PORTABLE RESCUE FLOTATION DEVICE WITH SKIN AND FILLER
A portable rescue flotation device assembly for use in water rescues includes a floatation device having an elongated body portion and a handle assembly fixedly connected to the body portion. The body portion includes a durable water resistant skin configured to enclose a filler. The skin has an outside surface and an inside surface.
This application claims priority to and incorporates by reference in its' entirety, United States Provisional Patent Application No. 62/284086, entitled “Sandy can”, and filed Sep. 21, 2015.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention generally relates to water rescue equipment and more particularly to portable rescue flotation devices with a skin and filler.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPortable flotation devices are used by professional rescuers in the water rescue (lifesaving) industry to assist people to shore who may not be able to swim to safety without assistance. These devices are normally a few feet long and torpedo shaped with handles around their sides. A strap and line is attached to the device and the rescuer can put the strap around his/her shoulder or other body part to pull a person hanging onto the handles back to shore. Traditionally these floatation devices are made from either foam or a hard plastic. The foam devices are not very durable. The hard plastic devices sometimes fill with water. More importantly, the hard plastic devices frequently cause injuries to both the rescuers and rescued persons from impact in turbulent water. There is a long felt need for an alternative floatation device designed for continuous use with little maintenance, which will not cause serious injury from impacting a rescuer or a recued person. The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein, nor to limit or expand the prior art discussed. Thus, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system is unsuitable for use with the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential in implementing the innovations described herein. The implementations and application of the innovations described herein are defined by the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA portable rescue flotation device assembly for use in water rescues includes a floatation device having an elongated body portion and a handle assembly fixedly connected to the body portion. The body portion includes a durable water resistant skin configured to enclose a filler. The skin has an outside surface and an inside surface.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. Throughout the description, relational terms such as front, rear, first side, second side, top, and bottom are used to aid the reader in understanding relationships of different parts and elements of devices disclosed in the drawings and disclosure. The description, including the relational terms, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or may only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.
Referring now to
The floatation device 102 may include a front end 134, a rear end 136, a first side 138, a second side 140, a top 142, and a bottom 144. The body portion may be an elongated member, and may be torpedo shaped. The body portion 108 may have a rounded end near the rear end 136, and a rounded cone shape end near the front end 134. The rope attachment 124 may extend through the body portion 108 near the front end 134. As shown more clearly in relation to
The handle assembly 110 may include a rear handle assembly 112 at the rear end 136, a first side handle assembly 114 at the first side 138, and a second side handle assembly 116 at the second side 140. When being rescued, a person may put their body on the top 142 the body portion 108 while holding onto the handle assembly 110, while the rescuer pulls them to safety. The person may also just hang onto the handle assembly 110, or use the handle assembly 110 to pull their body onto the body portion 108. The handle assembly 110 may include indents 120 or apertures 122 forming handles 118. In a first embodiment of the floatation device 102 illustrated, the handle assembly 110 includes six handles 118. In other embodiments, more or less handles may be included.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The skin 146 may be made of a material which is durable enough such that minimal maintenance is needed despite continuous use of the floatation device 102 over a long period of time rescuing people in turbulent waters. The material the skin 146 is made from may be flexible enough that minimal injury is caused when the rescuer or the person rescued is impacted with the floatation device 102 is turbulent waters of a rescue. In some embodiments, the skin 146 may be at least an eighth (⅛) of an inch thick. Suitable materials may include the vinyl used in making Taylor Made Products vinyl fenders or similar vinyl, rubber, vinyl composite, or rubber composite material. Another suitable material may include layers of an outer nylon type skin such as is used in making a backpack and an inner rubber and/or vinyl or composite rubber and/or vinyl bladder. For example, the layered material used by Mustang Survival to make an inflatable PFD could be used for the skin, or a similar layered material.
The filler 148 may include compressed atmospheric air, or another gas. When the filler 148 includes a gas or compressed gas, the fill mechanism may include the valve 130. The valve 130 may include a check valve or other means known in the art to prevent the gas from escaping from the skin 146. In some embodiments, the handle assembly 110 may be filled with the filler 148 separately from, and with a separate fill mechanism 128 than the body portion 108.
In another embodiment, the filler 148 may include foam, such as a light hydrophobic foam. The foam may ensure that the floatable device 102 remains buoyant if punctured. The foam may be sprayed or otherwise inserted in the skin 146 through the fill mechanism 128 before or after manufacture. If the foam is inserted during manufacture other means may be used to insert the foam into the skin, including separately inserting the foam into the body portion 108 and the handle assembly 110, and then attached the body portion 108 to the handle assembly 110. In other embodiments, the filler 148 may be any substance which can be used to give the floatation device 102 buoyance, as would be known in the art.
Referring now to
Referring now to
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A portable rescue flotation device assembly for use in water rescues, comprising a floatation device including:
- an elongated body portion with a durable water resistant skin configured to enclose a filler, the skin having an outside surface and an inside surface; and
- a handle assembly fixedly connected to the body portion.
2. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, further including a flexible rope detachably connected to the body portion, and a strap connected to the rope, the strap configured to be worn around a shoulder during a rescue.
3. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the skin includes a first layer and a second layer fixedly connected to each other, the first layer made of one of a rubber, vinyl, or composite rubber and vinyl material and located on the outside of the skin, the second layer made of a one of a durable nylon and durable nylon blend material and located on the inside of the skin.
4. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the skin is made of a flexible one of rubber, vinyl, and composite rubber and vinyl material.
5. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the skin is flexible and at least one eighth of an inch thick.
6. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the body is torpedoed shape.
7. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly is formed of the skin and configured to enclose the filler.
8. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly is formed of the skin.
9. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the filler includes a gas filler, and the body includes a fill mechanism for filling the skin with the gas filler.
10. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 9, wherein the fill mechanism includes a valve.
11. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the filler includes a foam filler, and the body includes a fill mechanism for filling the skin with the foam filler.
12. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 12, wherein the fill mechanism includes a sealable opening.
13. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the filler includes a foam filler, and the skin of the body is filled with the foam filler when the rescue floatation device is manufactured.
14. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes a rear handle assembly.
15. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes a first side handle assembly and a second side handle assembly.
16. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the floatation device includes a rope attachment aperture.
17. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes at least one handle formed by at least one aperture in the handle assembly.
18. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes at least one handle formed by at least one indent in the handle assembly.
19. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the body portion includes a rounded rear end.
20. The portable rescue flotation device assembly of claim 1, wherein the body portion includes a rounded cone shaped front end.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 15, 2016
Publication Date: Mar 23, 2017
Inventor: Stephen Alexander Bosacco (Cape May Court House, NJ)
Application Number: 15/266,055