Abstract:
A personal flotation device including a flotation portion configured to be fitted onto a person and an adjustment cable system including a spool and at least one cable carried on the spool and connected to the flotation portion such that turning the spool tightens the flotation portion on the person.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This U.S. nonprovisional patent application relates to, claims the benefit of the filing date of, and otherwise claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/738,268, filed in the United States Patent &amp; Trademark Office on Nov. 18, 2005. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0002]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a personal flotation device according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0003]     A personal flotation device (“PFD”) according to an embodiment of the invention is shown broadly at reference numeral  10  in  FIG. 1 . The PFD  10  comprises a flotation portion  11  configured to be fitted onto a person. The flotation portion  11  is formed of canvas and/or mesh covering a buoyant material, as known by those of ordinary skill in the art. The flotation portion  11  includes a front torso subportion  12 , a shoulder subportion  13 , a waist subportion  14 , and a rear torso subportion (not shown). The front torso subportion  12  of the flotation portion  11  of the PFD  10  is provided with a flap  15 , which in turn is provided with closure straps  20 . In the drawings the flap  15  is shown in a substantially fully opened position.  
         [0004]     The PFD  10  further comprises an adjustment cable system  21 . The adjustment cable system  21  includes two cables  22  each comprising a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end  28 ; a plurality of cable guides  23 ; two bumpers  26 ; a termination ferrule  27 ; and cable tightening means such as a spool, reel, turnbuckle, or other manually adjusted mechanism, or a plurality of such mechanisms, that includes a ratchet or other tension-retaining hardware for maintaining the cables  22  in the desired tightened position.  
         [0005]     The cable tightening means shown in  FIG. 1  is a spool  24  comprising an internal ratchet mechanism (not shown). The spool  24  includes a base  25 , a closed arbor  30 , and a knob  31 . The internal ratchet mechanism of the spool  24  may be disengaged by pulling the knob  31  outward and re-engaged by pushing the knob  31  inward. The base  25  of the spool  24  is secured to the front torso subportion  12  of the flotation portion  11  of the PFD  10  by a spool panel  32 . The spool panel  32  is sewn or otherwise attached or mounted onto the front torso subportion  12 .  
         [0006]     The proximal end of each of the two cables  22  is retained within the closed arbor  30  of the spool  24 . From the spool  24 , each of the two cables  22  extends through the associated cable guides  23  and the associated bumper  26 . Each of the cables  22  then terminates at its distal end  28  at the terminal ferrule  27 . A lesser or greater number of cable guides and bumpers and/or a shorter or longer cable path could be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0007]     The cable guides  23  are forms of rubber and/or plastic sewn or otherwise attached or mounted to the waist subportion  14  of the flotation portion  11  of the PFD  10 . Each of the cable guides  23  connects or attaches the cables  22  to the flotation portion  11  of the PFD  10  and defines a channel (not shown) through which the cables  22  may travel substantially freely. The bumpers  26  are tubes of canvas, plastic, rubber, and/or fabric that are secured around the cables  22  to help to ensure that no portion of the cables  22  becomes substantially more rolled into or unrolled out of the spool  24  than other portions of the cables  22 , and to help to ensure that the distal ends  28  of the cables  22  are not dislodged from the termination ferrule  27 . Although the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises two cables  22 , one cable or more than two cables could be used without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0008]     The illustrated embodiment of the invention functions as follows. Before donning the PFD  10 , a person using the PFD  10  loosens the adjustment cable system  21 . This loosening is accomplished by opening the flap  15 , ensuring that the knob  31  of the spool  24  has been pulled outward or otherwise actuated to release or disengage the internal ratchet mechanism of the spool  24 , and pulling upon the waist subportion  14  of the flotation portion  11  of the PFD  10  until the flotation portion  11  is able to fit over the head and around the torso of the user. The user may then don the PFD  10 . The user then ensures the flap  15  is open, pushes the knob  31  of the spool  24  inward or otherwise actuates the spool  24  to engage the internal ratchet mechanism of the spool  24 , and turns the knob  31  or otherwise actuates the spool  24  to tighten the cable  22 , which tightens the flotation portion  11  of the PFD  10  around the user. The user may then close the flap  15  to help protect the spool  24  from being damaged or unintentionally turned or pulled outward by activities of the user. The user may remove the PFD  10  after loosening the adjustment cable system  21  as described above.  
         [0009]     The particular spool  24  utilized in the illustrated embodiment of the PFD  10  is marketed under the trademark BOA by Boa Technology Inc. of Denver and Steamboat Springs, Colo. (www.boatechnology.com). The internal architecture of the BOA spool is disclosed in United States patents in which Boa Technology Inc. holds an interest, specifically U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,934,599, 6,202,953, and 6,289,558, which are incorporated herein by reference. The flotation portion  11  utilized in the illustrated embodiment of the PFD  10  is manufactured by or for Astral Buoyancy Company, LLC of Asheville, N.C. (www.astralbuoyancy.com). However, these particular products are named by way of example and not by way of limitation, as other specific components could be used without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0010]     A personal flotation device with adjustment cable system and method of tightening same on a person are described herein. Various details of the invention may be changed without departing from its scope. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the invention is provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation—the invention being defined by the claims.