PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE

Abstract

A personal floatation device may include a body, a strap and a belt. The body may include front and back portions. One of the front and back portions may include a first closure member. At least one of the front and back portions may be at least partially formed from a material that is sufficiently buoyant to keep a user afloat in water. The strap may extend around at least a portion of at least one of the front and back portions to secure the body to the user. The belt may include a first end fixed to the body and a second end having a second closure member selectively engaging the first closure member.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/319,695, filed on Mar. 31, 2010. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a personal floatation device, and more particularly to a life vest for water sports.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

Personal floatation devices such as life vests are often worn during water sports such as wakeboarding, kiteboarding, waterskiing, knee boarding and barefooting, for example. Such water sports involve high speeds, strenuous physical exertion, agile maneuvering, and high-impact falls.

Many life vests are pull-over type vests or include zippers to secure the life vest to a user's body. Such zippers are prone to binding and other damage from repeated fastening and unfastening, being stepped on, and/or having equipment dropped on them, for example. Pull-over vests are often difficult to remove when the user and/or the vest are wet.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In one form, the present disclosure provides a personal floatation device that may include a body, a strap, and a first belt. The body may be at least partially formed from a buoyant material and may include front and back portions each having an inner layer. The strap may extend at least partially around the inner layers of the front and back portions. The first belt may engage the front and back portions and may include first and second ends. The first end may be fixed to one of the front and back portions. The second end may include a first clasp member selectively engageable with a second clasp member to secure the front and back portions relative to each other.

In another form, the present disclosure provides a personal floatation device that may include a body, a strap and a belt. The body may include front and back portions. One of the front and back portions may include a first closure member. At least one of the front and back portions may be at least partially formed from a material that is sufficiently buoyant to keep a user afloat in water. The strap may extend around at least a portion of at least one of the front and back portions to secure the body to the user. The belt may include a first end fixed to the body and a second end having a second closure member selectively engaging the first closure member.

In yet another form, the present disclosure provides a personal floatation device that may include a body, a strap, a catch element, and a belt. The body is at least partially formed from a buoyant material and includes a back portion and a front portion. The strap may include a first end fixed to the front portion and a second end fixed to the back portion. The catch element may be fixed to the strap. The belt may include a first end fixed to the body and a second end having a ring element fixed thereto. The ring element engages the catch element to secure the front and back portions in a closed position.

In yet another form, the present disclosure provides a personal floatation device that may include a body, a strap, a loop, a belt, and a catch element. The body is at least partially formed from a buoyant material and includes a back portion and a front portion. The front portion is movable relative to the back portion between an open position and a closed position. The strap may include a first end and a second end. The first end of the strap may be fixed to the front portion. The strap may extend around at least a portion of the front portion and the back portion. The loop may be fixed to the back portion. The belt may include a first end and a second end. The first end of the belt may be fixed to the body. The belt may extend in a first direction around the body, fold about the loop and extend at least partially around the front portion in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The catch element may be fixed to the strap and selectively engage the belt to secure the front and back portions of the body in the closed position.

In yet another form, the present disclosure provides a personal floatation device that may include a body, a belt, and a strap. The body is at least partially formed from a buoyant material and includes a first portion and a second portion. The strap may include a first end, a second end, and a middle portion. The first and second ends of the strap may be fixed to the second portion. The belt may include a first end and a second end. The first end of the belt may be fixed to the second portion and the second end of the belt may include a buckle member that selectively engages the middle portion

In yet another form, the present disclosure provides a personal floatation device that may include a body, a belt, and a strap. The body is at least partially formed from a buoyant material and includes a first portion and a second portion. The belt may include a first end and a second end. The first end of the belt may be fixed to the second portion and the second end of the belt may include a buckle member fixed thereto. The strap may be attached to one of the first and second portions and may be selectively fixed to the buckle member.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a personal floatation device according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a back view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the personal floatation device including a buckle system in a disengaged condition;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a belt system according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the buckle system according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a catch element of the buckle system of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a body portion of the floatation device according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a front view of another embodiment of a personal floatation device according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a back view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a first side view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 8 including a buckle system in an engaged condition;

FIG. 11 is the first side view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 8 including a buckle system in a disengaged condition;

FIG. 12 is a second side view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a belt system of the personal floatation device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 is a partial front view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 8 including a strap system;

