Patent Publication Number: US-9849950-B2

Title: Floatation device

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/236,793, filed Oct. 2, 2015. Application No. 62/236,793 is hereby incorporated into this application in its entirety by this specific reference thereto. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The embodiments described herein relate generally to devices that enable a user to stay afloat in water. 
     Prior to embodiments of the disclosed invention, when using a “life jacket” or some similar variety of personal floatation device for swimming or exercising in a body of water it would rise up around one&#39;s neck or armpits after continuous movement along with limiting upper body mobility. It is an object of the embodiments of the disclosed invention to solve this problem. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a floatation device that tends to keep a person upright in the water so that the person&#39;s head stays above water. Other floatation devices and/or so-called life vests are available that are intended to solve this same problem but so far as is known, the currently available floatation devices intended to solve this problem are bulky, difficult to put onto the person, and/or restrict the movements of the person wearing the device. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a personal floatation device that is easy to put onto a person. Specifically, it is an object to provide a personal floatation device that is put onto the person by, in effect, having the person sit down into the device and then simply snugging three straps around the person. 
     This listing of some of the objects of the present invention is intended to be illustrative. Other objects, and the many advantages of the present invention, will be made clear to those skilled in the art in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) of the invention and in any drawing(s) appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that the embodiment(s) of the present invention described herein are only examples of specific embodiment(s) of the invention, set out for the purpose of describing the making and using of the invention, and that the embodiment(s) shown and/or described herein are not the exclusive way(s) to implement the teachings of the present invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These several objects, and the advantages of the present invention, are met by providing a floatation device that is configured to provide floatation without interfering with a user&#39;s upper body movement. The floatation device has a first set of four straps adapted to encircle the user&#39;s hips. A right thigh floatation pad and a right back hip floatation pad are joined to the first four straps. A first elastic band is joined to the first four straps and a waist floatation pad. A second set of four traps are adapted to encircle the user&#39;s hips. A left thigh floatation pad and a left back hip floatation pad are joined to the first four straps. A second elastic band is joined to the second four traps and a second waist floatation pad. Three elastic bands are joined to four floatation pads and the second elastic band. A first strap with buckle is attached to the first elastic band. A second strap with buckle is attached to the second elastic band. A third strap with buckle is attached to the three elastic bands. Tightening the three elastic bands enables a user to wear the floatation device providing floatation without interfering with upper body movement. 
     In a second aspect, the present invention provides a floatation device comprised of pieces of buoyant material, a first piece of buoyant material being shaped in a “U” that is inverted for wearing by a person, the “U” shape of the first piece of buoyant material being defined by two stems and a counter, the person wearing the floatation device by sitting down into the end of the “U” of the “U”-shaped first piece of buoyant material opposite the counter of the “U” with the stems of the “U” being arrayed on either side of the person&#39;s buttocks. Second and third pieces of buoyant material are attached to the stems of the “U” forming the first, “U”-shaped piece of buoyant material at approximately the waist of the person wearing the floatation device, and an elongate belt is affixed to each of the first, “U”-shaped and the second and third pieces of buoyant material for wrapping all of said first, second, and third pieces around the person&#39;s waist. Fourth and fifth “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material are attached to both the first, “U”-shaped and respective second and third pieces of buoyant material, the “T” shape of the fourth and fifth pieces of buoyant material being defined by a stem and a bar with the “T” being inverted for wearing by the person. Respective elongate straps are affixed to the fourth and fifth, “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material and oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the bar of the “T” of the respective fourth and fifth, “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material for wrapping around respective thighs of the person. 
