U.S. patent application number 11/577716 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-13 for holder for scuba diving equipment.
Invention is credited to George Phillip Brownlow.
Application Number | 20080061092 11/577716 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35456952 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080061092 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brownlow; George Phillip |
March 13, 2008 |
Holder for Scuba Diving Equipment
Abstract
The invention provides a holder (10) for scuba diving equipment.
The holder (10) is attachable to a back pack for a buoyancy
compensation device, and includes a back sheet (12) and a front
sheet (14) connected to the back sheet (12) to define a pouch with
an upper access opening (18). The holder (10) includes an elastic
member which extends across an upper region (22) of the front sheet
(14) so that the access opening (18) is expandable during insertion
of scuba diving equipment into the pouch and subsequently
contractible to retain the scuba diving equipment within the
pouch.
Inventors: |
Brownlow; George Phillip;
(Johannesburg, ZA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP (SF)
2 PALO ALTO SQUARE
3000 El Camino Real, Suite 700
PALO ALTO
CA
94306
US
|
Family ID: |
35456952 |
Appl. No.: |
11/577716 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
September 21, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB05/02789 |
371 Date: |
September 20, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/153 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 2003/146 20130101;
A45C 2003/002 20130101; A45F 2003/001 20130101; B63C 2011/085
20130101; A45F 2005/006 20130101; B63C 11/02 20130101; A45F 5/00
20130101; A45C 2013/1061 20130101; A45F 3/10 20130101; B63C
2011/026 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/153 |
International
Class: |
B63C 11/02 20060101
B63C011/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 21, 2004 |
ZA |
2004/8535 |
Claims
1. A holder for scuba diving equipment, the holder including a
pouch which is attachable to a back pack for a buoyancy
compensation device and which defines an elastic access opening
leading into the pouch which is expandable during insertion of
scuba diving equipment into the pouch and subsequently contractible
to retain the scuba diving equipment within the pouch.
2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the pouch includes straps
which are arranged to extend around portions of the back pack, and
fasteners for fastening the straps to the back pack.
3. A holder according to claim 2, wherein the pouch includes upper
straps for fastening the pouch to an upper portion of the back
pack, and lower straps for fastening the pouch to lower portions of
the back pack.
4. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the fasteners comprise
hook and loop fasteners.
5. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the access opening is
located in an upper region of the pouch and, when contracted, the
width of this opening is smaller than the width of a lower region
of the pouch.
6. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the width of the access
opening in a relaxed condition is between 60% and 90% of the width
of the lower region of the pouch.
7. A holder according to claim 6, wherein the width of the access
opening in a relaxed condition is about 75% of the width of the
lower region of the pouch.
8. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the pouch includes an
elastic member adjacent the access opening for providing this
opening with elasticity.
9. A holder according to claim 8, wherein the elastic member
comprises an elastic band or strip which extends along at least a
portion of the access opening.
10. A holder according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of
the pouch is formed from a liquid permeable material so that liquid
entering the access opening can drain from the pouch.
11. A holder according to claim 10, wherein the pouch includes a
back sheet and a liquid permeable front sheet.
12. A holder according to claim 11, wherein the liquid permeable
front sheet is perforated so that scuba diving equipment within the
pouch is visible through the front sheet.
13. A back pack for scuba diving buoyancy compensation device which
includes a holder for scuba diving equipment, the holder including
a pouch on the back pack defining an elastic access opening leading
into the pouch which is expandable during insertion of scuba diving
equipment into the pouch and subsequently contractible to retain
the scuba diving equipment within the pouch.
14. A back pack according to claim 13, wherein the access opening
is located in an upper region of the pouch and, when contracted,
the width of this opening is smaller than the width of a lower
region of the pouch.
15. A back pack according to claim 14, wherein the width of the
access opening in a relaxed condition is between 60% and 90% of the
width of the lower region of the pouch.
16. A back pack according to claim 15, wherein the width of the
access opening in a relaxed condition is about 75% of the width of
the lower region of the pouch.
17. A back pack according to claim 13, wherein the pouch includes
an elastic member adjacent the access opening for providing this
opening with elasticity.
