Patent Description:
Conventional life preservers, such as lifejackets, include an inflatable main body portion for providing buoyancy for the wearer so that the wearer's head is supported above the surface of the water in order to prevent drowning. Lifejackets typically include an opening for the wearer's head and neck.

A number of challenges exist with the use and performance of known inflatable lifejackets. Such lifejackets must be easy and simple and quick to don in an emergency and by a wide range of different wearer anthropometrics and different wearer ages etc. When in the water and inflated the lifejacket must provide protection from drowning even in rough sea conditions. The lifejacket should preferably do four things when in the water even if the wearer is unconscious:.

Traditional "twin lobe" split-front lifejackets generally have two symmetrical lobes which lie on opposite sides of the front a wearer's torso. Such lifejackets have the benefit that they are easy to don and are comfortable to wear when uninflated but have the disadvantage, when inflated and in the water, that the lobes form a channel between them that will allow waves to splash onto the mouth and also do not hold the head firmly. Such lifejackets are also wide when inflated as measured across the lobes which restricts arm movements when needed such as swimming and climbing a ladder. Such lifejackets also normally require a "back strap" to hold the lifejacket down so it does not "ride up" around the head for example when jumping into the water. Additionally, the spacing and orientation of the twin lobes make self-righting from a face down attitude in the water difficult. Single lobe lifejackets have a single lobe that lies over the wearer's chest and a neck portion that lies behind the wearer's neck, with an aperture for the wearer's head. Such lifejackets have the benefit that when inflated the single lobe does not form a channel for water to the wearer's airways. They also have better self-righting characteristics that twin lobe lifejackets. However, to make the lifejacket secure when inflated around the neck the neck aperture must not be too large. Consequently, such lifejackets are difficult to don over the head particularly if wearing a bulky jacket or coat with a hood.

<CIT> discloses a life preserver according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide an improved life preserver.

According to the present invention there is provided a life preserver including an inflatable main body portion formed by corresponding front and rear layers of material that are connected around their outer peripheries and which each have an aperture for a wearer's neck, wherein the main body portion further comprises additional layer of material that is connected to the front and rear layers of material around the apertures to form a surface that, upon inflation of the main body portion, encircles the wearer's neck.

The surface is configured to grip the wearer's neck on inflation, which will tend to prevent the life preserver riding up over the wearer's head. The aperture, when the life preserver is deflated, can consequently be made larger so that the life preserver is easier to don but which still fits securely around the wearer's neck once inflated.

The additional layer of material is formed from two joined sheets of material that are configured to lie within and parallel to the corresponding front and rear layers of material prior to inflation of the main body portion.

Preferably, the life preserver includes a panel of material mounted on a front surface of the main body portion adjacent to, or partially overlying, the neck aperture for protecting the wearer's airways from water splashes.

Preferably a portion of the panel adjacent to, or partially overlying, the neck aperture is further coupled to the main body portion by a strap arrangement that passes through the neck aperture and is mounted to a rear surface of the main body portion.

Preferably, the panel is mounted over a component attached to the main body portion, such as an inflation system for the main body portion and the first and second inflatable lobes. This may prevent damage caused by snagging of the component during movement of the wearer.

Preferably, the life preserver includes first and second inflatable lobes extending from the main body portion which are configured to respectively occupy a position on the left and right hand side of the wearer's body when in use.

Such an arrangement may avoid some of the disadvantages of a conventional twin lobe lifejacket described above. For example, the main body portion having an aperture for a wearer's neck from which the first and second inflatable lobes extend may not allow a direct passage between the lobes to the wearer's mouth as this is blocked by the main body portion. However, the provision of the two lobes may provide the life preserver with improved self-righting properties and/or improved height of mouth/face plane angle.

Preferably, the life preserver is configured such that at least one of the lobes extends obliquely or perpendicularly with respect to an adjacent surface of the wearer's torso when in use.