FIG. 15 is a partial plan view of the strap system and the buckle system according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a partial plan view of the strap system and another embodiment of a buckle system according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the strap system and the buckle system of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a front view of another personal floatation device according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a top view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 18; and

FIG. 21 is a partial top view of the personal floatation device of FIG. 18.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath”, “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

With reference to FIGS. 1-7, a personal floatation device 10 is provided and may include a body portion 12, a belt system 14, a strap system 16, and a buckle system 18. While the floatation device 10 is shown as a sleeveless personal floatation device, in some embodiments the floatation device 10 may include arm portions or sleeves (not shown). The floatation device 10 may be worn during water sports and/or activities such as swimming, wakeboarding, water skiing, boating, and/or kiteboarding, for example, to keep a user afloat while in water.

The body portion 12 may include an outer layer 20, at least one intermediate layer 22, and an inner layer 24 (FIG. 7) cooperating to form a front portion 26 and a back portion 28. The intermediate layer 22 may be formed from a buoyant foam material, for example. The outer layer 20 and/or the inner layer 24 may be formed from a water resistant material such as polychloroprene (e.g., Neoprene™), nylon, or other rubber or polymeric material. The front portion 26 of the body 12 may be attached to the back portion 28 of the body 12 in at least one of an upper region 30 and a side region 31 of the body 12. The front portion 26 may correspond to a user's chest and the back portion 26 may correspond to the user's back. Portions of the front and/or back portions 26, 28 may extend around the user's sides.

One or more support members 32 may be formed in, or fixed to, the outer layer 20 of the body portion 12 via stitching, adhesive, and/or rivets, for example, or any other suitable means. The support members 32 may be relatively stiff and may be a relatively hard plastic, fiberglass, metal, or relatively dense foam, for example, to provide protection for one or more vulnerable and/or sensitive portions of a user's body. For example, the support members 32 may be disposed on the body portion 12 in locations corresponding to the user's kidney and stomach areas and/or other internal organs. In some embodiments, the body portion 12 may include a single support member 32 extending from the front portion 26 and around the back portion 28. It will be appreciated that the body portion 12 could include any number of support members 32 disposed in any location on the body portion 12. In some embodiments, the one or more support members 32 may be fixed to the body portion 12 between the outer and inner layers 20, 24. In other embodiments, the one or more support members 32 could be removably received in pockets (not shown) formed in the outer layer 20 or the inner layer 24.

The belt system 14 may include a belt 34, a clamp element 36, a loop member 38, and a belt sleeve 40. The belt 34 may include a first end 42 and a second end 44 and may be formed from any suitable elastic material such as rubber or elastane, for example. The first end 42 of the belt 34 may be stitched or otherwise fixed to the body 12 of the floatation device 10. In one embodiment, the first end 42 of the belt 34 is fixed to the front portion 26 of the body 12. At least a portion of the belt 34 may be disposed between the outer layer 20 and the inner layer 24 of the body portion 12. The outer layer 20 of the front portion 26 may include an aperture 46 (FIG. 3). The second end 44 of the belt 34 may extend through the aperture 46.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the belt sleeve 40 may be located between the outer layer 20 and the inner layer 24 of the body portion 12. The belt sleeve 40 may include a first end 48 in communication with the aperture 46 in the outer layer 20 of the front portion 26. At least a portion of the belt 34 may be slidably disposed within the belt sleeve 40.

The loop member 38 may be fixed to the back portion 28 of the body 12. The loop member 38 may be made of rope, plastic, metal, fiberglass or any suitably strong material. The loop member 38 may slidingly receive at least a portion of the belt 34.

The clamp element 36 may be located between the first end 42 and the second end 44 of the belt 34. The clamp element 36 may bindingly engage at least a portion of the belt 34. The clamp element 36 may be made of any suitably strong material, including but not limited to, metal, plastic, or carbon.

The clamp element 36 may be larger than the loop member 38, such that the clamp element 36 does not fit through the loop member 38. Accordingly, regardless of whether the belt system 14 is in an engaged or disengaged configuration, the clamp element 36 will remain between the loop member 38 and the second end 44 of the belt 34.

The strap system 16 may include a strap 50 having a first end 52 and a second end 54. The first end 52 of the strap 50 may be fixed to the front portion 26 of the body 12. The second end 54 of the strap 50 may be fixed to the back portion 28 of the body 12. The first and second ends 52, 54 of the strap may be fixed to the front and back portions 26, 28, respectively, by thread, adhesive, rivets, and/or any other suitable means. The strap 50 may be made of any durable material including, but not limited to, canvas, leather, or a woven synthetic material.