     In another aspect, the present invention provides a floatation device for providing buoyancy when worn by a person comprising a “U”-shaped piece of buoyant material and first and second flaps comprised of buoyant material attached to the “U”-shaped piece of buoyant material. An elongate belt is affixed to each of the “U”-shaped pieces of buoyant material and the first and second flaps and provided with connectors on the ends of the belt for encircling the waist of the person when the connectors of the belt are connected. First and second “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material are attached to both the “U”-shaped piece of buoyant material and the respective first and second flaps and first and second respective elongate straps are affixed to each respective “T”-shaped pieced of buoyant material, each of the first and second straps being provided with connectors for wrapping the respective first and second straps, and the respective “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material, around the respective thighs of the person when the connectors are connected. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a first embodiment of a floatation device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the floatation device of  FIG. 1 , taken from the side opposite the view of  FIG. 1 , after the straps have been tightened around the portions of the floatation device that encircle the thighs of the person wearing the floatation device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the figures, a first embodiment of the of the present invention is indicated generally at reference numeral  10  in  FIG. 1 . In the embodiment shown, the present invention comprises a first set of four straps adapted to encircle the user&#39;s hips. A right thigh floatation pad and a right back hip floatation pad are joined to the first four straps. A first elastic band is joined to the first four straps and a waist floatation pad. A second set of four straps are adapted to encircle the user&#39;s hips. A left thigh floatation pad and a left back hip floatation pad are joined to the first four straps. A second elastic band if joined to the second four straps and a second waist floatation pad. Three elastic bands are joined to four floatation pads and the second elastic band. A first strap with buckle is attached to the first elastic band. A second strap with buckle is attached to the second elastic band. A third strap with buckle is attached to the three elastic bands. Tightening the three elastic bands enables a user to wear the floatation device providing floatation without interfering with upper body movement. In some embodiments a molded design can be made of one or two piece units. 
     Turning to these components in more detail, the first set of four straps can be comprised of four bent polyvinyl chloride (PVC) straps adapted to encircle the user&#39;s hips. The right thigh pad can be comprised of one piece of molded 2# cross linked polyethylene for the right thigh area in a variety of sizes and shapes as to allow a person to stay buoyant. The right back hip pad can be comprised of one piece of molded 2# cross linked polyethylene for the right back hip area in a variety of sizes and shapes as to allow a person to stay buoyant. 
     The second set of four straps can be comprised of four bent PVC straps adapted to encircle a user&#39;s hips. The left thigh pad can be comprised of one piece of molded 2# cross linked polyethylene for the left thigh area in a variety of sizes and shapes as to allow a person to stay buoyant. The left back hip pad can be comprised of one piece of molded 2# cross linked polyethylene for the left back hip area in a variety of sizes and shapes as to allow a person to stay buoyant. In other embodiments, these straps can also be made from: Velcro®, neoprene, polypropylene, polyester, corded/woven and composite among other materials. 
     The three elastic bands can be comprised of three pieces of two inch wide elastic bands of sufficient lengths to allow for the various widths of children and adults waist. The four pads can be comprised of four pieces of molded 2# cross linked polyethylene foam in a variety of sizes and shapes as to allow a person to stay buoyant. Other kinds of fasteners besides buckles may also be utilized to advantage, including Velcro®, snaps, buttons and zippers. 
     In another embodiment (not shown), eight leg straps that include eight pieces of one inch wide elastic bands of sufficient lengths are provided to allow for the various lengths of children&#39;s and adults&#39; leg sizes. The waist pad can be comprised of one piece of molded 2# cross linked polyethylene foam for the waist in a variety of sizes and shapes as to allow a person to stay buoyant. The elastic bands can be comprised of one piece of two inch wide elastic bands of sufficient lengths to allow for the various diameters of the thighs of children and adults. 
     The second waist pad can be comprised of one piece of molded 2# cross linked polyethylene foam for the waist in a variety of sizes and shapes as to allow a person to stay buoyant. The straps can be comprised of either a one inch or a two inch nylon strap with a plastic buckle. Embodiments can be produced with different buoyancy products. This can include any crossed linked polypropylene from #2-#6, Zotek, XLPE, EPDM, air chambers, Vinyl covered foam, neoprene, polyurethane, polymer/plastic, Thermoplastic, Microballons, Macro-spheres, AquaCell® Foam, Expanded Polystyrene, and Polystyrene, Styro Foam® among others. These materials can be covered with vinyl, rubber, EPDM, Neoprene, nylon, Lycra, Artica, Gore-Tex, Nikwax Analogy, microfiber, polyester, FurTech, and Cotton, among others, but those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this description will recognize that the covering is not required for the floatation device  10  to function for its intended purpose and therefore is not addressed herein in any further detail. 
     Persons of ordinary skill in the art may also appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible that enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. For example, the system may comprise of an elastic garment to which floatation foam may be affixed to or sewn into the garment on the outside. Alternatively, an embodiment is made with a molded design of any of the above listed buoyance products, or buoyant materials, thus allowing the embodiment to be made with any number of buoyant products. 