The first and second inflatable lobes may occupy a position on the left and right hand side of the front of the wearer's torso when in use. This may provide the life preserver with improved self-righting properties. For example, the first and second inflatable lobes are coupled together at a position spaced apart from the main body portion such that adjacent facing edges of the first and second inflatable lobes abut one another in use, the first and second inflatable lobes moving independently of one another and tending to cause self-righting of the wearer when lying face down in water. The first and second inflatable lobes may coupled together by a strap arrangement that also mounts the life preserver to the wearer's waist in use.

The first and second inflatable lobes may occupy a position on the left and right hand side of the back of the wearer's torso when in use. This may provide improved height of mouth/face plane angle for the wearer. The first and second inflatable lobes may coupled together at a position spaced apart from the main body portion so that the first and second inflatable lobes extends obliquely or perpendicularly with respect to the back of the wearer's torso.

Preferably, the life preserver includes a first set of the first and second inflatable lobes that occupy the position on the left and right hand side of the front of the wearer's torso when in use and a second set of the first and second inflatable lobes that occupy the position on the left and right hand side of the wearer's back when in use.

The life preserver may be configured such that the main body portion is formed by corresponding front and rear layers of material that are connected around their outer peripheries and which each have an aperture for the wearer's neck, wherein the main body portion further comprises additional layer of material that is connected to the front and rear layers of material around the apertures in the front and rear layers to form a surface that, upon inflation of the main body portion, encircles the wearer's neck. The surface may grip the wearer's neck on inflation.

The lifejacket may overcome the problems of the prior art as follows:.

All of the features described herein may be combined with any of the above aspects, in any combination.

For a better understanding of the present invention an embodiment will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

In the drawings like elements are generally designated with the same reference sign.

Referring initially to <FIG> and <FIG>, there is shown a life preserver <NUM>, such as a lifejacket. The life preserver <NUM> includes a main body portion <NUM> having an aperture <NUM> for surrounding a wearer's neck when in use.

The life preserver <NUM> further includes first and second inflatable torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> which form symmetrically disposed lobes that lie on opposite sides of a wearer's torso. First, proximal ends of the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM>, <NUM> are joined to the main body portion <NUM>. The first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM>, <NUM> are preferably integrally formed with the main body portion <NUM> so that a common inflation chamber extends between the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM>, <NUM> and the main body portion <NUM>. The first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM>, <NUM> each extend from said first, proximal end to a second end <NUM>, <NUM>, which is a distal end.

The life preserver <NUM> is generally symmetrical about a longitudinal centre line that extends between the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM>, <NUM>.

When inflated, each torso buoyancy section <NUM>, <NUM> may be an elongate member of generally elliptical or oval cross section.

A waist strap <NUM> is connected to the bottom surface (the surface facing the wearer's body in use) of each of the buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> near the distal ends <NUM> and <NUM> thereof and extends around the wearer's waist in use. Ends of the strap <NUM> are coupled and decoupled from one another by a releasable buckle <NUM> and shown in <FIG>.

In use, the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> extend in a direction generally obliquely or perpendicularly to the chest of the wearer (rather than lying parallel to chest of the wearer as for a conventional lifejacket). This may be achieved by selecting the a point of attachment <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, of the waist strap <NUM> (see <FIG>) to the first torso buoyancy section <NUM> and to the second torso buoyancy section <NUM> and the fixed length of waist strap <NUM> between those points <NUM> and <NUM> such that, when the life preserver <NUM> is inflated the adjacent facing edges <NUM> and <NUM> of the first and section buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> are pressed together and the first and section buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> rotate away from each other, pivoting about the respective points of attachment <NUM> and <NUM>. This tends to cause the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> to extend generally obliquely or perpendicularly to the wearer's chest.

Without the waist strap <NUM> there would be a distance, D, between the points of attachment <NUM> and <NUM> when the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> lie parallel to chest of the wearer when the life preserver <NUM> is inflated with the adjacent facing edges <NUM> and <NUM> of the first and section buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> abutting one another. According to the embodiment, the length of the strap between the points of attachment <NUM> and <NUM> is selected to be less than D so that the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> cannot lie parallel to chest of the wearer and are forced to rotate about the points of attachment <NUM> and <NUM> so that the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> extend in a direction generally obliquely or perpendicularly to the chest of the wearer.

