Ships – Submersible device – Diver assistance device
Patent
1998-07-15
1999-09-28
Sotelo, Jesus D.
Ships
Submersible device
Diver assistance device
441114, 405186, 482 79, B63C 1146
Patent
active
059570792
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
THIS invention relates to a diving ballast.
Weightbelts are most commonly used as a ballast for scuba divers. These belts generally comprise a length of webbing onto which a selected number of apertured weights may be threaded, depending on the ballast required for a particular diver.
As they are separate and heavy items, weightbelts of this type are generally inconvenient to transport. Further, when diving from a boat, the weightbelts are usualy stored at a position remote from the divers in the bow of the boat. When donning equipment, various weightbelts then have to be identified and passed to their owners. This takes up additional time in the pre-dive routine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a diving ballast which is adapted to be fitted to a scuba tank, so as to replace or at least supplement a waist-fitted weightbelt, the diving ballast comprising a girdle which is adapted to be fitted around the belly of the scuba tank, the girdle being formed from a flexible material which is shaped and sized to be wrapped around the elongate round cylindrical profile of the scuba tank, and including a plurality of locating holsters for selectively locating a plurality of weights.
In a preferred form of the invention, the girdle comprises an elongate flexible strap formed with open-ended, tubular, weight-receiving holsters therein and a plurality of weights each having expanded ends and a waisted portion defined between the expanded ends, each weight being of such dimensions in relation to a weight-receiving holster than an expanded end of the weight can be worked through the holster so that the waisted portion locates and is held captive within the holster.
Preferably, the expanded end of the weight can only be worked through the holster when the strap is slack and the waisted portion is held captive by the material of the holster when the strap is under tension along its length.
Conveniently, the flexible strap is defined by elongate superimposed lengths of webbing which are joined together at spaced intervals along parallel join lines which extend transversely relative to the length of the webbing so as to define the holsters, the lengths of webbing typically being stitched together along the join lines.
Advantageously, the girdle is formed with fastening means for allowing it to be secured around the tank.
In one form of the invention, each locating holster is in the form of a blind elongate pocket, the ballast including a set of elongate weights which are dimensioned to fit into the pockets, the weights being formed with gripping formations towards operatively exposed ends thereof for facilitating removal thereof from the pockets.
The girdle may comprise upper and lower straps, each strap being formed with weight-receiving holsters.
In one form of the invention, the holsters in the lower strap may be in the form of pockets arranged to receive the operatively lower ends of the weights, and the holsters in the upper strap are open-ended so as to allow the passage of the weights therethrough.
Alternatively, the weight-receiving holsters of the upper and lower straps are open-ended, the ballast comprising a series of elongate weights formed with operatively upper and lower waisted portions, the dimensions of the weights in relation to the holsters being such that the weights can be worked through the holsters so that the waisted portions are held captive within the weight-receiving holsters by engagement of the holster material within the waisted portions.
In a further version of the invention, the girdle comprises a tubular section of netting which forms a snug fit around the round cylindrical belly of the scuba tank, the tubular netting including holsters in the form of a series of elongate, weight-receiving pockets which extend in a direction parallel to the main axis of the tank.
The girdle may be formed with a handle positioned to allow the scuba tank to be carried when the girdle is fastened around the tank.
The diving ba
REFERENCES:
patent: 3924851 (1975-12-01), Winston
patent: 3967459 (1976-07-01), Denis
patent: 4440525 (1984-04-01), Perla
patent: 4455718 (1984-06-01), Finnern
patent: 5076575 (1991-12-01), Eylander
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