GB1599555A - Composite material and diving suits made therefrom - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND DIVING SUITS MADE THEREFROM (71) We, SHARK SPORTS LIMITED of Nordstom House, North Broomhill, Morpeth, Northumberland; a British Company, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to diving dress fabric and thermally insulated dry or wet suits and similar garments made therefrom more especially yet not exclusively employed in oil rig installations and the like undersea maintenance work as well as lighter suits used by dinghy sailors, water skiers and other sportsmen and women.

Historically heavy stiff impervious material has been employed with lead or iron weighting for counteracting bouyancy and so that a diver may find purchase for his boots e.g. on a sandy-sea bed.

Suits of more flexible material, e.g. rubberised fabric, have become available; these do not generally give rise to undue overall bouyancy with proper pressure relief valve adjustment and/or supportive cross bracing bands, however, care must be exercised by the user for avoiding scuffing and otherwise abrading the impervious skin.

In addition to such constant volume suits diving dress of stretchable material has been proposed for conforming to the torso and limbs of the wearer; used principally for sportswear such a dress may be sup plimented by helmet and air supply apparatus, boots or gloves as required, all these necessarily being provided in cases where it is required that the wearer's body be entirely covered and seals are provided at least for the boots, where provided, since with a close fitting stretchable dress integral boots are impracticable in view of difficulty in accommodating the wearer's heels when donning the suit.

United Kingdom Patent Specification No.

1205602 describes and claims a composite sheet of thermally insulating material comprising a foam layer of elastomeric material having closed cells, a foam layer of elastomeric material of open cellular structure bonded to said layer having closed cells, and a layer of extensible fabric bonded to said layer of open cellular structure; the open cellular layer usually of crosslinked polyurethane material, serves to absorb body perspiration whilst the closed cell layer which may be of neoprene provides thermal insulation.

We have now ascertained through research and experiment that in the conditions experienced by divers and water sports people alike material having open intercommunicating cells affords excellent thermal insulative properties.

Extensive laboratory tests have also demonstrated that such open cellular material is, unexpectably, capable of maintaining substantially unimpaired insulative properties at considerable depths below water level.

An object of the invention is to provide dry and wet suits, diving dress and fabric therefor embodying the fruits of our development.

According to the invention there is provided a composite fabric comprising a layer of stretchable synthetic woven material, having an impervious skin of synthetic plastics material bonded to a first side thereof, and a layer of open celled foamed elastomeric material bonded to a second side thereof.

The invention also provides a garment made up from such material with the impervious skin presented outwardly.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to Fig. 1 which shows a diving suit made in accordance with the invention and Fig. 2 is a much magnified diagrammatic cross-section of a portion of the fabric from which the suit is made.

The preferred embodiment of the body garment shown in Fig. 1 comprises a diving dress having a trunk 10, two arm enclosing portions 11, two leg enclosing portions 12 and a hood 13. There is a seal ring 14 for sealing with a water tight helmet (not shown) and similar seal rings 15 on the legs 12 for sealing with diving boots 16. The garment is made up from a composite fabric comprising four layers bonded together as shown in Fig. 2. A first layer 21 of stretchable synthetic woven material such as "LYCRA" (Registered Trade Mark) is bonded to an impervious polyurethane skin, 20 on one side and to a layer of foamed polyurethane 22 having open cells on the other, and a layer of an extensible towelling fabric 23 is bonded to the layer of foamed polyurethane 22. There is thus obtained a our layer structure comprising fabric, open celled foam; fabric and impervious outer skin.The towelling fabric 23 is worn as the inner face of the suit and the polyurethane skin provides the outer finish.

The suit is constructed to give a minimum number of seams which are sewn and/or welded, and is fitted with standard diving boots. To overcome problems of inversion common to all diving suits, it is necessary to provide relief valves e.g. 17 to enable excess pressure to be vented from the feet and these are provided in the boots 16 at ankle level.

The wrists are sealed with standard seals 18 made from closed cell neoprene, and the neck seal 19 of the same material is an inwardly rolled seal forming an inverted U-shape. The seal is so designed that it will fit under a standard band mask or a hard helmet. The main body of the suit is relieved of internal pressure by means of an adjustable automatic relief valve 25 fitted with a manual overide facility.

Entry to the suit is by means of a gas and water proof sliding fastener 26 curved in shape which is placed in a yoke over the shoulders and down each side of the front of the suit. In order for the wearer to remain warm in cold water, the foamed material must remain at a constant thickness, and this is done by introducing a gas into the open cell structure of layer 22 so that its thickness remains constant while the pressure of the gas is equal to or exceeds the surrounding pressure. The suit described forms a gas and watertight bag which protects the diver from his surroundings.

The gas introduced into the suit can be exhaled gas, introduced into the suit from the secondary side of a breathing apparatus demand valve, or a pressure source such as a bale-out system.

