Expandable protective device

Abstract

A lightweight multi-cell sheet like protective device that in a preferred embodiment is worn in a compact rolled donut shaped configuration about the waist of the user and is so maintained by spring means that form a part of the device. Manually operable compressed gas or air supply means are also included as a part of the device. Upon an emergency arising, the supply means are manually actuated to inflate the cells, with the device then inflating from the first position to cover all or a desired portion of the users body to protect the user from a sudden shock or other changes of the environment that would be detrimental to him.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Expandable protective device.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In certain environments, a person may be subjected to a sudden shock or physical change that would be detrimental to him. In the past, certain protective garments have been evolved and used to protect the person from such contingencies but such garments have and the disadvantage that they are cumbersome and bulky to wear, and due to this inconvenience they have had but limited use.

The primary purpose in devising the present invention is to supply a compact device that is light in weight and may be worn in an encircling position above the waist of a user when the device is in a first position, and the user by manually controlling a source of fluid under pressure being able to quickly inflate the device to force it into a second protective position where it sheathes all or a desired portion of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that by fluid pressure may be caused to move from a first to a second position to sheath the user and protect the user against sudden shock or a change in the surrounding environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A lightweight multi-cell sheath like protective device that is preferably worn in a compact rolled configuration to encircle the waist of a user, with the device being maintained in this position by spring means that form a part thereof, and the user, by compressed gas or air that is operatively associated with the device capable of inflating the device to a second position where the sheath will protect a desired portion of his body.

The device has a number of lightweight valves operatively associated therewith, which valves permit the fluid under pressure to enter the cells to inflate the device to a desired position, but after inflation the valves maintain the device in the protective position by preventing discharge of the fluid under pressure from the cells.

The device is susceptible to being formed in a number of cell configurations that extend circumferentially and longitudinally about the body of the user, and if desired, the device may be of such structure that inflated cells extending longitudinally over the upper open end of the device to protect the head of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the first form of the device in an inflated protective position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view of the device illustrating the cellular structure thereof, the compressed gas or air passages and the associated check valves, with the fragmentary cross sectional view being taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is another enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the device taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinally enlarged cross sectional view of the device taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the device taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5, and illustrating in detail the structure of one of the check valves;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of one of the check valves taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an alternate form of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1, the thickness of the device being increased by second cells;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a second form of the device that is similar to the first form shown in FIG. 1 but with the cells extending longitudinally;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 11 and taken on the line 13--13 thereof;

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 11 taken on the line 14--14 thereof;

FIG. 15 illustrates means for concurrently deflating the elongate longitudinally extending cells shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 16 is a vertical cross sectional view of a part of the device shown in FIG. 15 and taken on the line 16--16 thereof;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the device and illustrating one of the springs utilized in maintaining the same in the user encircling position illustrated in FIG. 18, and with this section being taken on the line 17--17 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 18 is a front elevational view of a user with the device in an encircling position above his waist;

FIG. 19 is the same view as shown in FIG. 18, but with the device partially inflated and oppositely moving two sections thereof to a body sheathing position; and

FIG. 20 is the same view as shown in FIG. 18, but with the device having been inflated to extend longitudinally over the entire body of the user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A first form A of the protective device is shown in FIG. 18 in a compact rolled configuration encircling the waist of the user B, with the device A subsequently being shown in FIG. 19 partly inflated, and wholly inflated in FIG. 20 to define a cylindrical sheath that extends circumferentially and longitudinally about a user B. The invention A as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes first and second endless sheets 10 and 12 that are formed from a pliable material that has desired physical characteristics. The first and second sheets 10 and 12 are radially spaced from one another when inflated by gas or air under pressure by means that will later be explained, and both before and after inflation are of generally cylindrical configuration.

When the device A is in the position shown in FIG. 18 the first and second sheets 10 and 12 are adjacently disposed to one another. The first and second sheet 10 and 12 at the upper and lower ends thereof as shown in FIG. 1 and closed by end pieces 14 and 16. The sheets 10 and 12 have circumferentially spaced pliable strips C extending therebetween, with the strips and sheets cooperating to define enclosed cells 18 shown in FIG. 3, as well as compressed gas and air conducting passages 20 and 22. The passage 20 extends circumferentially about the waist of the user B when the device A is disposed as shown in FIG. 18. The strips C defining the vertically extending passage 22 as may best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 have a number of valves D mounted thereon in such a manner that gas or air under pressure in each passage 22 will flow into cells 18 on opposite sides of the passage. A number of resilient helical springs E are provided that are disposed in parallel circumferentially spaced positions in the device A, that tend to so support it that when the device A is inflated, a portion A-1 thereof will tend to move upwardly on the user B, while a portion A-2 will tend to move downwardly. Springs E at all times tend to maintain a helical configuration and are bonded by conventional means to the exterior or interior surfaces of sheets 10 or 12. The device A as can be seen in FIG. 1 includes a container F having compressed gas or liquid carbon dioxide therein, which container has a manually operated valve G associated therewith that is normally closed, but with the valve G capable of being manually moved to an open position by the user B to permit the compressed gas or air to flow into the confines of the passage 20 and passages 22 leading therefrom.

When the valve G is so actuated, the device A unfurls upwardly and outwardly relative to the passage 20 due to gas or air under pressure flowing into the latter and passages 22, and the unfurling terminating when the portions A-1 and A-2 have moved to the position shown in FIG. 20 where it extends longitudinally over the user B. Each of the valves D as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 includes an opening 24 in one of the sheets C that is in communication with the interior of the grommet 26 that is secured to the side 28 of the strip C that partially defines one of the cells 18. A pliable strip of sheet material 30 is secured on three sides to the strip C by a suitable bonding material 32 such as cement, adhesive or the like.

