U.S. patent application number 11/745171 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-26 for adjustable personal flotation device.
This patent application is currently assigned to SALUS MARINE WEAR INC.. Invention is credited to Steven G. Wagner.
Application Number | 20080153370 11/745171 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39543514 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080153370 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wagner; Steven G. |
June 26, 2008 |
ADJUSTABLE PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE
Abstract
A personal flotation device with a back float adjustably
connected to a front float through a shoulder strap. The front
float has a shoulder strap guide that prevents the shoulder strap
from falling off a top portion of the front float. Adjustment of
the personal flotation device is done by pulling on the end of the
shoulder strap, the end of the shoulder strap being located on the
front float and thereby easy to access.
Inventors: |
Wagner; Steven G.;
(Waterloo, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BORDEN LADNER GERVAIS LLP;Anne Kinsman
WORLD EXCHANGE PLAZA, 100 QUEEN STREET SUITE 1100
OTTAWA
ON
K1P 1J9
omitted
|
Assignee: |
SALUS MARINE WEAR INC.
Kitchener
CA
|
Family ID: |
39543514 |
Appl. No.: |
11/745171 |
Filed: |
May 7, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60871582 |
Dec 22, 2006 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
441/115 ;
2/102 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63C 9/11 20130101; B63C
9/115 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
441/115 ;
2/102 |
International
Class: |
B63C 9/115 20060101
B63C009/115 |
Claims
1. An adjustable vest having a front portion and a back portion
comprising: a pair of front-side adjustable shoulder straps, where
each of the pair of front-side adjustable shoulder straps includes
a strap guide connected to the front portion, the strap guide
defining a channel; a shoulder strap in sliding engagement with the
channel, the shoulder strap having a first end connected to the
back portion; a buckle connected to a second end of the shoulder
strap; and, a buckle strap connected to the front portion at an
securing area and having a free end looped through the buckle for
reducing a distance between the front portion and the back portion
as the free end is pulled, the buckle being positioned on the front
portion between the strap guide and the securing area.
2. The adjustable vest of claim 1, further including a side
connection means connecting the front portion to the back
portion.
3. The adjustable vest of claim 2, wherein the side connection
means includes an adjustable side strap with a side strap
buckle.
4. The adjustable vest of claim 1 wherein, the strap guide is
formed in the top region of the front portion.
5. The adjustable vest of claim 1 wherein, the strap guide is
formed in a middle region of the front portion.
6. The adjustable vest of claim 1 wherein, the strap guide includes
a length of material secured to the front portion with a securing
means, the securing means defining a width of the channel.
7. The adjustable vest of claim 6 wherein, the securing means
includes stitches.
8. The adjustable vest of claim 1 wherein, the strap guide includes
a length of material secured to a sleeve, the sleeve being
dimensioned for defining the channel.
9. The adjustable vest of claim 1 wherein, the front portion
includes a first panel and a second panel releasably securable to
each other.
10. The adjustable vest of claim 9, wherein one of the pair of
front-side adjustable shoulder straps is connected between the back
portion and the first panel, and the other of the pair of
front-side adjustable shoulder straps is connected between the back
portion and the second panel.
11. The adjustable vest of claim 10 wherein, the first panel and
the second panel are releasably secured to each other by at least
one of a zipper and a quick release belt.
12. The adjustable vest of claim 1 wherein, the front portion and
the back portion include buoyant material.
13. The vest of claim 12 wherein, the front portion or the back
portion includes a padded extended side for protecting a side of
the user.
14. A search and rescue personal flotation device comprising: a
back float; a front float; a first front-side adjustable shoulder
strap for connected to the back float and the front float, the
first front-side adjustable shoulder strap having first adjustment
means positioned on the front float for changing a first distance
between the front float and the back float; and, a second
front-side adjustable shoulder strap for connected to the back
float and the front float, the second front-side adjustable
shoulder strap having second adjustment means positioned on the
front float for changing a second distance between the front float
and the back float.
15. The search and rescue personal flotation device of claim 14,
further including a side strap connecting the back float to the
front float.
16. The search and rescue personal flotation device of claim 14,
wherein the front float includes a first panel and a second panel
releasably secured to each other.