As shown in FIG. 1, the buckle system 18 may include a ring element 56 and a catch element 58. The ring element 56 may be fixed to the second end 44 of the belt 34 by any suitable means, including but not limited to, thread, adhesive, rivets, and/or screws. The ring element 56 may include side portions 60, angled side portions 62, and an end portion 64 extending between the angled side portions 62. The ring element 56 may be made of any suitably strong material including but not limited to carbon, metal, or plastic.

The catch element 58 may be fixed to the strap 50 by any suitable means including but not limited to thread, rivets, or snaps. The catch element 58 may include a cup-shaped portion 66 and a cantilevered member 68. The cantilevered member 68 may include an end portion 70 and a neck portion 72. The end portion 70 may be substantially round in shape. The width W1 of the end portion 70 may be substantially greater than the width W2 of the neck portion 72. In one embodiment, the width W1 of the end portion 70 may be at least 1.5 times greater than the width W2 of the neck portion 72.

The cup-shaped portion 66 and the cantilevered member 68 may be integrally formed by stamping, forging, molding, casting or any other suitable manner. Alternatively, the cup-shaped portion 66 and the cantilevered member 68 may be formed separately and thereafter joined by any suitable manner including but not limited to a weld, adhesive, rivet, or screw.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the engaged configuration, the ring element 56 may be engaged with the catch element 58. Specifically, the end portion 64 of the ring element 56 may be engaged with a surface 74 of the cantilevered member 68 and a surface 76 of the cup-shaped portion 66. When a first engaging force is applied to the catch element 58 by the ring element 56, a second engaging force that is equal and opposite to the first engaging force may be applied to the catch element 58 by the strap 50.

With reference to FIGS. 8-17, another personal floatation device 100 is provided and may include a body portion 112, a belt 114, a strap 116, a buckle system 118, and at least one snap system 120. The body portion 112 and belt 114 may be substantially similar to the body portion 12 and belt system 14 described above, and therefore, will not be described again in detail.

The strap 116 may include a first end 124, a second end 126, and a middle portion 128. The first and second ends 124, 126 of the strap 116 may be fixed to a front portion 127 of the body 112 by any suitable means, including but not limited to thread, adhesive, or rivets. The middle portion 128 may include a plurality of apertures 130 (FIG. 15) therethrough. The apertures 130 may be substantially aligned along the length of the middle portion 128.

Referring now to FIGS. 8, 13, and 15-17, the buckle system 118 may engage the strap 116 to secure the front portion 127 of the body 112 relative to a back portion 129 of the body 112. The buckle member 156 may include a buckle member 156 fixed to the belt 114 and an aperture 158 for slidingly receiving the middle portion 128 of the strap 116. The buckle member 156 may further include a locking system 159 for bindingly engaging the buckle member 156 to the middle portion 128 of the strap 116. As shown in FIG. 15, in one embodiment the locking system 159 may include a rotatable locking element 160. The rotatable locking element 160 may be movable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration to selectively engage and disengage, respectively, at least one of the apertures 130 in the middle portion 128 of the strap 116. Accordingly, the locking system 159 may engage the middle portion 128 of the strap 116 at any of a plurality of positions to secure the personal floatation device 100 to the user. In this manner, the locking system 159 may cooperate with the strap 116 to allow a user to adjust the tightness of the body portion 112 to appropriately secure the personal floatation device 100 to a particular user's body.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, in another embodiment the locking system 159′ may include a slidable locking element 162. The slidable locking element 162 may include a knob portion 164 and a binding portion 166. The knob portion 164 may be in communication with the binding portion 166 such that binding portion 166 securely engages the middle portion 128 of the strap 116 when the knob portion 164 is moved from an unlocked position to a locked position.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, the snap system 120 may include a first snap member 170 fixed to the front portion 127 of the body 112 and a second snap member 174 fixed to the back portion 129 of the body. As shown in FIG. 10, when the personal floatation device 100 is in a closed configuration, the first snap member 170 may securely engage the second snap member 174 to further secure the personal floatation device 100 to the user. At least one of the first or second snap members 170, 174, respectively, may include a release element 178 for releasing the second snap member from the first snap member 170 and enabling an open configuration of the personal floatation device 100, as shown in FIG. 11

With reference to FIGS. 18-21, another personal floatation device 200 is provided and may include a body portion 212, a belt system 214, and a strap system 216. The belt system 214 and the strap system 216 may cooperate to snugly secure the body portion 212 to a user's body in a manner that does not restrict the user's maneuverability or agility.