Additional thermal protection of the diver can be obtained by wearing an inner suit comprising a layer of elastomeric open celled foam lined on each side with a synthetic sheet of textile material. The internal gas pressure will enable the inner suit to retain a constant thickness thus maintaining a constant thermal value at all depths.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A composite fabric comprising a layer of stretchable synthetic woven material, having an impervious skin of synthetic plastics material bonded to a first side thereof, and a layer of open celled foamed elastomeric material bonded to a second side thereof.

2. A fabric according to Claim 1, wherein the impervious skin material is unexpanded polyurethane.

3. A fabric according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein a layer of textile material is bonded to the side of the open celled foamed elastomeric material opposite to said stretchable synthetic woven material.

4. A fabric according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the open celled foamed elastomeric material is foamed polyurethane.

5. A fabric according to any preceding claim comprising, bonded to the face of the impervious layer opposite to the foamed layer, a layer of a woven fabric.

6. A body garment made up from a composite fabric according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 having the impervious skin presented outwardly.

7. A garment according to Claim 6 made up as a diving dress.

8. A diving dress according to Claim 7 having an access opening closeable by a sliding clasp fastener which extends from each side of the waist and around the neck, across the shoulders.

9. A diving dress according to Claim 7, or 8 adapted for supply of gas under pressure to the cells of the open celled foam layer of the fabric.

10. A diving dress substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

   12 for sealing with diving boots 16. The garment is made up from a composite fabric comprising four layers bonded together as shown in Fig. 2. A first layer 21 of stretchable synthetic woven material such as "LYCRA" (Registered Trade Mark) is bonded to an impervious polyurethane skin, 20 on one side and to a layer of foamed polyurethane 22 having open cells on the other, and a layer of an extensible towelling fabric 23 is bonded to the layer of foamed polyurethane 22. There is thus obtained a our layer structure comprising fabric, open celled foam; fabric and impervious outer skin. The towelling fabric 23 is worn as the inner face of the suit and the polyurethane skin provides the outer finish.

   The suit is constructed to give a minimum number of seams which are sewn and/or welded, and is fitted with standard diving boots. To overcome problems of inversion common to all diving suits, it is necessary to provide relief valves e.g. 17 to enable excess pressure to be vented from the feet and these are provided in the boots 16 at ankle level.

   The wrists are sealed with standard seals 18 made from closed cell neoprene, and the neck seal 19 of the same material is an inwardly rolled seal forming an inverted U-shape. The seal is so designed that it will fit under a standard band mask or a hard helmet. The main body of the suit is relieved of internal pressure by means of an adjustable automatic relief valve 25 fitted with a manual overide facility.

   Entry to the suit is by means of a gas and water proof sliding fastener 26 curved in shape which is placed in a yoke over the shoulders and down each side of the front of the suit. In order for the wearer to remain warm in cold water, the foamed material must remain at a constant thickness, and this is done by introducing a gas into the open cell structure of layer 22 so that its thickness remains constant while the pressure of the gas is equal to or exceeds the surrounding pressure. The suit described forms a gas and watertight bag which protects the diver from his surroundings.

   The gas introduced into the suit can be exhaled gas, introduced into the suit from the secondary side of a breathing apparatus demand valve, or a pressure source such as a bale-out system.

   Additional thermal protection of the diver can be obtained by wearing an inner suit comprising a layer of elastomeric open celled foam lined on each side with a synthetic sheet of textile material. The internal gas pressure will enable the inner suit to retain a constant thickness thus maintaining a constant thermal value at all depths.

   WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A composite fabric comprising a layer of stretchable synthetic woven material, having an impervious skin of synthetic plastics material bonded to a first side thereof, and a layer of open celled foamed elastomeric material bonded to a second side thereof.
2. 2. A fabric according to Claim 1, wherein the impervious skin material is unexpanded polyurethane.
3. 3. A fabric according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein a layer of textile material is bonded to the side of the open celled foamed elastomeric material opposite to said stretchable synthetic woven material.
4. 4. A fabric according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the open celled foamed elastomeric material is foamed polyurethane.
5. 5. A fabric according to any preceding claim comprising, bonded to the face of the impervious layer opposite to the foamed layer, a layer of a woven fabric.
6. 6. A body garment made up from a composite fabric according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 having the impervious skin presented outwardly.
7. 7. A garment according to Claim 6 made up as a diving dress.
8. 8. A diving dress according to Claim 7 having an access opening closeable by a sliding clasp fastener which extends from each side of the waist and around the neck, across the shoulders.
9. 9. A diving dress according to Claim 7, or 8 adapted for supply of gas under pressure to the cells of the open celled foam layer of the fabric.
10. 10. A diving dress substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.