17. The search and rescue personal flotation device of claim 14,
wherein the adjustment means includes a buckle, and the first
front-side adjustable shoulder strap includes a strap guide
connected to the front float, the strap guide defining a channel, a
shoulder strap in sliding engagement with the channel, the shoulder
strap having a first end connected to the back float, the buckle
being connected to a second end of the shoulder strap, and a buckle
strap connected to the front float at a securing area and having a
free end looped through the buckle for reducing the first distance
between the front float and the back float as the free end is
pulled, the buckle being positioned on the front float between the
strap guide and the securing area.
18. The search and rescue personal flotation device of claim 17,
wherein the second front-side adjustable shoulder strap is
identically configured to the first front-side adjustable shoulder
strap.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/871582, filed Dec. 22, 2006,
the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to personal
flotation devices. More particularly, the present invention relates
to personal flotation devices used in search and rescue
operations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Shore based rescues such as swift water rescues, ice water
rescues and river rescues are generally the responsibility of local
fire departments. Members of fire departments are usually required,
under law, to put on a personal flotation device (PFD) before
engaging in any rescue operation near water. However, firefighters
can significantly vary in size from one another, which leads to
rescue engines having to carry PFDs of different sizes to
accommodate firefighters of different build and size.
[0004] In practice, rescue engines usually carry two or three sizes
of PFDs in order to accommodate most, if not all, firefighters.
This is a concern to fire departments since they have to insure
that PFDs of different sizes are onboard vehicles at all times. It
is also a concern to the firefighters themselves who have to pick
the right PFD to fit them once they are at the rescue scene.
Failure to have properly fitting PFDs can lead to unsuccessful
rescues and can jeopardize the firefighters lives. Having to decide
which PDF to wear can lead to time delays in rescue operations and
jeopardize the victim's well-being.
[0005] Additionally, present, universally-fitting, PFDs can be
difficult to adjust, especially by burly firefighters wearing the
PFD over their work clothes/equipment. The adjusting straps are
usually near the top of the back float of the PFD and can be
difficult to reach. This problem is exacerbated since the user will
likely be wearing gloves, which makes gripping of the straps
difficult. Also, pulling on the adjustment straps will often cause
bunching of work clothes in the shoulder area, thereby restricting
a full range of movement. These problems are exacerbated when a
burly firefighter is wearing a PFD made for a small person, or when
a small firefighter is wearing a PFD made for a large person.
[0006] FIG. 1 shows a prior art PFD 20 worn by a user 22 prior to
being snuggly secured to their torso. The PFD 20 includes a back
float 24, a front float 26, an adjustable side-strap 28 and an
adjustable shoulder strap 30. The side-strap 28 and the shoulder
strap 30 include side strap buckles 32 and 34 respectively.
Optionally, there can be a length of fabric (not shown) disposed
over the shoulder of the firefighter 22 and under the shoulder
strap 30 to improve comfort. The length of fabric attached to both
the back float 24 and the front float 26.
[0007] To secure snuggly the PFD 20, the user 22 must reach over
his shoulder to grab and pull the end 36 of the shoulder strap 30
with his hand 38. This can be a difficult task to accomplish in
view of the usually cumbersome clothes 40 worn by the firefighter
22. Additionally, reaching to grab the end 36 results in lifting
the user's clothes 40 in an area 42, just underneath the shoulder
strap 30. Pulling the end 36 of the shoulder strap 30 with the
clothes 40 being lifted in the area 42 usually results in either a
bunching of the length of fabric (not shown) attached to the back
float 24 and the front float 26, and/or a bunching of the clothes
in the area 42. This can lead to discomfort and hampering of
movements for the firefighter 22. Adjustment of the side-strap 28
can also be accomplished in the same way by pulling on an end (not
shown) the side-strap.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows the PFD 20 snuggly secured to the firefighter
22. An additional problem is that adjustment buckles 32 and 34 are
not visible to the user due to their location. Hence, the user may
struggle to find the end 36. This problem is especially problematic
if a PFD designed for a large person is worn by a smaller person;
the position of the buckles 32 and 34 lie on the back position of
the user, thereby making adjustments very cumbersome by the user.
In an emergency situation, the difficulties in adjusting the PFD to
fit the user may result in the user electing to make no
adjustments, thereby increasing the risk of danger to the user.
[0009] It is, therefore, desirable to provide a PFD that fits all
firefighters or rescue personnel, that is easy to adjust and allows
a full range of movement to the firefighters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is an object of the present invention to obviate or
mitigate at least one disadvantage of previous adjustable PFDs.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a PFD with front side adjustable straps.