The body portion 212 may be generally similar to the body portions 12, 112 described above, and therefore, will not be described again in detail. Briefly, the body portion 212 may include a front portion 226 and a back portion 228 cooperating to form a vest. Similar to the front and back portions 26, 28, the front and back portions 226, 228 may be formed from inner and outer layers of polychloroprene, nylon, a rubber material or any other suitable water-resistant or waterproof polymeric material, for example, and an intermediate layer formed from a buoyant foam material. Connecting members 229 may connect first and second ends 230, 231 of the front portion 226 to first and second ends 232, 233 of the back portion 228, respectively. The connecting members 229 could be formed from an elastic fabric material, for example. In some embodiments, the front and/or back portions 226, 228 could include one or more support members similar to the support members 32 described above, to provide protection for one or more vulnerable and/or sensitive portions of the user's body.

The belt system 214 may include first and second belts 234, 235, first and second loop members 238, 239, and first and second clasp assemblies 240, 241. The first and second belts 234, 235 may be formed from canvas, nylon, and/or any other relatively inelastic fabric material. Each of the first and second belts 234, 235 may include a first end 242 and a second end 244 (FIG. 21). The first end 242 of each of the first and second belts 234, 235 may be stitched or otherwise secured to a respective one of the first and second ends 232, 233 of the front portion 226.

The first and second loop members 238, 239 may be substantially similar to the loop member 38 described above. The first and second loop members 238, 239 may be fixed to the first and second ends 232, 233 of the back portion 228, respectively. The first and second belts 234, 235 may be looped around the first and second loop members 238, 239, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21.

Each of the first and second clasp assemblies 240, 241 may include a male portion 250 and a female portion 252. Each of the male portions 250 may include a body 254 and a stud 256. Each of the bodies 254 may be fixed to the second end 244 of a respective one of the first and second belts 234, 235. The studs 256 may include a peg portion 258 extending from the body 254 and a head portion 260 disposed at a distal end of the peg portion 258.

The female portions 252 of the first and second clasp assemblies 240, 241 may be attached to an outer surface of the front portion 226 at or proximate the first and second ends 232, 233. Each of the female portions 252 may define an internal cavity 262 and may include one or more keyhole apertures 264 communicating with the internal cavity 262. The keyhole apertures 264 may include a substantially semicircular portion 266 and a tapered portion 268. At least a portion of the tapered portions 268 may be sized to allow the studs 256 to be inserted therein and removed therefrom. The semicircular portions 266 may be sized large enough to receive the peg portions 258, but smaller than a diameter of the head portion 260. In this manner, when the peg portion 258 is received in the semicircular portion 266, the stud 256 cannot be removed from the keyhole aperture 264 without moving the stud 256 laterally to a portion of the tapered portion 268 that is wide enough to allow the head portion 260 to pass therethrough. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, each of the female portions 252 may include a plurality of keyhole apertures 264 disposed at various distances from the first and second ends 230, 231 of the front portion 226 to accommodate various users having various body sizes and to allow a user to adjust the tightness of the belt system 214 around his or her body.

It will be appreciated that the first and second claps assemblies 240, 241 could be configured in any other suitable manner to allow the first and second belts 234, 235 to selectively secure the front and back portions 226, 228 relative to each other and tighten the front and back portions 226, 228 of the body portion 212 around the user's body.

The strap system 216 may include a strap 270 and an adjustment mechanism 272. As shown in FIG. 18, the strap 270 may include a back portion 274 and a front portion 276. At least a portion of the back portion 274 may be disposed between inner and outer layers of the back portion 228 of the body portion 212. The back portion 274 may be stitched to the back portion 228 of the body portion 212 at a location generally corresponding to the user's spine, for example. A central section 278 of the back portion 274 may be substantially wider than the rest of the strap 270. A width of the central section 278 may extend between an area corresponding to the user's lower back or waist to an area corresponding to the user's upper back or lower neck. The width of the strap 270 decreases as it extends from the central section 278 around the user's body.