The first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM>, although connected to one another by the waist strap <NUM>, can still rotate by varying amounts about the pivot points created at the points of attachment <NUM> and <NUM>. The arrangement of the torso buoyancy <NUM> and <NUM> sections is advantageous in the event that the wearer is lying facing the surface of water, as shown in <FIG>, which might happen when the wearer is unconscious in an emergency situation. The orientation and freedom to independently rotate of the torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> allows the torso buoyancy sections to move independently of one another to create a rolling effect to aid self-righting, i.e. so that the wearer rotates through <NUM> degrees, as indicated by arrows <NUM>, so that the wearer faces away from the surface of the water.

The arrangement of the waist strap <NUM> and the first and second buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> means that the life preserver <NUM> is unstable in water when the wearer is lying face down in the water and one or other of the torso buoyancy sections <NUM>,<NUM> will move relative to the other, which will cause the life preserver and the wearer to rotate into the desired upwardly facing position.

The oblique or perpendicular orientation of the torso buoyancy sections <NUM>,<NUM> reduces the overall width of the life preserver <NUM>, providing less restriction to wearer arm movements than a conventional twin lobe lifejacket and so making swimming easier.

As mentioned above, the first and second torso buoyancy sections <NUM>,<NUM> are generally elliptical or oval in transverse cross-section, the width dimension being greater than the depth dimension. The torso buoyancy sections <NUM>,<NUM> rotate relative to the main body portion <NUM> so that the larger dimension, instead of overlying and being generally parallel to the chest of the wearer, extends generally perpendicular to or obliquely to the chest of the wearer.

A wave splash guard panel <NUM> is attached to the main body portion <NUM> at a position just below, or partially obscuring, the neck aperture <NUM>. The splash guard panel <NUM> may be generally rectangular or trapezoidal in shape, although other shapes may be used. The splash guard panel <NUM> is attached to the main body portion <NUM> at least partially along its side edges <NUM> and <NUM>.

An inflation cartridge, partially shown at <NUM> contains compressed gas (e.g. CO<NUM>) for inflating the life preserver <NUM>. The inflation cartridge <NUM> can be manually or automatically activated. The inflation cartridge <NUM> is positioned on the front surface of the main body portion <NUM> and is partially covered by the splash guard panel <NUM>, which reduces the likelihood of the inflation cartridge <NUM> being caught on another object and causing damage to the life preserver <NUM> during evacuation or other movements of the wearer.

The life preserver <NUM> is also inflatable by a mouth-operable inflator <NUM> to allow manual inflation in the event of failure of the inflation cartridge <NUM> or to top up the inflation pressure. A non-return valve and a closure cap may prevent water flowing down the inflator <NUM> and into the inflation chamber of the life preserver <NUM>. The inflator <NUM> passes through an opening in the splash guard panel <NUM> and lies over the top of the splash guard panel <NUM> so that is it easily accessible to the wearer.

As best shown in <FIG>, the upper edge <NUM> of the splash guard panel <NUM> is connected to opposite outer edges <NUM> and <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM> by splash guard panel straps <NUM> and <NUM> which extend over the rear surface of the life preserver <NUM>(facing the wearer's body in use). In addition to being connected to the splash guard panel <NUM> at the upper edge <NUM>, the straps <NUM> and <NUM> may be connected to the panel <NUM> along a line <NUM> extending downwardly from the upper edge <NUM> of the panel <NUM>, and generally perpendicularly to the upper edge <NUM> of the panel <NUM>, for a distance approximately equal to the width of the straps <NUM> and <NUM>. The connection between the straps <NUM> and <NUM> tends to lift the splash guard panel <NUM> upwards towards the wearer's mouth when the life preserver <NUM> is inflated and may also tend to fold the outer edges <NUM> and <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM> so that they extend generally obliquely or parallel to the surface of the chest of the wearer and so have a similar orientation to the torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> and the neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM>.

The splash guard panel straps <NUM> and <NUM>, when the life preserver <NUM> is inflated, form surface <NUM> which will be positioned against the wearer's chin in use, to provide a support for the chin and to tend to close the wearer's mouth.