[0011] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an
adjustable vest having a front portion and a back portion. The vest
includes a pair of front-side adjustable shoulder straps, a buckle
and a buckle strap. Each of the pair of front-side adjustable
shoulder straps includes a strap guide connected to the front
portion, the strap guide defining a channel, and a shoulder strap
in sliding engagement with the channel, the shoulder strap having a
first end connected to the back portion. The buckle is connected to
a second end of the shoulder strap. The buckle strap is connected
to the front portion at a securing area and has a free end looped
through the buckle for reducing a distance between the front
portion and the back portion as the free end is pulled. The buckle
is positioned on the front portion between the strap guide and the
securing area.
[0012] According embodiments of the present aspect, the vest
further includes a side connection means connecting the front
portion to the back portion, and the side connection means includes
an adjustable side strap with a side strap buckle. The strap guide
can be formed in the top region of the front portion, or in a
middle region of the front portion. The strap guide includes a
length of material secured to the front portion with a securing
means, the securing means defining a width of the channel. The
securing means can include stitches. Alternately, the strap guide
includes a length of material secured to a sleeve, the sleeve being
dimensioned for defining the channel.
[0013] In further embodiments, the front portion includes a first
panel and a second panel of buoyan material releasably securable to
each other. One of the pair of front-side adjustable shoulder
straps is connected between the back portion and the first panel,
and the other of the pair of front-side adjustable shoulder straps
is connected between the back portion and the second panel. The
first panel and the second panel are releasably secured to each
other by at least one of a zipper and a quick release belt. The
front portion or the back portion can include a padded extended
side for protecting the a side of the a user.
[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a search
and rescue personal flotation device. The search and rescue
personal flotation device includes a back float, a front float, a
first front-side adjustable shoulder strap, and a second front-side
adjustable shoulder strap. The first front-side adjustable shoulder
strap is connected to the back float and the front float. The first
front-side adjustable shoulder strap has first adjustment means
positioned on the front float for changing a first distance between
the front float and the back float. The second front-side
adjustable shoulder strap is connected to the back float and the
front float. The second front-side adjustable shoulder strap has
second adjustment means positioned on the front float for changing
a second distance between the front float and the back float.
[0015] According to an embodiment of the present aspect, the search
and rescue personal flotation device further includes a side strap
connecting the back float to the front float. The front float
includes a first panel and a second panel releasably secured to
each other. The adjustment means includes a buckle, and the first
front-side adjustable shoulder strap includes a strap guide, a
shoulder strap, and a buckle strap. The strap guide is connected to
the front float, and defines a channel. The shoulder strap is in
sliding engagement with the channel, and has a first end connected
to the back float. The buckle is connected to a second end of the
shoulder strap. The buckle strap is connected to the front float at
securing area and has a free end looped through the buckle for
reducing the first distance between the front float and the back
float as the free end is pulled. The buckle is positioned on the
front float between the strap guide and the securing area. The
second front-side adjustable shoulder strap is identically
configured to the first front-side adjustable shoulder strap.
[0016] Other aspects and features of the present invention will
become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review
of the following description of specific embodiments of the
invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described,
by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures,
wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a side view of a prior art PFD;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a side view of the PFD of FIG. 2 after fitted
adjustment;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a front view of an adjustable PFD according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 3;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a front view of a PFD showing an alternate
embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a strap guide taken
along line A-A in FIG. 3; and,
[0024] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate strap guide
taken along line A-A in FIG. 3.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a front view of an adjustable PFD according to
another embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 9a is a front view of an adjustable PFD according to
yet another embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 9b is a front view of the adjustable PFD of FIG. 9a,
showing strap structures beneath the strap pocket; and,
[0028] FIG. 10 is a enlarged view of the side strap securing
arra
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] Generally, the present invention provides a personal
flotation device (PFD) for use by rescuers. The PFD includes
front-side adjustable shoulder straps each having a length
sufficient to permit the PFD to fit persons of substantially any
size. Each front-side adjustable shoulder strap includes strap
guides located in the top region of the PFD's front float to
prevent the shoulder straps from falling off the front floats and
thereby allow a comfortable fit without the rescuer having to
rearrange his clothes once the PFD has been snuggly fitted to his
torso. Adjustment of the strap length is facilitated by having the
adjustment buckles located on the front surface of the front
floats.