The adjustment mechanism 272 may engage the front portion 276 of the strap 270 to adjust a tightness of the strap 270 around the user's body. The front portion 276 may be partially disposed between inner and outer layers of the front portion 226 of the body portion 212 and may extend through sleeve openings 280 in the body portion 212 to allow the user to access the adjustment mechanism 272 and adjust the tightness of the strap 270. The adjustment mechanism 272 could be any suitable mechanism or structure operable to selectively tighten and loosen the strap 270 around the user's body. For example, the adjustment mechanism 272 could include one or more buckles, clasps, clips, buttons, D-shaped rings, slides or loops, and/or any other hardware or mechanism for selectively tightening and loosening the strap 270.

The shape of the back portion 274 of the strap 270 allows the strap 270 to be tightened around a larger area of the user's body and allows the floatation device 200 to be more form-fitting on the user's body, thereby allowing the user to be more maneuverable and agile while wearing the floatation device 200.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A personal floatation device comprising:

a body at least partially formed from a buoyant material and including front and back portions each having an inner layer;

a strap extending at least partially around said inner layers of said front and back portions; and

a first belt engaging said front and back portions and including first and second ends, said first end being fixed to one of said front and back portions, said second end including a first clasp member selectively engageable with a second clasp member to secure said front and back portions relative to each other.

2. The personal floatation device of claim 1, wherein said first end of said first belt is fixed to said front portion, said second clasp member is mounted to said front portion, and said back portion includes a loop member engaging said belt.

3. The personal floatation device of claim 1, further comprising a second belt engaging said front and back portions and including first and second ends, said first end being fixed to one of said front and back portions, said second end including a third clasp member selectively engageable with a fourth clasp member to secure said front and back portions relative to each other.

4. The personal floatation device of claim 3, wherein said first belt secures first sides of said front and back portions to each other and said second belt secures second sides of said front and back portions to each other.

5. The personal floatation device of claim 4, wherein said strap includes an adjustment member selectively tightening said strap around said inner layers of said front and back portions, said adjustment member disposed between said first and third clasp members.

6. The personal floatation device of claim 1, wherein said strap is at least partially disposed between inner and outer layers of said body.

7. The personal floatation device of claim 6, wherein said first belt is disposed outside of said inner and outer layers.

8. The personal floatation device of claim 1, wherein said strap is formed from a relatively elastic material and said first belt is formed from a relatively inelastic material.

9. The personal floatation device of claim 1, wherein said strap includes a relatively wide back portion and a relatively narrow front portion, a central section of said back portion extends between a first area of said body corresponding to a user's waist and a second area of said body corresponding to the user's upper back.

10. The personal floatation device of claim 1, wherein said first clasp member includes a body portion and a stud extending from the body portion, and said second clasp member includes a plurality of apertures adapted to engage said stud.

11. A personal floatation device comprising:

a body including front and back portions, one of said front and back portions including a first closure member, at least one of said front and back portions being at least partially formed from a material that is sufficiently buoyant to keep a user afloat in water;

a strap extending around at least a portion of at least one of said front and back portions to secure said body to the user; and

a belt including a first end fixed to said body and a second end having a second closure member selectively engaging said first closure member.

12. The personal floatation device of claim 11, wherein said first closure member includes a cup-shaped element and a cantilevered member extending over a portion of said cup-shaped element.

13. The personal floatation device of claim 12, wherein said second closure member includes a ring element received in said cup-shaped element and engages said cantilevered member.

14. The personal floatation device of claim 11, wherein said second clasp member includes a body portion and a stud extending from the body portion, and said first closure member includes a plurality of apertures adapted to engage said stud.

15. The personal floatation device of claim 11, wherein said strap is a relatively inelastic member.

16. The personal floatation device of claim 15, wherein said belt is a relatively elastic member.

17. The personal floatation device of claim 11, wherein said body includes at least one relatively stiff support member corresponding to at least one of a user's back and kidney areas.

18. The personal floatation device of claim 11, wherein said back portion includes a loop member, and wherein said belt is slidably received by said loop member.

19. The personal floatation device of claim 11, wherein at least one of said belt and said strap extends through a sleeve opening defined by said body portion.

20. The personal floatation device of claim 11, wherein said strap includes a relatively wide back portion and a relatively narrow front portion, a central section of said back portion extends between a first area of said body corresponding to a user's waist and a second area of said body corresponding to the user's upper back.