The life preserver <NUM> may also be provided with a whistle <NUM> and a light <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, reflective tape <NUM>, to help the wearer be seen, may be provided at various positions on the life preserver <NUM>.

As best shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the main body portion <NUM> extends behind the wearer's neck and is provided with first and section neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> which form symmetrically disposed lobes that extend above and behind the wearer's shoulders in use. The first and second neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> are preferably integrally formed with the main body portion <NUM> (and the torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM>) so that a single inflation chamber exists within the first and second neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> and the main body portion <NUM> (and the torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM>).

When inflated, each neck buoyancy section <NUM> and <NUM> may be an elongate member of generally elliptical or oval cross section.

The first and section neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM>, in use, extend obliquely or generally perpendicularly to the surface of the wearer's back to provide the desired face plane angle and height of mouth (to be described in more detail later with reference to <FIG>). The orientation of the first and second neck buoyancy portions <NUM> and <NUM> is provided by a strap arrangement. A first strap <NUM> is connected to the free, distal end <NUM> of the first neck buoyancy section and a second strap <NUM> connected to the free, distal end <NUM> of the second neck buoyancy section <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the first strap <NUM> is connected to the proximal end of the second neck buoyancy section <NUM> where this meets the main body portion <NUM>. Similarly, the second strap <NUM> is connected to the upper part of the first neck buoyancy section <NUM> where this meets the main body portion <NUM>. By selecting an appropriate length of the straps <NUM> and <NUM> the first and second neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> may be pulled into the orientation shown when the life preserver <NUM> is inflated.

The straps <NUM> and <NUM> may be connected to one another at the point where they cross over.

As an alternative to the arrangement shown in <FIG>, other strap arrangements may be used to provide the desired orientation of the first and second neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM>. For example, the strap arrangement may comprise a single strap which connects the free, distal ends <NUM> and <NUM> of the first and second neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> directly.

As mentioned above, the first and second neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> are generally elliptical or oval in transverse cross-section, the width dimension being greater than the depth dimension. The first and second neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> rotate relative to the main body portion <NUM> so that the larger dimension, instead of being generally parallel to the back of the wearer, extends generally perpendicular to or obliquely to the back of the wearer.

As shown in <FIG> a back strap <NUM>, shown by dashed lines <NUM>, may be provided which connects the main body portion <NUM> at a position behind the wearer's neck to the waist strap <NUM> and which extends generally in a direction along the wearer's spine.

Such a strap <NUM> may be particularly useful to ensure that the life preserver <NUM> fits securely to a smaller wearer.

The waist belt <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, may be provided with a pocket <NUM> that contains a floating "buddy line" that allows survivors to link themselves in the water for safety.

The waist belt <NUM> may also include a lifting becket <NUM>, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>) which allows the wearer to be lifted from the water.

Some aspects of the formation of the life preserver <NUM> will now be described with reference to <FIG>. The main body portion <NUM> is formed from two panels of coated fabric (typically a nylon or polyester coated with a polymer such as polyurethane), having the shape shown at <NUM> in <FIG>. Two such panels <NUM> are welded or glued (or otherwise attached) together around the periphery as shown at <NUM> in <FIG>. The splash guard panel <NUM> is formed by attaching the panel shown at <NUM> to the front one of the panels <NUM> at an appropriate position. The splash guard <NUM> straps <NUM> and <NUM> may be formed from a single piece of material as shown at <NUM>.

Around the neck aperture <NUM>, an additional neck section <NUM> is provided which, like the main body portion <NUM> is formed of two panels <NUM> of coated fabric that are welded or glued (or otherwise attached) together around the periphery as shown at <NUM>. The additional neck section <NUM> has an aperture <NUM> which corresponds in shape to the neck aperture <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM>.