[0030] Although the following discussion is centered around the
theme of water rescue, a worker skilled in the art will understand
that the PFD of the present invention can also be used in water
sport and recreation activities. Further, the present invention can
be used in any type of vest or harness with adjustable shoulder
straps. Examples of such vests and harnesses include military
protective vests and construction worker harnesses. For the purpose
of this description, the terms user, rescuer and firefighter are
synonymous.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a front view of an embodiment of a PFD 44 of
the present invention and FIG. 4 shows a back view of the
embodiment shown in FIG. 3. The PFD 44 includes two front float
panels 46 and 48 (referred to simply as panels from this point
forward) releasably attachable to each other though a zipper 50 or
through any other suitable means. The front panels 46 and 48 each
include a skirt channel 52 attached to the front panel through any
suitable means. An adjustable bottom strap 54 is attached to the
back float 56, runs through the skirt channels 52, and is joined at
its ends 58 by a buckle 60.
[0032] The front panels 46 and 48 can be made of any suitable
buoyant material. The buoyant material of the front panels 46 and
48 can be a conforming buoyant material conforming to the torso of
the user.
[0033] The PFD 44 can include extended sides 62 and 64 that serve
to protect the ribs of the rescuer. This feature is desirable in
situations where a rescue attempt is made in swift waters where the
rescuer may be bounced around considerably or in ice water rescues
where the rescuer needs to crawl towards the victim. Although the
extended sides 62 and 64 are shown as being formed on the front
panels 46 and 48 respectively, they can be formed on the back float
56.
[0034] The PFD includes a pair of front-side adjustable shoulder
straps. One front-side adjustable shoulder strap includes a
shoulder strap 66, a strap guide 82, a buckle 70 and a buckle strap
72. The other front-side adjustable shoulder strap includes a
shoulder strap 68, a strap guide 84, a buckle 76 and a buckle strap
78. The shoulder strap 66 attaches to the front panel 46 through a
buckle 70, which is connected to the front panel 46 through a
buckle strap 72 fixedly attached to the front panel 46 through any
securing area such as stitching 74. Example of buckles that can be
used as the buckle 70 is that of ladderloc.TM. buckles supplied by
ITW Nexus of Des Plaines Ill. Any other suitable type of buckle,
can be used (for example, a quick release adjustable buckle), and
the operating principle of such buckles should be well known in the
art. For example, by having the buckle strap looped through the
buckle, pulling on the free end of the buckle strap will draw the
shoulder strap end connected to the buckle towards the securing
area. A significant advantage of the present invention lies in the
positioning of buckles 70 and 76 on the front surface of the front
panels 46 and 48. Because buckles 70 and 76, and more importantly
free ends 88 and 90, are located between the strap guides 82/84 and
the securing areas 74/80, they can be easily seen and reached by
the user.
[0035] The shoulder straps 66 and 68 can be attached to the rear
float 56 through any suitable means such as, for example, a
stitching similar to the stitching 74. The shoulder strap 68 is
attached to the front panel 48 though a buckle 76, which is
connected to the front panel 48 through a buckle strap 78 fixedly
attached to the front panel 48 through any suitable means such as
by a stitching 80. The length of the shoulder straps 66 and 68 is
fixed, and selected to be a length such that the PFD 44 can fit
users of substantially any build/size.
[0036] At the top region of the front panels 46 and 48 are strap
guides 82 and 84 respectively. The straps guides 82 and 84 can be
made of any suitable material and are fixed to their respective
front panels 46 and 48, and include a channel to allow their
respective shoulder strap 66 and 68 to move along the direction of
their respective length. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of
FIG. 3, the direction in question is, in this case, substantially
parallel to the zipper 50. The strap guides 82 and 84 located at
the top region of the front panels 46 and 48 ensure that their
respective shoulder straps 66 and 68 do not slide off their
respective front panels, particularly when the PFD 44 is secured to
the user.
[0037] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the PFD of FIG. 3 with
front-side adjustable shoulder straps having an alternate strap
guide position. In the presently shown embodiment, strap guides 86
and 87 are still located on the front panels 46 and 48, but placed
at a lower position than strap guides 82 and 84 of FIG. 3. More
specifically, strap guides 82 and 84 of FIG. 3 are placed at the
top-most position of panels 46 and 48, while strap guides 86 and 87
are more centrally positioned on panels 46 and 48.