18. A back pack according to claim 17, wherein the elastic member
comprises an elastic band or strip which extends along at least a
portion of the access opening.
19. A back pack according to claim 13, wherein at least a portion
of the pouch is formed from a liquid permeable material so that
liquid entering the access opening can drain from the pouch.
20. A back pack according to claim 19, wherein the pouch includes a
back sheet and a liquid permeable front sheet.
21. A back pack according to claim 20, wherein the liquid permeable
front sheet is perforated so that scuba diving equipment within the
pouch is visible through the front sheet.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] THIS invention relates to a holder for scuba diving
equipment. More specifically, the invention relates to a holder for
protecting scuba diving gauges, regulators and computing apparatus
before and after a dive.
[0002] Gauges, regulators and computing apparatus for scuba diving
equipment usually are exposed during the loading of the equipment
onto a dive boat, the unloading of the equipment from the dive
boat, or the transporting of the equipment to and from the boat.
Accordingly, these gauges, regulators and computing apparatus can
be damaged before or after a dive, for example if the scuba diving
equipment is accidentally dropped or knocked against other objects,
if equipment is accidentally dropped onto the gauges, regulators
and computing apparatus, or if these devices contact sea sand or
petrol on the deck of the dive boat.
[0003] Since the proper functioning of these gauges, regulators and
computing apparatus is essential when diving, it is desirable to
protect these devices before and after a dive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to a first aspect of the invention there is
provided a holder for scuba diving equipment, the holder including
a pouch which is attachable to a back pack for a buoyancy
compensation device and which defines an elastic access opening
leading into the pouch which is expandable during insertion of
scuba diving equipment into the pouch and subsequently contractible
to retain the scuba diving equipment within the pouch.
[0005] The pouch may include straps which are arranged to extend
around portions of the back pack, and fasteners for fastening the
straps to the back pack. For example, the pouch may include upper
straps for fastening the pouch to an upper portion of the back
pack, and lower straps for fastening the pouch to lower portions of
the back pack.
[0006] The fasteners may comprise hook and loop fasteners, or
corresponding clipping formations.
[0007] Typically, the access opening is located in an upper region
of the pouch and, when contracted, the width of this opening is
smaller than the width of a lower region of the pouch.
[0008] The pouch may include an elastic member adjacent the access
opening for providing this opening with elasticity, in which case
the elastic member may comprise an elastic band or strip which
extends along at least a portion of the access opening.
[0009] Preferably, at least a portion of the pouch is formed from a
liquid permeable material so that liquid entering the access
opening can drain from the pouch.
[0010] For example, the pouch may include a back sheet and a liquid
permeable front sheet. The liquid permeable front sheet may be
perforated so that scuba diving equipment within the pouch is
visible through the front sheet.
[0011] In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a back
pack for a scuba diving buoyancy compensation device which includes
a holder for scuba diving equipment, the holder including a pouch
on the back pack defining an elastic access opening leading into
the pouch which is expandable during insertion of scuba diving
equipment into the pouch and subsequently contractible to retain
the scuba diving equipment within the pouch.
[0012] As used herein, the term "liquid permeable", when used to
describe a material, means that a liquid, such as water, will pass
through the material, under ordinary use conditions, in a direction
generally perpendicular to the plane of the material at the point
of liquid contact.
[0013] As used herein, the term "elastic", when used to describe a
material, means that property of the material by virtue of which it
tends to recover its original size and shape, or a high percentage
thereof, after removal of a force causing deformation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The invention will now be described in more detail, by way
of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a holder for scuba
diving equipment according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of the holder
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 3 shows a scuba diving buoyancy compensation device on
a back pack; and
[0018] FIG. 4 shows the holder of FIGS. 1 and 2 attached to the
buoyancy compensation device and back pack of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrate a
holder for scuba diving equipment according to one embodiment of
the present invention. The holder is designated generally with the
reference numeral 10 and is designed to be attached to a back pack
for a scuba diving buoyancy compensation device (not shown) in a
manner which is described in more detail below.