     Referring again to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows the embodiment  10  of the floatation device of the present invention being comprised of five pieces or sections of the buoyancy products described above, referred to generically herein as “buoyant material,” a hip floatation pad  12 , two waist floatation pads  14 A,  14 B, and two thigh floatation pads  16 A,  16 B. By reference to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that the first piece of buoyant material, the hip floatation pad  12 , is “U”-shaped when spread flat and viewed from either above or below, and that the first and second pieces of buoyant material, forming the waist floatation pads  14 A,  14 B, are attached to the first piece of buoyant material  12  by the above-described connector bands  18 . Both the U-shaped first piece of buoyant material  12  and the first and second waist floatation pads  14 A,  14 B are attached to first and second thigh floatation pads  16 A,  16 B and the thigh pads, when flattened out and viewed from above, are shaped in the form of an inverted “T.” 
     A belt  22 , held to the first piece of buoyant material  12  and to the first and second flaps forming the waist floatation pads  14 A and  14 B by one or more belt loops  24 , is provided with a buckle  26  and, as set out in more detail below, encircles the waist of the person wearing the floatation device  10  when buckle  26  is buckled. Similarly, one or more thigh straps  28  is held to the first and second “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material that function as thigh pads  16  by a plurality of loops  30  and when the buckle(s)  32  of thigh straps  28  are buckled, the “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material encircle the thighs of the person wearing the floatation device  10 . Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this disclosure will recognize that the function of buckle  26  can also be accomplished by hooks, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, zippers, and in many other ways, and all such structure is therefore referred to generically herein as a “connector.” 
     In order to describe the manner in which the floatation device  10  functions to achieve its intended purpose, the shape of at least the first piece of buoyant material (hip floatation pad)  12  and the first and second “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material (the thigh floatation pads)  16 A,  16 B is described in more detail. Specifically, and as best shown in  FIG. 2 , the “U” of the “U”-shaped waist pad  12  is defined by two stems  34  and a counter  36  and is inverted relative to each of the thigh pads  16 A,  16 B. The waist pads  14 A,  14 B and thigh pads  16 A,  16 B are, as described above, attached to hip pad  12  along and/or at the ends of the two stems comprising the “U” of waist pad  12 . The belt  22  crosses the “U” of the “U”-shaped waist pad  12  at the end of the “U” defined by the counter  36  and although the hip pads  14 A,  14 B are attached to waist pad  12  by the connector bands  18 , it can be seen that the belt  22  and belt loops  24  also function to hold the three pieces of buoyant material  12 ,  14 A,  14 B to each other. 
     When a person puts the floatation device  10  of the present invention onto their body, they do so by wrapping the waist pad  12  and hip pads  14 A,  14 B around their waist and fastening the buckle  26  on the ends of belt  22 , drawing the buckle tight by tugging on the loose end of the belt  22  to snug the waist and hip pads  12 ,  14 A,  14 B around the person&#39;s waist. When donned in this manner, the counter  36  of the “U”-shaped waist pad  12  is positioned across the small of the back slightly above the buttocks and with the stems  34  of the “U”-shaped waist pad draped around, or encircling the person&#39;s buttocks (stated another way, when the buckle  26  is fastened around the waist of the person and the person sits down, the person&#39;s buttocks will be positioned so that the person sits onto the stems  34  of the “U”-shaped waist pad  12  in much the same way that a person sits on a toilet seat in a public restroom). 
     The “T” of each of the first and second “T”-shaped pieces of buoyant material comprising thigh pads  16 A,  16 B is defined by a stem  38  and crossbar  40  and the straps  28  that are threaded through loops  30  are oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the crossbar  40  of the “T”-shaped thigh floatation pad. When the waist pad  12  and hip pads  14 A,  14 B are fastened around the person&#39;s waist in the manner described above, the “T” of thigh pads  16 A,  16 B is inverted so that the stem of the “T”-shape that defines the “T”-shaped thigh pads  16 A,  16 B is substantially parallel to the person&#39;s legs and the crossbar  40  of the “T” is substantially perpendicular to the person&#39;s legs. The person then fastens the buckles  32  on the ends of the thigh straps  28  affixed to each of the “T”-shaped thigh pads  16 A,  16 B and draws the straps  28  tight to snug the buoyant material comprising the crossbar  40  of each of thigh pads  16 A,  16 B around the person&#39;s respective thighs. In this manner, the floatation device  10  of the present invention is quickly and easily donned by the person and causes minimal restriction in the motion of the person while being worn. 
     Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above.