[0038] Additionally, stitchings 83 can be used to stitch the strap
guides 82 and 84 to the front panels 46 and 48 respectively,
thereby defining channels 85 for the shoulder straps 66 and 68 to
slide through. The channels 85 can also be formed by any other
suitable means such as, for example, forming the channels 85
directly on the strap guides 82 and 84 by stitching opposite ends
of a length of fabric (not shown) directly to the strap guides 82
and 85. Alternatively, the strap guides 82 and 84 can be formed by
any other suitable means, such as, for example, loops made of
plastic material, attached to the front float.
[0039] After a user dons the PFD 44, zips up the zipper 50 and
adjusts the bottom strap 54, he can adjust the fit of the PFD 44 by
pulling on the ends 88 and 90 of the respective buckle straps 72
and 78. More specifically, by pulling on ends 88 and 90, the
distance between the front panels 46/48 and the back float 56 is
reduced, thereby positioning the front panels 46/48 and the back
float 56 tightly against the torso of the user. Since the ends 88
and 90 are located at the front of the PFD 44, the user is not
required to reach back to adjust the PFD. Avoiding to reach back
also greatly diminishes bunching of the users clothes in the users
shoulder area and expedites preparation for rescue. As will be
understood by a worker skilled in the art, the order of the steps
taken by the user to secure the PFD 44 to his body need not be
exactly as described above.
[0040] Also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are intermediate straps 92 and
94, also known as side straps, respectively connecting the front
panel 46 and the front panel 48 to the back float 56. The
intermediate straps 92 and 94 can be adjustable through any
suitable adjusting means including, for example, elastic materials
and/or buckle adjustment. The intermediate straps 92 and 94 are for
further securing the PFD to the user. As will be understood by the
skilled worker, strap guides similar to strap guides 82 and 84 can
also be used with the intermediate straps 92 and 94.
[0041] Alternatively, or in addition to the intermediate straps
connecting the front panels 46 and 48 to the back float 56, the
extended sides 62 and 64 of the front panels 46 and 48 can be
directly secured to the back float 56 through any suitable means
such as, for example, stitching or sewing.
[0042] The PFD 44 can include loops 96 formed by a length of
material 98 secured to the front panels 46 and 48 through any
suitable means such as, for example, stitching and sewing. The
loops can be for multiple usages such as, for example, securing a
tow line (not shown) to the user. The loops can also be used to
hold a quick release belt (not shown) for securing the PFD 44 to
the user without having to zip the zipper 50.
[0043] The PFD 44 can also include any number of pockets such as
pocket 100. The pocket 100 can be made of any suitable material
such as, for example, mesh material. The pocket 100 can also
include one or more zipper (not shown) to facilitate access to the
pocket 100 by the right or left hand of the user.
[0044] The PFD 44 can include attaching areas 102 secured to the
PFD through any suitable means such as, for example stitching and
sewing. The attaching areas can be used to attach rescue objects to
the PFD 44, such objects including, for example, a flashlight, a
knife, a whistle etc. The attaching areas 102 can be located
anywhere on the front of PFD 44.
[0045] As will be understood by the skilled worker, all the
materials used in the fabrication of the PFD 44 can include highly
reflective material to facilitate the visual identification of
users. Also, the PDF need not have two separate front panels 46 and
48. It can consist of only one large front float instead of two
separate panels. In this case, a user would don the PFD by pulling
it over his head. Further, all the straps used in the PFD 44 can be
wide enough such that a worker wearing hand protection can still
easily handle the straps without removing the hand protection.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 4, a back float skirt 104 is secured to the
back float 56 through any suitable means. The back float skirt 104
includes a channel to guide the bottom strap 54. Alternatively, the
bottom strap 54 can be fixedly secured to the back float skirt 104.
In the case where no back float skirt is formed, the back strap 54
can be fixedly secured to the back float 56 through any suitable
means. The back float 56 can also include a loop 106 for hooking to
rescue objects such, for example, a glow stick used to spot users
in dark surroundings.
[0047] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of strap guides 82 and 86
(or 84 and 87) taken along line A-A in FIG. 3. Strap guide 82 is a
material secured to the surface of front panel 46 with stitches
100. The channel 85 is defined by stitching 83, the extra material
of strap guide 82 which surrounds the sides and upper part of
shoulder strap 66, and the surface of front panel 46 underneath
shoulder strap 66.
[0048] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of an alternate strap guide
taken along line A-A in FIG. 3. In the present embodiment, the
channel 85 is self-contained within strap guide 82. As in the
embodiment of FIG. 6, strap guide 82 is a material secured to the
surface of front panel 46 with stitches 100. The channel is now
defined by a pre-fabricated sleeve 102 secured to strap guide 82.