When air or gas under pressure discharges through the opening 24, the free side of the sheet 30 is moved outwardly from the side 28 of strip C, allowing air or gas under pressure to discharge into a cell 18. When the air or gas pressure in the passage 22 is terminated, a differential in pressure exists between the external surface of the sheet 30 and the pressure inside the passage 22, and this differential in pressure forces the sheet 30 into sealing contact with the grommet 26. Thus, after the device A has inflated as shown in FIG. 20 it will so remain, due to the valves D acting as check valves to prevent flow of gas or air from the cells 18 back into the passages 22. Should it be desired triangular shaped segments 36, which are of the same cellular structure previously described, are positioned in the upper part of the device A. When the device A is inflated as shown in FIG. 20 these segments 36 extend inwardly towards one another as shown in FIG. 8 and 9 to close the top of the device A and protect the head 40 of the user B.

Should it be desired, a third sheet 42 may be operatively associated with the sheets 10 and 12, as well as the strips C to define a double layer of cells 18, and each of these cells having gas or air under pressure supplied thereto through valves D. Should it be desired, the exterior surface of the sheet 42 may have a film 42a of a protective material that is resistant against an environmental change such as heat or the like secured thereto.

The material defining the sheets 10 and 12, as well as the strip C may be selected from any one of the number of polymerized resin materials commercially available that have the desired physical characteristics to withstand a suddenly applied pressure, change in temperature, or the like.

A second form of the invention F is shown in FIG. 11 in an inflated configuration, and the second form F including inner and outer laterally spaced sheets 44 and 46 that have longitudinally extending strips 48 secured to the interior thereof to define longitudinally extending elongate cells 50 that may be inflated by air or gas under pressure through valves D that are secured to strips 51 that define a circumferentially extending passage 52 as shown in FIG. 11. The air or gas under pressure is supplied to the passage 52 from a container 54, and the flow of the gas to the passage 52 being controlled by a manually operated valve 56.

A transverse section of the device F is shown in FIG. 11, and is illustrated in FIG. 12 to show the longitudinally extending cells 50 that are in communication with the passage 52. In both forms of the invention there are upper and lower portions that move upwardly and downwardly relative to one another from the gas or compressed air supplying passages 20 and 52. The upper portion is designated F-1 in FIG. 11 and the lower portion being identified as F-2. The cells 50 shown in FIG. 12 have tubes 54 leading therefrom to the interior of a cup shaped member 56 that is normally closed by a resilient plug 58. The purpose of the cup shaped member 56 and plug 58 is to provide means for deflating the device F after it has been expanded as shown in FIG. 11. Such deflation is accomplished by removing the plug 58 from the cup 56 to permit air under pressure to discharge through the tubes 54 to the ambient atmosphere. The portions F-1 and F-2 are shown in Detail in FIG. 14 and in the position that they would normally occupy relative to the passage 52 after the device F has been inflated as previously described.

The sheets 44 and 46 are connected on their ends by end pieces 60 as shown in FIG. 14. The sheets 44, 46 and end pieces 60, as well as the strips C are formed from a resilient sheet material of the type previously described. The devices A and F are designed to fit snuggly about the waist of the user B. Should it be desired a number of belt engageable eyes 70 may be provided on the devices A and F to maintain them in a fixed position relative to the waist of the user B prior to the devices being inflated.

The use and operation of the invention has been described previously in detail and need not be repeated.

Claims

I claim:

1. A protective device that may be worn in a compact encircling position about the waist of a user and in an emergency inflated by use of compressed air or a gas for the major portion of the device to unfurl and move longitudinally over the user to a protecting position, said device including:

a. first and second cylindrical sheets of a pliable material that have closed ends;

b. a plurality of spaced strips sealed to adjacent interior surfaces of said first and second sheets, with said strips being so disposed as to define a compressed air and gas receiving passage that extends transversely intermediate said ends of said sheet;

c. a plurality of second passages also defined by said strips between said sheets that are at all times in communication with said transversely extending passage and a plurality of cells also defined by said strips that are adjacently disposed to said second passage an opening in said strips between each of said cells and an adjacent said second passage;

d. a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending springs that at all times tend to maintain said sheets in a compact, generally donut shaped configuration and in which said configuration said device is worn by said user;

e. a source of compressed gas or air secured to said device;

f. a normally closed valve in communication with said source and said transversely extending passage with said valve when opened by the user permitting compressed gas or air to flow into said transversely extending passage and said second passage and through said opening in said strips into said cells, and said cells when they are inflated deforming said spring means to permit said device to unfurl upwardly and downwardly relative to said transverse passage to envelope desired portions of the user to protect the latter against shock or a change in the surrounding environment that would be detrimental to said user.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 which in addition includes:

g. a plurality of check valves so disposed in said openings in said strips that the interior of each of said cells is in communication with one of said check valves and said check valves allowing compressed air or gas to flow from said passage into said cells to inflate the latter but prevent said cells from deflating after compressed air or gas ceases to be discharged into said passage.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said source is a rigid container in which said compressed air or gas is disposed.

4. A device as defined in claim 2 in which each of said check valves include a rigid grommet secured to one of said strips and in communication with an opening thereon;

j. a third sheet of pliable material that has three marginal edges secured to said strip, and the fourth edge of said third sheet defining an opening between it and said strip and said third sheet engaging said grommet and sealing therewith to prevent air or gas in said cell associating therewith from flowing outwardly through said grommet when the pressure of said gas or air in said cell is greater than the pressure of air or gas in communication with said opening in said strip.