides two side portions 4, two shoulder portions 5, projecting from upper edge 2b of back portion 2 for wrapping over the shoulders of the diver until the respective free ends 5a are placed on the chest. Two overpressure back valves assuring a quick release of air chamber 3 are arranged on the outer face 2a of back portion 2. More precisely, an upper valve 6 is placed adjacently to upper edge 2b, whereas a lower valve 7 is placed adjacently to lower edge 2c. In the depicted embodiment upper and lower valves 6, 7 are mutually aligned according to a direction which is substantially orthogonal to the above cited edges. Valves 6, 7 are, per se, according to the prior art, providing respective operation ropes 8, 9 extending, respectively, over the corresponding shoulder portion 5, and downwards beyond lower edge 2c of back portion 2. Ropes 8, 9 have respective grip knobs 10, 12. According to the invention, lower valve 7 has also a supplementary operation rope 11, extending on outer face 2a of back portion 2 and, after meeting upper valve 6, couples with rope 8 of the latter, placing over the corresponding shoulder portion 5. In this way, the two ends of ropes 8 and 11 are close to the free end 5a of shoulder portion 5 and mutually connected by grip knob 10. The provision of the two valves 6, 7 allows a fully efficient deflation whichever the position of the diver is. On the other hand, this does not result in a complication as far as the quickness and easiness of the operation are concerned, thanks to the fact that rope 8 of upper valve 6 and supplementary rope 11 of lower valve 7 are mutually connected and conveniently reachable on the waist of the diver. Consequently, he can operate simultaneously both valves 6, 7 easily and with the same action irrespective of his position. In any case, conventional rope 9 provides for an independent operation of lower valve 7, whenever this may be required. Even though in the schematic representation of the figures the two ropes 8 and 11 are free on the outside of the jacket, preferably they may be slidably housed in suitable sheaths, for preventing the ropes from undesirably moving and namely for maintaining knob 10 in a suitable position on the relevant shoulder portion 5. It has also to be emphasized that the expressions upper and lower, and other above used analogous ones, refer to the jacket when worn by the diver standing on the ground, that is to say in the position shown in the figures. Variations and/or modifications can be brought to the underwater diving buoyancy compensator jacket with quick-release valves which can be operated simultaneously according to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention itself as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: A buoyancy compensator jacket comprising at least one air chamber (3) associated to a back portion (2) of said jacket and a couple of quick-release valves (6, 7), arranged on an outer face (2a) of said back portion (2), respectively near the upper and lower edges (2b, 2c) thereof, respective ropes (8, 9) extending from said valves (6, 7) for the operation thereof, characterized in that a supplementary operation rope (11) extends from the lower valve (7), said supplementary rope (11) of said lower valve (7), being connected at its upper end with the rope (8) of said upper valve (6) , whereby said air chamber (3) can be deflated through both valves (6, 7) by means of a single action. The buoyancy jacket according to claim 1, wherein said supplementary rope (11) of said lower valve (7) extends along said back portion (2) and on a shoulder portion (5) of the jacket, so that it can be operated from the waist side thereof. The buoyancy jacket according to any of the previous claims, wherein said supplementary rope (11) of said lower valve (7) is slidably housed within a protective sheath formed on said back portion (2) and on said shoulder portion (5). The buoyancy jacket according to claim 3, wherein also the rope (8) of said upper valve (6) is partially housed slidably within said sheath. The buoyancy jacket according to any of the previous claims, wherein the free ends of the rope (8) of said upper valve (6) and of the supplementary rope (11) of said lower valve (7) are mutually connected by a single grip knob (10). The buoyancy jacket according to any of the previous claims, wherein said valves (6, 7) are aligned according to a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said upper and lower edges (2b, 2c) of said back portion (2).

Inventors: CRESSI LEOPOLDO ANTONIO, CRESSI, LEOPOLDO ANTONIO
Applicants: CRESSI SUB SPA, CRESSI-SUB S.P.A.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B63C11
IPC codes: B63C11