Those skilled in the art will understand that there are known
techniques for constructing sleeve 102.
[0049] While the previously disclosed strap guides are but two
possible configurations, any configuration with any type of
material can be used for achieving the same result, that is, to
guide the shoulder strap 66.
[0050] The presently described embodiments of the front-side
adjustable shoulder strap facilitates adjustment of the PFD. The
same principles can be applied to the adjustable side-strap 28
shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the location of the side strap
buckles 32 and 34 make adjustment by a user cumbersome. Therefore,
side strap guides can be attached to the front of float panels 46
and 48.
[0051] FIG. 8 is an alternate embodiment of the PFD 44 shown in
FIG. 3. PFD 44 now has a side strap guide 200 and a side strap 202.
Side strap 202 is connected to the rear float and to a buckle strap
204 via buckle 206. The construction and configuration of the side
strap guide 200, side strap 202, buckle strap 204 and buckle 206
can be the same as the corresponding components for the adjustable
shoulder strap shown in the previous embodiments. Accordingly, the
principle of operation is the same, as a user can grip the free end
of the buckle strap 204 now located on the front of the PFD for
adjusting the fit. It is noted that FIG. 8 does not show the second
side strap, however those skilled in the art will understand that
another set of adjustable side strap components would be attached
to the other float.
[0052] FIG. 9a is an illustration of fully adjustable PFD 300,
using the previously described adjustable strap embodiments of the
present invention. PFD 300 includes a front float 302 and a back
float (not shown) having substantially the same shape as front
float 302. Attached to the front surface of front float 302 is a
strap pocket 304, which forms a cavity between it and the front
surface of the front float 302. Formed within the strap pocket 304
are four strap tunnels 306. The top two strap tunnels 306 receive
shoulder straps 308 while the left and right strap tunnels 306
receive side straps 310. In the present embodiment, the strap
tunnels 306 are reinforced with binding, and function as strap
guides. All buckles are contained within the pocket of strap pocket
304. A zipper 312 is provided to permit the user to access the
buckles and buckle straps in the pocket. The main difference
between the previously shown embodiments and the presently shown
embodiment of FIG. 9a is that the strap guides are provided by the
strap tunnels 306 of the strap pocket 304.
[0053] FIG. 9b is an exposed view of the components underneath the
strap pocket 304 shown in FIG. 9a. As shown in FIG. 9b, buckles 320
couple the shoulder straps 308 and 310 to buckle straps secured to
the front float 302. The buckle straps 321 are secured at a stitch
zone 322. Hence, a user can quickly make adjustments after donning
the PFD by pulling on the free ends of the buckle straps 321.
[0054] FIG. 10 is an illustration showing a unique buckle strap,
according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is the
arrangement used in the PFD 300 shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b. There is
one unitary strap 321 having both its ends looped through the two
buckles 320. In this configuration, only a single stitch area 330
is required, however a stitch area is not required as one end of
the unitary strap 321 is self-anchoring to the other end, which are
coupled to the side straps 310. Furthermore, the strap tunnels
ensure no vertical movement of the side straps 310. According to a
further embodiment, side straps 310 is a unitary strap that is not
attached to the rear float of the PFD. More specifically, the back
float can include a strap pocket similar to strap pocket 304 having
strap tunnels for receiving the side straps 310. The unitary side
strap is threaded through the strap tunnels of the rear strap
pocket.
[0055] The present invention thus provides a PFD for use by users.
The PFD's shoulder strap arrangement is such that the length of the
shoulder straps allows the PFD to fit users of substantially any
build/size. Strap guides located in the top region of the PFD's
front panels prevent the shoulder straps from falling off the front
panels and thereby allow a comfortable fit without the user having
to rearrange his clothes once the PFD has been snuggly fitted to
his torso.
[0056] Although the above discussion was centered around the theme
of water rescue, a worker skilled in the art will understand that
the PFD of the present invention can also be used in water sport
and recreation activities. Additionally, the present invention can
be used in areas not necessarily related to aquatic activities. In
fact, the present invention can be used in any type of vest or
harness with adjustable shoulder straps. Examples of such vests and
harnesses include military protective vests and construction worker
harnesses.
[0057] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are
intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and
variations may be effected to the particular embodiments by those
of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the
invention, which is defined solely by the claims appended
hereto.
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