Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Water rescue or life protecting apparatus – Personal flotation device
Patent
1999-03-05
2000-07-18
Avila, Stephen
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Water rescue or life protecting apparatus
Personal flotation device
441118, 441123, B63C 908
Patent
active
060899360
ABSTRACT:
A personal floatation device comprising an improved float to provide buoyant lift to the body of the wearer of the device when in water and a strap assembly to connect the improved float about the wearer. The improved float includes a front sized to generally overlay the front torso of a wearer, a head support to generally overlay the shoulder region, and a neck opening sized to loosely confront the neck of the wearer, with a portion of the neck opening disposed in the front and in the head support, and further, includes an inner neck contacting surface about a perimeter of the neck opening. The improved float includes a back sized both to overlay a portion of the back of a wearer and dwell at least partially within the neck opening, with the back being movably connected to the head support and movable between a first position wherein it dwells within the neck opening and another position wherein the neck opening is fully opened to permit a wearer's head to pass therethrough. On a wearer, the back assumes another position wherein the neck opening is partially opened and characterized by a reduced inner diameter. The improved float is connected about a wearer's body by the strap assembly, and in water, buoyant lift forces are applied to the upper body of the wearer, and in particular, to the back and head support so as to support, cradle and more safely orient the wearer's head while in water, with the neck opening being sized to comfortably surround the neck.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3727249 (1973-04-01), Bonthelius
patent: 4272857 (1981-06-01), Oldham
patent: 4619623 (1986-10-01), Elverskog
patent: 5775967 (1998-07-01), Lacoursiere et al.
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