To assemble the life preserver <NUM> with the additional neck section <NUM>, the additional neck section <NUM> is positioned between the two panels <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM> so that its aperture <NUM> corresponds in orientation to the aperture <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM> (i.e. inverted from the orientation shown in <FIG>). The lower one of the panels <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM> is welded or glued (or otherwise attached) to the lower one of the panels <NUM> of the additional neck section <NUM> around the periphery of the apertures <NUM> and <NUM>, as indicated at <NUM>. Likewise, the upper one of the panels <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM> and the upper one of the panels <NUM> of the additional neck section <NUM> are welded or glued (or otherwise attached) together around the periphery of the apertures <NUM>, <NUM> as shown at <NUM>. The welds (or other types of connections) <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> create a fluid-tight chamber for the life preserver <NUM> to allow it to be inflated.

It should be appreciated that the lower and upper panels <NUM> of the main body portion are not directly connected to each other around the aperture <NUM> but instead have the additional neck section <NUM> as an intermediate element. This allows the distance between the upper and lower panels <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM> to increase when the life preserver <NUM> is inflated, creating a wall which extends against and around and grips the wearer's neck. The wall is formed by the panels <NUM> of the additional neck section <NUM> moving away from one another due to inflation so that they form an approximately cyclical wall around the wearer's neck.

The arrangement of the additional neck section <NUM> can be better understood from <FIG> are cross sections taken along the line A-A in <FIG>.

<FIG> shows the arrangement of the additional neck section <NUM> within the main body portion <NUM> when the life preserver is in the generally deflated state.

When inflation of the life preserver <NUM> begins the pressure of the inflation fluid causes the panels <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM> to move away from one another, as shown in <FIG>. This begins to change the orientation of the panels <NUM> of the additional neck section <NUM> from lying parallel from each other, and parallel to the panels <NUM> of the main body portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, to a position where the panels <NUM> of the additional neck section <NUM> are drawn apart from each other at the end distal to the welds <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the configuration when the life preserver <NUM> is fully inflated. The panels <NUM> of the additional neck section <NUM>, in the fully inflated state, form a generally cyclical wall that extends around the wearer's neck and exerts gentle pressure against the neck, as shown by the arrows <NUM>.

Such an arrangement allows the life preserver unit to be securely and comfortably positioned around the wearer's neck when inflated, but allows the neck aperture <NUM> (and <NUM>) to be large enough to allow easy donning even when the wearer is wearing a bulky jacket or coat with a hood.

Rather than being formed from two panels <NUM>, joined at <NUM>, the additional neck section <NUM> may be formed from a single panel.

<FIG> shows the mouth freeboard (the distance that the mouth of the wearer lies above the surface above the water at A). <FIG> also shows the face plane angle at B. The arrangement of the neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> provides additional buoyancy at the neck of the wearer, as indicated by the arrow C, which tends to increase the mouth freeboard A and also gives a face plane angle of at least <NUM> degrees to the water surface. It should be appreciated that the additional neck section <NUM> may be provided in a life preserver without the torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> and/or the neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM>. It should also be appreciated that the torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> and/or the neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> may be provided in a life preserver without the additional neck section <NUM>.

It should also be appreciated that the splash guard panel <NUM> may be provided in a life preserver without the torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> and/or the neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM>. It should also be appreciated that the torso buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> and/or the neck buoyancy sections <NUM> and <NUM> may be provided in a life preserver without the splash guard panel <NUM>. It should further be appreciated that the splash guard panel <NUM> may be provided in a life preserver without the additional neck section <NUM>. It should also be appreciated that the additional neck section <NUM> may be provided in a life preserver without the splash guard panel <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A life preserver including an inflatable main body portion (<NUM>) formed by corresponding front and rear layers of material (<NUM>) that are connected around their outer peripheries (<NUM>) and which each have an aperture (<NUM>) for a wearer's neck, wherein the main body portion (<NUM>) further comprises an additional layer of material (<NUM>) that is connected to the front and rear layers of material (<NUM>) around the apertures (<NUM>) to form a surface that, upon inflation of the main body portion (<NUM>), encircles the wearer's neck, wherein the surface is configured to grip the wearer's neck on inflation, and characterised in that the additional layer of material (<NUM>) is formed from two joined sheets of material (<NUM>) that are configured to lie within and parallel to the corresponding front and rear layers of material (<NUM>) prior to inflation of the main body portion (<NUM>).