[0020] The holder 10 includes a back sheet 12 and a front sheet 14
extending across a portion of the back sheet, as shown. The front
sheet 14 is connected to the back sheet 12 along a bottom edge 16A
and two lateral edges 16B and 16C to define a pocket or pouch
between the back sheet 12 and the front sheet 14 with an upper
access opening 18 leading into the pouch. As representatively
illustrated in FIG. 1, the width of the access opening 18 may be
smaller than the width of a lower region 20 of the pouch, and an
elastic band (not visible) may extend across an upper edge 22 of
the front sheet 14 so as to render the access opening elastic. This
allows the access opening 18 to be stretched open for loading or
unloading the pouch with equipment, and to contract to a relaxed
condition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, for retaining the equipment
within the pouch. The access opening 18 in its relaxed condition
may have a width of between 60% and 90% of the width of the lower
region 20 of the pouch, and preferably has a width of between 70%
and 80%, for example about 75%, of the width of the lower region 20
of the pouch.
[0021] The front sheet 14 may be formed from various different
materials, and may be liquid permeable in at least a portion
thereof so as to allow water entering the pouch to rinse through
the liquid permeable portion, and thereby drain from the pouch. In
the illustrated embodiment, the front sheet 14 is formed from a
perforated material which may comprise, for example, nylon or
cotton. Apart from allowing the pouch to drain, the perforated
material allows scuba diving equipment within the pouch to be
visible through the front sheet.
[0022] The elastic band adjacent the access opening 18 may be
formed from any suitable elastic material and is connected to the
front sheet 14 in a stretched condition so as to gather the front
sheet at the access opening when relaxed.
[0023] In other embodiments, the entire front sheet 14 of the
holder 10 may be formed from an elastic material.
[0024] The back sheet 12 may be padded for improved user comfort,
and may be formed from one or more materials which may or may not
be liquid permeable. For example, the backsheet may be formed from
a neoprene foam sheet and may be padded with an expanded rubber
padding material.
[0025] In one embodiment of the invention, the back sheet 12
carries three pairs of straps 24A, 24B and 24C for attaching the
holder 10 to the back pack. Each pair of straps 24 may include hook
and loop fasteners 25 for fastening the straps together.
Alternatively, the straps 24 may include other types of mechanical
fasteners such as, for example, clipping formations. The straps
typically are formed from an elasticised rubber.
[0026] With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 of the drawings, the holder
10 is attached to a back pack 26 for a buoyancy compensation device
28 by fastening the upper pair of straps 24A around an upper
portion 26A of the back pack, and fastening the two lower pairs of
straps 24B and 24C around lower portions 26B and 26C of the back
pack. The straps 24, which are specifically designed to fasten the
holder 10 to the back pack 26, are orientated relative to one
another for effective engagement with the inverted T-shaped back
pack (see FIGS. 2 and 3).
[0027] FIG. 4 shows the back pack 26 with the buoyancy compensation
device 28 attached to an outer side thereof and the holder 10
attached to an inner or body side of the back pack. As can be seen,
scuba diving equipment 30 such as gauges, regulators and computing
apparatus, which usually are exposed before and after a dive, may
be protected within the holder 10. It will be appreciated that the
access opening 18 can be stretched to facilitate insertion of the
scuba diving equipment 30 into the pouch of the holder 10, and that
subsequent contracting of the elastic opening 18 serves to contain
the equipment within the pouch. In this way, the equipment 30 can
be safely contained when the buoyancy compensation device is loaded
onto a dive boat, unloaded from the boat or transported to or from
the boat. The equipment 30 can be retrieved by withdrawing the
devices from the pouch while stretching the access opening 18 as
required.
[0028] It should be appreciated that the holder 10 has a relatively
compact construction and, being located on the inner or body side
of the back pack 26, is unobtrusive when inoperative. The holder 10
can also enhance the comfort of the back pack 26 during a dive.
[0029] In another, non-illustrated embodiment of the invention, the
holder may be permanently attached to the back pack, or it may be
formed integrally with the back pack. In both instances, the holder
includes a pouch on the body side of the pack back for receiving
scuba diving equipment, and an elastic access opening leading into
the pouch.
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