FR2822027A1 - Inflatable survival garment has air containers in lining and breathing system with deployable tube and one-way valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The survival garment, e.g. in the form of an anorak, life jacket or overalls, incorporates compressed air containers (5) inside its inflatable fire-resistant lining (3) and has a breathing system with a deployable tube and one-way valve, drawing air from inside the lining once it has been inflated. It also contains a marker dye (12) in powder or liquid form in a container which, together with the supple compressed air container, is connected to an automatic or manual (2) release system. The garment also has an battery-powered miniature radio transmitter (6), and in a variant for use with a back-pack the lining can be made to inflate less at the back and more at the sides.

Description

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ANORAK AND SURVIVAL COMBINATION WITH THREE INTEGRATED SAFETY DEVICES
The present invention relates to safety devices, of a life jacket, inflatable with independent compressed air, with automatic or manual triggering, of an autonomous breathing valve, of a course of the trajectory by dye, and of a mini radio signal transmitter.

The anoraks, jackets, parkas or jackets traditionally intended to be worn very often during sports, leisure or competition, or professional life are often ill-suited and not very practical during a fall or accident. due to the fact that they are permanently inflated or other quite bulky with their devices or protections see even if they use a transmitter we forget its start-up lack of batteries in fact not very practical There are already in this area similarities (such as patents 2505064 and 2778067)
What the invention proposes is that on an anorak, parka jacket or jacket, the three devices are adapted: an autonomous inflation device with compressed air which makes it possible to inflate the anorak enough to absorb a shock, a fall, or to be able to float in water.

 An autonomous valve adapted in particular at the level of the neck, and allows to breathe the air of the lining with a one-way valve system in case of flooding by avalanche or by firefighters in fire or in confined environment.

 A coloring plotter is triggered at the same time as the inflation system, dispersing thanks to compressed air, allowing the location of the person.

 A radio signal is triggered or at the same time and it is detectable on the emergency frequencies, to better locate the person.

The devices according to the invention which overcomes these drawbacks:
It consists of effects according to a first characteristic to adapt an inflatable lining in the entire structure of the garment with a single volume, which makes it possible to inflate the entire garment, body, sleeve and neck. That is, this lining will have a bloated shape towards the outside of the body. To avoid the crushing effect, and allow deformation of the garment; the assembly seams must be made of elastic (accordion type). Except the upper part of the collar, which will be made with sticky Velcro type fabric, allowing the deployment of bloating which will protect the part of the head.

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 This structure can be deformable due to its shape, its unique volume, and when wearing a backpack, a more consistent bloating is exerted in the sleeves and the front parts as well as on each side of the back.

 Safety devices for triggering inflation, automatic or manual: one or more flexible container of breathable compressed air is adapted and connected to the lining through a mechanical safety valve which will be connected in particular with a cored cable, on the handle to the front of the chest, to facilitate manual release, this same valve is equipped with an automatic spring or mechanical opening device. When a pressure, or a strong enough shock is exerted, the system is triggered thus releasing the compressed air from the container or containers and inflates the lining.

 This same maneuver by vacuum effect frees the coloring plotter outside through an orifice. The coloring plotter is a powder, or a liquid, colored, (non-polluting) housed in a flexible compartment adapted to pressure, next to the valve.

 The radio signal device is also triggered by the same action, it consists of a small module transistorized on the emergency radio frequencies, powered by a button type battery.

 All of the devices will be found in particular integrated into the lower part of the inner rib garment, in a reinforced pocket that is protected, to avoid any injury to the user, and easily accessible to allow filling and replacement of the elements.

 At the top level, on the inside or outside front part will be the one-way breathing valve. Normally it is folded inside the inflatable lining. Once the inflation device is activated, it deploys and is used to breathe when necessary or simply to allow deflation of the lining.

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Other objects, advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the non-limiting description of several particular embodiments made with reference to the appended drawings:
Figure nl shows the garment of the invention in its normal form.

Figure 2 shows a normal cross section (section a) Figure 3 shows an inflated cross section (section a)
With reference to these drawings, the devices in FIG. Nl represent the normal garment comprising the arrangement of the various safety devices, a reinforced integrated pocket for housing the safety devices, this pocket can be placed in another place that is better suited (l) a plastic handle connecting by ferret cable the manual triggering (2) of a flexible retractable hose ringed in plastic, with a nozzle comprising a non-return valve letting out the air by light pressure with the mouth on the valve to breathe, or constant pressure to allow deflation of the lining (4).

 Figure 2 shows a cross section of normal clothing, where we distinguish the deflated lining of a single volume by the fact that it is not completely empty of air it also acts as a thermal insulator (3) the outer waterproof structure of the garment with the seams (13) not relaxed (7), the insulated lining (8), the inner structure of the garment (9), and in particular at the bottom of the garment the innovative integrated safety device, compartment compressed air made of flexible and non-deformable high pressure material integrated into the inflatable lining or connected with a pressure indicator (5), transistorized radio system adapted to the trigger valve and set to an emergency frequency with a battery charge indicator with a possibility of autonomous operation (6), tracing compartment composed of a flexible compressed air container with the particularity of having a vacuum or mechanical valve allowing it to be triggered a few seconds later than that of the inflation provided with an external orifice for the propagation of the product and it can also operate in autonomous mode (12).

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 Figure 3 shows a cross section of the garment.

We can distinguish the lining (3) inflated with the particular bloating towards the outside, and the upper part of the collar protruding slightly from the garment, for better protection of the head (read).

We see that the collar device normally closed with velcro tape or another quick opening system (l 1) moves aside to let out the lining and give a larger volume of air and protection (10) and that the elastic seams (13) are stretched on the bottom of the structure facilitating inflation (7).

 Variants: according to the invention, the lining can be slightly modified on the back part, that is to say, give a more suitable shape by modifying the structural bloating of the back, to make it more comfortable to carry a back. During inflation, the bloating on each side of the back will be more pronounced, and reduce in the center thus the air capacity is modified to have greater breathing autonomy. The autonomy capacity can vary according to the clothing sizes, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

 Among other things, the more innovative compressed air container system such as the adaptation of one or more flexible high-pressure tubes integrated in the lining for use in autonomous mode.

 This survival device garment is intended for use in mountain sports and hiking, and by firefighters during fires or in confined spaces also in any other area, requires self-contained breathing equipment.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS 1. Safety device integrated in an inflatable survival suit or suit characterized in that it comprises for inflation, air containers integrated in a lining (3) and a breathing system (4) comprising a retractable hose with one-way valve. 2. Safety device according to claim 1 characterized in that said breathing system (4) draws air from the inflatable lining (3) once it is inflated. 3. Safety device according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that it further comprises a dye tracer system (12) powder or liquid, its container and the flexible compressed air container being coupled to an automatic triggering device through a vacuum or mechanical valve, or coupled to a manual control system. 4. Safety device according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 characterized in that it further comprises a miniaturized radio signal system (6) and adapted to a multiple or single trigger system which can work in autonomous mode with a control of the state of charge of batteries, button cell. 5. Safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the breathable compressed air containers made of flexible non-deformable high pressure or rigid material (5) are connected or integrated inside the inflatable lining (3 ) through a mechanical or electromechanical device with multiple or single trigger, with pressure indicator, allowing the lining to inflate. 6. Safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the specific bloating of the inflatable lining in material of the fireproof inflatable bag type (3) is provided for the wearing of a backpack and consists of dig the center of the back and give more bloating on each side of the back, to increase the air capacity.